TABLE OF CONTENTS

Editor's Line

President's Message

Education and Welfare Report

Membership Report

Tributes to Darrell Lauer

MCB Loses Other Dear Friends

Houston Is Ready for MCB

Sighted people have rights, too

ACB Files Suit to Mandate Change in Design of US Currency

Money Talks--and So Should ATMS

The Do's and Don'ts of Advocacy: Letter Writing

For Eye Patients, Progress On A Vexing Disease

OK, So Who Is This Guy Robert, and Why Do We Follow His Rules?

A Letter From the UWB Outreach Committee

Affiliate Affairs

From The Lower Left-Hand Drawer

If I Had My Life to Live Over by Erma Bombeck

Ah, That Feels Good!

Better Keep In Touch

Back to the 2002 Chronicle List

Back to the Chronicle Archives

Editor's Line

There must be something about Chronicle time. It seems that strange things keep happening to me right when I'm in the middle of trying to put together this magazine. The first time I worked on the Chronicle, I broke my foot. On a couple of other occasions, I had Braille Lite trouble right while I was trying to put the magazine together. And this time, what did I do but come down with pneumonia! Not a bad case of pneumonia, thank goodness, but just enough of a bout to slow me down and keep me from working at top peak. And right in the middle of all that came the MCB Board meeting. And then this thing called a job keeps getting in the way of everything else. It must be true that there's no rest for the wicked because I don't seem to be getting much of it lately. Anyway, I am feeling better, just not getting things done quite as quickly as I'd like to. And at least, I'm not nearly as sick as my poor computer, which no longer has a working hard drive.

We got a very low number of Affiliate reports this time, so don't forget to send us your news. Members want to know what you're doing, especially if you have some unique project and program ideas to pass along to other clubs.

I hope you enjoy this issue. I should mention that information about the convention will be found in the Delta Area report rather than in a separate convention article. In this issue: tributes to Darrell Lauer, the latest information on macular degeneration and talking ATMS, the do's and don'ts of letter writing and a brief history of Robert's Rules of Order. Enjoy and keep in touch.

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President's Message

Dear MCB members and friends,

There is a loftier ambition than merely to stand high in the world. It is to stoop down and lift mankind a little higher. -- Henry Van Dyke

Over the past year and-a-half, my president's messages have primarily been addressed to the membership of our organization. But I thought perhaps this time I would address my message to a different audience. I would like to address the many individuals who have at one time or another either heard or read about our organization but have yet to become members. I believe there may be a large number of individuals who have either read or listened to one of our issues of the Missouri Chronicle or read or listened to one of our informational brochures while sitting in a doctor's office, or perhaps in an agency or organization representing the blind, or perhaps have borrowed a copy of one of our issues of the Chronicle from a friend, but have yet to take that next important step and that is to request membership into our organization. As one of these silent individuals, perhaps you have known or still know of someone who is blind or is visually impaired whom you would like for the Missouri Council of the Blind to contact. We would be more than happy to accept any referrals that you may have, and take the opportunity to get acquainted with them.

Perhaps you yourself are blind but have never inquired more into our organization. I would like for you to know that we are a friendly and caring group of individuals and would like to assist you in any way that we can. So then why not call our MCB office today and request one of our free brochures. I promise you that you will not be disappointed. Our brochures list all of our services and programs, and give a brief historical account of our organization. We also have other blindness information available as well. You may call our MCB office either at (314) 832-7172 or toll-free at 1-800-342-5632 between the hours of 8:00 addm. and 4:00 pddm., Monday through Friday, and someone will be happy to take your call, or you may write our MCB office at 5453 Chippewa, St. Louis, Missouri 63109, or you may every-mail us at

moblind@mindspring.com You may also want to visit our newly designed web site at

http://www.acb.org/missouri/index.html

Now then ladies and gentlemen one of the many reasons why I would like to address my message this time to those many individuals who have either heard or read about the Missouri Council of the Blind at sometime or another but have yet to become members is because I would like for you to know that you have a friend in MCB that you can trust.

Perhaps you are one of the many individuals who have just recently experienced vision loss but do not know where to turn to get assistance in your period of adjustment. Whether you are looking for someone who would just be a friend to you during this delicate and fragile period of your life, or whether you are looking for someone who could direct you to the many services and programs that are available to you as a blind person, I want you to know that you have a friend in MCB that would be happy to assist you in any way that it can.

Perhaps you are one of the many blind individuals who do not know where to turn to start receiving state and federal financial assistance. Well, I have good news for you. The Missouri Council of the Blind would be more than happy to explain to you all of the entitlements that are available to you as a blind person. MCB very much cares about your financial welfare and wishes to offer its assistance to you in this important area of your life.

Perhaps you are one of the many blind individuals who would like to be able to go back to work again but do not know where to start. Again, you have a good friend in MCB that would be happy to assist you in your seeking quality employment.

Perhaps you are one of the many blind individuals who would like to be introduced to the world of technology for the blind but do not know where to turn. Well, I have good news for you as well. A number of our folks use just about every imaginable technology that is available to the blind and would be happy to talk with you. So why not call our office today to get more information.

My friend and neighbor, whether you are a blind individual seeking to become a successful, independent blind traveler, or seeking to become a successful, independent blind homemaker, or seeking to become a successful, independent blind student, I would like for you to know that you have a friend in MCB that would like to assist you in any way that it can. Of course, I could go on and on about the many ways in which the Missouri Council of the Blind would like to become your friend but I think that once you have given us a call, you will find that we are truly the friendliest blind consumer organization around and are very much willing to assist you in your blindness endeavors. Again, I hope that you will call or write and let us know how we can be of service to you. Now I trust that you will enjoy reading the rest of the Missouri Chronicle.

Wishing you all the very best,

Chip Hailey, MCB president

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Education and Welfare Committee Report by Dennis Miller

On February 19 and 20, MCB held its annual legislative day and conference in Jefferson City. It was very well attended and we were able to get packets of information to every senator and representative. I received very favorable comments from legislators and attendees and I think we made an excellent showing for ourselves this year.

Several of us participated in local meeting with our Congressional representatives and senators. Although there was some difficulty in getting the information we needed to have to give to our Congress people, I think we made some positive strides in establishing a better working relationship with many of them.

I have been spending a great deal of time in Jefferson City the past several months working to try to insure that programs and services we need are not cut. As I have said before, this has been a very difficult budget year and I think we are going to come out of it without any serious damage being done.

As I write this, there are a little over three weeks left in the legislative session. There are several bills that we worked on at legislative day which are just now starting to move after sitting idle for the past couple of months as both houses of the Missouri legislature struggled to come to an agreement over the state budget. At present, the budget is in a conference committee comprised of members of the Missouri House of Representatives and the Missouri Senate.

Once the session has concluded, I will be sending a detailed report to every member of the Education and Welfare Committee detailing what bills passed and what bills didn't and any other pertinent information which comes out of this legislative session. This is something that hasn't been done in the past, and I hope that once they receive this report the other members of my committee will share it with their respective affiliates.

As of this writing, it is believed there will be a twenty dollar increase in blind pension for the coming year. This is scheduled to take effect on July 1 when the new fiscal year begins.

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Membership Report

by Melvin Smith

Hi everybody, First, I wanted to start off by saying thanks a lot for all of the words of encouragement I have received since my appointment to the chair of the Membership committee. Secondly, I appreciate all the feedback I have received from the referrals I have sent out to the affiliates. The referrals I sent out are very important to this organization. These people are interested in finding out about blindness related issues and or just finding somebody to talk to. I urge you to contact everybody on your referrals, even if they are too far away to come to your meetings. Let them know that the MCB cares about all people who need a helping hand.

Thirdly, I have sent out a note to most of the high schools and higher learning institutions in Missouri telling them about the MCB and all the programs we have to offer. Hopefully we will be getting some younger, highly educated new members into the family. Bye for now and God bless the Royals and the Cardinals.

Melvin Smith Membership Chairman (816) 942-0489

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Tributes to Darrell Lauer

The Missouri Council of the Blind and the blind community in general lost a great friend and hard worker with the passing of Darrell Lauer on May 7. Darrell had been in the hospital for several months following a massive heart attack, complicated by diabetes and other health problems. Darrell was President of MCB from 1978 until 1982. Two memorable events that occurred during Darrell's Presidency were the opening of the first MCB office and the last ACB Convention held in St. Louis. Through his work with Southwestern Bell and his efforts with many advocacy organizations like MCB, Darrell strove throughout his life to make conditions better for the blind, the disabled, the poor and the elderly. We extend our deepest sympathy to Theresa and the other members of Darrell's large family.

You are about to read a couple of articles listing Darrell many accomplishments and honors. But Darrell touched lives in many ways, as shown by these comments that were made on the MCB e-mail list. Celita White says that if Darrell had not encouraged her to become involved in Beep Ball through the Telephone Pioneers, she would never have met Sam or her other friends in MCB. Phyllis Lovett also gives Darrell credit for persuading her to take on more responsibilities in MCB. I know many more of you could share similar stories and comments. One of the things that Darrell enjoyed doing each year was the broadcast of the Veiled Prophet Parade over Radio Information Service. This is the parade through downtown St. Louis during the July Fourth weekend. Darrell would arrange with the Telephone Pioneers for us to describe the parade to blind people which they could hear over the radio or over headsets. Darrell and I participated in many of those parade broadcasts and they were always fun. Darrell always worked hard to make sure that Fair St. Louis would be accessible to disabled fairgoers.

Here is an article that appeared in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch along with Darrell's obituary:

Darrell Lauer, Area Activist for Disabled, Elderly

Legally blind since twelve, Darrell F. Lauer spent many years as an activist for the disabled, the poor and the elderly.

Mr. Lauer, 62, of Sunset Hills died Tuesday May 7, 2002 from congestive heart failure at St. Anthony's Medical Center in South St. Louis County.

Mr. Lauer was born in Montgomery City, Missouri and grew up in St. Louis.

Diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, Mr. Lauer began losing his sight when he was twelve. About ten years ago, he became completely blind. Theresa Lauer, his wife of 39 years, however, said he never let his disability prevent him from living a full life.

"He had no fear of anything," Theresa Lauer said. He devoted much time to volunteerism, his wife said, because he was grateful for the family life he had. "He wanted to give back, to do what he could, and he loved to do it," she said.

He received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology from Central Missouri State University in 1964 and a Master's Degree in Social Work in 1973 from Washington University.

While working as a social worker for the Human Development Corporation of Metropolitan St. Louis, he began volunteering to help elderly and disabled people. Mr. Lauer worked for Southwestern Bell for nineteen years until he retired about a year and a half ago. He was appointed to The St. Louis County Commission for the Disabled by County Executive George R. "Buzz" Westfall in 1991.

He was a past president of both The American Foundation for the Blind and the Missouri Council of the Blind. He served on the board of Directors of many organizations, including the St. Louis Society for the Blind, The Greater St. Louis Area Boy Scouts Council and the Central Institute for the Deaf. He was a past Secretary of Paraquad.

In addition to his wife, the survivors include one son, Timothy Lauer of Arnold; two daughters, Jacquelyn Grable of Oakville and Laura Mcclain of St. Ann; two brothers, Fred Lauer of Wisconsin and George Lauer of Jefferson City; three sisters, Estelle Ball of Eureka, Wanda Gall of Marthasville and Florence Boenker of Marthasville; and seven grandchildren

Last year, The St. Louis Society for the Blind honored Darrell with a lifetime achievement award during its 90th anniversary celebration. Here is the text of that presentation.

During his lifetime Darrell Lauer has distinguished himself locally, regionally, and nationally. He is well known for his dedication and advocacy for the disabled, poor and elderly. He is a graduate of the Missouri School for the Blind, Central Missouri State University (1964) and received a Master of Social Work from Washington University in 1973.

Mr. Lauer began his professional career as a Head Start Counselor and in 1966 was promoted to the position of Family Counselor with a caseload of 240 families. In 1971, he became a Consumer Branch Manager for the Human Development Corporation in St. Louis working with the local utility companies to facilitate services for the poor, disabled and elderly. He trained as an expert witness and lobbyist against the utility companies in conjunction with the Public Service Commission and worked for the passage of free information services for the disabled with ATANDT and Southwestern Bell Corporation.

He organized the first "beep" baseball and "beep" sailing program with the help of the Telephone Pioneers.

From 1982-2000, he was employed by SBC where he helped create Braille billing, arrange a national training program for certified disability leaders for ADA, and assisted in an initiative project with 20 major corporations creating computer related internships for disabled individuals leading to permanent employment with the companies. All of these programs merited national awards for SBC and Darrell represented the company at the national presentations.

Mr. Lauer was the first person to receive the national ADA Medal. Other awards received by Mr. Lauer include HDC Employee of the Year (1978), twice the Humanitarian Award from the National Silver-Haired Congress, twice the Arkansas Traveler Award and the United Way Man of the Year for Community Services.

He currently serves on the boards of 12 organizations whose missions focus on aging, disability rights, and independent living for the disabled. Among them are AARP, Boy Scout Council on Special Needs, County Council Commission for Persons with Disabilities, National Council on Aging, National Council for Independent Living, Midwestern Braille Volunteers, PARAQUAD, RSB Advisory Board. He served as the President of the Midwest Regional Board of the American Foundation of the Blind from 1988-1995 and has since been made a lifetime honorary board member.

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MCB loses Other Dear friends

From The Editor: On June first, we heard the sad news that Debra Fitzpatrick had passed away following a brief illlness. Debra had served as Secretary of MCB and was also a hard worker for the Allied Workers in Kansas City. She was Treasurer of AWB at the time of her death. She will be missed by her many friends in Kansas City and in MCB.

This newspaper obituary doesn't mention MCB but many of us remember how helpful and friendly John Evans was at conventions and at camp. He was always there with a smile and a cheerful word. If someone from Joplin would like to send more information about John and his involvement with MCB, I would be happy to include it in the next issue.

John Franklin Evans, of Bethany, Okla. went home to be with the Lord on April 6, 2002. He was 88 years old. He was born February 17, 1914 in Joplin, Mo. His father died when he was twelve years old and from that point on he devoted the rest of his life to caring for the family. On New Year's Night, January 1, 1941, on a blind date, he met the love of his life, Dorothy Douglas Giltner. They were joyfully married three months and eight days later on April 9, 1941. Honest, friendly and outgoing, John never met a stranger. He loved people and treated them as he wanted them to treat him. One of his greatest strengths was his belief in the Lord, God and he has been a member of the First Christian Church in Joplin, Mo. since 1947. He also loved his pets, traveling, and most of all, he loved spending time with his family. He is survived by his brother and sister-in-law, Gene and Wanda Evans; his son and daughter-in-law, John D. and Carol Evans; his son-in-law and daughter, Bill and Wilma J. Schramm; five grandchildren Doug, Don, Todd, Mark and Maria; nine great grandchildren Billy, Cherish, Sasha, Mariah, Luke, Kayla, Kalvin, Kelsie and Zoey; five nieces and nephews, Pat, Terry, Janis, Brian and Robyn and many loving friends. His spirit will live on in the hearts and memories of all who were close to him and he is at home in peace with the Heavenly Father. He wanted his epitaph to read, "He was a truck-drivin' man who loved all he can and always wanted to see what was around the next bend."

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Houston IS READY FOR MCB By Jerry Annunzio

Missouri Council of the Blind members and friends are encouraged to visit Houston on June 29. Come have fun, learn about the latest assistive devices and participate in the forty-first annual American Council of the Blind Convention at the Adams Mark Hotel, 2900 Briarpark Drive at Westheimer, Houston, Texas 77042, phone 1-800-444-2326 or 1-713-978-7400. This convention will last through July 6. You may want to come as early as Thursday, June 27 or 28 for the pre-convention ACB Board meeting, committee activities and pre-convention tours. And why not for the post convention board meeting and activities through Sunday July 7?

How does one get to the hotel? The Adams Mark is on the West side of Houston. From either major airport you can take a car or cab west on highway 8 then right on Westheimer to Briarpark Road. Cab fare is about $50 each way. So if you can share the cab fare with several close friends that would help. The Airport "Express USA" is $20 each way, ask for the ACB special rate of $18 each way. The Adam's Mark is a big hotel with 600 rooms, which can be reserved for $65 per night plus tax for single and double, $75 per night plus tax for triple and quad. Remember, to make your reservations directly with the hotel, call toll free at (800) 436-2326 or the toll number is (713) 978-7400. The convention, exhibits and most of the meetings will be held in the Adams Mark.

The backup hotel is the Hilton just across the street where some meetings will be held. The advantage to the Hilton is that it is a very nice hotel and it is next to the Kroger's grocery store. Room rates at the Hilton are $65 per night plus tax. The phone number is (713) 974-1000.

Cindy Burgett will once again operate the Youth Activity Center (YAC). So yes, you can bring the kids to convention!

Plans for a variety of tours are complete now. There will be tours to Galveston, the Museum of Natural Sciences, the Museum of Fine Arts, NASA, a cowboy ranch and a number of city tours. See the registration materials and Mike Hoenig's articles in previous issues of the Braille Forum for more details. Missouri Council of the Blind has from the very beginning been a major mover and shaker within ACB and this year will be no exception. Come meet new friends, greet old friends and have a whole lot of fun. Houston is ready for MCB.

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Sighted People Have Rights, Too

by Peggy Shoel

This article appeared in the march issue of the Braille Forum. It stirred up a lot of comment when I posted it on the List, so I thought I would share it with Chronicle readers, too. Perhaps some of you might have comments on this topic. If we take help we don't need, are we reinforcing the notion that we can't take care of ourselves? Why do some sighted people often seem to jump to the conclusion that we can't function without their help? How do you react to offers of help? Read what Peggy says and then tell me what you think.

I belong to several blind chat groups and I have noticed an attitude harbored by a number of participants that disturbs me as a person who was fully sighted well into my adulthood. I am talking about an attitude of us-versus-them which many people who are blind seem to have and to bring out whenever they encounter one of "them," idde., a member of the sighted population. For these people, unsolicited assistance offered by a sighted person is considered highly offensive and is interpreted as an indication that the sighted person considers the blind individual to be helpless, less than a whole person, and incapable of functioning independently. For those blind individuals who think that way, an angry response to an offer of assistance, with comments such as, "No, I don't need your help," "I didn't ask for your help," "What makes you think I need your help," "Don't you think I can manage on my own?" seems to me to be quite inappropriate.

You know, we as blind people expect to be treated with cordiality, sensitivity and respect, and sighted people have a right to those expectations as well. There are two acceptable ways to respond to an unsolicited offer of assistance. One is, "Yes, thank you, I'd appreciate that," and the other is "No, I can manage, but thank you for asking."

On one of my blind chat groups, a young lady posted a message with great glee and an "I got her" chuckle. She had gone to a restaurant by herself and ordered a meal, and when it arrived, a well-intentioned waitress quietly whispered to er that her chicken was at 12 o'clock, her potatoes at 3 o'clock, etc. So offended was the blind young lady that as the waitress was talking, she turned her dish round and round, thereby displacing the clock reference. The waitress left and the blind young lady thought she had shown her. And she had. And what she had shown her was that she should never again offer assistance to a blind person.

I have never seen any behavior that extreme or inappropriate in our group, but I have seen things that verge on being impolite responses, such as an exasperated, "No, I can do this myself!" in response to someone offering to help an individual into a van. I do not believe anyone is diminished by accepting a legitimate offer of help when the reality is that we probably don't need it. I do think we are diminished by being rude. A young man gleefully related a story about how he was walking down the street with his cane and a sighted man asked him how he managed to walk. And he sarcastically replied, "Well, I put one foot down, and then I put the other foot down and so on." Now perhaps the sighted man was being a jerk, but perhaps he really wanted to know how the blind individual got where he needed to go, in which case a response explaining the use of canes, a dog guide, or other techniques would have informed and educated the sighted man. I believe we need to allow sighted people to ask us how we do things. And I also believe that when we decline an offer of assistance, it is our responsibility to do it in such a way that the person offering help will feel comfortable offering assistance to another blind person--who may really need and want it.

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American Council of the Blind Brings Suit to Mandate Change in Design of U.S. Paper Currency

From The Editor: This is a press release issued by the American Council of the Blind early in May. ACB has long advocated changes in the currency that would allow blind people to distinguish between bills by touch. What do you think? Is this an urgent issue requiring legal action or is this just one of the inconveniences we blind people put up with and work around as best we can?

Today, the American Council of the Blind (ACB) filed suit against the Secretary of the Treasury and the Treasurer of the United States to require changes in the design of U.S. paper money. Most Americans are fortunate enough to take for granted the ability to recognize banknote denominations. However, for millions of Americans who are blind or visually impaired, it is impossible to distinguish one denomination from another. The suit brought today seeks to remedy this long-standing difficulty for Americans who are blind. The action seeks declaratory and injunctive relief under the provisions of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. 794. Pursuant to this provision, individuals with disabilities may not be excluded from or denied the benefits of participation in any program or activity conducted by United States government. The issuance of banknotes is clearly an activity conducted by the United States government on behalf of all of its citizens. However, people with visual disabilities are largely excluded from enjoying the benefits of this activity due solely to their physical limitations.

"People who are blind or severely visually impaired currently have no reliable way to independently distinguish between bills of various denominations because all paper money is virtually identical in every way except for appearance," explained Christopher P. Gray of San Francisco, president of the Council, which is the leading consumer organization of people who are blind in the United States. "For people who cannot use vision to distinguish one bill from another, there's just no way for us to tell which bank note we may be holding in our hands independently or reliably, right now, because a $1 feels just like a $5, and so on."

The legal action, brought by Washington, D.C. attorney Jeffrey Lovitky on behalf of the Council, would require that the U.S. Treasury implement changes in the design of paper currency to make it readily accessible to people who cannot rely on vision to distinguish one bank note from another. Several options have been suggested to accomplish this, including varying the size and length of bills of the different denominations, varying the color or texture of specific denominations, or including braille or other tactile markings for purposes of identification.

"This change would bring the United States into conformance with current practice in over 120 other countries," said Charles Crawford of Silver Spring, Md., executive director of the Council. "Right now, blind people are forced to rely upon either the honesty of people with whom they engage in routine financial transactions or the assistance of other people who can read what denomination a particular bill is. There's not always someone else around to ask, and our inability to distinguish one bill from another places us at risk and compromises our independence and individual freedom."

"The changes we are requesting are not extraordinary or unduly burdensome," said Melanie Brunson of Vienna, Va., ACB''s Director of Advocacy and Governmental Relations. "As long ago as 1995, the National Academy of Sciences identified the difficulties which people with visual impairments experience with routine financial transactions as a result of the inaccessibility of bank notes. Their report, was commissioned by the U. S. Department of the Treasury. Seven years have gone by since experts documented what every blind person already knows, that our inability to distinguish a $5 from a $20 can create enormous difficulties, and in many ways results in our exclusion from participating in the normal everyday activities that Americans without visual impairments take for granted."

Jeffrey A. Lovitky is a Washington D.C. attorney who represents a broad range of corporate and other clients before a variety of United States government agencies. He is the author of several legal publications, and is board certified in health law. Mr. Lovitky may be reached at (202) 429-3393, or via every-mail at lovitky@aolddcom.

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Money Talks-- and So Should ATM'S

BusinessWeek Online

Daily Briefing: ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY

By Suzanne Robitaille

Phil Dyson sure hopes he's pressing the right buttons. He's blind, and when he goes to his bank's automated teller machine, he must rely on memory to extract cash. Even though banks have put Braille labels on ATM keypads, this doesn't help him much. "I don't read Braille," says Dyson, a teacher for students with disabilities in upstate New York. "I had to ask a bank representative to come out and show me how to use the ATM, and now I have to remember the sequence."

While the ATM'S convenience has revolutionized banking for most Americans, blind and visually impaired people feel left out. Dyson and others are pushing for "talking" ATMS that would provide speech as well as text at menus and screen prompts, and recite specific information, such as a record of a customer's transaction.

The 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act requires that banks eventually make their ATM'S audio-enabled. The requirement's details probably won't be finalized until later in 2002, and banks will then have one year to adopt the new regulations. However, the industry is arguing that a longer period is necessary, given the technological challenges and the expense. Financial institutions own the bulk of existing ATM'S in the U.S., and they argue that they don't make enough money on each transaction to warrant costly changes such as equipping all machines with audio capability. Since the ADA has not yet finalized the rules, the banking industry doesn't want to implement sweeping changes, only to find that the ADA requires a different set of functions. "We support audible ATM'S for blind users," says Nessa Feddis, general counsel for the American Bankers Assn. (ABA). "However, it has limitations with regard to dynamic information such as error messages and account nicknames. The technology is promising, but it's not clear whether it works, and it would require major changes to the systems."

From the disability community's perspective, the banking industry is moving too slowly. Even though ATM keypads feature Braille, that's not enough, disability advocates argue, since only one-fifth of the nation's 1.1 million legally blind can read Braille. "If you can't follow the screen, Braille is useless," Dyson says. A few big banks like Fleet and Bank of America have installed some talking ATM'S over the years in select states, but "there's a long, long way to go before the blind can walk up to any ATM and take for granted that it will talk to us," says Curtis Chong, technology director at the National Federation of the Blind (NFB).

In the meantime, the visually impaired community has turned to another venue of electronic banking--stand-alone multimedia cash dispensers that are often found in supermarkets and shopping malls and charge at least $1 per transaction. Because everyone is hit with a fee, these dispensers are the envy of banks that provide free cash ATM withdrawals to their own customers.

These ATM'S "talk" to anyone who prefers an audio alternative to the screen. And the money-making opportunities are huge. Eventually, according to their manufacturers, talking ATMS will distribute many goods and services, such as movie tickets and postage stamps. Perhaps someday, fast-food restaurants will take orders this way. These more dynamic machines also provide dozens of fee-income opportunities, such as audio ads that play while a transaction is being completed. Says Stessa Cohen, a technology analyst at Gartner Research: "Everyone will benefit from accessible ATM'S-- whether or not they're disabled."

As it turns out, it's less costly for manufacturers to build speech capability into these stand-alone ATM'S than the ones found at banks. Bank ATM'S are continuously connected to far-away host processors (the computer network that receives customer requests and executes transactions). Less expensive, off-premise ATM'S use cheaper dial-up connections to access a host processor for the minimum time needed to perform a transaction and then hang up. "This self-sufficiency gives off-premise ATM'S certain advantages when it comes to speech technology," says Bill Jackson, chief technology officer of Triton Systems, a unit of Dover Corp. Triton's goal is to build products that the blind can use, but the company believes talking technology also has mass appeal. It just rolled out the Triton 9700 series in consultation with the disabled community. These ATM'S use text-to-speech technology and sell at $5,000 and upward.

Current ATM talk technology does have some shortcomings. Most ATM'S don't use text-based software, so all the information has to be prerecorded for each screen in what's called a Wav file, which works by digitizing recordings of real human voices. To "speak" a simple balance amount, for example, the Wav processor strings together prerecorded files for each digit of the number: "one," "thousand," "three," "hundred," "and," "forty," "two," "dollars." Reliance on Wav-file technology requires that either the ATM or the host processor must maintain a complete set of recordings for every possible number, every transaction option, and every instruction on every screen shown on the ATM terminal--a risky, expensive, and time-consuming process with a wide margin for errors because ATM'S would have to be individually reconfigured.

Banks are more likely to embrace text-to-speech technology, the ABA''s Feddis says. Text-to-speech "reads" any string of text. It doesn't have to be prerecorded, and it runs on common platforms such as Windows 2000.

One event that may get the ball rolling on talking ATM'S: The Access Board, an independent federal agency devoted to developing and enforcing accessibility standards for the disabled, is preparing to issue standards for electronic and information technology covered by section 508 of the 1998 Rehabilitation Act Amendments. Section 508 sets requirements on technology that's developed, procured, maintained, or used by federal agencies and employees. The NFB'S Chong hopes that once these guidelines are published, banks will move more quickly toward equipping ATM'S with voice technology. However, what may really quicken the pulse of banks is the appeal of additional profits if they equip more machines with smart audio technology, thus enabling ATM transactions beyond cash withdrawals. Buying movie tickets or getting concert tickets at these improved machines, with their attendant transaction fees, will make this a more attractive proposition for banks. With the lure of convenience and accessibility for customers and the potential for profits, talking ATM'S may be the wave of the future--and not just for the blind.

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The Do's and Don'ts of Advocacy Letter Writing

From The Editor: We are so often encouraged these days to contact our legislators, asking them to support or oppose proposed legislation, that I thought you would find this article to be very practical. It comes from an American Foundation for the Blind publication.

Letters are the barometers that measure political interest. Letters are counted, and they do count! Not just any letter is influential. Just as people at the grassroots level have become more organized in their letter writing campaigns, legislators have become more savvy in distinguishing a drummed-up letter from an expression of personal concern. So, it is especially important that your letter be personal, thoughtful, specific, and concise. Your letters should be written with the expectation that they will be read by someone of intelligence, but who is usually much less well-informed than you are on your particular issue.

Here are some do's and don'ts to consider in writing a convincing letter.

Here are the Do's:

Spell the legislator's name correctly and know hissther appropriate title (Representative, Senator, Delegate, Commissioner, Director, etc.) All elected and appointed officials should be addressed as "Honorable."

Write as an individual constituent. Because legislators pay the most attention to personal letters from their constituents, it is important that your letter express your own views. To make this clear, it will help to use personal stationery rather than a postcard or form letter; express your views in your own words rather than those of another; and refer to previous communications with the member, if possible.

Write one page or less. Legislators are so busy, they do not have much time to read through a long, involved letter in order to discover your point. If your letter is limited to one page, they can scan it quickly. If you have more information than will fit on one page, include it as background material, clearly marked as such and attached to the letter.

Cover only one subject and clearly identify it as such. For example, at the top of the page write, "Re: (name of bill or issue)." This will speed up the routing of the letter in the office. If you have more than one subject which you would like to cover, then write a separate letter for each one. Separate staff often cover separate issues.

Be as specific as possible. Regardless of what you are writing about, be as specific as possible in describing it. If it is a particular bill, try to refer to its number, the person who introduced it, and what it will do. Similarly, if you refer to the legislator's position, it will demonstrate your specific interest in hissther actions. Show as much knowledge as you can, but don't hesitate to write merely because you are not an "expert."

Make your letter timely. Legislators will appreciate having your views and information while the issue is before himsther.

Ask the legislator to do something specific. It is important to ask for a specific action such as, "Please vote for (or against) (number of the bill)" or "We recommend the following changes to the proposed priorities."

Include your name and return address on the letter.

Hand write letters if they are legible; otherwise type letters. Write each legislator individually, avoiding photocopies or carbons. Braille letters are fine if accompanied by a print transcription of the letter. Some legislators may not be able to transcribe your letter or reply in Braille. This will delay their response to you.

Use this generic outline:

I. Indicate who you are and the purpose or nature of your problem or request. If you are a voter in a legislator's district, mention this in your letter.

II. State specifically what you want the legislator to do about your problem or request.

III. Indicate why it is important to you that hestshe takes action regarding your problem or request.

IV. Put a "hook" in your letter. Ask for something that will require a substantive reply to your letter or communication. For example, ask a legislator if hestshe is a cosponsor of legislation, ask for the status of pending legislation, or ask agency staff for the timetable for issuing regulations.

V. Indicate your thanks, reiterate your most important message, and say that you expect a response.

Here are the Don'ts:

Don't write letters that demand the legislators cooperation.

Write a chain letter or form letter.

Don't threaten a legislator with defeat at the next election.

Don't become a chronic letter writer. Choose your issues wisely.

Don't use the legislator's first name in the salutation of your letter unless you know them personally.

Don't be discouraged!!!!! You may not always receive a substantive response to your letters or communications, but following these suggestions will increase the chances that you will be heard effectively in your state capital.

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FOR EYE PATIENTS, PROGRESS ON A VEXING DISEASE

BY JUDY FOREMAN This article appeared in the Boston Globe on February 26, 2002.

Imagine going through later life seeing everything, from your morning coffee to your bedtime book, with a hole in the middle of the picture. If this hole continues to spread, it eventually could wipe out almost all of your central vision--the part you need for doing things like reading and recognizing faces.

The problem is macular degeneration, a disease in which a small region called the macula in the center of the retina becomes damaged. One in every three Americans over 65 is at risk, with absolute numbers likely to increase as baby boomers age.

To be sure, cataracts and glaucoma are big problems, too, though they are comparatively easy to treat. Macular degeneration, the leading cause of legal blindness in the developed world, has been difficult to treat--until recently. Thanks to an explosion of recent advances, including better adaptive equipment, surgical techniques, experimental drug strategies, and dietary supplements, many people with macular degeneration may now be able to lead fairly normal lives.

For example, L.B. Patrick, 75, continues to design aircraft systems at the Dukes Inc. facility in Northridge, Calif., despite being one of 1.8 million Americans who has sustained vision loss because of macular degeneration.

His continuing productivity is fueled by two things: A new drug, which he took as part of a UCLA study, has restored part of his central vision; and new "adaptive technology," specifically a video magnifier, allows Patrick to see fine details as he drafts new aircraft parts.

The eye is one of evolution's most stunning successes. Light comes in to the eye through the cornea and the lens, both of which help focus light onto the retina, a curved layer of delicate cells that line the back surface of the eyeball.

The retina detects light (photons) via light-sensitive nerve cells called rods and cones. The rods are responsible for black and white vision, the cones for color images and fine focusing. The highest concentration of cones is in the macula, which is the size of the eraser on a pencil.

Tiny as it is, the macula "is responsible for all of fine vision--reading, driving, recognizing faces," said Dr. Frederick Ferris, clinical director of the National Eye Institute. The rest of the retina is used for night vision, some stereo vision and peripheral vision.

In healthy, young eyes, scavenger cells called retinal pigment epithelial cells, or RPE'S, act like garbage collectors, picking up cellular debris. But over the years these cells lose their capacity to process and dispose of garbage. The result is that debris--yellow spots known as drusen--pile up under the retina.

Macular degeneration occurs in two ways, "wet" and "dry." In the dry, or "atrophic," form, which is more common but less treatable, the scavenger cells get sick and die. Usually, this happens slowly and causes only partial central-vision loss.

The wet form is less common, more serious but, ironically, more treatable--with a new class of drugs, with lasers, and with combinations of lasers and light-sensitive drugs.

The wet form is caused by a proliferation of new blood vessels that grow into the macula, as the body tries to heal the damage from the drusen. When these vessels leak--a process that can happen overnight - the result can be a total loss of central vision, in other words, a blind spot in the middle of the visual field that can render a person legally blind.

For some people, a high dose vitamin and mineral regimen seems to help prevent progression to more advanced disease. A study published in October and sponsored by the National Eye Institute focused on a regimen now marketed as Ocuvite by Bausch and Lomb.

It consists of 500 milligrams a day of vitamin Can, 400 international units of vitamin Every, 15 milligrams of beta-carotene (which may be harmful to smokers), 80 milligrams of zinc oxide and 2 milligrams of copper as cupric oxide. If all 6 million Americans with moderate macular degeneration began taking the regimen now, "in the next five years, more than one quarter of a million people would be saved from macular degeneration and blindness," noted Ferris of the National Eye Institute.

Avoiding tobacco and staying generally healthy also can help protect eyes.

Lutein, a micronutrient found in spinach, kale and other vegetables, may also help prevent degeneration, but the evidence so far is not compelling, and some specialists fear that lutein supplements may block the body's ability to absorb lutein from vegetables.

As for treatment, doctors don't have much to offer for the dry form. For the wet form, the key is destroying the new blood vessels that grow into the macula, or at least stopping them from leaking, without damaging the macula in the process.

"For a long time, we have used lasers to obliterate the offending new blood vessels," said Dr. Steven Schwartz, director of the retina division of the Jules Stein Eye Institute at the University of California at Los Angeles. "The problem has always been that we destroy the macula at the same time."

A more sophisticated approach, approved in April 2000 by the US Food and Drug Administration, uses "photodynamic therapy," or PAIDT. In this treatment, a green dye called verteporfin, or Visudyne, is injected into a vein in the patient's arm. Doctors wait 10 to 20 minutes for the dye to circulate to the eye, where it prefers to settle in abnormal (not healthy) vessels. Then, a low-power laser beam is focused on the back of the eye. This activates the drug, which then attacks the "bad" vessels in which it has collected, while sparing the nearby retina.

It's an exquisitely precise procedure, said Dr. Joan Miller, an ophthalmologist at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary in Boston. "What we're trying to do is injure the new blood vessels that are only a few microns (less than a hair's breadth) away from retinal cells."

It's also expensive--at least $1,200 per treatment for the dye alone, although many insurers do pay. About two-thirds of those treated experience a halt to the progression of disease, but only 10 percent get improvements in vision. In general, photodynamic therapy stops blood vessels from leaking for only about two months, so patients have to be retreated every three months for two years. Other studies using different dyes are underway, although one recent trial, of a substance called SnETBLEB, failed to live up to expectations.

An emerging and even more elegant strategy is to use drugs to block the formation of new blood vessels in the first place, a concept pioneered as a way to cut off the blood supply to tumors by Dr. Judah Folkman at Children's Hospital in Boston.

A handful of anti-angiogenesis drug strategies are now in human trials. All of the drugs are injected into or just behind the eye under local anesthesia. The drugs are designed to block a substances that make new blood vessels grow, including a substance called VEGF.

One study, involving a single injection of a drug called rhuFab Vbleb, was led by Schwartz of UCLA and published a year ago in Investigative Ophthalmology. Though it's unclear if this drug will make it to market, the study showed the drug was safe at low doses and led to short-lived but dramatic visual improvement in more than one-quarter of patients.

Elsewhere, some researchers are testing gene therapy to block new blood vessel growth. Others are testing steroids, including one called anecortave acetate, that may block new blood vessel growth when injected into the orbit around the eye.

The National Eye Institute is exploring surgical alternatives, including a randomized trial to see whether delicate surgery to remove abnormal blood vessels preserves central vision. Elsewhere, a few surgeons are doing translocation operations, or detaching part of the retina and moving it away from the troublesome new blood vessels to an area where there are no such vessels. Early research suggests this can lead to improvements in vision, but the risks are high: Some patients lose their vision.

Taken together, the medical and surgical advances, along with increasingly sophisticated assistive technology, mean that "many people with this condition retain very usable peripheral vision," said Rich Godfrey, patient liaison at the Schepens Eye Research Institute in Boston.

Amy Bower, a 42-year-old oceanographer at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Falmouth, put it this way: "I have tried not to let it slow me down." Although macular degeneration has forced her to give up driving and solo cycling, she still rides tandem with her husband of three years, a sighted guide whom she met through a program for blind sailors at the Carroll Center for the Blind in Newton.

Recently, she led a 15-person scientific expedition to study currents in the Indian Ocean aboard a research ship equipped with ClearView and other aids. She and her husband also sail for fun. Best of all, this summer they'll adopt a baby.

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Ok So Who Is This Guy Robert And Why Do We Follow his Rules?

I'm sure that any of you who regularly attend affiliate meetings or State Conventions or meetings of other organizations to which you belong are familiar with Robert's Rules of Order. You hear it all the time when matters are discussed and debated: "What does Robert's Rules say?" Most of you are familiar with the basic concepts of Robert's Rules like how to make motions, and many of you are knowledgeable enough to conduct meetings with ease. A few of you, Like Kathey Wheeler, have even studied the subject enough to know the fine points and details of Robert's Rules. But I bet very few of you, except perhaps Kathey Wheeler, know the origin of our system of Parliamentary Law. Who was Robert and why do we follow his rules? When were they first written and why have they become the standard for conducting business at meetings? To find the answer to those questions, I went to the introduction of an edition of Robert's Rules and here's what I found out:

The Robert of Robert's Rules was Major Henry Martyn Robert, an engineer with the United States Army who lived from 1837 to 1923. Along with his military duties, he was very active in church, civic and educational organizations. His interest in parliamentary procedure was sparked in 1863 when he was asked without warning to preside at a meeting and he realized he didn't know how to do it properly. He ran the meeting to the best of his ability but he decided that he would not be put in that position again. At that time, there were some manuals regarding the conduct of meetings, including one by Thomas Jefferson, but no standard work. These manuals were based on the rules followed by the British Parliament and Congress. Robert began to study those manuals and to learn about procedures for running meetings and dealing with motions.

In 1867, Henry Robert was promoted to the rank of Major and was stationed in San Francisco, a growing community consisting of people from many parts of the country. Working with organizations to improve social conditions there, he found that the lack of a standard set of procedures caused much confusion. People presiding over meetings tended to bring with them the customs of the region of the country from which they came, resulting in contradictory rules. Time that should have been spent on solving problems and resolving issues was spent instead on sorting out differences in how people thought meetings should be run and business should be conducted at meetings. Seeing the need for a standard set of rules that would govern all organizations, Major Robert decided to write a new manual, based on the rules of Congress that could be adapted to the conduct of business by ordinary assemblies. The new manual would cover such topics as how to conduct meetings, the duties of officers, and the rules governing motions, such as which motions could be debated and which ones required a two-thirds vote. He began writing in 1874, and the first edition came out on February 19, 1876, with the title Robert's Rules of Order. The first printing of 3,000 copies was sold in four months. Robert's Rules has been expanded and revised many times since then and is still the major Parliamentary authority for organizations of all kinds. Although many of the rules and procedures have changed over the years, the basic principles have remained the same. So now when you are in a meeting or a convention, and motions are made and debated and elections are conducted and business is taken care of in a smooth and efficient manner, you will know that it was Major Henry Robert who made it possible.

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A Letter from the UWB Outreach Committee

The United Workers has formed an outreach committee to look for ways for the affiliate to develop projects to reach the sighted community. Recently, the committee discussed some areas of concern and interest to the blind community in the St. Louis area. The committee decided to communicate these concerns to the other affiliates and a letter was sent to each of the affiliate presidents. I decided to include that letter in the Chronicle for your information. Here is the letter sent by Outreach Committee member Mike Jolls.

Dear Affiliate Organizations We, the members of the outreach committee of the United Workers for the Blind, have been discussing issues that might be of concern to the members of our organization, and low vision and blind individuals in general. These issues may, and probably will, impact our lives on a daily basis. Some may make things just a little more difficult than they already are. Others could possibly help improve our quality of life. While in committee, we realized that the purpose of our small group was to reach out and try to make people aware of things, as well as trying to make things better. In short, to make positive changes to help us all. We also realized that our small group was just that. SMALL. if progress is going to be made, more people than those in our immediate affiliate need to be involved. Therefore, we thought it might be good to contact the affiliate organizations of MCB and share our concerns with you and your members. We're hoping these issues are important to you also. I don't need to tell you that there is more strength in numbers. The more people involved in a cause, the better chance it has of succeeding. We were hoping that you could discuss these topics in your upcoming meetings, and that perhaps we could spark an interest in the members of your organizations. Then, perhaps, we could come together as a team and work to make some positive changes. Could you please schedule some time in your meetings to discuss the topics that follow in this letter? We realize that you have existing concerns that are already on your schedule, so we're not looking for a reply immediately. If you could put this on your agenda in the next couple of months, we would certainly appreciate it. There may also be topics of interest to you that we haven't thought of. If you care to share these items, we'd certainly be willing to discuss them at our meetings also. Thank you so much for your attention to this matter. We look forward to hearing from you in the near future.
Mike Jolls  
Outreach Committee
United Workers for the Blind

Automated Retail Checkout Terminals: You may have seen these devices in such retail stores as K-Mart. If you haven't, these are machines that allow the customer to check themselves out without the assistance of a cashier. There is no clerk at this station to ring up your items, take your money, etc. You do it all by swiping your items across a scanner, and the machine computes the total cost. You then have to interact with a touch screen that allows you to indicate your payment method, indicate whether you want cash back, and other things you'd normally do by interacting with a person. A LCD touch screen is provided which you use by touching buttons that are displayed on the screen. No need to mention that you must be able to see this display to use it. Some of the problems we see regarding this technology are:

1. The colors used to display text on the LCD display terminal may not be easily seen.

2. The print may not be large enough

3. The visually impaired person may not be able to read the screen fast enough and the transaction may time-out.

4. Someone may simply not be able to deal with the machines.

5. There may be difficulty swiping a debit card in the machine. For blind people, how do they know which way to insert the card into the machine? These are only a few of the problems we have talked about. And let's not forget about the elderly. They might have a problem doing this also.

From our discussions, it has been mentioned that some retailers plan to convert totally to this technology. We don't think it's a good idea at all. We'd like for you to discuss this and tell us what you think. If we have enough interest, we might be able to lobby to discontinue this practice.

Descriptive Video at Movie Theatres: This is an issue we think could be a positive thing for both low-vision and blind individuals. How many times have you chosen not to go to the movies because you knew the movie was too dark, or you knew it would move too fast, so that you couldn't adequately keep up with the movie? Or, if you're totally blind, not be able to deal with the movie at all? We think that this needs to change. We, as paying consumers, have a right to enjoy the same entertainment as our sighted counterparts. We're not mentally incapable of enjoying something, we simply have difficulty seeing it. To this end, we were discussing the potential of having descriptive video technology placed in movie theaters. This would be basically the same type of technology as audio enhancement, which is available on demand to hearing impaired people. They go to a counter at the movie theater and ask for special headphones which amplify the sound so that they can hear the movie and enjoy it. Descriptive video could be similar with special headphones that could receive the description, and would be private to the individual. The problem we see here is not with the technology, but with the number of people that use it. A theater owner might not want to install such technology because he has to expend funds to do it. However, if the owner knew that enough people would come after the devices were installed, he would probably be more willing to expend the resources to make this available to his paying patrons. Again, the more people we can get to lobby for this, the better chance we have of making this available to everyone.

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AFFILIATE AFFAIRS

Where we find out what's happening in your part of MCB

Blind of Central MO Thursday May 2, 2002 The summer months will soon be here, People will be vacationing this time of the year. Hello to everyone from Seedily. We have a new member in our club. His name is Gary Sanderson, and he is sighted. Congratulations Gary, and welcome to our club. We had our bowling party on Saturday February 9th. We had sandwiches, relish trays, fruit trays, potato chips, dip, cookies, and soda or coffee to drink. Our club will again selling the 2-year planner pocket calendars. It is in a fold-out like a checkbook would be. The two year is one side, and the notepad is on the other side. They will sell for $2 each. I'm sure they will be a big seller again. We hope to see a lot of you at camp this summer. Until next time, Keep smiling, and keep a song in your heart. If you can't be good, be good at it. Trudy Howard Blind of Central MO. Recording Secretary

Delta Area Blind Report: Convention Update

Hello again from the Delta Area Blind, located in Sikeston, Mo. The Delta Area Blind and the Southeast United Blind Club are your host affiliates for the 2002 MCB Convention, which will be held in Sikeston. The convention site will be the Ramada Hotel, (573) 471-4700.

The registration desk will be in the dome, off to the side of the main lobby desk. The registration fee is $5 and the banquet tickets are $13. The hotel has very good food prices. The breakfast buffet is $5.25 and breakfast is served every day from 3:00 until 10:45. Lunch and dinner prices are also very reasonable.

The Ramada Inn is the site of our convention but we have an overflow hotel, which is the peartree, (573) 471-8660. The room rates for both hotels are $47 a night for up to four in a room. We might also be using the Super 8 hotel: (573) 471-7944.

Our theme this year is Western. We are calling the convention the Hill Billy Bash. So dust off your boots, wear your western duds and prepare to be calm, cool and comfortable.

As always, if you have questions, suggestions or comments, please call Marie Thompson at (573) 379-5007 or write me at 932 Highway 162 east, Portageville, MO 63873. Thank you.

One additional note: When you call for reservations, please say you are with the MCB convention group and that you need a first floor room if you have trouble walking or climbing stairs.

Marie Thompson, Delta Area President

Missouri Guide Dog Users Report

Hello again from the Missouri Guide Dog Users. This is an election year so start thinking about your new officers. The officers are President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. I also want to remind you that dues are $5.00.

Since the Ramada Hotel has such reasonable food prices, the breakfast buffet, i think we should all pay for our own breakfast for the GUIDE Dog Users breakfast meeting. The buffet is $5.25 and includes anything you might want to eat.

The hotel will have plenty of relief areas for our guide dogs.

Marie Thompson

Joplin Service Club

Hi everyone, I hope you all are enjoying this wonderful spring weather we are having. February was a fairly quiet month for us. We had our monthly support group which was hosted by Calvin Churchwell. We had a Thursday night dinner which was also hosted by the First Christian Church of Joplin and entertainment was wonderfully done by a men's quartet from the Christian Church of Orenogo.

Nothing out of the usual for the month of March, except we had a support group with Carl Powers.

During the month of April we had our monthly support group. And our monthly dinner was hosted by the Delta Gamma Sorority with wonderful entertainment done by one of our service members Bruce Phillips, and also dancing for all, even Douce himself was not left out of the dancing that night!! We had a new member welcomed into our service club. We welcome you Thelma Yost!! Our group took a day trip to Dogwood Canyon On March 26th. It was cold and rainy but it was a very enjoyable day seeing the Dogwwod trees out in bloom despite the weather. Many Happy birthday returns to all who had Birthdays in February, March and April. On a sad note we send our prayers and thoughts to the families of two of our service members that have suddenly passed away in April, Dale Suthland and Doris Kline. You both will be sadly missed by all.

Submitted by Cynthia Rowen

Lake Stockton

A big hello from Lake Stockton,

It is hard to believe winter is in the past and trees are turning green and you see new life springing up everywhere. We are already busy getting our auction organized for August 3rd. It is a lot of work but worth it as a good time is enjoyed by all.

We appreciate Ruby Sibley for taking over the job of education and welfare, Mary Beichle as Vice President and Margaret Steinbeck as a new Board member.

Potluck is always enjoyed before our meetings and we do have good cooks. Robert and Teresa Evans call bingo with us after the meeting. It seems everyone ends up with a prize, one per family. We welcomed three new members: Wes Jeffries, Bernice Hicks and Mary Wagner. The March meeting theme was Easter the the April meeting theme was spring. The tables always look so pretty with centerpieces and there are always six lucky winners to take one home.

Pauline Eggert

Library Users Report

It is once again time to send out a dues reminder to all members and prospective members. The annual dues are only $3.00 per person and are due by june 30th. Your dues allow you to remain or become a member of this active affiliate, especially interested in the support for the Wolfner Library, and of course, reading in general whether in large print, in braille or on cassette. They allow you to attend our annual breakfast meeting, at the state convention free of charge.

By the way, I would like as many of you as possible to attend this year's meeting as once again, it is time for our election.

You may send your dues to our Treasurer, Paul Mathews or to me Leo Giger.

Ozark Association Of the Blind

Hi from OAB.

We have lost two members through death; Carrie Lewis who was always there to lend a helping hand at camp and loved to play Pass the Trash and Carolyn Joggerst. We would also like to offer our condolence to Dorothy Moranville on the loss of her sister. Linda Stoll spent a few days in the hospital and we are happy she is out and doing fine. Ida Scotti and Dorothy Moranville have been working diligently on contacting new people for membership explaining our organization and MCB. We are glad to report that we have a few who have voiced an interest in joining. Transportation is the greatest barrier. Ida Scotti and Yvonne Schnitzler attended Legislation Days and found the representatives very receptive to our ideas and willing to work with us. Ida and Yvonne will be speaking to five Freshman classes next month. They are looking forward to seeing everyone and representing OAB at the convention in Houston. OAB members celebrated Valentine's Day with dinner at Applebee's in Farmington and everyone enjoyed the annual Christmas party held at the Ste. Genevieve Hotel. Yvonne Schnitzler

Southwest Friendship Council's Chronicle Report

Greetings to all from the Southwest Missouri Friendship Council. My name is Tracy Cushman and as of April I am very pleased to serve as the new public relations representative for the Friendship Council.

In March several members spent a day at Northpark Mall in Joplin, Missouri to pass out literature about MCB, answer questions, and heighten public awareness of the Council in general. Those who participated felt it was very successful and worthwhile.

We are glad to have two new members added to our club. In March everyone enjoyed a potluck dinner and a favorite Chinese buffet was chosen for our meeting in April.

We are all looking forward to a busy, productive summer here in Southwest Missouri.

Tracy Cushman

UWB Update

Greetings from the United Workers,

I mentioned last time that UWB will be celebrating its 90th anniversary this year. The date will be September 21 at Lumbardo's Restaurant in the Drury Inn across from Union Station. The party will have an autumn theme. The committee is hard at work planning this very special occasion.

We have two new members since our last report. They are Amy Hall and Debby Corman. Amy has been a member at large and Debby was a member of the St. Charles Affiliate before she moved to St. Louis County.

Lucretia South has remarried. She is now Lucretia Upton.

Elsewhere in this issue, you will find a letter from our Outreach Committee outlining some concerns that the committee wanted to bring to the attention of other members. The letter was sent to the President of each Affiliate. Unfortunately, Mike Jolls underestimated the amount of postage needed for the letter and so most of you probably received it with a notice of insufficient postage. We apologize for any inconvenience this might have caused you.

That's all for this time.

John Weidlich

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From The Lower Left-Hand Drawer

Time to peek into the drawer once again for our usual assortment of new products, publications and services, gathered from our usual assortment of resources. Items listed in this column are for information only; they are not being endorsed by MCB or your editor. Let's see what we have this time:

Easier Ways, 2954 Shady Lane, Highlands Ranch CO 80126, sells a Remote Visitor Announce and Access System, a wireless intercom that allows users to know who's at the door before opening it and to lock and unlock doors by remote control. I don't have a price on this but here's the phone number: (303) 290-0987.

Design Tech sells a mailbox alert that emits a signal when your mailbox is opened, a driveway monitor that chimes when a vehicle enters your driveway and a door announce chime and motion alert alarm. For more information, call (800) 337-4468 or visit www.designtech-intl.com

As you probably know, Wolfner Library has been putting together recommended reading lists on various topics. Now you are invited to suggest your favorite romance or mystery novels. Send your favorite titles to Debbie Musselman. The top twenty titles in each category will be compiled into a list and distributed to readers. Debbie can also send you copies of the other recommended reading lists in the format of your choice.

Daniel Abrams, a blind pianist, has compiled a set of four cassette tapes designed to help you learn how to play the piano. The titles are Put Your Hands On the Piano and Play, Play Piano by Ear, Play your Favorite Piano Classics and Understanding the Language of Music. They are available from Homespun Tapes LTD., (800) 338-2737. Each set of tapes costs $49.95, but they may also be available through the NLS Music Section for borrowing.

Sea Ventures offers cruises for people who are blind or disabled. The operator, Ed Eyre, is a guide dog user. Contact him at Sea Ventures, 517 South Carolina Drive, Stuart FL 34994, (561) 287-3115. The e-mail address is

mee9169@irca.net

Walters Low Vision Optics sells optical equipment and accessories for people with low vision, including monoculars, binoculars and magnifiers. The address is 30423 Canwood Street, Number 115, Agoura Hills, CA 91301, Phone: (800) 992-5837. Visit Walters on the Web at

www.walterslowvision.com

The LS And S Group, Box 673, Northbrook IL 60065 has a very large catalog of items for people who are blind. Their phone number is (800) 468-4789. Their Web Site is

www.lsgroup.com

The print catalog is free, the tape catalog costs $3 which is credited to your first order.

Assisted Access Inc. is a fairly new company in the Chicago area which sells a large assortment of products for the blind. It was started about a year ago by a lady named Dana Tischler. When I spoke with her recently, the catalog was only in large print so I can't tell much about the product line. However you can get their catalog from their web site. The address is Assisted Access Inc., Box 230, Lake Villa, IL 60046. The phone number is (800) 950-9655 and the web site is

www.assistedaccess.com

Tapes of several ACB Diabetes Seminars are available. For more information write ACB at 1155 15th Street, Suite 1004, NW., Washington, DC 10005 or call (800) 424-8666.

Fleece-lined mailers for tapes and Braille letters can be ordered from Tennie Dietsch, Rural Route 1, Cunningham, KY 42035. You can call her at (270) 395-8391.

Flipper from Enhanced Vision Systems, is a rotating camera that allows people with low vision to perform tasks more effectively. The user can read, write and magnify images at a distance by rotating the camera head. For more information, call (800) 299-0700.

MS J. Barrett makes and sells fisherman afghans, baby afghans, infant sweaters, angel-shaped dishcloths and a crotcheted rosary in a pouch. Prices range from $5 to $30. Order by print or tape and specify color. The address is J. Barrett, 39 Cathy Circle, Portsmouth, RI 20781 or call (401) 638-0940.

The California Council of the Blind is selling a computer users survival kit, a CD-ROM containing more than one hundred games, speech accessible utilities, home management and accounting tools and more. Send $12.95 to California Council of the Blind, 2884 Wiese way, Sacramento, CA 98533. For more information, call Dan Kysor at (916) 372-9869. His e-mail address is

dan@kysor.net

The Disabled Christian Tape Fellowship is a monthly magazine for people of all faiths and all disabilities. Readers are invited to send in items such as prayer requests, favorite web sites, music or bible discussion topics. It is issued monthly on two stereo cassettes for $12 for a year's subscription. To order contact lloyd Tietz, Disabled Christian Tape Fellowship, 610 B Avenue, Vinton, IA 52349, phone: (319) 472-3832.

The Christian News Letter features music, poetry, stories, Bible messages, recipes, pen pals and a childrens section. It is issued several times a year on two 90-minute cassettes for $5 a year. Contact Jeanette Foster, 1306 East Poplar Street, West Frankfort, IL 62896. The phone number is (618) 937-2690.

For a comprehensive guide to financial aid for higher education, send a blank e-mail to

query@findaid.com

HERE'S an item that will really show your patriotism. Christiansen Designs, the first company to offer Braille jewelry is selling an American Stars and Stripes Flag pin with USA written in Braille. It is a brass lapel pin one inch wide and 3std of an inch high. It shows a waving flag on a flag pole with stars and stripes that can be felt. The price is $15.00. To order you can call (802) 295-2486. You can also check it out by going to

www.braillejewelry.com

Vision Community Services, a division of the Massachusetts Association of the blind, sells books and magazines on tape. They have computer and technology books, textbooks on art and writing, cookbooks, books on psychology and counseling, and books for children. Magazines include Harper's, American History, Cat Fancy, and Parenting. For prices and other information, call (617) 972-9117 or write Vision Community Services, 23A Elm Street Watertown, Ma 02472.

D and J is a new business selling cassettes and cassette mailers, kitchen accessories, hair products, change purses and more. For a free tape catalog send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to John Bliss, 1191 Bedwell Street, Heflin Alabama 36264. Phone: (256) 463-5770.

The NLS Music Section has a series of cassettes featuring lectures by a noted opera and classical music critic. To order, call (800) 424-8567.

The American Printing House is establishing a Hall of Fame for Leaders and Legends in the field of blindness. The first honorees have been named. I'm not very familiar with these people, so I can't tell you very much about their accomplishments, but they include Natalie Barraga, Burt Boyer, Phil Hatlen, Cay Holbrook, Susan Spungin and Dean Tuttle. I know that Phil Hatlen is or was Superintendent of a school for the Blind and Susan Spungen is one of the top people at AFB and a strong advocate for Braille. If you want to know more about the Hall of Fame, you can contact Bob Brasher at (800) 223-1839, Extension 369. You can get more information about these initial inductees by sending e-mail to

brasher@aph.org

We received a letter from a gentleman named John Mills from Cape Girardeau who is selling an Optelec 20/20 magnifier at a very reduced price. The Optelec 20/20 magnifies print for reading at home or on the job. The purchase price is $3,433, he is asking $800. Here is the contact information: John Mills, 51 Garnet Lane, Cape Girardeau, MO, 63701, (573) 339-0933, e-mail:

sales@millworkspost.com

This brings me to a motion passed at the last MCB Board meeting. Some details on this may have to be worked out, but the Board voted that MCB maintain a database of equipment that members want to buy or sell and that this information be published regularly in the Chronicle. Good idea.

People who do a lot of exercise often wear a heart rate monitor so that they can see if their actual heart rate is close to the ideal heart rate they should have for the amount of exercise they are doing. That was difficult for blind people to do until now. There is now a talking heart rate monitor. It's called the Heart Talker and it costs $95.00. For information, call (877) 993-4994. That is the only contact information I have.

Seedlings Braille Books for children has a new catalog listing 450 books in Braille for children, many of them brand new. The address is Seedlings Braille Books for Children, Box 51924, Livonia, MI 48151, Phone: (800) 777-8552. Isn't it great to see an organization encouraging kids to read Braille?

Here is something I used to subscribe to about twenty years ago and apparently it's still going strong although the founder, Stanley Doran passed away a year or so ago. I'm talking about the Newsreel tape magazine. It's a monthly tape magazine on which blind subscribers share information and talk about all kinds of topics--hobbies, travel, music, blindness experiences, whatever. For a sample copy, contact Newsreel Magazine at 8 East Long Street, Number 420, Columbus, OH 43215, Phone: (888) 723-8738.

We've done this one before, but it's probably worth repeating. Full Life Products sells a Talking telephone and Cidney, the Talking Caller ID. The Talking telephone has large buttons, labeled in Braille, that speak when you are making a call to help you avoid calling wrong numbers. It also has amplification for people with hearing problems and ten memory buttons for numbers called most frequently. Cidney works with call waiting and stores up to 99 calls, in case you need to retrieve the number of someone who called you 99 calls ago. The phone costs $129.95, the caller Id sells for $61.95. Here's the phone number for Full Life Products: (800) 400-1540.

There's an Internet web site specifically for senior citizens. I don't really know exactly what it offers, but the web site is

www.seniors.gov

ESP Softworks offers computer games that are said to be totally accessible to blind computer users. Information and demos are available at

www.espsoftworks.com

or you can call Keith Milbourne at (916) 922-7808.

The Hadley School for the Blind is offering a new course that teaches the basics of word processing in five lessons. The course teaches students to produce documents on computer, from letters and memos to reports and full length books. Call (800) 526-9909 for enrollment information.

I don't know how much demand there might be from the blind community for this, but Sharper Image is selling a talking digital tire gauge that announces and displays tire pressure. It's only $29.95 from Sharper Image, 650 Davis Street, San Francisco, CA 94111, (800) 344-4444. I just thought you'd want to know.

That closes the drawer until September.

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IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER By ERMA BOMBECK

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained and the sofa faded.

I would have eaten the popcorn in the "GOOD" living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.

I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.

I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.

I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it Melted in storage.

I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains.

I would have cried and laughed less while watching television and more while watching life.

I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I wasn't there for the day.

I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show dirt or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.

Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment realizing that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.

When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said: "Later Now go get washed up for dinner."

There would have been more "I love you's" and more "I'm sorry's" but mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute--look at it and really see it, live it and never give it back.

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Ahhh, Now That Feels Good!

In the last issue, I gave you a list of 35 things from the "Good Ole Days." Here is a list that was sent to me over the Internet that I hope you will like. It's a list of 50 things that usually make people feel good or happy. Just read them, think about them and enjoy whatever sensations come to you.

1. Falling in love.

2. Laughing so hard your face hurts.

3. A hot shower.

4. No lines at the Super Wal-Mart.

5. A special glance.

6. Getting mail.

7. Taking a drive on a pretty road.

8. Hearing your favorite song on the radio.

9. Lying in bed listening to the rain outside.

10. Hot towels out of the dryer.

11. Finding the sweater you want is on sale for half price.

12. Chocolate milkshake. (or vanilla!)

13. A long distance phone call.

14. A bubble bath.

15. Giggling.

16. A good conversation.

17. The beach.

18. Finding a $20 bill in your coat from last winter.

19. Laughing at yourself.

20. Midnight phone calls that last for hours.

21. Running through sprinklers.

22. Laughing for absolutely no reason at all.

23. Having someone tell you that you're beautiful.

24. Laughing at an inside joke.

25. Friends.

26. Accidentally overhearing someone say something nice about you.

27. Waking up and realizing you still have a few hours left to sleep.

28. Your first kiss.

29. Making new friends or spending time with old ones.

30. Playing with a new puppy.

31. Having someone play with your hair.

32. Sweet dreams.

33. Hot chocolate.

34. Road trips with friends.

35. Swinging on swings.

36. Wrapping presents under the Christmas tree while eating cookies and drinking eggnog.

37. Song lyrics printed inside your new Cd so you can sing along without feeling stupid.

38. Going to a really good concert.

39. Making eye contact with a cute stranger.

40. Winning a really competitive game.

41. Making chocolate chip cookies.

42. Having your friends send you homemade cookies.

43. Spending time with close friends.

44. Seeing smiles and hearing laughter from your friends.

45. Holding hands with someone you care about.

46. Running into an old friend and realizing that some things (good or bad) never change.

47. Riding the best roller coasters over and over.

48. Watching the expression on someone's face as they open a much desired present from you.

49. Watching the sunrise.

50. Getting out of bed every morning and thanking God for another beautiful day.

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BETTER Keep In Touch

We all know how important it is to keep in touch with our friends and loved ones. We can do it in many ways--personal visits, letters, phone calls and, nowadays, of course, with e-mail. This poem, sent to me by my friend, Laurel Jean from Shelbyville Illinois, reminds us of another aspect of keeping in touch and the consequences that could happen to us if we don't. So better keep in touch.

Jake, the rancher, went one day to fix a distant fence.

The wind was cold and gusty and the clouds rolled gray and dense.

As he pounded the last staples in and gathered tools to go,

The temperature had fallen, the wind and snow began to blow.

When he finally reached his pickup, he felt a heavy heart.

From the sound of that ignition, he knew it wouldn't start.

So Jake did what most of us would do if we'd been there:

He humbly bowed his balding head and sent aloft a prayer.

As he turned the key for the last time, he softly cursed his luck.

They found him three days later, frozen stiff in that old truck.

Now Jake had been around in life and done his share of roaming.

But when he saw Heaven, he was shocked--it looked just like Wyoming!

Of all the saints in Heaven, his favorite was St. Peter.

(Now, this line ain't needed here but it helps with rhyme and meter.)

So they set and talked a minute or two, or maybe it was three.

Nobody there was keepin' score--in Heaven time is free.

"I've always heard," Jake said to Pete, "that God will answer prayer,

But one time when I asked for help, well, He just plain wasn't there.

Does God answer prayers of some, and ignore the prayers of others?

That don't seem exactly square--I know all men are brothers.

Or does he randomly reply, without good rhyme or reason?

Maybe it's the time of day, the weather or the season.

"Now I ain't trying to act smart, it's just the way I feel.

And I was wondering --cd you tell me--what the heck's the deal?"

Peter listened very patiently and when Jake was done,

There were smiles of recognition, and he said, "So, you're the one!

That day your truck, it wouldn't start, and you sent your prayer a-flying.

You gave us all a real bad time, with hundreds of us trying.

A thousand angels rushed, to check the status of your file,

But you know, Jake, we hadn't heard from you in quite a while.

And though all prayers are answered, and God ain't got no quota,

He didn't recognize your voice, and started a truck in North Dakota!"

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