Summer 2002

Hi NFB Members

This is your State Newsletter, The Florida Federation Focus.

This newsletter is recorded in NLS format on audiotape for the members of the Florida State Affiliate of the National Federation of the Blind. It is intended to bring items of information and interest to the Blind of Florida and is available on line at the State web site: www.nfbflorida.org.

If you have an item of interest, you may send it to David Evans at 19601 Carolina Circle, Boca Raton, Fl. 33434 or e-mail to moonbug7@gate.net. Microsoft Word format is the preferred format but other text formats can be used as well. Items should be spell checked before hand. As editor, I reserve the right to edit articles sent. Send your submissions now, as I do save many pieces for publications at other times as space and time permits, do not wait for deadlines. The next issue will come out in November 2002.

If you should find a bad tape, please discard it and contact us by phone at (561) 482-5684, by letter or e-mail for a replacement. If you have any used tapes, such as the Braille Monitor, Newsweek or others, you may box them up and send them to us to use in the production of our newsletter. They may be sent “Free Matter for the Blind and Physically Handicapped,” no postage is required. This helps us to keep the cost of our newsletter low and recycles these tapes in an environmentally friendly manner.

If you or anyone you know wish to remember the National Federation of the Blind of Florida in your will, you can by using the following language: “I give, bequest or devise, the following sum, stocks or property, to the National Federation of the Blind of Florida, to be used for the worthy purposes of helping the Blind.”

If you, or anyone wishes to make a tax-deductible donation, please send your gift to Donna Evans, Treasurer, 19601 Carolina Circle, Boca Raton, Fl. 33434. Make your Check payable to the National Federation of the Blind of Florida, or simply “NFBF.”

· OCTOBER 15^TH IS NATIONAL WHITE CANE SAFETY DAY.

Stop for blind pedestrians carrying a white cane or accompanied by a guide dog. It's the law in all fifty States!

· SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT.........

ALL ABOARD! The National Federation of the Blind of Georgia-South Fulton Chapter is sponsoring a fleet of National Federation of the Blind Convention Sweep Buses. The fleet of buses will sweep the Southern Region of the Country picking up Federationists for the 2003 NFB National Convention in Louisville, KY. The buses will pick up in Atlanta/Decatur,

Georgia and Nashville, Tennessee. Soon to be added are Mississippi, Alabama and Florida with the assistance of Dwight Sayer in Orlando for the Florida members. Phase 1 registration runs July 15-November 15, 2002 and a roundtrip ticket to Louisville, KY is only $25. Phase 2 registration runs from November 16, 2002-May 15, 2003 and a roundtrip ticket to Louisville, KY. is only $35. For more information or to make reservations for the Sweep bus in Florida call Dwight Sayer at 407-877- 1970 or e-mail at repcodds@aol.com.

Seats are limited so reserve your seat today.

· MEDICAL BREAKTHROUGHS

You asked for it! The following information is in response to E-mails, from you, the members of the NFBF, for more information about medical breakthroughs in Blindness. Here are a few offerings.

HEADLINE: New drugs restore vision in devastating form of elderly eye disease Byline: By DANIEL Q. HANEY, AP Medical Editor, Boston

To doctors' amazement, experimental new medicines are rescuing people from the brink of blindness so they can read and drive and sometimes even regain perfect vision. These lucky few are the first beneficiaries of an entirely new category of drugs that many hope will revolutionize the care of common eye

diseases.

Several competing medicines are in development, all based on similar principles. They are designed to stop the two top causes of adult blindness - the "wet" form of macular degeneration, which affects the elderly, and diabetic retinopathy, the biggest source of blindness in working-age people.

Vision loss seems halted for most if they take the drugs soon after their symptoms begin. Some experience stunning reversals of what would have been inevitable blindness. "I'm telling you, it's miraculous," says Eileen Russell.

Russell, 76, of Worcester, lost vision in her right eye four years ago. In May, her left eye went bad, too, and she was declared legally blind. But after four injections of one of the drugs her left eye is 20-25. She drives and reads and is thinking about returning to work as a nurse. "Yesterday, I had to write a check," she says. "It looked beautiful, right on the line, with a regular pen. I can do all the little things again."

Around the country, about 70 patients with wet macular degeneration have been treated with the same drug as Russell, Genentech's Rhufab. About half were treated by Dr. Jeffrey Heier of Ophthalmic Consultants of Boston, who says, "I can honestly say I have never seen anything as exciting as this."

Experts caution that most of the results from the studies on this and similar drugs will not be known for at least a year or two. And for now, the treatments are available only to study volunteers. None of the drugs are intended for the more common but less aggressive "dry" kind of macular degeneration, nor will they work after eyesight has been gone for months.

Guessing the drugs' ultimate effectiveness based on early testing is risky. Still, doctors estimate that roughly one-quarter to one-third of people with newly diagnosed wet macular degeneration have had significant improvement in their eyesight. In most of the rest, loss of sight is stopped, at least temporarily.

Dr. Steven Schwartz, chief of the retina division at UCLA's Jules Stein Eye Institute, has worked with several of the new drugs. "For the first time in my career, I have actually been able to restore vision in patients who otherwise would never be able to get back their central vision," he says. "It is a spectacular advance." His macular degeneration patients include the actor Dabney Coleman, who in a week on Rhufab went from 20-400 to 20-40 in his left eye and returned to playing tennis.

An estimated 200,000 new cases of wet macular degeneration are diagnosed in the United States annually. About 4 million U.S. diabetics have some degree of retinopathy, and 24,000 go blind each year. Both diseases result from misguided growth of blood vessels in the eyes. Since the new drugs attack this underlying problem, doctors hope they will work for both diseases.

The need for new treatments is especially dire in wet macular

degeneration, because nothing can be done for most victims. Blindness often follows within months or even weeks of the first symptoms. It occurs when leaky blood vessels sprout behind the retina, probably in a mistaken attempt to fix the slow breakdown of light-sensitive cells that occurs with age. These vessels ooze fluid and damage the fragile tissue that controls straight-ahead vision.

The new drugs vary, although most of them, like Rhufab, zero in on a growth-promoting protein called vascular epidermal growth factor, or VEGF. It appears to be an especially important trigger of damaging blood vessels in both forms of blindness.

Other drugs in testing include:

-Anecortave acetate from Alcon, a new steroid injected next to the eye once every six months for macular degeneration.

-Eyetech Pharmaceuticals' EYE001, which is injected into the eyeball like Rhufab for macular degeneration.

-Bausch & Lomb's Retisert implant, which exudes a steroid into the eye for up to three years and is being used for diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration.

-Lilly's LY333531, the only pill among the new drugs; used to prevent worsening eye disease in diabetics.

Development of these drugs is gratifying to Dr. Judah Folkman of Boston's Children's Hospital, whose three decades of pioneering research into blood vessels provided their scientific basis. Folkman's goal is a cancer treatment, since new blood vessels are necessary for tumor growth. "Sometimes the most exciting thing in a scientist's career," he says, "is an unexpected outcome from one's work."

Nevertheless, experts caution that until the big studies are finished, no one can be sure how well the drugs will work. No one knows how long patients will need to take them, how often disease will return or whether the repeated eye injections have any hazards. "The early data are very exciting, but it would be premature to extrapolate to cures or use other such adjectives to describe these isolated but impressive vision recoveries," says Dr. Karl Csaky of the National Eye Institute.

"Even if these drugs are as successful as the stockholders' wildest dreams, we'll still need something better," adds Dr. David Weissgold of the University of Vermont, "because they won't make the problems go away."

EDITOR'S NOTE: Medical Editor Daniel Q. Haney is a special correspondent for The Associated Press.

· RESEARCH UPDATE

National Federation of the Blind of NH

Researchers Present Hopeful Research Findings at ARVO

Dr. Alan Chow of Opt bionics, a biotechnology company based in Chicago, presented preliminary findings indicating that six patients who are blind from retinitis pigmentosa and Usher syndrome experienced visual responses from a microelectronic prosthetic device implanted in the eye. These unpublished findings-from a phase one clinical trial testing the safety of the company's Artificial Silicone Implant (ASR)-were presented for the first time at the annual meeting of the Association for Research and Vision in Ophthalmology (ARVO) held in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

Retinal prosthetic devices might one day restore ambulatory vision to patients who are blind from retinal degenerative diseases, allowing them to regain their mobility and independence. In the Optobionics study, six blind or severely visually impaired patients reported being able to perceive a brightened visual field in the area of the retina where the device was implanted. Some patients also reported being able to perceive crude forms and movement.

Dr. Gerald Chader, Chief Scientific Officer of The Foundation,

attended the ARVO presentation and stated, "It is very encouraging that patients in the safety study have not experienced complications. It is even more exciting to hear subjective reports from the patients that they could perceive light and forms. However, until the complete study findings are published in a peer-reviewed medical journal, it is difficult for the scientific community to comment."

The Optobionics device, called an Artificial Silicon Implant (ASR), was first implanted in three patients in June of 2000. Three more patients received the device in July of 2001. The ASR is 2 millimeters in diameter and one thousand of an inch in thickness, making it thinner than a human hair. It contains 3500 solar cells that are designed to convert light into electrical signals. The device is designed to function in place of diseased photoreceptor cells, transmitting light to the remaining nerve cell network in the retina.

Drs. Mark Humayun and Eugene de Juan of the Doheny Retina Institute at the University of Southern California (USC) presented similar findings from one patient involved in a phase one clinical trial. The USC group recently began testing a retinal prosthetic device they conceived and pioneered. The prototype used in this clinical trial was then further developed and refined by Second Sight, LLC of Valencia, CA. The prosthesis measures 4 millimeters by 5 millimeters, and contains 16 electrodes in a 4-by-4 array.

The Second Sight prosthesis receives electronic signals captured by a small camera mounted on a pair of glasses. The images are transmitted to the prosthesis via a receiver implanted behind the ear. In the initial phases of this trial, the device will only be turned on when the patient is under medical supervision.

Commenting on the project, Dr. Humayun said, "The foundation Fighting Blindness provided crucial funding support in the early phases of this research. Their early and continued support helped make this clinical trial possible."

The retinal prosthesis is one of several exciting breakthroughs in the treatment of retinal degenerative diseases. Gene therapy also shows promise in restoring lost vision. With safe drug delivery methods, several drug therapies could prevent vision loss. The arsenal of potential treatments is growing. With your help, there is a cure in sight.

On the Net:

Foundation Fighting Blindness, list of clinical trials:

http://www.blindness.org/html/science/wclinicaltrials3.html

Eyetech site: http://www.eyetechpharmaceuticals.com

Genentech site: http://www.gene.com/gene/pipeline/status/opportunistic/amd

· NFBF MEMBER OPENS NEW CENTER

Dear Friends,

Just in case you may have missed the news, the 20/200 Fellowship is finally open. On Saturday, April 6, we had more than 300 residents attend our grand opening celebration. My personal thanks to Kathy and Tom Davis who traveled from Daytona Beach; Marion Gwizdala and Merry Schoch who sang their hearts out all the way from Tampa; Joseph Naulty together with Donna and David Evans who came up from Palm Beach County; Commissioner Elmira Gainey and Representative

Gayle Harrell and Sherri from Representative Joseph Negron's office who took time out of their busy schedules to cut our ribbon. We also appreciated the donors, DBS, Lighthouse, CILO and Community Foundation staff together with many other friends too numerous to mention who also took part in this fun filled afternoon. I am including the URL for an article published in our local newspapers dated April 9, 2002 at the end of this post.

As an update, in the first week we have served 32 blind and visually impaired residents of the Treasure Coast. All of the people we have seen last week are all "new" folks. None of them have ever sought the services of either consumer groups or state agencies. We are extremely tired and excited all at the same time. The equipment loan program has placed three CTV devices in our community in the homes of senior citizens who do not have the means to obtain them otherwise. The best part is that the first magnifier that went out was delivered to a couple that both have visual impairments related to diabetes and who have not read newsprint in five years. Both the husband and the wife left our new facility with tears in their eyes and with big hugs for the assistance. There is still much to do in getting organized and funded to serve individuals such as this dear couple, but we will take it one day at, a time for now.

The Fellowship plans to develop its programs around the needs of those who seek our resources. However, it is apparent after week one that there are many people in our fine state who are much more comfortable dropping in to see a person who has "been there and done that..." rather than going through the red tape involved with traditional services. Intergenerational peer counseling is one sure fired way to enhance and not duplicate existing services for the blind and visually impaired. It works if we work together to get there one person at a time.

With deepest appreciation and gratitude to all of you who have supported our concept throughout these three long years. Your continued interest and support are what makes all of our dreams for an independent tomorrow a reality today! We thank you from the bottom of our hearts and invite each of our friends to celebrate our overwhelming success in week one! And, if you are the praying type, please pray for not only our success in our service but also our success in securing the funding required to continue this valuable mission.

Here's the link:

http://www.tcpalm.com/tcp/health_and_wellness/article/0,1651,TCP_1040_1077392,00.html

Faithfully,

Brenda-Ann Gillis, President

20/200 Fellowship, Inc.

P.O. Box 1208

Port Salerno, FL 34992-1208

Phone: 772-220-0095, Fax: 772-288-6890

E-mail: nfbfmc@evcom.net:

· NATIONAL ALLIANCE OF BLIND STUDENTS

The National Alliance of Blind Students is proud to introduce their new web site: http://www.BlindStudents.org.

It includes links to the state affiliates, committees, convention activities, plus much more. Future plans include a news pages where members can submit articles, discuss their involvement in the organization; post a picture and a little biography. The site provides a place where visually impaired students and their friends can meet and form lasting relationships.

· PARENT’S CORNER

BVI-Parents@yahoogroups.com http://home.earthlink.net/~deedaze/

Valuing The Blind Child's Independent Movements and Travel

By Joe Cutter, O & M Instructor (NFB 1994 Educator of the Year Award Winner)

In my work with blind children in this state and other parts of this country, it has become clear to me that the value parents place on their child's independent movement and travel has a great deal to do with how their child will move in the world. It has been said "believing is achieving." Therefore to the extent parents and other educators, specifically blindness professionals, believe in the independent movement of blind children, the child will achieve to these expectations. What will the movement be like -- passive or active, dependent or independent? This is not to disregard how developmental delays may impact upon the professionals place on the blind child's movement, multiply handicapped or not, may be the most significant factor contributing to the child reaching his or her full potential.

During this stage of development, blind children are vulnerable to having their movement restricted and interrupted. They often have the world brought to them, hands descending upon them, doing more for them than they are allowed to do for themselves.

They may learn very early that the responsibility for their movement and travel belongs to someone else. Promoting and valuing their "going to the world" develops a sense of autonomy, self, and self-esteem. The foundation for independent movement and travel is being set.

If valuing the blind child's independent movement and travel is simple to understand, why do so many parents find it more difficult to achieve? It has been my experience that the most formidable obstacle to valuing independent movement and travel in the blind child is negative attitudes. There is a long history of negative attitudes and erroneous assumptions about the blind.

For example, the cartoon character of Mr. Magoo was an example of erroneous assumptions pushed to the absurd; he bumbled his way through home and environment. Comic relief was at the expense of the blind person. If Mr. Magoo had gone to the NFB orientation center, like the one I visited in Louisiana last year, he would have emerged valuing independence and having independent travel skills. Perhaps it's time to see a cartoon - Mr. Magoo goes to rehab, NFB style. In society, ignorance becomes the foundation for erroneous assumptions and sighted bias. The model blind person is depicted as less than capable, to support society's negative mind-set. Dr. Richard Mettler in his book Cognitive Learning Theory and Cane Travel puts it succinctly when he writes, "the visual dominant model is not a useful orientation for blind persons" and "visual orientation does not have an exclusive claim to skillful human

performance."

As parents, where do you go to get positive information about blindness? Well, one answer is where you are right now. Certainly you can count on the NFB to supply you with clear reliable and useful information. At NFB meetings you can meet blind persons who value independence. They can be role models for you and your child. They are living proof that your positive

values and beliefs are reality-based. I can tell you, as a professional, I have gotten many reality checks about blindness from blind persons, parents of blind children, and of course from the children themselves.

You can benefit from all the support you can get, as dealing with negative attitudes is energy depleting. There are programs and services that value independent movement and travel and there are those that do not. The latter are deficit models that are custodial in their practices - that means they set low expectations and stress limitations for the child. Those in charge of these deficit model programs are not hurt by their practices, but you

are. And your child is hurt the most. Blind persons raised on negative attitudes and custodial practices may not perceive so easily the limitations imposed upon them. The widespread use of the deficit model is more the "norm". That is why it is so important to identify such negative thinking and programming and to have an organization like the NFB to set a standard of high expectations, valuing a promotion model are models themselves, practicing a "can-do" approach. Some day this new standard will be the norm.

We are NOT just talking about differences in philosophies that drive each model, as if they are preferences in choosing flavors of ice cream or tastes in beer. We are talking about a mentality, a way of thinking and living -- the deficit model says "You can't" and the positive model says "You can". So that you more precisely identify custodial practices that devalue independence, let me give you some examples.

1. There is a private school for blind children nearby, that you will rarely ever hear a cane tap or slide in its halls. It is not unusual for a blind child to spend an entire school year or longer in "assessment and readiness phase" of O & M. The O & M staff will spend considerable time on pre-cane skills, implementing pre-cane devices. During this extended "readiness skill" phase, the blind child loses valuable time that could be spent learning to use the cane and learning about independent travel. To make

matters worse, there are blind pre-schoolers who have gone to this school already knowing and using the cane only to have it taken away from them and made to go backwards to use pre-canes.

2. Perhaps the most overused method of travel for the blind child is the sighted guide. When it becomes the primary way for the child to move about, it becomes a custodial practice. Multiply handicapped blind children are even more vulnerable since many professionals are even more apprehensive about giving them responsibilities for their own travel. Learning to use

the cane is a process that develops over time. Gradually parents and professionals will need to monitor the child's travel less and less. But how can the blind child engage in this process if we do not place a cane in the child's hand? And when we do, the most interesting thing happens – adults and sighted peers are less likely to lead the blind child. The cane sends a message of independence. As one parent once said to me, "The cane answers the questions most people are afraid to ask, and answers in a positive way."

Professionals who subscribe to deficit models such as these often get very defensive when their negative thinking and devaluing of the blind child's movement and travel are challenged. Those of you who have called them on it know the price you have paid. As a professional I know the price I've paid for questioning the custodial model from the inside. For example, it has been suggested by one administrator that I have "crossed the line" and that I should "carefully think about I do and how I do it". But, when I ask, "what line?" the response is unclear and a bit dusty. Well, I think it's necessary to tell you what line I think it is.

It is the line formed by those who care about and value independence in blind children. What's on the line is self-esteem and independent lives for blind children. We say to the child you are worth it and value your movement and independent travel. Go to the world, visit it, make it your home, as we believe you can. It is the line of parents and professionals working together to raise expectations for blind children, to secure for them equal

opportunity as first class citizens. The way I see it is simply this.

Those professionals who will not or cannot change their negative mind-set will go the way of the dinosaur because eventually common sense and good judgment will prevail.

Ultimately, the person who matters most is you, the parent. Get all the positive and useful information to make your informed choices about independent movement and travel. Seek out professionals who will share your values and work with you. Get tips on independent travel from a blind person you respect. He or she will only be glad to share them with you. Read articles and books by blind persons like Thomas Bickford's “The Care and Feeding of the Long White Cane”. It is an excellent account and resource of "how to" regarding independent travel.

Whatever your child's potential, your valuing independent movement and travel will greatly affect his or her self-esteem. The positive beliefs and values will fuel your child every day toward developing skills that will last a lifetime.

To contact Joe Cutter: Work (New Jersey Commission for the Blind): 201/648-2111 Home: (message machine, when gone): 201/663-2766

For more information and resources, please visit the list's Website: http://www.growingstrong.org/bvi/bvimain.html

· THANK YOU FROM A TALKING BOOK READER

I just wanted to share this lovely letter from Martha Harmon-Pardee with everyone on the list. She was a wonderful asset to our successful convention and as you can tell, she so enjoyed herself. For those of you who couldn't be present in Boca Raton, you missed meeting a terrific talking book reader and

a fabulous convention. Please do all you can to plan ahead so you can attend the 2003 NFBF Convention!

Warm regards,

Kathy Davis

From: Martha and Erik Sandvold

Sent: Friday, May 31, 2002 12:11 AM

Subject: A World of Thanks

Dear Kathy,

I can't begin to express my gratitude for the opportunity to take part in your state convention. I just loved meeting you and your terrific husband, Tom.

Wow! Talk about a match made in heaven! You two make an amazing couple. I hope you were pleased with how everything went. To this first-timer it seemed to run beautifully and I know that's due in large part to the hard work and hours you put into it.

Thanks again for including me in the student’s luncheon. If for any reason, any of them want to get in touch with me, please don't hesitate to give them my email address. I thought they were an amazing group and they're so lucky to have you at the helm.

I hope you and Tom have a great summer. Tom shared a little with me about his battle with ALS. Please know that I will keep you both in my prayers.

Give Rosie big kisses from me!

Love,

Martha

· WE WON ONE!

Dwight Sayer / State Secretary NFBF

Blind vendor will stay By Susan Clary Sentinel Staff Writer

June 19, 2002

Dennis Horn, the 49-year-old blind vendor at the Orange County Courthouse, won't be evicted from the building where he serves coffee and croissants to dozens of people a day. Deputy County Administrator Tom Weinberg said Tuesday that Horn's job is safe.

Horn, who runs the 21 vending machines and coffee stand on the first floor, was in danger of losing his business because the county was negotiating with a company to operate a cafe, snack bar and the vending area where he works.

Two weeks ago county officials told him he would have to leave. Since then, dozens of people have written letters and called county officials asking them to reconsider.

They did.

"Holy cow, this has been incredible," Horn said. "I thought I was out of town. I was making plans. I thought I would end up somewhere else. It's just overwhelming." Horn was excited and flattered by the attention he received after his story appeared in the Orlando Sentinel two weeks ago.

Strangers stopped him on the street. Cabdrivers recognized him. Customers at his courthouse coffee stand shook his hand furiously and patted his guide dog, Gerard, on the head. Then, the county called to tell him the good news.

"It's more than I could ever ask for," Horn said. "After I got the phone call I was trying to figure out if I heard correctly."

Weinberg said he was touched by Horn's dedication and the support he had received from the community. "It's really a remarkable story," Weinberg said. "It's the epitome of the American dream."

Horn, who lost his sight at age 30 from juvenile diabetes, works under a contract with the Florida Division of Blind Services. His business grosses $135,000 a year; he takes home about $40,000. The county receives $1 per year. He trained for 11/2 years to learn the vending business.

But the county has long wanted to provide a restaurant. Officials are negotiating with Pickles, which has a deli in the County Administration building. "We want Dennis to stay there and operate in peace," said Greg Berner, owner of Pickles. "The big picture is that we have to take his interests into consideration as well. With that in mind, we are going to go out of our way to bend over backward for him."

More than 1,000 people work at the courthouse. Hundreds more visit the building weekly. The county stood to prosper from the new vendor, who would pay the county a percentage of profits for part of the contract. Weinberg said the county would make other arrangements with the new vendor to allow Horn to continue to operate his business.

"We want to support his efforts to earn a livelihood there," Weinberg said. "Certainly we are looking at expanded food service, but not at his expense."

That is great news for Dwight Sayer, president of the National Federation of the Blind-Orlando Chapter, who e-mailed local, state and national officials and encouraged the national arm of the nonprofit agency to write letters on Horn's behalf. The group was organizing a demonstration in front of the courthouse.

"We wanted to make it known that it wasn't right," Sayer said. "Sometimes it takes something drastic to touch people's heartstrings when a blind guy is out there working hard and trying to make a living and doing the very best he can in a sighted world."

Horn said he heard from dozens of people. He even received a letter from the Governor's Office that supported his effort. "It has been incredible," Horn said. "I have a newfound belief in the goodness of people."

· GUIDE DOG

On Wednesday, August 7, a Yellow Cab driver stood before the Honorable Alvin Martinez to face charges of denial of the rights of the disabled under Florida Statute 413.08. The charges stemmed from an incident, which occurred on October 14, 2001, in which a Yellow Cab driver refused to transport Merry Schoch and me from Ybor City.

On July 22, the driver pleaded "Not Guilty" and opted for a non-jury trial. At the hearing, the driver was given twenty-four hours of community service to be done in a manner, which directly affects the blind. The case was continued until October 2, by which time the driver must complete the service. Having fulfilled this obligation, adjudication will be withheld, thus allowing the driver to maintain a clean criminal record.

Another incident has occurred with a cab driver. On Saturday, August 10, 2002, I called a cab to get a ride from Merry's house. After I packed the cab with my gear, I went into her house to get my guide dog. When I came out the driver told me he did not allow dogs in his cab. I told the driver that I was blind and she was my guide dog. I got into the cab and told the driver where I wanted to go. He told me to muzzle my dog and I refused. He asked me for proof she was a guide dog, to which I told him I am blind and she was my guide dog. I told him that was all the proof I needed to provide. When he continued to refuse, I asked him to call the dispatcher and they would explain it to him. He was adamant in his refusal and would not call the dispatcher. I then told him to call the Sheriff's Office and they would explain it to him.

He told me to call them myself. I told him I was not getting out of the cab. A neighbor of Merry's brought me her cordless phone. I told the driver that I was offering him one more chance to take me home before I called the Sheriff's Office for assistance. I told him that, if I had to call, I would file criminal charges against him. He still refused to transport me, asking me why I was harassing him.

When I called the Sheriff's Office, I had to explain to them that the driver's refusal to transport me with my dog constituted a criminal offense, not the civil offense they asserted it was. I had to give them the statute number and quote the law to them. About five minutes after hanging up with the Sheriff's Office, the driver realized I was serious, got in his cab, and brought me home.

When I returned home, I called the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. The Deputy who was dispatched to Merry's came to my home. When I told her what happened and how often this occurs, she asked me why I continued to use Yellow. I explained to her that they had the best response time (about 15 to 30 minutes) while I have waited for a United for as long as

two plus hours. I also told her that I have had the same problems with United and other cab companies around the nation. I stated that I had the right to choose the company I would use without having to concern myself with whether or not I would have to argue about my civil rights of full and equal access.

She went to her car to get a case number and when she returned told me her Sergeant said that no violation had occurred. I explained to her that the law said I was entitled to "full and equal access" with my guide dog. She stated that by accepting the ride home it fulfilled the law. I told her that equal access meant that I had the right to get into a cab and get a ride without arguing with a driver for ten to fifteen minutes before getting a ride. She told me she was just doing what the Sergeant said. I asked her to have the Sergeant call me.

The Sergeant who called me was African-American. When he told me the same story, I asked him if he thought it would be equal access if he had to argue with the driver for ten minutes that, as an African-American he had just as much right to ride as anyone else. He understood my point, apologized for his ignorance, and told me he would have the Deputy file the complaint and give me a Request for Prosecution. He also told me he would tell everyone on his staff about this incident and how it should be handled in the future.

The Deputy called me shortly afterward and told me she would be by to give me the paperwork. When she came by she, too, apologized for her ignorance and thanked me for being calm and patient with them. She promised to let other Deputies know about this incident in an effort to avoid this problem in the future.

Yellow Cab calls each an every one of these denials "an isolated

incident". How isolated is this? This is the sixth time in two years I have had my access denied by a cabbie! And I am not the only guide dog user who has faced such denials.

On October 31, 2001, just more than two weeks after the Ybor City incident, another guide dog user was denied by not just one Cabbie, but by the other who was dispatched after the denial. Both claimed they were afraid of dogs. She has filed charges against the two drivers and the dispatcher, who allowed the first denial to go unresolved. This person has also filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice.

It is unfortunate that we have had to take such an adversarial role in this issue. Let me express that we have been attempting to work with Yellow and the other companies to resolve this serious problem in an amicable manner. We have offered our expertise in instituting training and providing accurate information through our publications. They have never requested our assistance or materials. Obviously, they are not

taking our concerns seriously!

Unfortunately, most people do not follow through on filing a complaint. They simply call the company, getting the same empty promises of change with no intention of doing so! Isolated incident or a pattern of discrimination? We will let the Department of Justice figure this out!

Violation of Florida's Equal Access Law is a Misdemeanor of the Second degree, punishable by up to six months incarceration and/or a fine of up to $500. If you face such a problem, it is very important to document the incident. If the offense is committed in the presence of a law enforcement officer, the officer may arrest the individual. This does not mean that the person is put in handcuffs and taken to jail. The officer issues an order to appear in court, much like a traffic citation. If the

offense is not in the presence of a law enforcement officer, you need to ask for a "Request for Prosecution”. Once receiving this form, you must wait three days as a cooling off period, but no more than fourteen days.

The form is taken to the state's Attorney's Office which will investigate the charges and prosecute the case. If you would like more information about the Equal Access Law or would like to ask a specific question about it, please feel free to contact me by e-mail at blind411@juno.com. You may also call me at (813) 661-7287.

Fraternally yours,

Marion Gwizdala, M.S.

President Florida Association of Guide Dog Users

National Federation of the Blind of Florida, Inc.

· DESCRIPTIVE VIDEO SERVICE

April 1, 2002, the FCC mandate requiring TV stations (ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC affiliates) in the top 25 major markets to provide a minimum of 50 hours of described prime-time and/or children's programming per calendar quarter, (which is approximately 4 hours per week) took effect. The new rule also

requires Multi-channel video programming distributors (MVPDs) - such as satellite and cable systems - with at least 50,000 subscribers to follow the same guidelines for each of the top five national cable networks they carry.

PBS stations already air approximately 10 hours of described programming per week - using DVS technology created by WGBH - and are exempt from the new rule. We are very excited about the described programs, which have recently been

introduced, as well as the enthusiasm from viewers who are enjoying it. As broadcasters nationwide become more comfortable with providing video description, and as they realize its benefit to their viewers with visual disabilities, perhaps those stations outside the top 25 markets will be encouraged to broadcast described programming as well.

In order to receive DVS on television, viewers must have either a television with stereo, a VCR with the Second Audio Program

(S.A.P.) - both of which are standard - or a stand-alone S.A.P. receiver. A guide providing up-to-date program schedules will be available in October electronically, in Braille and on audio via the DVS Information Line at (800) 333-1203 or at: dvs.wgbh.org.

· WE’VE BEEN WORKING ON THE RAILROAD

By State Transportation Chair, David Evans

The Tri County Commuter Rail Authority, (Tri-Rail), serves Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties and has entered into a project with the NFBF and the engineering firm of KRW, to make their ticket machine talk. Tri-Rail is considering making its stations more accessible by equipping them with talking ticket machines. They also plan to work closely with the Lighthouses for the Blind, DBS and transit systems to help visually impaired persons acquire necessary services. The NFBF is assisting with the grant from the American Academy of Sciences by providing services of its Staff, it's membership and it's experience with Blindness issues. David Evans, NFBF Transportation Chairman, has supported this project by working with KRW and Tri-Rail. His report states that machines at several stations are presently being tested and eventually

be placed in all stations because of our collective efforts.

· COMPUTER CORNER

Here's a quick way to check your computers performance: First, hold down the windows key and press the break key, which is located above the page up key. This will place you in the system information dialogue box where you need to hold down your control key and press tab 3 times until you reach the system

performance page. Then, route Jaws to PC cursor by holding down the insert key and pushing the minus key on the number lock keypad. You are now ready to read the information concerning your system's performance. The great thing about this method is that you don't have to go through the control panel. When you are finished just push escape and it will return you to the program you were previously in.

This concludes this edition of the Federation Focus. The next release will be in November 2002.

We are changing what it means to be Blind.

David Evans, Editor