The Oregon Outlook A Quarterly Newsletter of the National Federation of the Blind of Oregon FALL 1993 Volume 1 Number 1 The Oregon Outlook Gregory A. Hanson - Editor Published in Ink Print, in Braille' and on cassette tape by The National Federation of the Blind of Oregon P.O. Box 020 Thurston, OR 97482 (503) 726-6924 (800) 422-7093 Carla McQuillan, President ********** Letters to the President, address changes, subscription requests, articles for the Outlook, and letters to the Editor should be sent to the state office. Articles and Letters to the Editor may also be sent to the following address: G. A. Hanson, Editor 330 S. Cammann Street #5 Coos Bay OR 97420 (503) 888-5954 ********** Outlook subscriptions cost the Oregon affiliate ten dollars per year. Members are invited, and nonmembers are requested, to cover the subscription cost. Donations should be made payable to the National Federation of the Blind of Oregon and sent to the above address. *********** THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND IS NOT AN ORGANIZATION SPEAKING FOR THE BLIND - IT IS THE BLIND SPEAKING FOR THEMSELVES Table of Contents The Oregon Braille Bill An exercise in cooperation By Carla McQuillan............................. P. 4 A Bill for an Act ............................. P. 6 Calendar of Events ............................ P. 8 From The President ............................ P. 9 From The Editor ............................... P. 9 Local Chapters past and present .............................. P. 11 Become a Successful Fund-raiser and Promote the NFB By Joyce Green ................................ P. 11 NAPUB Plans National Braille-A-Thon for Detroit ................................... P. 13 Experience of a Lifetime By Gregory A. Hanson .......................... P. 15 Where Can I Get The Oregon Outlook? ............................... P. 17 Capitol Chapter News By David Hyde ................................. P. 17 The Oregon Braille Bill: An Exercise in Co-operation by Carla McQuillan In the spring of 1992, a task force determined that the Oregon State School for the Blind (OSSB) and the Oregon State School for the Deaf (OSSD) were serving far too few children for the total dollars spent. The recommendation from the task force was that both schools be closed, and all the students in those facilities main- streamed. In an effort to preserve the programs, Superintendent of Education, Norma Paulis, developed a plan wherein the two facilities would co-exist on a single property, without compromising the integrity of either of the programs. For more than 10 years, the School for the Blind has been a target in budget wars, and this year's Measure 5 cuts were the deepest yet. Closure of the school had been avoided in the past by protests from the blind community. For this battle, we believed that some creative negotiating was needed to preserve the program. At our Member's Seminar last fall, we took a critical look at the quality of education for blind children in Oregon. We agreed that there was room for improvement, particularly with regard to the programs and curriculum through OSSB. We considered the ramifications of relocating the blind school, and concluded that the greatest loss would be the physical building itself. We concurred that a major restructuring may be the best way to make sweeping improvements in the program. Our primary concern was to insure that the two programs (OSSB and OSSD) remain totally separate and intact. We approached Norma Paulis, offering support on her proposal to relocate the School for the Blind, if the Department of Education would involve us in the restructuring and planning of the new facility, and if they would help improve the quality of education for all blind children in Oregon by working with us on a Braille Literacy Bill. We worked closely with Maurine Otis from the department on the language of the bill, using the Texas bill as our model. In February, Senator Bill Dwyer of Springfield sponsored the bill. In early March, 18 members of the NFB of Oregon visited the offices of all 90 Oregon legislators. We were prepared with folders containing: a copy of the Braille Bill, a braille alphabet card, a few pieces of NFB literature on braille literacy, an NFB of Oregon brochure, letters of support from the Commission for the Blind, the director of OSSB, the director of the Oregon Text Book and Materials Center for the Visually Impaired, the President of the Alliance for Blind Children, and a fact sheet describing the braille bill, the proposed relocation of the OSSB. The Text book and Materials Center, the Department of Education, and the National Federation of the Blind of Oregon had representatives to testify at each of the hearings on the braille bill. The Confederation of School Administrators (COSA), was present at one of the hearings in the Senate, and testified in support of the bill, focusing on the untimely fashion in which braille text books are made available to blind students. The President of COSA testified that the text book section of this bill would expedite the process of text book production, and improve teacher effectiveness tremendously. The proposal to use the money from the sale of the School for the Blind to fund the building of the new school on the 52 acres of the School for the Deaf campus, was brought before the legislature. The legislators felt that there was insufficient data to determine the feasibility of the relocation, and deferred a decision to close or relocate the Schools at this time. The Oregon Braille Bill passed unanimously through the Senate, and with only 4 decanting votes in the House. Senate Bill 934 was signed by Governor Roberts on July 14, 1993. The text follows. 67th OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY-1993 Regular Session B-Engrossed Senate Bill 934 Ordered by the House June 29 Including Senate Amendments dated May 27 and House Amendments dated June 29 Sponsored by Senator DWYER (at the request of National Federation of the Blind of Oregon) SUMMARY The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject to consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor's brief statement of the essential features of the measure. Requires blind student to receive individualized education program. Directs assessment to determine most appropriate learning media including but not limited to Braille. Requires individualized education program to specify extent and nature of student's training in Braille, pursuant to standards adopted by State Board of Education. Requires materials to be in computer-accessible format capable of Braille reproduction. Requires teachers of blind students to demonstrate competence in reading and writing Braille. Takes effect September 1, 1994. A BILL FOR AN ACT Relating to literacy for blind students; and prescribing an defective date. Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon: SECTION 1. Sections 2 to 6 of this Act are added to and made a part of ORS chapter 343. SECTION 2. As used in sections 2 to 6 of this 1993 Act: (1) "Braille" means the system of reading and writing through touch commonly known as standard English Braille. (2) "Individualized education program" means a written statement developed for a student eligible for special education services pursuant to section 602(a)(20) of part A of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. 1401(a). (3) "Student who is blind" means an individual who: (a) Is eligible for special education due to visual impairment; or (b) Has a medically indicated expectation of visual deterioration. SECTION 3. (1) In developing the individualized education program for each student who is blind, the presumption shall be that proficiency in reading and writing is essential for the student to achieve satisfactory educational progress. Each student who is blind shall be assessed to determine the most appropriate learning media, including but not limited to Braille. The individualized education program team shall determine the optimum learning media. (2) Braille instruction and use are not required by this section if, in the course of developing the student's individualized education program, all members of the team concur that the student's visual impairment does not affect reading and writing performance commensurate with ability. (3) Nothing in this section required the exclusive use of Braille if other special education services are appropriate to meet the student's educational needs. The provision of other appropriate services does not preclude Braille use or instruction. SECTION 4. Instruction in Braille reading and writing provided under this 1993 Act shall be sufficient to enable each student who is blind to communicate effectively. When the need for Braille is determined, the student's individualized education program shall specify the extent and nature of the student's training in Braille, pursuant to standards adopted by rule of the State Board of Education. SECTION 5. The State Board of Education shall require a publisher of a textbook adopted by a school district to furnish the Oregon Textbook and Media Center with computer diskettes for literary subjects in a computer-accessible format from which Braille versions of the textbook can be produced. The publisher shall furnish the center with computer diskettes in a computer-accessible format for non- literary subjects, such as natural sciences, computer science, mathematics and music, when Braille specialty code translation software is available. SECTION 6. (1) The Department of Education shall appoint a working group to expedite the implementation of section 5 of this 1993 Act. (2) The working group shall invite representatives of the major blind consumer groups to participate in the activities of the group as they relate to the implementation of section 5 of this 1993 Act. Representatives shall serve at their own expense and are not entitled to reimbursement by the state for their participation in the group's activities. (3) The working group, in cooperation with the Oregon Textbook and Media Center, shall (a) Work with textbook publishers on the development of processes for converting formatted text files to computer-accessible text files needed for the production of Braille textbooks with translation software; (b) Survey ongoing efforts in this state and elsewhere to develop computer software needed for automated conversion of publisher text files to computer-accessible format and recommend additional software development projects, if needed. the working group, with the cooperation of the center, shall work with publishers and software developers to prioritize typesetting system conversion efforts; (c) Study the feasibility of implementing a process by which textbook publishers can transmit computerized textbook computer-accessible data files through modem communication directly to the computers of organizations producing Braille textbook masters; and (d) Study any other issues that are relevant and necessary to the implementation of this section. SECTION 7. Section 8 of this Act is added to and made a part of ORS 342.120 to 342.200. SECTION 8. (1) A teacher licensed to provide education to students who are blind, as defined in section 2 of this 1993 Act, shall be required to demonstrate competence in reading and writing Braille, as defined in section 2 of this 1993 Act. (2) Any applicant for a teaching license to provide education to students who are blind shall be required to demonstrate competence in Braille upon initial application for a teaching license. (3) The Teacher Standards and Practices Commission shall adopt procedure to assess the competencies that are consistent with standards adopted by the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped at the Library of Congress. SECTION 9. The requirements of section 8 of this Act shall first apply to applicants for teaching licenses who apply on and after the effective date of this Act and to teachers who apply for license renewal on and after the effective date of this Act. However, no teacher shall be required to demonstrate the competence more than once. SECTION 10. This Act takes effect September 1, 1994. Calendar of Events January 8, 1994 : 9:00 AM-1:30 PM Social Security Seminar at the Eagles Lodge in Salem. This will be an overview of the Social Security Regulations for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) as they relate to blind individuals. The Seminar is free; there will be a fee for lunch. Please call the state office for reservations. Space is limited; preference will be given to NFB members. 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM NFB of Oregon State Board Meeting at the Eagles Lodge in Salem. Everyone is welcome to attend this meeting. January 29, 1994: National Student Seminar in Washington DC at the Holiday Inn Capitol. January 30 - February 2 : Washington Seminar at the Holiday Inn Capitol. Delegates from around the country meet with our US Representatives to discuss legislation that affects the blind. February 26: Parents of Blind Children Seminar in Springfield, OR from 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM. Registration information will be mailed in January. From the President... NFB of Oregon State Convention has been Moved to the Fall At our Member's Seminar in September, the board voted to hold our annual State Conventions in the Fall, rather than the Spring. This will allow more time for us to accept applications and decide on scholarship winners. It will also decrease the activity level during Oregon's legislative sessions, so that we can focus on legislative issues. This spring, we will be holding a Member's Seminar at Driftwood Shores in Florence. We have not yet determined the dates of that Seminar. Our Fall State Convention will be in the Albany/Corvallis area, the last weekend of September. Elections for the executive board positions and 2 of the directors will be held at this convention. From the Editor: Since this is the first issue of the Oregon Outlook for the new staff, we want to welcome all of our readers, members and non- members alike, to help us make this the best publication around. We are always on the lookout for material. Articles, calendars of events, Letters to the Editor or President and what ever you may find of interest are always wanted by the Oregon Outlook. I am sending this plea to all chapters, members at large and other interested parties to help us fill our pages with interesting, informative and entertaining material. All submissions to the Oregon Outlook are subject to editorial limitations of space and subject matter. All submissions should be sent to either the state office or the editor. There is a committee for this newsletter and these members will also be gathering material and submissions for the Outlook. The Newsletter Committee members are: Ron Knepper, Milwaukie, Oregon 771-1286 Mary Reid, Portland, Oregon 735-9013 Judy Larsen, Beaverton, Oregon 644-9926 Harold Isackson, Molalla, Oregon 234-6722 The members of the Newsletter Committee will be able to assist interested parties in submitting material for the Oregon Outlook. Remember, this is your newsletter. We will be relying on you to help us make it GREAT! G. A. Hanson Editor Quote for the Day: "We know who we are; and we will never go back!" Dr. Kenneth Jernigan Local Chapters; Past and Present: From the Rose City Chapter--Joyce Green, President, sends the following. The Rose City Chapter met on November 13, 1993. Elected to positions within the chapter were: President-- Joyce Green Vice President-- Robert Jaquiss Treasurer-- Mary Reid Secretary-- Judy Larsen At this meeting we officially welcomed a new member. Emily Ross, a Freshman at Reed College, with an undecided major joined us. **Attention: To date we have sold almost all of our NFB calendars. Our fund raising efforts have been a huge success! What about the rest of you? Become A Successful Fund-Raiser And Promote The NFB By Joyce Green, President of the Rose City Chapter NFB of Oregon Every contact made in the process of fund-raising leaves an impression, both of the person and the organization for which funds are being raised. Just about anyone can be a successful fund-raiser; this includes you. When setting out on a fund- raising venture, these are the things you will need: a sincere belief in the worth of the organization being represented; respect for the potential customer's freedom of choice whether or not to buy the product in question; a detailed plan of action; and a determination to be successful in the undertaking. Firing Up: If you want to put your best foot forward in raising funds, some time devoted to literature review is time well spent. In the case of the NFB, excellent resources are: What You Should Know About Blindness...; recent issues of the Braille Monitor; and/or some of the speeches delivered at the national convention banquets. Knowing current issues facing the blind and the status of these issues is strongly encouraged. With the literature review will come a deepening pride in the NFB and its audacious undertakings. The amazing accomplishments of the Federation will become evident. A growing desire to be part of it and a strengthening commitment to make a worth while contribution will result. Narrowing the Field: Selecting a fund-raising event or activity, or a product to sell, should be done with great care. Since the primary purpose is to raise funds which will in turn be used to extend the influence of the organization, the event, activity, or product chosen should appeal to a wide audience. The event or activity of choice should be in good taste and should be well done. The product under consideration should be of good quality materials and should be attractive in appearance. The article must be something that will reflect favorably on both the individual and the organization. Plotting Strategy: A successful outcome demands a detailed plan of action. Planning an event involves finding a location, establishing a date and time, committing speakers and/or entertainers, getting materials printed, procuring publicity, plus planning and handling or delegating all the details of the event itself, not to mention selling tickets. An activity also requires some planning, but it is usually a simpler undertaking than an event. Since events and activities are quite complex and they fall in the public relations domain as well as in the fund- raising domain, I shall restrict my remarks in the remainder of this article to the selling of a product. When a fund-raiser consists of selling a product, a few things must be considered. Where will you find customers: at a bazaar, in a shopping mall, at a fair or festival, or door-to-door in the neighborhood? For the greatest success, you must go to your customer, rather than wait for the customer to find you. The method that has worked best for me has been door-to-door selling in the neighborhood. Choose a stable, residential neighborhood. If you are selling at a bazaar, in a shopping mall, or at a fair or festival, make sure you are there at peak times when lots of people are milling around. If you are going door-to-door in a neighborhood, don't waste time on week days when virtually no one is home. Go instead on weekends, preferably Sunday afternoons. Folks have had a full day to recover from a stressful week, have most of their chores done, many have been to church services, have not yet begun to think about Monday morning and almost everyone is in a good frame of mind. Plan for every eventuality. Leave room for no surprises. Go prepared to make change and give receipts if requested. Decide before hand whether or not you will accept checks and/or credit cards. Some will not want to buy your product, but will offer a donation. Have a supply of brochures and/or business cards with names and phone numbers for further information. When selling door-to-door take someone with you. You may need moral support. Two adults can be threatening, so take a child. (It need not be yours.) Children can be very charming and disarming and a great asset to you. Nine to eleven year-old- youngsters are probably your best candidates. They love to be helpful. Give them some specific responsibilities, such as, ringing doorbells, handing out the brochures and carrying a few of the items to be sold. Give your little helper a small commission. This will provide extra incentive and reward. Be attentive to and considerate of the children. Take them home at first signs of boredom or fatigue. Otherwise, they will not want to go with you anymore. Have a brief, clear speech ready for delivery when someone comes to the door. Introduce yourself and the organization you represent, state the purpose of the organization and make two or three comments about how the funds are to be used. Keep it simple. For example: "Hi, I am Mary Smith, raising funds for the local chapter of the National Federation of the Blind. We are a non-profit organization, composed of blind persons, working to improve the lives of blind persons everywhere. Our funds create scholarships for blind college students, create job opportunities for blind adults, provide support for parents of blind children and many other things. Can I interest you in making a contribution toward these programs by buying one or more of our guaranteed, spider eaters for your basement?" Take no more than a couple of minutes of their time. Whether or not your would-be customers buy your product, be prepared to warmly thank them for their time, offer a brochure and wish them well. Showing Respect: All potential customers deserve our respect and are entitled to courteous treatment, regardless of their responses to your approach. Accept their decisions and apply no pressure tactics. They alone know their respective situations and must make their own decisions about how their money is to be spent. The few who need to refuse you this year may be in better circumstances next year. They certainly will have a favorable impression of you and of the NFB if they have been treated respectfully. Summary: In conclusion, successful fund-raising is assured if you take time to increase your knowledge and understanding of our organized movement, develop a superior quality event or product, formulate a detailed plan of action, respect the potential customer's freedom of choice whether or not to avail themselves of the opportunity to support the NFB and go forth with determination to succeed. You will be pleasantly surprised at the number of sales you will make and the amount of money that will accrue in your bank account. Of course, the benefits to yourself and to the NFB extend far beyond the hard cash that you will collect. Through every contact you will have educated someone about the NFB, its purpose, and its various programs. Also, with each contact, you will have increased your skills and self confidence and will have deepened your own appreciation of our organized blind movement. Be proud and share your success with others. Your enthusiasm will help motivate them. Happy fund-raising, my friends. NAPUB Plans National Braille-A-Thon for Detroit Editor's Note: Jerry Whittle, Co-Chairperson of the National Braille-A-Thon Committee asked us to carry the following article. The National Association to promote the use of Braille (NAPUB) will hold its annual Braille-A-Thon on Friday, July 1, 1994, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the National Convention of the National Federation of the Blind in Detroit, Michigan. NAPUB Plans National Braille-A-Thon For Detroit For the past five years, the National Federation of the Blind of Louisiana has held a Braille-A-Thon as a pre-convention event at its state convention as a means to both promote Braille literacy and to raise funds for the state affiliate. During the past five years, the NFBL has raised over five-thousand dollars and has received some excellent publicity about Braille literacy in almost every major city in Louisiana. Volunteer Braille readers pledge to read a set number of Braille pages between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on the Friday before a state convention begins. For several weeks prior to the state convention, these volunteer readers procure sponsors and then the volunteers gather in a large room in the hotel where the state convention is held and complete their page goals. Some read as many as three-hundred pages and others read just a few pages. For example, Harold Wilson raised over $1,300 on just ten pages the first year the event was held. Harold, who had just completed grade two Braille at the Louisiana Center for the Blind, pledged to read his ten hard-earned pages during the Braille-A-Thon, and using a sign-up sheet, he found persons in his hometown who were willing to pay him money to see him reach his page goal. "It was easy to find sponsors. People seem to like the idea of helping us become better readers. There is still a mystique about Braille and the more we promote and show people that it is not so amazing, the better off we will be," Harold said. During one Braille-A-Thon in New Orleans in 1989 the New Orleans Times Picayune featured a blind father and daughter both reading Braille together and almost every major television station in cities like Shreveport and Baton Rouge has covered this event. Because the Braille-A-Thon has drawn many volunteer readers in Louisiana and because it is an excellent way to promote Braille through the media in different cities each year, The National Association to Promote the Use of Braille (NAPUB) has decided to hold a similar event at next year's national convention in Detroit. If successful, it will be continued at each national convention. "We expect to have excellent Braille readers and brand-new Braille readers participating on Saturday form 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in Detroit, " said Betty Nicely, President of NAPUB. "We should have at least two-hundred people reading Braille in one room in Detroit and we will try our best to have every major television station and newspaper in the Detroit area there to cover the event. We will be calling on our membership in NAPUB to pledge to read their pages and to find sponsors in their home states who would be willing to pay them handsomely for their hard work. Half of the money will go to NAPUB and half will go to the national organization. If Louisiana can raise two-thousand (dollars) for a state convention, there is no reason why we couldn't raise over one-hundred-thousand (dollars) for our national Braille-A-Thon," said Nicely, smiling. "We want to make this an annual event. I bet it will be one of the quietest fund- raisers that we could ever have." If you would like to participate and receive some sponsor sheets, you may contact either Betty Nicely, 3618 Dayton Avenue, Louisville, KY 70402 (502) 897-2632 or Jerry Whittle, 101 South Trenton Street, Ruston, LA 71270, (800) 234-4166. Experience of a Lifetime by Gregory A. Hanson First impressions and, likewise, first experiences usually last forever. The first time we meet a new person, the first time we experience a new idea or the first time we encounter a different set of ideals we are struck with a set of preconceived notions about whether or not we like or believe in what we are experiencing. The National Federation of the Blind is that way for most who first are introduced to its philosophies and orientation. My first experience with the NFB came at a critical and unique time. I was just entered into the Adult Orientation and Adjustment Center at the Iowa Commission for the Blind in Des Moines, Iowa. The Iowa Commission at the time, mid 1980's, had a pretty strong history of Federation philosophy, yet was in the midst of upheaval and change. I knew nothing of the NFB, its philosophy or history or that it was then and still is the largest Consumer Organization for the blind in existence. I only knew that I was newly blind, less than a year, and that I needed to learn how to care for myself and my family. I had been given the tour of the facility. The tour guides were students themselves, motivated and independent. I had received very little travel instruction, a couple of months of Braille instruction and even less information on what I could hope to accomplish in my life. At this time, the Iowa Commission was no longer affiliated with the NFB, but most of the practices begun by Dr. Jernigan were still in effect. No one there, the staff or the students, spoke about NFB philosophy, NFB attitude or anything at all about the NFB. That is until my second day there. One of the practices still observed at the time was for all new students to spend an hour or two listening to Dr. Jernigan's "Dishwashing Tape". Many of you may not know about this little adventure in attitude. It is from a long time ago, but believe me, it is an experience that makes a lasting impression. In the short span of an hour, it was impressed on me that I could do just about anything I wished as a blind person. The discussion on attitude, the introduction to the philosophy of independence and the motivation to equal treatment are still with me today. Now, this is not to say that I immediately understood or became an active Federationist. Actually the opposite is sadly true. I knew that I needed support and understanding. I felt a need to belong. There was the ever-present desire to be a wholly functional part of society and to succeed. There was available, right on the premises, a chapter of the other organization. So, I joined the United Blind of Iowa. I attended several meetings. I found myself involved in some interesting discussions. I was happy to be included in a group of my peers, yet there was something missing. We did a bit of socializing, a lot of complaining, some supporting of each other, but not much else at these meetings. I needed more. There was a missing part. There seemed to be this understood, oh what , lets see, kind of a feeling, I guess, that we as blind people were somehow less important and less beneficial to society than I used to be less than a year before. I had come to believe that I could be who ever I wanted to be and do what I wanted to do if only I could get good, adequate training and if I would work hard at being the best I could be, yet, this group I was in was telling me something different. I stayed a member for close to three years, though I was not very active. I did not know better. I finished my orientation training and entered college. I started taking Martial Arts classes. I and a couple of friends began, on our own to do a small bit of advocacy for ourselves. I thought no one else was able to help or understand how I felt. Then, I applied for a NFB Scholarship. I applied because my advisor sent me the form in the mail. I thought the NFB was yet another division of the group I had belonged to for all those years. No one had ever told me differently. I needed the financial help, so I applied. I did not receive the national scholarship, but I received much, much more. I had to visit with a local representative of the NFB to apply for the scholarship, as all applicants do. I called Peggy Pinder, President of the NFB of Iowa and she referred me to my local representative. Richard Crawford, a Vice President with a stock brokerage firm was the name she gave me. I spent close to three hours visiting with Mr. Crawford that week. He was the embodiment of what I thought. He was successful. He was positive. He was after all, a V.P. and handled several million dollars of other folks money on a daily basis and he was blind. Through Richard Crawford and Peggy Pinder and now, more than a few hundred blind people I am acquainted with, I found the home I always needed. I found the philosophy I truly believe and the attitude I so longingly searched for. It is the first experience and the first impressions that last a lifetime. Thank goodness for the firsts the National Federation of the blind has given us. and thank goodness for the people it has brought together. We owe it to ourselves and the others in the same critical time of life to be that first impression and lasting experience. Where Can I Get The Oregon Outlook? The Outlook can be sent in Print, Braille and on Cassette. Orders for the Oregon Outlook are taken by the NFB of Oregon at the address on the first page. Additional media are: The Oregon Outlook can be downloaded in electronic text format from the following Bulletin boards, or can be viewed directly on line. The Gate BBS Fido Net 1:356/4 (503) 75601755 24 hours N 8 1 Stargate Oregon BBS FidoNet 1:356/200 (503) 756-3886 9 P.M. - 9 A.M. N 8 1 NFB Net BBS fido net 1:261/1125 (410) 752-5011 N 8 1 The Outlook will be in the Text files sections under the file name "oo .txt". This issue is called "oofall93.txt" We look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, G. A. Hanson Editor Capitol Chapter news by David Hyde CAPITOL CHAPTER NEWS By Dave Hyde Fund raising, working together and fun has characterized the capitol chapter. Members held our annual garage sale in November of last year, participated in community events during the summer, and toured the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI.) Of course several attended our national convention in Dallas this summer where Kathy and Thomas day, along with Donna Henry were first time participants. Thomas's comets were illustrative of what he learned; being a sighted member he commented that he never realized what it meant to be a minority, which he was with about 2100 blind attendees. All hale Thomas for holding his own, and contributing greatly to helping things work in the convention. Donna Henry found that although meetings were interesting singing after was enjoyable too. We hope our resident alto will come back again. OMSI was most enjoyable, particularly for those of us who had not seen the new facility. Tina Hansen helped set up the trip, and did the leg work to see it a success. Kathy McGrew worked with the fund raising, and continues to do so. We join with her in mourning the passing of her mother this fall. Next year we invite all of you to our state board meeting on January 8. Members of the Capitol chapter look forward to meeting all of you there. If you are in the area, meetings are on the third Saturday in the dining room of the Oregon School for the Blind, and begin promptly at 11:00 a.m. Contact 503-390-9219 for additional information.