--------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 233 NFB BLIND NEWS Ref: DEM00004Date: 10/18/96 From: KATHY NEUFELD Time: 10:13am \/To: DAVID ANDREWS (Read 1 times) Subj: Seeing Eye Resolution There may be truth on both sides, David, but handing out braille to its own graduates can hardly be called sneaking around. Also, I think you will agree that seeing Eye's response to the letter was more than reasonable. I think this whole thing has done a lot of needless dammage to an organization that over the years has promoted dignity and independence to blind people. I also must take issue with the heavy handed approach used by the federation leadership. Bye for now! Kathy Neufeld --- Maximus 3.01 * Origin: Vision Information Systems (1:163/266) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 233 NFB BLIND NEWS Ref: DEP00000Date: 10/19/96 From: HARVEY HEAGY Time: 05:41am \/To: KATHY NEUFELD (Read 1 times) Subj: Movie on Sunday! In a message Kathy Neufeld typed to Harvey Heagy KN> Thanks for the information, Harvey. Don't laugh! My first guide dog, a KN> female shepherd, tht I obtained from the Seeing Eye in 1967 growled at a KN> couple of guys I went out with. Usually, she liked my dates, but she just KN> did not like these two guys. She turned out to be rite, they were both KN> jerks! bye for now! I definitely believe that some dogs can sense whether people are good or not. So I most assuredly would not laugh at that. Although I don't think mine had that capability; she wanted to be everyone's friend. Harvey --- msged 2.07 * Origin: The Metairie Point -- New Orleans, LA (1:396/1.13) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 233 NFB BLIND NEWS Ref: DEP00001Date: 10/19/96 From: HARVEY HEAGY Time: 05:43am \/To: KATHY NEUFELD (Read 1 times) Subj: Seeing Eye Resolution In a message Kathy Neufeld typed to Harvey Heagy KN> I have the tape, and if you want a copy, I can mail you one if you give me KN> your snail mail address. The response was very courteous, and and the KN> Seeing Eye offered to meet with and discuss the problem before the next KN> convention. Thank you very much, but I think I can get it from Seeing Eye. I understand that the N.F.B. and Seeing Eye did have a meeting. I hope the problem can be resolved so that everyone can be happy. Harvey --- msged 2.07 * Origin: The Metairie Point -- New Orleans, LA (1:396/1.13) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 233 NFB BLIND NEWS Ref: DEP00002Date: 10/19/96 From: HARVEY HEAGY Time: 06:48am \/To: ALL (Read 1 times) Subj: Social Security Earnings Of interest to all blind persons. I saw this notice posted on the N.F.B. Research and Development server list. From: Jim Gashel Subject: material for distribution For more information contact: James Gashel Director of Governmental Affairs National Federation of the Blind 1800 Johnson St. Baltimore, Md. 21230 Phone: 1-410-659-9314 Fax 1-410-685-5653 IMPORTANT NOTICE ON SGA FOR BLIND PERSONS The Social Security Administration has just announced the earnings guideline for blind persons to be used in determining Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) during 1997. The SGA earnings guideline applies to eligibility decisions in the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program. It does not apply in any respect whatsoever to determinations of eligibility or payment amounts in the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program. Beginning in January, 1997, average monthly earnings for a blind person which are less than $1,000 will not count as SGA. The comparable amount for 1996 is $960. The change in the SGA exempt amount for blind people is the result of an automatic adjustment made annually. From January, 1978, until March, 1996, the SGA exempt amount for blind persons was identical to the exempt amount for persons who retire at age 65. However, the earnings exemption for seniors was raised above the automatic adjustment level in March, 1996, and will increase further in six mandated steps to reach an annual exempt amount of $30,000 beginning in 2002. Although the SGA exempt amount for blind people was specifically excluded from the mandated adjustments, it will still be raised gradually and automatically year by year. By the year 2002, when the exempt amount for seniors reaches $30,000, the SGA guideline for blind people is expected to be $14,400. It is important to provide correct and complete information to blind people who may be affected by the annual changes in SGA. This is particularly so now--beginning with the 1997 change--since the exempt amounts for blind people and for seniors are different. Because more than thirty-five million seniors receive retirement benefits, and fewer than one hundred thousand blind people receive SSDI checks, the wrong information about the exempt earnings standard may be given in response to some inquiries. This was less likely to occur when the exemptions were linked. In view of the change in earnings exemptions, the Social Security Administration is aware of the possibility that confusing and incorrect information may be given. Therefore, a reminder notice is being circulated to personnel in Social Security offices and to specialists who answer calls in the teleservice system. The text of the notice from the Social Security Administration follows: SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION ON GUIDELINES FOR SUBSTANTIAL GAINFUL ACTIVITY 1997 SGA Amount for the Blind Effective January 1, 1997, the monthly substantial gainful activity (SGA) amount for persons receiving Social Security disability benefits based on blindness will be $1,000. This represents an increase over the amount in 1996, which was $960 per month. The non-blind SGA amount remains at $500 per month. It is important to remember that beginning in 1997, the blind SGA amount is no longer tied to the over age-65 retirement earnings test. That amount will rise significantly over the next five years based on legislation signed in March, 1996, until it reaches $30,000 per year in 2002. Although de-coupled from the retirement earnings test, the blind SGA amount continues by law to be adjusted annually based on the national average wage index. Harvey --- msged 2.07 * Origin: The Metairie Point -- New Orleans, LA (1:396/1.13) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 233 NFB BLIND NEWS Ref: DEP00003Date: 10/18/96 From: DAVID ANDREWS Time: 10:26pm \/To: ALL (Read 1 times) Subj: material for distribution (fwd) From: David Andrews Subject: material for distribution (fwd) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Fri, 18 Oct 1996 21:38:39 -0400 (EDT) From: Jim Gashel To: Dave Andrews Subject: material for distribution For more information contact: James Gashel Director of Governmental Affairs IMPORTANT NOTICE ON SGA FOR BLIND PERSONS The Social Security Administration has just announced the earnings guideline for blind persons to be used in determining Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) during 1997. The SGA earnings guideline applies to eligibility decisions in the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program. It does not apply in any respect whatsoever to determinations of eligibility or payment amounts in the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program. Beginning in January, 1997, average monthly earnings for a blind person which are less than $1,000 will not count as SGA. The comparable amount for 1996 is $960. The change in the SGA exempt amount for blind people is the result of an automatic adjustment made annually. From January, 1978, until March, 1996, the SGA exempt amount for blind persons was identical to the exempt amount for persons who retire at age 65. However, the earnings exemption for seniors was raised above the automatic adjustment level in March, 1996, and will increase further in six mandated steps to reach an annual exempt amount of $30,000 beginning in 2002. Although the SGA exempt amount for blind people was specifically excluded from the mandated adjustments, it will still be raised gradually and automatically year by year. By the year 2002, when the exempt amount for seniors reaches $30,000, the SGA guideline for blind people is expected to be $14,400. It is important to provide correct and complete information to blind people who may be affected by the annual changes in SGA. This is particularly so now--beginning with the 1997 change--since the exempt amounts for blind people and for seniors are different. Because more than thirty-five million seniors receive retirement benefits, and fewer than one hundred thousand blind people receive SSDI checks, the wrong information about the exempt earnings standard may be given in response to some inquiries. This was less likely to occur when the exemptions were linked. In view of the change in earnings exemptions, the Social Security Administration is aware of the possibility that confusing and incorrect information may be given. Therefore, a reminder notice is being circulated to personnel in Social Security offices and to specialists who answer calls in the teleservice system. The text of the notice from the Social Security Administration follows: SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION ON GUIDELINES FOR SUBSTANTIAL GAINFUL ACTIVITY 1997 SGA Amount for the Blind Effective January 1, 1997, the monthly substantial gainful activity (SGA) amount for persons receiving Social Security disability benefits based on blindness will be $1,000. This represents an increase over the amount in 1996, which was $960 per month. The non-blind SGA amount remains at $500 per month. It is important to remember that beginning in 1997, the blind SGA amount is no longer tied to the over age-65 retirement earnings test. That amount will rise significantly over the next five years based on legislation signed in March, 1996, until it reaches $30,000 per year in 2002. Although de-coupled from the retirement earnings test, the blind SGA amount continues by law to be adjusted annually based on the national average wage index. --- * Origin: NFBnet <--> Internet Email Gateway (99:1/1) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 233 NFB BLIND NEWS Ref: DEP00004Date: 10/19/96 From: DAVID ANDREWS Time: 08:51am \/To: KATHY NEUFELD (Read 1 times) Subj: Seeing Eye Resolution KN> There may be truth on both sides, David, but KN> handing out braille to its own graduates can hardly KN> be called sneaking around. Also, I think you will It is sneaking around when they had been asked not to do so, at a Federation sponsored meeting, and they did anyway solely because people in the room were blind and they could get away with it. Sounds like sneaking around to me and shows a profound disrespect for blind persons in my book. David Andrews --- Maximus/2 2.02 * Origin: NFB NET St. Paul, MN (612) 696-1975 (1:282/1045) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 233 NFB BLIND NEWS Ref: DEP00005Date: 10/19/96 From: BRIAN LINGARD Time: 12:47am \/To: KATHY NEUFELD (Read 1 times) Subj: Movie on Sunday! The account at U of Ottawa will save you a fortune. I find I can download, but not reliably upload mail to nfbnet over the net. Not sure why. ... Open mouth, insert foot, echo internationally. --- Blue Wave v2.12 [NR] * Origin: Vision Information Systems (1:163/266) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 233 NFB BLIND NEWS Ref: DEP00006Date: 10/19/96 From: KATHY NEUFELD Time: 02:31pm \/To: HARVEY HEAGY (Read 1 times) Subj: Seeing Eye Resolution Wow, I'm glad they had a meeting. I really think the whole matter was blown way way out of perportion. --- Maximus 3.01 * Origin: Vision Information Systems (1:163/266) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 233 NFB BLIND NEWS Ref: DEP00007Date: 10/19/96 From: HARVEY HEAGY Time: 04:38pm \/To: KATHY NEUFELD (Read 1 times) Subj: Seeing Eye Resolution In a message Kathy Neufeld typed to Harvey Heagy KN> Wow, I'm glad they had a meeting. I really think the whole matter was KN> blown way way out of perportion. I agree, and I believe that if a group or organization meets the hotel's conditions for hosting any given function no other organization has any right to be a self declared middleman and say, in effect, "although you've met the hotel's conditions you have to meet ours." After all, they do not own the hotel. Harvey --- msged 2.07 * Origin: The Metairie Point -- New Orleans, LA (1:396/1.13) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 233 NFB BLIND NEWS Ref: DEP00008Date: 10/19/96 From: PETE DONAHUE Time: 02:23pm \/To: ALL (Read 1 times) Subj: Re: Seeing Eye Resolution From: Pete Donahue Subject: Re: Seeing Eye Resolution Hello Kathy and friends: Our dealings with the Seeing eye's breakfasts at our conventions as far as I am concerned is just scratchin the surface of serious problems with it's attitude towards blind persons. i am still very angry about the school's pollicy concerning contact between puppy raisers and graduates and I am not afraid to make my displeasure known to any one who will listen and not go so far as to remove me from their mailing list simply for asking for help in contacting my dog's raiser. This is what happened to me and Buddy-l. Yes you heard it right. After posting several messagews about my dislike of this pollicy I dedcided that I did not do any good just to complain about the issue, but to ask for help in locating Tim's raiser so I could finely ask them about his puppyhood in order to get to the root of some behavior problems I was having with him when he is out of harness. Several nights after posting that message I received a note from Clarrence whaley; one of Buddy-l's moderators informing me that my post was inappropriate, and that I must either refrain from such postings in the future or I would be removed from the list. I know that a number of puppy raisers subscribe to buddy-l and i figured that there would be some Seeing eye raisers among them; perhaps Tim's raiser would be among them and they would see my request to contact them, and if they chose to do so they would have gotten in touch with me. after all they were not given that chance while Tim and I were intraining. Perhaps the Int4ernet could be harnessed as a weapon to fight such agenst pollicies of this kind. The disission of puppy raisers and graduatesx to communicate with each other should rest with those parties, and not be the dictates of the school. Other schools allow and encourage meetings between raisers, and graduat3es and contrary to Seeing Eye's thinking that we are burdened down with unwanted charrity the opportunity is embraced by puppy raisers and graduates alike. This is not to say that there are instances in which unwantee harassment occurrs, but I don't believe that is an eppidemic problem. Furthermore I believe that like sighted persons blind persons must learn to protect their own privacy and they won't learn how to do this if they can be led to think that someone else will do it for them and that they need not take responsibility for looking out for themselves. We should not always expect agencies for the blind including guide dog schools to take over this responsibility, and if we do we are harming ourselves and other blind persons as well. Although I received a report from Tim's raiser telling me something about his puppyhood some information that I believe I had a right to know was not told to me. For example I was told that he was, and still is a chewer. He has chewed up everything from carpetting to computer adapters, placed mats, electric wires, (But not for lont), and other articles. On one occasion he ate $60 worth of cash that was carelessly left on our kitchin table by one of my readers last spring. This was no fault of either the raiser or the school. I was told that he tended to be stubborn, and liked to play; that is not so bad. I was not told that he liked to run loose if given the opportunity to do so, and we had a f ew battles with this problem for about six months. Fortunately he now knows that if an outside door is opened that he may not charge outside unless he is on the leash, or in harness. More serious than that I was not told that he liked to relieve himself in the house; even after being taken outside to go. These two situations caused me, and my family great stress, and we even got complaints from our neighbors as I accidently yelled at him when we were outside during the early morning hours. Add to that that a few nice persons called tha Seeing Eye on us and accused me of savierely misstreating him. This occurred shortly before the 1996 national convention. I contacted them after the convention and told them that we were tryijng to corect the problems they brought to my attention. I might also mention hear that the complaint they received had no signature, and there were no specific details given; no specific times, and days my eledged misshandling of Tim took place. I told them that I recognized that people have a a right to report misstreatment of a guide dog, but that if an investigation was to be launched, and the charges found not to be true that I would file harassment charges agenst anyone bringing such a false complaint agenst me be an individual or a guide dog school. they havn't bothered me since! The bottom line hear is that all of this could have been prefvented had I had the opportunity to meet Tim's raiser and learn about his upbringing straight from them. I would have been able to contact them when the behaviors I mentioned above occurred to find out if they had the same trouble and to find out what they did about it. I find this more desireable to waiting around for the school to get the answer for me. Since we're talking about puppy raising issues and not guide dog training issues one should not have a problem with contacting a raiser for help, but issues of guide work must be directed to the school as can behavior issues such as those mentioned above. I could have found out about the relieving problem, and if any veterinary intervention was necessary. I will mentiuon that after the national convention our vet put Tim on some medicine to slow down his digestion to help his system regulate itself. Over time the relieving problem has at last come under control. Meeting the raiser and having all information about what I might need to deal with whare Tim's behavior is concerned would have enabled me to be better prepaired for coping with these situations when we got home, and could have save us some frustration, and enduring the wrath of our neighbors and the Seeing Eye, but they are the ones to blaim in the first place for not considering the benefits of encouraging communication between puppy raisers and graduates. Hear is a thought. Supposed a raiser's family runs a computer business... They are invited to meat the new blind owner of the dog they raised, and learn that that person is a computer probrammer. Perhaps when a blind computer programmer calls on them looking for a job they may be more open-minded to giving that blind person a job. Furthermore, they get the opportunity to meet the average blind person, and not just the blind employees of the school. Yes I believe we have just scratch the surface whare the Seeing Eye's attitude towards blind people is concerned, and to one extend or otherthe attutitude towards the blind by all guide dog schools in this country. I am sickened by the thought that I have, (Maxed out) the guide dog schools in the U.S. I am always looking for something better, but whare do you go when you have reached the top of the mountain? For once I would like to return to a guide dog school anfor once hear about what is possible, and not why blind persons should not be guide dog instructors, why it is not a good idea for graduates and puppy raisers to communicate directly with each other, (I deplore having to direct my correspondence through a third party as it opens up the opportunity for information tampering by the school)and other things I find very dissatisfactory about how our guide dog schools operate. Perhaps passage of this resolutijon by our organization is just the begining of addressing th9os issues I have raised in this note. I hope that unless Seeing Euyue and other schools with similer pollicies that forbid direct communication between puppy raisers and graduateschange that we can pass a similer resolution urging that such pollicies be changed. Together we are changeing what itmeans to be blind. Yours truly, Peter Donahue p.s. Please don't kick me off of the list Dave --- * Origin: NFBnet <--> Internet Email Gateway (99:1/1)