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To Whom It May Concern:

I have been a blind person for a little more than 30 years and have traveled this country with a cane, accompanied and unaccompanied from east to west and north to south. I have traveled on foot in cities small and large and have done so without damage to myself or the environment. The proposal to mandate accessible pedestrian signals, detectable warnings and locator tones is an insult. Not only will these signals endanger the blind pedestrian, but they will send a signal of incompetence. We will spend millions and millions of dollars unnecessarily.

To further comment, the proposal is custodial in nature, based on evaluations of a blind person as supposedly inept to travel as do sighted persons. Under no circumstance should this regulation go forth. Your questions will be welcome.

Responsibly,

Charles T. Stevens

(Attachment)

DIABETES

COMPLICATIONS

OPTIONS

A National Support
and
Information Network
for Diabetics

The Diabetes Action Network
of the National Federation
of the Blind

Diabetes is a Chronic Disease

If you are one of the estimated sixteen million people who have diabetes, YOU ARE AT RISK!

• Blindness and Vision Problems
• Kidney Failure
• Loss of Limbs
• Nerve Damage
• Sexual Dysfunction
• Heart Disease and Stroke

If you have diabetes, YOU NEED THE DIABETES ACTION NETWORK OF THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND.

• Upbeat, grassroots, volunteer diabetic support group
• National support and information network
• Publisher of the newsmagazine, Voice of the Diabetic, written by and for diabetics
• Reaches out to diabetics to promote independence
• Demonstrates diabetics have options and are not alone
• Provides proven coping strategies
• Established by blind diabetics— serves BLIND and SIGHTED diabetics

If you are diabetic, YOU NEED the Diabetes Action Network and THE DIABETES ACTION NETWORK NEEDS YOU.

The Diabetes

Action Network

The Diabetes Action Network of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) is a dynamic national support and information network serving blind and sighted diabetics, their families, and health care professionals. A grassroots organization, the Diabetes Action Network was founded in 1985 by blind diabetic NFB members who recognized that the leading cause of new blindness in adults is diabetes and that all diabetics are at risk to develop any of the ramifications of the disease: BLINDNESS, LOSS OF LIMBS, NERVE DAMAGE, KIDNEY DISEASE, HEART PROBLEMS, STROKE, SEXUAL DYSFUNCTION, ETC. All our work, except for part-time clerical help, is done by volunteers.

Magazine:
Voice of the Diabetic

Our most far-reaching means of communication and information is the Voice of the Diabetic, our quarterly newsmagazine. Each issue features personal, candid stories written by diabetics and other persons who want to share their experiences and expertise regarding diabetes and its complications. The stories reflect the upbeat, personal dimension of the Diabetes Action Network, and demonstrate that diabetics have options in spite of side effects.

Emphasizing proper diet, good diabetes control, self-reliance, and independence, the Voice is an outreach publication. The Voice features a ‘Recipe Corner" that includes diabetic exchanges, and a column of medical questions answered by an insulin-dependent physician. A ‘resource column of aids and appliances provides valued information to blind diabetics so they can manage their diabetes independently. With selected advertising, the Voice of the Diabetic provides a forum for coping strategies for and by individuals who deal with diabetes. The Voice is available in print and/or audio cassette. (Tapes are recorded at 15/16 inches per second, 1/2 normal "music cassette" speed, for the tape players used by the legally blind.)

Other Publications and Information

• The Diabetes Action Network of the NFB compiles and publishes an up-to-date guide to suppliers of aids and appliances. This Resource Guide is available in large print, on audio cassette, or in Braille.

• The updated diabetic Exchange Lists for Meal Planning is now available in Braille and/or audio cassette.

• Other information is published as needs arise in the national network.

Person-to-Person Support

With care, commitment, and understanding, committee members of the Diabetes Action Network provide information, encouragement, and support on a person-to-person basis for diabetics. The Support Committees reach out with listening ears and helping hands to diabetics with needs in the following Committee areas:

• Blindness/Visual Dysfunction
• Amputation—Prevention and Treatment
• Get Well
• Heart Disease and Stroke
• Insulin Pump
• Legislative Issues
• Pancreas Transplantation
• Resource Library
• Resources (Aids and Appliances)
• Renal Failure—Dialysis and Transplantation
• Sexual Dysfunction/Male Impotence

Membership Benefits

Membership benefits include a continuing free subscription to the Voice of the Diabetic plus access to other publications and to members of the Support Committees. Free counseling is also available for members of the Diabetes Action Network, and members automatically become members-at-large of the National Federation of the Blind.

The Voice of the Diabetic is offered free to any interested person upon request. Publication expense for each subscription (we publish quarterly) is about $20 per year. To defray our expenses, members are invited and non-members are encouraged to cover the subscription cost. Although there is no membership fee, donations are gladly accepted and appreciated. Contributions are tax-deductible and are needed to keep the Voice and the Diabetes Action Network moving forward to help people with all aspects of diabetes. For further information, to subscribe and/or become a member, to submit an article, to order a sample copy of the Voice (in print, audio cassette, or both formats), or to communicate in general, please contact:

Voice of the Diabetic
National Federation of the Blind
1800 Johnson Street
Baltimore, MD 21230

Voice Editorial Office (in Columbia, MO)
Telephone: (573) 875-8911

When the Voice of the Diabetic began publication in 1986, circulation was 600. Today we reach more than 150,000. SHOULDN’T YOU JOIN THIS DYNAMIC, GROWING SUPPORT NETWORK? If you are diabetic, the Voice of the Diabetic can be YOUR VOICE.

The National Federation of the Blind

The National Federation of the Blind, the parent organization of the Diabetes Action Network, was founded in 1940 and has more than 50,000 members nationwide. It/s an organization dedicated to creating opportunity for all blind people. In addition to the Diabetes Action Network and its other divisions, the NFB gives scholarships to blind students, provides advocacy, educates Congress on issues concerning the blind, and promotes the employment of blind persons. Although capable and desirous of employment, almost 70 percent of blind people remain unemployed or underemployed. The NFB’s Job Opportunities for the Blind (JOB) is a national job referral program. It has helped more than 1,000 blind individuals find employment. JOB is dedicated to breaking the barriers between blind folks and full participation in the mainstream.

In addition to those mentioned, the NFB provides many other seivices for the blind. Send requests for information about NFB services, including those of the Diabetes Action Network, to the following address:

National Federation of the Blind
1800 Johnson Street
Baltimore, MD 21230
Telephone: (410) 659-9314