This summary of a seminar meeting on professionalism in the field of rehabilitation of persons with blindness or visual impairment addresses: management of services; specialization of services; public awareness; and certification. (DB)

This article contends that the debate about the necessity of vision in teaching cane travel to people with visual impairments is misguided and is dissolved once the focus is shifted from the instructor's teaching to the student's learning. A proposed alternative model of rehabilitation teaching stresses the role of the cognitive dimension.…

This paper refutes criticism about industrial workshops for individuals with blindness and argues that they are a suitable vocational option that is often underutilized. The paper explores the role of the sheltered workshop as a continuum for multihandicapped blind persons, employment experience for teenagers, opportunity for older individuals,…

This article explores the impact of peer support groups on individuals who are elderly and blind. Peer groups are believed to provide members with an important link to others having a similar disability, a link that offers validation, affiliation, and insight. (JDD)

Provides an outline of knowledge areas in rehabilitation counseling and rehabilitation teaching related to visual impairments such as: core areas; planning and delivery services; job development, placement, and follow-along; job engineering; Braille and other tactual systems; communication systems; computers for individuals with visual…

Three papers by the president of the National Federation of the Blind are presented. The first, "A Definition of Blindness," examines definitions of blindness, asserting the advantages of a functional or sociological definition over a physical or medical definition. He cites harm in legal distinctions between partial and full blindness and between…

The author, born with a severe visual impairment, addresses the tendency of adolescents with visual impairments to try to hide the disability and "pass" as unimpaired with their peers. It is suggested that these adolescents be helped to find a comfortable balance between taking excessive risks and allowing visual impairment or blindness to be an…

This article proposes the teaching of long cane mobility skills to blind preschool-age children. Traditional arguments against early cane use are refuted and possible advantages of early use identified. Strategies and techniques for cane introduction are specified. (DB)

The magnitude of blindness among children and services available in the Middle East are described. The role for prevention services is discussed and recommendations for future action provided. (Author)

This article uses both case examples and reports from archives and oral literature to illustrate the broad range of connections between blindness and superstitions, folklore, beliefs, and mythology. Clinicians are urged to be aware of these beliefs as they counsel individuals adapting to the loss of vision. (Author/DB)

This summary of a seminar meeting on economics issues and the "blindness system" addresses the economics of four service delivery models (charity, medical, public provider, and business models) and points to consider in selecting a model (professional specialization, integration, and client roles). A chart compares service delivery principles…

This summary of a seminar meeting on organization of the field of visually impaired rehabilitation addresses: restructuring of medical and rehabilitation services, rival accrediting agencies, effect of service provider mergers, problems in providing effective services, and possible solutions. (DB)

This interview conducted with adult twin sisters legally blind since birth focuses primarily on their experiences with residential education--their relationship with their family, positive and negative aspects of residential education, how the experiences shaped their adult life, and changes needed in residential schools. (JDD)

This article explores problems blind and visually impaired workers have in achieving upward mobility in work environment. It presents findings of American Foundation for the Blind's Task Force on Upward Mobility which present recommendations for rehabilitation and educational professionals, employers, and consumers. Rehabilitation counselors are…

The United Nations 1981 International Year of Disabled Persons offers a unique opportunity for broadening the basis of understanding of the library needs of the blind and print handicapped. There is room for both national and international development if traditionally publicity-shy and mostly nonaggressive librarians come forward and seize the…