Suggestions for the Blind Cook
by
Ruth Schroeder and Doris Willoughby
[NFB logo appears here: Security * Equality * Opportunity]
Published and Distributed
by The National Federation of The Blind
218 Randolph Hotel Building
Des Moines, Iowa 50309
[begin p. 1]
INTRODUCTION
Today the blind homemaker cooks, sews, keeps house, and raises a family, with no
more difficulty than her sighted neighbor.
When a person is learning blind techniques for the first time, however, he or she
usually has many questions. The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) offers this
paper to help the young blind student, the newly blinded adult, the home economics
teacher, and the experienced blind adult who wishes to enrich his or her repertoire of
techniques. If you have questions which are not covered in this paper, we invite you
to write to the National Federation of the Blind (218 Randolph Hotel, Des Moines,
Iowa 50309) for further information. As the largest organization of blind people in
the United States, the NFB can help you locate any information related to blindness,
and arrange for you to meet competent blind people and talk with them personally.
We invite you to become acquainted with the NFB and join with us in our work to
achieve security, equality, and opportunity for all blind people.
We hope that the suggestions in this paper will be useful to you. However, no
particular method is always best for everyone. The most important factors in success
probably are: (1) confidence that a blind person can succeed, and (2) creativity and
flexibility in looking for a successful plan or idea.
If you are a blind adult, helpful instruction from your state orientation center or
home teaching program for the blind should be available to you. If such training is
very poor in your particular area, we invite you to join with the NFB in working for
improvement.
Depending upon your particular needs, you may also wish to take a regular home
economics course for adults, or correspondence courses such as those offered by the
Hadley School for the Blind (see "References").
Hundreds of blind men and women are successful managers or employees of
commercial restaurants and snack bars. This paper, however, is not in any way a
manual of methods for commercial operations. We invite you to write to the National
Federation of the Blind and ask for information on commercial methods.
Many people who are legally blind have some useful vision. If this is true of you or of
the student whom you are teaching, the use of that sight may mean that some of
the suggestions in this paper will not be used. However, alternative techniques often
prove safer, more efficient, and/or more sanitary. (Consider, for example, the effect
upon guests or customers if the hostess examines each dessert by lifting it up to
within two inches of her face!) One of the most important things a partially sighted
person should learn is that his or her sight is not efficient for certain things, and that
a blind technique is superior in those instances.
[begin p. 2]
THE REGULAR HOME ECONOMICS CLASS
Today more and more blind students are attending regular schools and colleges, thus
taking their places in the mainstream of society. They participate in home economics
classes as a normal part of their education. Recipes and other written material can
be transcribed into Braille or large print. When a demonstration is given, the blind
student listens to the verbal description, possibly with a classmate quietly narrating
as needed, and examines equipment tactually. Using techniques such as those
described in this paper, the blind student takes part fully in all class activities. (For a
more detailed discussion of the general education of blind youth in high school and
below, refer to the booklet, Your School Includes a Blind Student, listed in the
"References" at the end of this paper.)
It is vital that the blind student actually do each kind of task, although he or she will
often use alternative techniques. Other students may genuinely feel that they are
helping the blind student by doing things for him; however, they must learn that
unnecessary help is really a hindrance. If partners work together, they should keep
track of how they divide the work (including clean-up duty) each time, and rotate
this so that the blind student does each part of the work some of the time.
Cooking is one of the few situations where using a cane is not practical. Therefore, it
is helpful to keep doors (including cupboard doors) either open flat or fully closed,
and to inform the blind student about objects in the aisles.
The parents of a blind youngster should be careful not to exclude him from helping
with cooking, dishwashing, etc., at home. A difficult time is in store for any student
who enters a home economics course without having had any prior experience at
home.
EQUIPMENT
In most situations no special equipment is necessary; all that is needed is to use the
other senses well, as in listening for when the carrots begin to boil. Many items of
equipment designed for the sighted are especially appropriate for the blind as well—
pie-cutting guides, needle threaders, and metal measuring cups, for example. The
"Lux" brand kitchen timer, which is sold on the regular market but happens to have
well-placed raised markings, is a particularly good example of such equipment.
Plan the storage of your equipment and utensils so that you will not waste time
unnecessarily in looking around for them. At the same time, however, you should
realize that your plans will not always work perfectly in practice; you should be able
to hunt around if necessary and find an item which someone else has put away in a
different place.
[begin p. 3]
The blind person often uses the sense of touch to gain information that a sighted
person would probably gain through sight. The beginning cook should keep his or her
hands very clean and use them as necessary to gain information—touch rolls to see
if they feel done, check the shape of a piecrust, etc. The experienced blind cook can
abide by any requirements of sanitation and formality as necessary, and is able to
avoid directly touching any of the food with the fingers, by such means as wearing
thin plastic gloves or using a utensil or appliance. Whenever this paper speaks of
touching something, it should be assumed that the experienced cook can find a way
to avoid using unprotected fingers if circumstances so require.
Many helpful tools and appliances are available. However, in most situations it is a
matter of personal choice as to whether to buy a special appliance or to use another
approach (such as adapting a regular tool or appliance, or using a different method).
Avoid over-dependence on special tools or rigidly defined techniques.
Further discussion of specific types of equipment is included under many of the
topics below.
RECIPES
Braille and large print cookbooks are available on loan from many libraries for the
blind. A few cookbooks in recorded form also exist; these may be helpful to those
who have severe circulatory problems or other special difficulties in learning Braille.
If you do not know the location of your local library for the blind, you may inquire of
the Library of Congress, Division for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (see
"References"). Also, cookbooks may be purchased from the American Printing House
for the Blind and other sources listed at the end of this paper.
Braille recipe files may also be made. Although the user of an inkprint recipe file
prefers to have the front of each card facing toward him, with the title at the top,
most Braille readers prefer a different arrangement. You will probably prefer to insert
the Braille cards with the top down, with the Brailled side of each card away from
you; this way your fingers will reach the Braille most comfortably. Because of this,
the title of each recipe should be placed below the recipe as it is written; the titles
will then be easily accessible, as the bottoms of the cards appear at the top of the
file box. Similarly, labels on file dividers should be placed upside down on the backs
of the tabs.
A frequently-used recipe will last longer if a plastic page or card is used. It is also
helpful, while using a particular recipe, to tape it to the inside of a cupboard door, or
in some other way support it so that it is not lying on the mixing surface, and thus
keep it as clean as possible.
[begin p. 4]
MARKETING
You will select, from many good alternatives, the method of marketing that works
best for you in a particular set of circumstances. Most grocery stores, especially
during the less busy hours, are willing to assign an employee to accompany you
around the store and assemble your order as you direct. Alternatively, you may
choose to shop with a friend or relative. If you hire a reader or a driver, you may
decide to use him or her as a shopping assistant on occasion. You may wish to
telephone a store that will deliver.
Be systematic as you place the groceries on your shelves at home. Plan where to
keep each kind of item, and be consistent. If containers cannot easily be
distinguished by touch, label them in Braille. (Store clerks and delivery men should
be willing to read the inkprint labels for you as necessary.) One way of labeling is to
write the name of the item on a 3" x 5" card, and then attach the card to the
container with a rubber band. Another approach is to buy reusable labels, available
from Mrs. Berneice Johnson of Des Moines, Iowa (see "References"). Mrs. Johnson
manufactures magnetic Braille Dymotape labels, with optional accompanying inkprint
labels, and with an optional elastic arrangement to attach these same labels to nonmetal containers.
MEASURING INGREDIENTS
Metal measuring cups and spoons sold on the regular market are very convenient for
the blind cook. Using measuring spoons with dry ingredients is no different for the
blind cook than for the sighted. For liquids, however, we suggest that you bend the
spoon so that the bowl is at right angles to the handle; keep each liquid ingredient in
a wide-mouthed jar, so that the bent spoon may simply be lowered into it and then
lifted out full. A popular convention is to bend the one-half teaspoon and onetablespoon measures in each set, so that half of the spoons are adapted for liquids,
and so that the spoons can be told apart by touch very quickly and easily. Steel
spoons such as those manufactured by the Foley Company can be easily bent
without damage.
It is very convenient to use nesting measuring cups, and fill the appropriate measure
completely full in the usual manner. A one-cup measuring cup with raised fractional
markings on the inside may also be used, however.
If a recipe calls for a measured amount of boiling water, we suggest that you
measure the water before heating it. If you use the water immediately when it
begins to boil, the evaporation loss will not be significant.
[begin p. 5]
CUTTING, GRATING, AND PEELING
The actual process of peeling, slicing, or grating is no different for the blind than for
the sighted. As in all phases of cooking, safety depends upon competence and care
rather than upon sight.
It is much easier and more satisfactory to grate or cut into a large bowl rather than
onto a flat surface. The food is then automatically collected and easily manageable.
If you are a beginner who has had little or no experience in using a knife, you may
find it easier and safer at first to cut downward toward a cutting board. The
experienced cook uses a knife in various positions, however; and the newly blinded
experienced cook will probably not change her ways of using a knife.
A suggested method for chopping vegetables into small pieces is as follows: Slice the
vegetables into a large bowl. Then use a "Kwik-Kut Food Chopper," which resembles
a round cookie or biscuit cutter but is very sharp on the bottom. (This cutter is
available on the general market.) Chop the cutter up and down through the slices,
moving around within the bowl and continuing until the pieces are the desired size
and uniformity.
POURING, DRAINING, AND MIXING
If a tray or cookie sheet with raised edges is placed underneath the bowl while
pouring and mixing, messiness and loss due to spillage can be minimized. A tray is
also helpful for the same reason when carrying things which might spill—for
example, a custard pie or gelatine dessert which has not yet set.
Place several small desserts or custards together on one tray in the oven or
refrigerator.
Whenever possible, avoid unnecessary carrying: for example, measure ingredients
immediately beside the mixing bowl, and prepare gelatine near the refrigerator. You
may even wish to place a piecrust on the oven shelf before pouring in the liquid
filling.
An "Oven Saver"—a round metal sheet with crimped edges and with a hole in the
middle for heat circulation—is also good for prevention of spillage problems with pies
both outside and inside the oven. This item is sold on the general market.
There are many methods for pouring and draining. For large quantities, a nervous
beginner may wish to dip with a cup or ladle; however, pouring from one container
to another in the regular manner may be accomplished with some practice. You may
keep one hand on the receiving container to keep track of its location. With practice
it is relatively easy to learn to judge the fullness of a container by sound and weight.
[begin p. 6]
Depending on formality and other circumstances, you may determine when the
desired level is reached by placing your finger over the lip of the container, counting
the number of dips with your ladle, estimating, or using a liquid level indicator. (The
liquid level indicator, also called a "coffee probe," is an appliance available from the
NFB.) With very thick mixtures such as cake batter, check that the level is even all
across the pan. When filling an angel-food cake pan, cover the hole in the middle
with a small plastic bag or a tiny jelly tin.
Using a screw-top jar or other shaker to mix the flour with the liquid is helpful in
making white sauce and gravies.
Probably the easiest method of draining vegetables is to pour them into a colander or
strainer: if the colander or strainer is placed over a bowl, any spilled vegetables will
be retrievable. The experienced cook may prefer another method.
There are several good methods for separating eggs. One way is to break the shell
into two unequal parts; lift off and discard the small end; and then drain off the
white. It is also possible to buy a special tool for separating eggs.
Stirring by hand usually presents no particular problem. Use a bowl that is large
enough to minimize splashing, and be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl as
necessary. If the bowl slides around annoyingly, set it on a damp cloth or some other
non-slippery surface.
Although the beginner may feel nervous about an electric mixer, normal safety
precautions make it as safe for the blind cook as for the sighted. The condition of the
mixture may be observed and controlled by using a rubber spatula and/or by
stopping the machine to check with the fingers.
For methods in pouring coffee or tea, see the paragraphs on "Serving the Food."
PLUGGING IN AN APPLIANCE
If you are a beginner who has not yet learned how to plug in an appliance safely, the
following suggestions may be helpful: First locate the outlet tactually and observe
the orientation of the holes. With your right hand holding the plug by the insulated
portion, bring the plug up to the outlet, but do not begin to push it in. Checking with
your left hand to see that the prongs are oriented in the same direction as the holes,
bring the plug up so that the prongs are over the holes, but do not yet push the
prongs in, even part way. Remove your left hand, and be sure that your right hand is
touching only the insulated portion of the plug. Now push the plug into the outlet.
[begin p. 7]
DIALS AND CONTROLS
Dials and controls may easily be adapted to use without sight. With experience, you
will be able to obtain the necessary information quickly from the appliance salesman
or some other sighted person, and arrange a plan to operate the dials easily and
accurately.
For each dial or knob, you will need to define at least one reference point on the
moving part and at least one reference point on the background behind it. Often you
will need several reference points on the dial and just one on the background.
Look first for already-existing features which you can use. Following are several
examples of settings which can be used without any added markings: (1) Turn the
dial clockwise, or counterclockwise, as far as it will go. (2) Move the dial to the next
clearly-defined "click". (3) Place the pointer straight up, straight down, etc. (4) Place
the dial halfway between two clearly-defined positions, (5) Feel a screw, raised
letter, or other tactual feature which happens to be on the dial already.
When the existing features are not sufficient for accurate use by the blind, you will
need to add one or more tactual markings. Ideas include: filing small notches;
applying actual Braille dots or letters, as with a special Dymo-Tape set, placing drops
of glue, paint, etc.; and etching glass. (Glass may be etched by using a portable
high-speed grinder with a V-shaped silicon carbide stone, or a vibrating engraving
tool with a silicon carbide or diamond point.)
Many knobs and dials can easily be removed to facilitate marking. Observe carefully
before removing, however, so that you will be able to replace the dial correctly.
The tactile markings need not necessarily be the same as the inkprint markings, as
long as they produce the desired results. If the dial is particularly hard to mark, for
example, it may be possible to do most of the marking on the background instead of
on the dial.
Use the minimum necessary marks, avoiding confusing clutter. Probably you will not
mark nearly as many points as are designated on the inkprint dial. On an oven heat
control, for example, marking every 100 degrees is entirely adequate. In fact, many
cooks prefer to mark only three points to show a "Cool," "Moderate," and "Hot" oven
(275°, 350°, and 425° F., respectively.) It is easy to set a dial one fourth, one half
or three fourths of the way between two marks.
[begin p. 8]
USING THE STOVE, OVEN, OR ELECTRIC FRYING PAN
Food may be placed in a pan, and the pan on a burner, before the heat is turned on;
this way, the pan and burner may be examined tactually with safety. However, with
experience you will rarely if ever need to turn off the heat in order to replace a pan
on the burner.
Similarly, if you are a beginner you may wish to examine the oven carefully while it
is cold. Once you are familiar with its arrangement, you will then be able to work
confidently when the oven is hot, using a mitt or a potholder. It is usually better to
pull out the oven shelf in order to insert or remove something; the danger of a hand
burn is then minimized because you need not reach far inside the oven. Be sure that
the shelves are properly attached so that they will not pull out too far or tip over.
Although the beginner may feel hesitant about lighting a gas stove or oven, the blind
cook need only follow normal safety precautions and observe the operation of the
stove by means other than sight. Listen for the sound of the flame lighting. If
necessary hold your hand above the burner or pilot light, at a safe distance, to see
whether it is still burning. With experience you will be able to set the flame to the
desired level by observing the position of the control and the amount of heat
generated. If matches are required, the beginner may prefer large wooden ones, and
may need to practice lighting them; however the experienced cook uses any
available match.
Usually you can tell when something starts to boil, by listening and/or by feeling the
vibration of the pan handle. However, if the liquid is very thick, a Braille
thermometer may be useful. A beginner may wish to have the mixture stop boiling
temporarily before adding ingredients.
Monitoring the cooking of a confection by placing a sample in cold water and
checking for the "soft ball stage," etc., is done by touch anyway, and should be no
problem for the blind cook.
If you use a pressure cooker, select a type which makes use of sounds, as with a
jiggling weight, rather than an inkprint dial. Notches may be filed in a weight which
has multiple settings.
To turn meat which is frying, locate each piece by touch and flip it in the usual
manner. If necessary, wad up a piece of paper toweling as a pad to protect your
hand. (Especially at first, you may need to use your hand to find the piece of meat
and/or to keep it in the right position while you are turning it over with a spatula.)
A suggested method for frying chicken is as follows: Do not cut the drumstick and
thigh apart until after cooking; the larger combined piece is more easily managed
during frying. Tuck the ends of each wing together for greater compactness and ease
in handling.
[begin p. 9]
Plan your arrangement of the pieces in the skillet so that you remember where each
one is. Arrange the chicken in a relatively cool skillet (warmed only enough to melt
the fat); turn up the heat appropriately until the meat is ready to turn; then turn the
heat off again while you are turning the pieces. In turning large pieces, it may be
convenient to exchange two of them with each other.
Since bacon is so thin and flimsy, a bacon decurler may be used to make turning
unnecessary. This is a perforated metal plate with a small handle in the middle,
available on the general market. The bacon cooks on both sides simultaneously when
this device is placed over it. After the proper time has elapsed, touching the bacon
with a spatula, or lifting it up slightly, will indicate its crispness. Scoop out the pieces
with the spatula, pushing them against a paper towel to collect them.
In frying pancakes, the beginner will probably start with just one in the middle of the
pan; however the experienced cook can fry several in the same skillet. Ladle in the
appropriate amount of batter for the size of cake desired; for a thinner cake, shake
or tip the skillet slightly. The appropriate time for turning may be judged by time and
by the consistency of the cake as the spatula is slipped under it.
In preparing waffles, spread the batter around evenly as you dip it into the waffle
iron. You will know when the waffle is done by observing such things as the amount
of steam escaping, the odor, and whether the lid comes free easily.
The beginner frying an egg, and the experienced cook frying several eggs separately
in one pan, may use an egg ring for each egg. Remove both the top and bottom of a
small tuna or pineapple can, leaving a metal ring about one and one-half inches high
and three inches in diameter. This ring is placed in the pan, and the egg is broken
into it. When the egg becomes firm enough to keep its shape, the ring is removed.
Time, touch, odor, taste, and/or sound will indicate when a product is done.
SERVING THE FOOD
Many aids are available for cutting cakes, pies, etc., into portions. From a restaurant
supply house it is possible to buy a pie-cutting guide featuring slots for the knife. A
different type of pie cutter, consisting of a wire frame with blades, is available from
restaurant supply houses. A hexagonal-shaped pie pan may be bought on the regular
market, and a straightedge may be laid across between opposite corners to guide
the knife. A straightedge may also be used in a similar manner with any metal pan, if
notches are filed at appropriate places along the edges of the pan: cakes, desserts,
and gelatine may be cut evenly in this manner.
Setting the table usually presents no particular problem.
[begin p. 10]
If you have trouble spacing the place settings evenly, we suggest that you push each
chair up close to the table in its proper place. Then you can center each place setting
in front of the corresponding chair.
A tray or cookie sheet helps in serving soup or other liquids. A filled bowl may be
carried on a tray to minimize the problem of spillage. Alternatively, the bowls may be
filled at the table just before the diners arrive, with the tray being placed under each
bowl in turn as a precaution.
Many blind hostesses prefer to serve food to their guests from a cart or sideboard. If
each serving dish is passed around and then returned to this location, the hostess
easily finds out when a dish becomes empty.
The popular modern custom of a self-service buffet style meal is particularly
convenient for the blind hostess, as it is for the sighted. The hostess need only
arrange all the necessary items appropriately, and then replenish empty serving
dishes as necessary.
The beginner may experience difficulty in pouring from a coffeepot. We suggest the
following: Set the cup near the edge of the table. Lift the coffeepot completely off
the table, and lower it so that the bottom of the pot is lower than the surface of the
table. Then place the spout so that it touches the lip of the cup and reaches inside.
(With experience, you may or may not come to prefer some other method.)
When pouring beverages in an informal setting, you may place your finger over the
lip of the cup to tell when it is full, or you may estimate the amount of liquid. For
pouring hot coffee or tea, and for formal situations, however, use of a "coffee probe"
is preferable. This device, available from the NFB, clamps over the lip of the cup and
makes a sound when the liquid reaches the desired level.
CLEANUP
Much of the need for cleaning up spots and spills can be prevented by careful work
habits. As mentioned above, a tray is extremely helpful in catching spills. Unpleasant
accidents, such as dropping a pie or placing one tray of unbaked cookies on top of
another, can usually be prevented by care and thought. For example: Remove spills
from the floor at once before someone slips. Check the oven shelf to be sure it is
clear. Replace lids tightly onto the proper jars. Put utensils and appliances back into
their proper places, and always turn off appliances rather than merely unplugging
them. Plan ahead in all respects rather than proceeding haphazardly. (All of these
precautions apply to the sighted as well; however the blind person learning new
techniques may need to be reminded.)
Often the need for cleaning or washing can be felt tactually.
[begin p. 10]
It is important, however, to anticipate dirt which may not be so readily noticed, and
to do routine general cleaning such as wiping off the entire counter after mixing on
it. In cleaning a surface such as the counter or floor, a planned approach is very
important: clean in strips rather than random strokes here and there.
Dishwashing usually presents no particular problems.
Cleanliness and neatness should be considered at every stage of the food
preparation procedure. Organize equipment and supplies beforehand; keep your
hands thoroughly clean; plan carefully; clean up spills when they occur; wash all
utensils and wipe off the entire cooking area afterwards. Double check after the
cleanup is completed, to be sure nothing was missed.
CONCLUSION
A positive attitude is essential to success. If you really believe that the blind cook
necessarily takes many safety risks, needs a great deal of special equipment, has
only a limited repertoire, and produces questionable products—then you will do a
poor job. If you really believe that the blind cook may choose among many good
methods to work with all kinds of food and produce high-quality products—then you
will find a way to succeed.
If you have questions which have not been resolved by the suggestions in this
booklet, we cordially invite you to write to the National Federation of the Blind for
further information on cooking techniques or any other subject pertaining to
blindness.
[begin p. 12]
REFERENCES
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Cookbooks
(Note: These are only a few representative titles cut of a large selection available in
transcribed form. In parentheses after each entry, a source is given from which the
transcribed book may be purchased. See "Addresses" for a more extensive list of
sources. It is also possible to borrow cookbooks from many regional libraries for the
blind.)
American Association of Instructors of the Blind. Food at Your Fingertips. 1958.
(Braille, 1 vol., and Large Type, 1 vol., American Printing House for the
Blind.)
Behrman, Maude. A Cookbook for Diabetics. Revised Edition edited by Leonard L.
Levinson. New York: American Diabetes Association. (Braille, 1959 Edition, 5
pamphlets, American Printing House for the Blind. Cassette Tape, 1969
Edition, 3 cassettes, Iowa Commission for the Blind.)
Crocker, Betty. Betty Crocker's New Good and Easy Cookbook. New York, N.Y.:
Golden Press, Inc., 1962, Revised Edition. (Braille, 8 vol., Iowa Commission
for the Blind.)
Hightower, Carolyn. Thee Pennypincher's Book of Fine Food. New York, N.Y.: Simon
and Schuster, 1968. (Braille, 2 vol., Iowa Commission for the Blind.)
Perkins, Wilma Lord. The Fannie Farmer Junior Cook Book. Boston: Little, Brown, and
Co., 1957. (Braille, 2 vol., American Printing House for the Blind.)
Tipps, Esther. Cooking Without Looking. From a Master of Science Thesis, University
of Texas, 1956. (Braille, 3 pamphlets, and Large Type, 1 vol., American
Printing House for the Blind.)
Other Publications
Iowa Commission for the Blind. Strides. Annual Report of the Iowa Commission for
the Blind.) Des Moines, Iowa: State of Iowa, 1974.
Jones, Sally. Kitchen "Trade Secrets." Albany, California: Orientation Center for the
Blind, 1966. (Braille, 1 vol., Volunteer Services for the Blind, Philadelphia,
Pa.)
[begin p. 13]
Maurer, Marc, Ed. Handbook for Blind College Students. Des Moines, Iowa: National
Federation of the Blind, Student Division, 1975.
National Braille Press, Inc. Our Special. (Note: This is a periodical featuring
homemaking ideas, including recipes. It is published in Braille.)
National Federation of the Blind. The Braille Monitor. Berkeley, California. (Note:
This is the monthly magazine of the National Federation of the Blind, and
carries articles of current interest regarding blindness. It is published in
Braille, talking book, and inkprint, and is available to all interested persons.)
Rottman, Robert. An Open Letter to the Parents of Blind Children. Berkeley,
California: National Federation of the Blind.
Rottman, Robert. Some Thoughts on the Education of Blind Children. Berkeley,
California: National Federation of the Blind.
Willoughby, Doris, et al. Your School Includes a Blind Student. Berkeley, California:
National Federation of the Blind, Teachers Division, 1974.
ADDRESSES
Examples of Sources of Cookbooks:
American Printing House for the Blind
1839 Frankfort Avenue
Louisville, Kentucky 40206
Clovernook Printing House for the Blind
7000 Hamilton Avenue
Cincinnati, Ohio 45231
Library
Iowa Commission for the Blind
Fourth and Keosauqua
Des Moines, Iowa 50309
Division for the Blind and Physically Handicapped
Library of Congress
1291 Taylor Street N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20542
National Braille Press, Inc.
88 St. Stephen Street
Boston, Massachusetts 0211 5
New York Association for the Blind
111 East 59th Street
New York, N.Y. 10022
Philadelphia Lighthouse of the Blind
1101 W. Lehigh Avenue
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19133
Recording for the Blind, Inc.
215 E. 58th Street
New York, N.Y. 10022
Royal National Institute for the Blind
224-6-8 Great Portland Street
London, WIN 6AA England
[begin p. 14]
Volunteer Services for the Blind, Inc.
332 S. 13th Street
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107
Examples of Sources of Aids and Appliances:
National Federation of the Blind
218 Randolph Hotel Building
Des Moines, Iowa 50309
American Foundation for the Blind
15 West 16th Street
New York, N.Y. 10011
American Printing House for the Blind
1839 Frankfort Avenue
Louisville, Kentucky 40206
Mrs. Berneice Johnson
717 Fourth Street, Apt. 114
Des Moines, Iowa 50309
Royal National Institute for the Blind
224-6-8 Great Portland Street
London, WIN 6AA England
Other Addresses
The Braille Monitor
2652 Shasta Road
Berkeley, California 94708
(Note: This is the monthly magazine of the National Federation of the Blind, and
carries articles of current interest regarding blindness. It is published in Braille,
talking book, and inkprint, and is available to all interested persons.)
The Hadley School for the Blind
700 Elm Street
Winnetka, Illinois 60093
(Note:
This is a correspondence school.)