Blind People

Nora Linkins creates art for an audience that will never see it.The 60-year-old decided to produce artwork for the visually impaired when her own mother lost her sight.These are pictures to touch, rather than simply look at, says Mrs. Linkins, whose work is on display this week at a Challenged Art Show at the Severna Park library."You don't see people in art museums that are blind," says Mrs. Linkins. "But why can't we have pictures in Braille, so to speak? Why should a blind person be denied seeing an art gallery?"

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Debra Lyles strides briskly about Central Piedmont Community College, her head high, her left hand gripping the harness of her guide dog Treasure.fTC She was 5 when a playground accident took her sight. Now she's 33, a divorced mother of three.Ms. Lyles once was a teacher's aide in a class for the mentally retarded. She tried working as a salesclerk but couldn't find bar codes. Now she is unemployed.She always wanted to be a lawyer. In six years, she plans to be one. It's a long haul from the community college to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte to law school, but she says, "Determination will get me where I want to go."

The state has abandoned its attempt to put Blind Industries and Services of Maryland into temporary receivership, settling for an independent audit of the agency's operations over the last 29 months.City Circuit Court Judge Joseph H.H. Kaplan, in ordering the review of programs and finances, said yesterday that the state will have to pay for the audit but may be compensated by the quasi-public agency if any wrongdoing or mismanagement is uncovered.In a lawsuit filed by the Maryland attorney general last week, the state asked that the state Department of Education be appointed as a receiver to oversee assets of the Blind Industries, a Baltimore-based non-profit group providing education, training and jobs for blind adults.

Blind Industries and Services of Maryland must submit to an independent audit of its books and programs, but its current management will continue to control the quasi-public organization, a Baltimore judge ruled yesterday.Last Tuesday, the attorney general's office asked Baltimore Circuit Court Judge Joseph H. H. Kaplan to take control of the organization and appoint a receiver to temporarily run it. The attorney general charged that there were administrative and financial abuses at the agency and "evidence of misspent and misapplied funds."

A Baltimore Circuit Court judge is barring a quasi-public agency for the blind from any discretionary spending until Monday after a state-ordered audit raised questions about "inappropriate" entertainment expenses, faulty employment practices and big raises for executives.Although Blind Industries and Services of Maryland is losing money, it gave its top executives raises and paid $2,000 toward a country club membership for President Richard J. Brueckner, according to a lawsuit filed by Maryland's attorney general.

For the first time in 20 years, Jack Wright can read about the Orioles in his Sunday newspaper.Wright, who is deaf and blind, uses anOptacon, a $3,500 machine that "reads" printed material and translates it into raised, vibrating letters on an attached smooth surface.On Aug. 15, the Millersville resident will demonstrate the machine at the Howard County Public Library in Columbia.His aim will beto show how technology can help him and others who are deaf and blind.The demonstration and accompanying open house, from 7 to 9 p.m., marks the rebirth of Columbia-based ACT, or Advocates for Communication Technology for Deaf/Blind People Inc.The group, founded in November 1987, has been "dormant" because of lackluster fund raising, said Sheryl Cooper, one of the founding board members and board secretary.

For the first time in 20 years, Jack Wright can read about the Orioles in his Sunday newspaper.Wright, who is deaf and blind, uses anOptacon, a $3,500 machine that "reads" printed material and translates it into raised, vibrating letters on an attached smooth surface.On Aug. 15, he will demonstrate the machine at the Howard County Public Library in Columbia.His aim will be to show how technologycan help him and others who are deaf and blind.The demonstrationand accompanying open house, from 7 to 9 p.m., marks the rebirth of Columbia-based ACT, or Advocates for Communication Technology for Deaf/Blind People Inc.The group, founded in November 1987, has been "dormant" because of lackluster fund raising, said Sheryl Cooper of Owen Brown village, one of the founding board members and board secretary.