BLIND APPLICANT'S PROPOSAL REJECTED FOR TYPING ERRORS

Associated Press  Web-posted Tuesday, November 18, 1997;


Dateline: WASHINGTON

A blind physicist who wants to advance a Braille  system for
computers was rejected for a grant by the  Education Department
because his typewritten application  wasn't double-spaced.

"I'm blind. I couldn't tell it was  single-spaced," said John
Gardner, an Oregon State University professor  who is an expert
in new information technologies for the  disabled.

Gardner said his assistant typed the application  single-spaced
and in a font smaller than the department  prefers.

Gardner complained to Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.),  who has asked
Education Secretary Richard Riley to  reverse the decision. An
Education Department spokeswoman said Riley  would have no
immediate comment.

Gardner invented DotsPlus, a software program  for printing
tactile graphics for the visually impaired. He  asked the
Education Department for $300,000 for a two-year  study he says
could revolutionize access to math,  science, graphs and maps.

Ann Queen, an Education Department team leader  handling grants,
notified Gardner on Sept. 29 that the  secretary was required to
reject "without consideration or  evaluation any application that
does not meet the criteria.

"Your application was not double-spaced and a  smaller than 12
point font was used. For this reason, your  application is being
returned and will not be considered for further  funding," she
wrote.

Gardner said some authors single-space  applications in small
type to squeeze in extra information. But he  said his 12-page
proposal still would have fallen below the  50-page limit even if
it was double-spaced with larger type.

He said he has received millions of dollars in  grants over the
years from the Energy Department, Defense  Department and
National Science Foundation.