Tuesday, July 11, 1967
University of Nebraska
No. 5
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Homemakers Unlimited a specially designed and equipped mobile unit is used for helping handicapped homcmakers
orient themselves to a new way of life.
NU's Mobile Unit Helps Orient
Handicapped Homemakers
By Jane Palmer
NU School of Journalism
Imagine trying to wash
dishes in a wheel chair with
counters six inches too high
and no place for your knees.
Or imagine facing a row of
buttons with only one hand.
Problems like these face
4,600,000 physically lim
ited p e o p le in the United
States whose activity is house
keeping, 12 per cent of the na
tion's 40 million homemakers.
An additional 320,000 are so
severely disabled that they
are unable to keep house at
all.
Little arrangements in
housekeeping that we take for
granted are a perpetual both
er to the handicapped person.
We stoop and reach for pans
on a bottom shelf, or we
stretch for package of cereal
on top of the cupboard.
Set Culture
"Our culture is set up for
people without any limita
tions," said Dr. Lois O.
Schwab, of the family econom
ics and management depart
ment of the University of Ne
braska College of Agriculture
and Home Economics.
One of Dr. Schwab's respon
sibilities is a van equipped to
show how homemaking can
be made easier and safer for
handicapped homemakers.
Sponsored by the Nebraska
Heart Association and the Uni
versity of Nebraska, the van
travels on a county-to-county
program, to help disabled per
sons, doctors, nurses, therap
ists, public health organiza
tions, rehabilitation coun
selors, the medical auxiliary,
builders and health agencies.
The unit illustrates how minor
changes can make a big dif
ference for a homemaker.
, "A change of environment
can change a physically dis
abled person to a physically
able one." Dr. Schwab said.
The unit has a mockup of a
kitchen with counters 30 or 32
Inches from the floor Instead
of the usual 36. Space under
a lowered sink makes it easy
to do chores while seated, and
there is enough room to get
the arms of a wheel chair
under it.
The range has a single row
of burners with controls at
the front so a sitting person
doesn't have to reach across
a hot burner or pan for the
controls.
Grassland Exhibits Vary
Mead, Nebraska is the site
for the Third National Grass
land Field Day July 12-14,
according to P. H. Cole, Uni
versity of Nebraska Extension
dairyman.
Cole is chairman of the
Educational Exhibits Commit
tee for the Field Day. Ex
hibits will be displayed at the
University's Field Labratory
there.
Displays will range from
"Producing Forages for Prof
it" by the University of Ken
tucky to "Ultrastructural and
Chemical Relationships Be
tween Alfalfa Leaf Chloro
plasts and Bloat" by Iowa
State University, Cole said.
Eight Universities, including
Nebraska, will have exhibits
Cupboards are shallow, and
the doors are used for stor
age space inside.
Miss Alice Burton with the
mobile unit, explained that
the shelves are adjustable
and that some have lazy su
sans so there is less reach
ing to the back. Many of the
shelves pull out "so you don't
have to stand on your head
to see what you have,"
smiled Miss Burton.
Miss Burton, whose title is
consultant in homemaker re
habilitation, showed how
pans are stored on their sides
so that each may be lifted
out without struggling. She
also showed how a home
maker in a wheel chair would
be able to add an extra two
feet to her arm's reach by
using long-handled tongs for
household work.
The homemaker with only
one hand can be aided by
equipment specially designed
for her. There are one-handed
rolling pins and flour sifters.
Cutting boards securely hold
vegetables to be cut, and a
large suction cup holds a mix
ing bowl steady for mixing.
The homemaker can also
be helped if all the counters
are the same height and ad
joining so that she may slide
the things that she needs and
eliminate lifting.
The mobile unit also shows
how the bathroom, the place
of accidents for many dis
abled persons, can be made
safer. Sturdy, specially de
signed grab-bars beside the
tub and the toilet allow the
handicapped person to get up
and down safely without as
sistance. Hand Shower
The tub is equipped with a
seat and a hand shower with
a head that looks like half a
phone. The shower head is on
a flexible metal tube so that
the bather can use it while
seated in the tub, or it can
be hung on the wall at the
usual height.
Water controls are at the
side of the tub to eliminate
reaching through the water to
adjust the temperature. All
these features help to make
the disabled person safer and
more self-sufficient.
Dr. Schwab explained that
research in housing and home
making activities have made
it-possible for persons who
might have been "shut-ins"
at the Field Day. Others are
Oregon State, Purdue, Texas
A&M, Missouri and Tennessee.
Non-university exhibitors in
clude the American Potash In
stitute, American Society of
Animal Science, Tennessee
Valley Authority (TVA) and
the U.S. Weather Bureau.
The TVA exhibits will be
on "Nutrient Deficiency
Symptoms in Forage Crops"
and the Weather Bureau ex
hibit will be on "Weather
Data Collection and Dissemi
nation, Services to the Public
with Emphasis on Services to
Farmers and Ranchers."
The Nebraska Crop Im
provement Association will
have an exhibit on "Pure Live
Seed."
to become relatively indepen
dent. Architectural barriers are
being removed, handicapped
persons are offered training
for independence and house
hold equipment has been
adapted to the handicapped.
Dr. Schwab said that even
though these advances are
being made, many problems
still remain for handicapped
persons due to the way build
ings are constructed.
Revolving doors, steps,
curbs, steep inclines and nar
row doorways are impossible
for '-a person confined" to -r
wheel chair to conquer.
. In Omaha, health agencies
are campaigning to alert ar
chitects, engineers, draftsmen
and contractors to the prob
lems of the handicapped and
aged when designing build
ings and facilities.
Dr. Schwab said that many
buildings in Lincoln are to
tally inaccessible to the han
dicapped person. "They
couldn't get in the building
if they had to," she said.
' Specifications
The American Standards As
sociation has developed this
detailed set of specifications
to serve as a simple check
list in planning buildings for
use by the public:
1. Public sidewalks should
be at least 48 inches wide and
60 inches are needed if wheel
chair traffic is heavy for pass
ing. If a walk is sloped, the
grade should not exceed five
per cent, or one foot of rise
for 20 feet of length.
2. If doors open onto walks,
there should be a level plat
form at least five feet by five
feet.
3. The handicapped need
more parking room either at
the end of a row or in a diago
nal or perpendicular stall 12
feet wide. If a passenger ar
riving and leaving space is
at curbside, the curb should
be ramped up to the sidewalk
Program Designed
To Attract Physicians
Omaha The University
of Nebraska Medical Cen
ter will participate in a nation-wide
program to
attract more physicians to
the specialty of anesthesi
ology. Dr. John R. Jones, pro
fessor .of anesthesiology,
has received a $42,552 grant
to inaugurate a training
program in anesthesiology.
The grant will enable the
College of Medicine to dou
ble the number of residents
in anesthesiology from two
to four.
The United States Public
Health Service awarded a
total of one million dollars
in grants to 29 teach
ing hospitals in 21 states
and in Puerto Rico for the
program.
Congress authorized the
National Institutes of
Health to increase it" sup
port programs in anesthesi
ology, including funds for
clinical training.
The recipients of the
grants, including the Uni
versity of Nebraska, are all
J.
and any inclines between the
parking space and the build
ing needs ramps in place of,
or in addition to, curbs and
steps.
4. At least one primary en
trance to a building should
be ground level or ramped to
be usable by individuals in
wheelchairs. A doorway must
have an unobstructed open
ing of at least 32 inches in
order to be accessible by dis
abled persons. Thresholds
should be flush with the floor
or offset no more than one
half inch.
5 Ramps should rise not
more than one foot for every
12 feet of length and have
handrails 32 inches from the
surface on both sides. Ideally,
the handrails extend one foot
beyond the top and bottom
of the ramp. Long ramps and
sloped walks would have lev
el platforms for rest and safe
ty every 30 feet.
6. Stairs should be made
safer with rounded nosings,
sloping risers handrails on
both sides mounted 32 inches
above the front edge of the
stair tread, and step risers
no greater than seven inches.
Other more minor building
features can be adapted to
help the handicapped person.
Drinking fountains that are
both hand and foot operated
and which have a spout not
higher than 36 inches from
the floor are more accessible.
Those in wheel chairs us
ually cannot reach switches
and controls or telephone coin
drops mounted over 48 inches
from the floor.
The deaf and blind person
also need to be considered in
planning buildings. The blind
need raised letters or num
bers for identifying rooms.
Warning signals must be both
audible and visible. Signs,
lights and hazardous hanging
objects should be at least sev
en feet above the floor.
accredited teaching hos
pitals with anesthesiology
residency programs.
According to Dr. Fred
erick L. Stone, director of
the National Institute of
General Medical Sciences,
there are "scarcely enough
anesthesiologists for daily
surgery throughout the
United States."
In addition, he said, the
services of the anesthesi
ologist are being required
for patient care outside
the operating room to
supervise post-operative
care, to administer an
algesic techniques in the
relief of pain suffered by
chronically ill patients.
The grants provide sup
port for up to three years
of full-time training, lead
ing to qualification for ex
amination by the Amer
ican Board of Anesthesiol
ogy. Candidates for the pro
gram must have received
their Doctor of Medicine
degree and completed an internship.
Low Income Countries
Are Topics of Institute
By Ronald Schuett
NU School of Journalism
Low income countries of
Asia, Africa and Latin Amer
ica are losing their ability to
feed their people, said Lester
R. Brown, guest speaker at
the conference on World Pop
ulation and Food Crisis at the
University of Nebraska Cen
ter for Continuing Education
Thursday.
Speaking to about 100 per
sons, Brown said that world
grain consumption now runs
ahead of production and most
of the available grain goes
to those nations which can
afford it, not to the low-in-come
nations which need it
most.
Sharp population increases,
mostly in the less developed
countries, are reflected In a
fast-growing demand for
grains for human consump
tion, he explained, while high
per capita incomes, mostly
in the developed countries,
generate a rising demand for
grains to be used for feeding
livestock.
Brown is administrator of
Second Roundtable
To Feature Kansan
The second summer ad
ministrator's roundtable lun
cheon featuring W. M. Osten
berg, former superintendent
of schools in Salina, Kan.,
will be held at 12:30 p.m.
Tuesday. July 18 at the Uni
versity of Nebraska Student
Union ballroom.
The luncheon, sponsored by
the University and the De
partment of Educational Ad
ministration, is open to t h e
public and reservations may
be made through the Sum
mer Sessions Office.
Ostenberg, presently the
vice-president of the Nation
al Bank of America in Sa
lina, graduated from Bethany
College in Lindsborg, Kan.,
and received his Master's de
gree from Colorado Stat
College of Education in
Greeley.
A teacher of English,
speech and journalism in
Eureka, Kan., Ostenberg lat
er became the principal of
the high school and super
intendent of the public
schools. He also became dean
of the junior college in Cof
feyville, Kan.
Bethany College presented
Ostenberg with an Alumni
Award in 1956 and with an
honorary doctorate of educa
tion degree in 1962.
Past president of Kansas
State Teachers Association,
Ostenberg was also president
of the Kansas Council on
Economic Education and
president of the Kansas
Association of School Admin
istrators. Ostenberg was also a
m e m b e r of the first Euro
pean Flying Class room spon
sored by Michigan State Col
lege visiting many European
countries.
Applications Due
For Institute
Applications from college
faculty members who wish to
participate in an educational
media institute must be sub
mitted by July 15, announced
Clive C. Veri, University of
Nebraska Teachers College
staff member.
The institute, sponsored
jointly by the University and
the U.S. Office of Education,
is designed for college teach
ers interested in up-grading
their instructional skills.
Through federal support
participants will receive an
allowance to cover their ex
penses at the institute, less
travel.
The initial sessions of the
institute will be held at the
Nebraska Center Aug. 28 to
Sept. 1. Other sessions will
be held periodically during
the year at times convenient
for most participants.
To be eligible, applicants
must be a member of a col
lege or university teaching
staff.
Application forms and in
formation are available from
Dr. W. C. Meierhenry or Veri
at the University of Nebras
ka Teachers College.
the International Agricultur
al Development Service in
Washington. He coordinates
programs of technical assist
ance and training to low in
come countries and is an ad
visor to the Secretary of Ag
riculture on the world food
and population problem.
Self-Help Programs
Low income countries must
concentrate on agricultural
development to feed their
own people, he said. This will
require changes in present
agricultural practices in these
countries, he pointed out, and
will consequently affect the
customs and traditions of
their people.
The more developed coun
tries must be prepared to
change their own habits and
traditions if thsy expect less
developed countries to change
theirs, he said.
The more developed coun
tries must make adjustments,
find new programs and make
some sacrifices to meet the
mounting food crisis, he said.
"Food shortages (sym
toms of which are rising food
, .i
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W. M. Ostenberg
Senators
Will Lead
Conference
Key Nebraska senators
serving on the Education and
Budget Committees will par
ticipate in the Nebraska As
sociation of School Adminis
trators Conference Thursday
at the Center for Continuing
Education.
The conference, which cen
ters upon matters of educa
tional legislation in Nebras
ka, will begin at 9:30 a.m.
with Senator Lester Harsh,
chairman of the Education
Committee, speaking on
"Legislation Killed in Com
mitteeOut of Committee."
Senator Calista Hughes will
tell about bills affecting edu
cation that have reached the
floor but may or may not
have passed.
The luncheon speaker is
Senator Richard Marvel, chair
man of the Budget Committee,
who will speak on "Finance
at the State Level."
The participants will break
up into six discussion groups
after the luncheon and mem
bers of the State School Board
will be present at each act
ing as "resource people." .
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I i
I Inside You Will Find I
1 DR. ASA J. DAVIS Visiting associate professor of
history at NU tells of contrasts between U.S., European,
1 and African universities Page 2 I
1 NON-RESIDENT STUDENTS University of Nebraska
rates near the bottom in the Big S on total percentage
of non-resident students in attendance the reasons and
possible solutions Page 2
I i
ETV Resume of the history of Nebraska educational
television including University station Channel 12 and
I the outlook of ETV in the future Page 3
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! trices, less food for the poor
n the low income countries,
economic instability, political
Instability and violence) can
be a threat to world peace
and to stable democratic gov
ernment," Brown said.
The transition from tradi
tional agriculture to modern
agriculture, which required
centuries in the western
world, must be completed
quickly In the developing re
gions, he said.
"Achieving a satisfactory
balance between food and
people will not be easy. Sel
dom has history required that
so much change be com
pressed into so short a peri
od of time," Brown said.
Bennett
Dr. Ivan. J. Bennett Jr., the
second speaker at the insti
tute, said most Americans see
medicine as a highly scien
tific profession, but fail to
recognize agriculture as a
scientific discipline worthy of
study and respect.
Most Americans think that
they could become knowl
edgeable about agriculture, he
noted. It is considered a sim
ple process of growing plants
that anyone could learn. The
failure of a low income coun
try to produce an adequate
food supply is therefore at
tributed to laziness, he said.
Dr. Bennett received his
M.D. Degree from Emory
University and is presently a
member of the Board of Sci
entific Advisors of the Armed
Forces Institute of Pathology,
the National Board of Medi
cal Examiners and the Exe
cutive Committee of the Di
vision of Medical Science of
the National Research Coun
cil. He is a deputy director of
the C'ice of Science and
Technology in the Executive
Office of the President and
chairman of the President's
Panel on the World Food Sup
ply. Adjustment Needed
A major social adjustment
is needed, he explained, along
with increased yields per
acre of land and improved
methods of transporting these
grains.
Funds alloted to internation
al assistance must form a
long-term commitment, he
stressed, and not be subject
to renewal each year or to
political pressure.
The American people must
be made aware of the world
food and population problem
and have confidence in their
governments efforts to solve
it, he said.
Gordon O. Pehrson, the
third speaker at the institute,
stressed private indus
try's role in world food pro
duction and economic devel
opment. Calling himself an optimist,
Pehrson said that the eco
nomic recovery from the de
pression of the 19308 didn't
seem possible at the time.
The United States' aid to
Europe nnder the Marshall
Plan was also cited as an
unqualified success in restor
ing the European economy.
Mr. Gordon is a vice presi
dent of International Miner
als and Chemical Corpora
tion in New York.
Large amounts of private
capital invested in low income
countries by American cor
porations are aiding the mod
ernization of these countries,
he said. Corporations are co
operating with governments
because it is in their best in
terests to do so, he said.
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