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The Comstac Report: Standards for Strengthened Services
1000
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF OPHTHALMOLOGY
T H E COMSTAC REPORT: STANDARDS FOR STRENGTHENED SERVICES. Edited by
Frances A. Koestler. New York, Com mission on Standards and Accreditation of Services for the Blind, 1966. Clothbound, 393 pages, chapter references. Library Edition Price: $6.00. Paperback Edition Price: $3.00. This volume is divided into three parts and was edited to preserve the historical background and work of the very dynamic Commission on Standards and Accredita tion of Services for the Blind. It is also de signed to serve as a practical workbook for communities, schools, libraries, workshops, dog-guide schools and rehabilitation centers. The first part outlines the need for COM STAC and details its birth, development, and the mechanisms used to fulfill its two major tasks: (1) formulating standards for agency administration and service pro grams, and (2) establishment of an organi zation to administer a nationwide system of voluntary accreditation based on these stan dards. The organization and responsibility of the successor body, the National Accredi tation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped is de scribed. There is a chapter which identifies areas with unmet needs and unsolved prob lems, including the rather acute need for a satisfactory definition of blindness and visu al impairment. The second part contains statements of basic policy and principles concerning con fidentiality, fees and nondiscrimination which are integral parts of those standards to which they are applicable. Part three details the standards reports and the makeup of the 12 committees re sponsible for the standards of administra tion and the seven service programs stan dards. These are comprehensive standards which
MAY, 1967
will need enthusiastic support and tremen dous pride of effort from all sides to be effective. The chapter on Vocational Ser vices (S-7) is especially useful and infor mative. The editor has done a masterful job of maintaining uniformity of style and structure in presenting the material from 12 separate committees with wide diversity of interests and background. This report is one many ophthalmologists will want to have as a reference and will be especially valuable to those who are directly or indirectly involved in agency programs and rehabilitation centers for the blind and visually impaired. Richard E. Hoover A T T I DELLE GIORNATE EUROPEE DI STUDI STRABOLOGICI. A cura di L. Pasino, B.
Maraini and M. Cordella. Milano, Italy, Italseber, 1965. 128 pages, index. Price: Not listed. These transactions of the meeting of the European Strabismus Group consist of two parts. In the first part four lectures are printed, one by François and Verriest (Vis ual functions in strabismic amblyopia, also available to the English reader in the J. Pediat. Ophth. 4:59, 1965), one by Hugonnier (Therapeutic indications in A and V patterns with special regard to orthoptic treat ment), one by Matteucci (Early binocular treatment of eccentric fixation) and one by Cuppers (The problem of the influence of motor factors on eccentric fixation). The larger, second part (80 of 123 pages) reports the questions and answers presented at a round table conference. This part is of particular interest since it brings in concise form the opinion of a group of outstanding European strabismus specialists on such topics as "early" strabismus surgery, treat ment of amblyopia and the like. Hermann M. Burian
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF OPHTHALMOLOGY
T H E COMSTAC REPORT: STANDARDS FOR STRENGTHENED SERVICES. Edited by
Frances A. Koestler. New York, Com mission on Standards and Accreditation of Services for the Blind, 1966. Clothbound, 393 pages, chapter references. Library Edition Price: $6.00. Paperback Edition Price: $3.00. This volume is divided into three parts and was edited to preserve the historical background and work of the very dynamic Commission on Standards and Accredita tion of Services for the Blind. It is also de signed to serve as a practical workbook for communities, schools, libraries, workshops, dog-guide schools and rehabilitation centers. The first part outlines the need for COM STAC and details its birth, development, and the mechanisms used to fulfill its two major tasks: (1) formulating standards for agency administration and service pro grams, and (2) establishment of an organi zation to administer a nationwide system of voluntary accreditation based on these stan dards. The organization and responsibility of the successor body, the National Accredi tation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped is de scribed. There is a chapter which identifies areas with unmet needs and unsolved prob lems, including the rather acute need for a satisfactory definition of blindness and visu al impairment. The second part contains statements of basic policy and principles concerning con fidentiality, fees and nondiscrimination which are integral parts of those standards to which they are applicable. Part three details the standards reports and the makeup of the 12 committees re sponsible for the standards of administra tion and the seven service programs stan dards. These are comprehensive standards which
MAY, 1967
will need enthusiastic support and tremen dous pride of effort from all sides to be effective. The chapter on Vocational Ser vices (S-7) is especially useful and infor mative. The editor has done a masterful job of maintaining uniformity of style and structure in presenting the material from 12 separate committees with wide diversity of interests and background. This report is one many ophthalmologists will want to have as a reference and will be especially valuable to those who are directly or indirectly involved in agency programs and rehabilitation centers for the blind and visually impaired. Richard E. Hoover A T T I DELLE GIORNATE EUROPEE DI STUDI STRABOLOGICI. A cura di L. Pasino, B.
Maraini and M. Cordella. Milano, Italy, Italseber, 1965. 128 pages, index. Price: Not listed. These transactions of the meeting of the European Strabismus Group consist of two parts. In the first part four lectures are printed, one by François and Verriest (Vis ual functions in strabismic amblyopia, also available to the English reader in the J. Pediat. Ophth. 4:59, 1965), one by Hugonnier (Therapeutic indications in A and V patterns with special regard to orthoptic treat ment), one by Matteucci (Early binocular treatment of eccentric fixation) and one by Cuppers (The problem of the influence of motor factors on eccentric fixation). The larger, second part (80 of 123 pages) reports the questions and answers presented at a round table conference. This part is of particular interest since it brings in concise form the opinion of a group of outstanding European strabismus specialists on such topics as "early" strabismus surgery, treat ment of amblyopia and the like. Hermann M. Burian