[Blind-international-students] introducing myself and comments on your discussion

[Carly Mihalakis]

Hi, Dave,

At a risk of blowing too many minds, isn't the NFB's reason of all 
their activities ostensibly supposed  to serve blind people? Aren't 
they supposed to be the beneficiaries of Federation activity? So, 
oughtn't they be charged with governing and leading their own 
organization, harnessing their own power?? Does the Federation itself 
as well as small chapters really need power at the top?
Let's try an organization that is all about a redistribution of 
power. The suggestions of a disability movement divided are heinous 
as I see it, for  how are we supposed to be party of a collective 
force by which many ideals espowsed by the Federation are to be 
introduced to the disability community if we don't unite as one 
disenfranchized  blind unit?
C.not willing to support the NFB to they extent that they receive support.

>I apologize if I offend anyone -- but I just want to be honest here.
>
>Below I think you misrepresent some NFB positions.  We are not 
>strongly opposed to identifiable currency, as you say, but we don't 
>consider it to be our highest priority.  We also don't think many of 
>the proposed systems will work, or are likely to be adopted.
>
>You are right that we traditionally have not been very active in 
>coalitions.  In large part this is because we do not know what other 
>disabled people need, and others do not know what blind persons want 
>and need.  We can not represent them -- and they can not represent 
>us.  This is not to say that we don't participate in coalitions, 
>such as the Reading Rights Coalition among others.
>
>Finally you say all blind people should work together ...  These are 
>nice words, but unrealistic.  In your country, is there only one 
>political party?  Why doesn't everybody just work together, after 
>all, don't they want the same thing.
>
>It is only natural that people will disagree, think things should be 
>done in different ways, want different people to be in charge etc.
>
>Dave
>
>At 04:37 PM 8/3/2010, you wrote:
>>Hello Jan,
>>I do believe in the basic philosophy of the NFB of braille 
>>education, independence, the right of blind individuals to teach 
>>other blind people and defeating the false immage and attitudes 
>>that sighted society holds towards blindness. However, my main 
>>issue with NFB has been that it sometimes goes to far. For example, 
>>I have yet to understand why NFB is so opposed to legislation which 
>>would make US currency excessable to the blind. Managing one's 
>>finances is a fundamental right of all Americans and even though 
>>technology does exist which can read papper currency and one can 
>>should find their method of managing their money, a blind are 
>>forced to depend on the honesty of sighted individuals to know how 
>>much money they have and this itself goes against the NFB 
>>philosophy  of independence. Also I do have some disagreement with 
>>NFB philosophy of total independence. I am a farely independ person 
>>but I think that at times it is ok to ask for help. As a student
>>  at the Arkansas School for the Blind I was thought by my hoste 
>> mother who was blind and by my teachers that it is ok to ask for 
>> help and as a adult I have found this to be so true. I consider 
>> myself to be a independent and confident blind adult but I still 
>> ask for help when I need to. Another good point you bring up is 
>> NFB does not seem to work with other disability organizations. 
>> Last week when attending the National Council on Disability Summit 
>> I was surprised not to see any officials  from NFB or ACB. This is 
>> not to say they were not there. There were alot of people who I 
>> did not meet. So someone from the NFB and ACB may have been there 
>> and I just did not know about it. However, I think both NFB and 
>> ACB should strive to work with any or all blindness related or 
>> disability organization. Blind people can only be put on back 
>> burner if we let ourselves do so and blind community is a large 
>> enough community within the disability community that if we unify
>>  and assert ourselves we can be the most powerful disabled 
>> comunity. This brings me to another point! I think the infighting 
>> between the NFB and ACB is really silly! Both organizations have 
>> alot of value to contribute for the blind community and frankly it 
>> seems to me that the differences between is not that much! It 
>> seems to me that there is more difference within the membership of 
>> each organization then there is between the organizations. Another 
>> words members of NFB and ACB have differences with each other more 
>> then NFB and ACB have with each other.Some have compared us to 
>> Democrats and Republicans, fair  comparison but the blind 
>> community is to small and our challenges to great for us to be 
>> Democrats and Republicans. As you know by now I am a person with 
>> strong oppinions and not afraid to share them  regardless of who I 
>> piss off or anger. lol I may  never be  invited to another NFB convention! lol
>>To answer your question about blindness organizations in other 
>>countries, on MIUSA's webcite there is a link which list all the 
>>disability organizations around the world. You can select which 
>>country or disability or both you wish to view and a list should appear.
>
>                         David Andrews:  dandrews at visi.com
>Follow me on Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/dandrews920
>
>
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