[blindkid] Diagonal VS touch technique

Richard Holloway rholloway at gopbc.org
Thu Oct 29 14:21:30 UTC 2009


I may be misunderstanding your question about NFB and AFB but if the  
question is a general one (not about cane travel philosophy in  
particular) then this may help--

The NFB is National Federation OF the Blind, AFB is the American  
Federation FOR the Blind. The "of" and "for" are quite revealing.

The NFB is all about blind people doing for themselves. It is an  
organization run BY the blind, for the needs of the blind.

The AFB is a well intended organization wanting to do things FOR blind  
people. Some blind people do want things done for them and surely we  
all have needs that occasionally can be met or assisted by the help of  
others, but the reality is that blind people know FAR more about the  
realities and issues of blindness than the general sighted population.  
NFB philosophy would tend to suggest that blind people-- even those  
who do "want help", can and should learn to do all they possibly can  
for themselves. When you get involved with the NFB, it is easy to see  
(based on the accomplishments of so many NFB members who don't live  
their lives "as blind people" nearly so much as just being people in  
life who happen to be blind) that there is merit to this position...

I can tell my daughter about what I suspect will be an issue or need  
she may have as a young blind person but all I can do is assume this  
based on information and observation. Sure, I can put on a blindfold  
and grab a cane and go exploring, but I have knowledge from my sighted  
experience and I also know I can take off that blindfold at any time.  
It simply is not the same. Sighted teachers have the same problem.  
Ironically, as we have all read recently on this listserv, some blind  
teachers do as well. I suspect this is because they have been formally  
educated by a system which fails to recognize the experience of blind  
individuals living life as being at least as valuable as the  
information contained in textbooks written by a population of almost  
entirely typically sighted "vision experts". Some blind blindness  
professionals (that's sort of hard to read, isn't it)-- that is blind  
persons who are professionals who work with blindness issues-- O&M &  
TVI matters, etc., do a great job combining practical personal  
philosophy and experience with formal training and I think that is  
SUPER, but others seem to toss out common sense and just go with what  
they were taught...

In a manor of thought similar to what Albert very effectively explains  
(in the email that appeared as I have been typing this)-- I am a  
sighted, white man. I have no more business explaining what it is like  
to be blind to anyone than I do to explain what it is like to be a  
Native American, or to be female or anything else. Does that mean I  
cannot be an advocate for an issue where my wife or daughter is  
experiencing obstacles cause from discrimination based perhaps on  
gender? Of coarse not, but my experience is not the same as a woman  
who has faced these issues. So it is with blindness as well.

We as parents in the NOPBC find ourselves in a particularly unusual  
situation, as most of us are sighted. I would venture a suggestion  
that we are the only segment of the NFB where so many people are  
sighted, but the reason is clear. Our kids don't need our help because  
they are blind and we are sighted. Our kids need our help because they  
are, obviously, children and we are, again to state the obvious, their  
parents.

Many-- hopefully most (or all) of our blind children will grow into  
joining the student division of the NFB and get involved in more self- 
advocacy. Obviously, many of our kids already do this on their own  
even at very early ages, reminding those who are forgetful or unaware  
that they cannot see something and explaining how to help them get  
needed information, etc., or simply saying "thanks, but I can do that  
for myself". That's where it all begins--

I plan to spend all my life supporting the needs of the blind but I do  
NOT plan to be fighting my daughter's battles for her when she is my  
age. She'll be doing that for herself for many years before that  
point. My hope is to be enjoying a comfortable relaxed lifestyle by  
then-- perhaps being kept in the manor to which I am accustomed by my  
wildly successful and amazingly wealthy daughter, who also just  
happens to be blind.

<Grin!>

Richard


On Oct 29, 2009, at 8:46 AM, L W wrote:

> I have been wondering what is the difference between the NFB & the  
> AFB?
>
> Thank you for the advice.  You Rock!
> Lauren
>




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