[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
>
More information about the BlindKid
mailing list