[Blindtlk] why is it important to join an organization of theblind?

Tue Jan 17 02:14:15 UTC 2012

exactly, I couldn't have said it better myself!
nikki Wunderlich
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----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Desiree Oudinot" <turtlepower17 at gmail.com>
To: "Blind Talk Mailing List" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, January 16, 2012 6:03 PM
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] why is it important to join an organization of 
theblind?


> Hi,
> Well, I for one am one of those who don't want to join either
> organization. I am on both NFB and ACB listservs, to gain perspective
> of what both organizations are doing, and their thoughts on important
> issues. If I have a question, I would probably write to the
> appropriate listservs pertaining to my question. Admittedly, I usually
> don't start threads, as I am a very private person and don't
> particularly like broadcasting things over the internet. I respond to
> threads from time to time, when I feel the issue is important enough,
> as is the case here.
> Now I don't know you personally, but here's what I think: have you
> ever been asked to convert to a religion when you were perfectly
> comfortable with the one you believe in? By constantly asking people
> to join an organization for the blind, you're doing much the same
> thing. How do you know these people are unhappy with the way they're
> living now? If it's more a question of whether or not they've heard of
> such groups, one need only do a google search for organizations for
> the blind, and I'm sure the NFB and ACB websites will pop up. I'm a
> firm believer in informed choice. If someone wants to join either
> organization, they will find the info, whether it's coming to someone
> such as yourself, or looking it up on the internet. But no one likes
> to be put in a corner.
> As for staying on top of things that go on in the blind community--and
> I use that term loosely, because it truly disgusts me that such a term
> exists at all--again, it's as simple as following a few discussion
> lists. Some don't like for their inboxes to be flooded, and that's
> understandable, but you can go into digest mode, or access the list
> archives through the respective sites. Let's not forget, also,
> wonderful resources such as the Fred's Head blog which is run by APH,
> or the Internet Phone Book of Blindness Resources. Information is
> really only a few seconds away in this day and age; if people don't
> want to subscribe to a set of beliefs, or deal with any political bs,
> let them be.
> One more brief point, and then I promise I'll stop. Speaking to other
> blind people is not quite the same thing. For this, I think it's great
> that there are resources like NFB-link and the AFB Career Connect.
> There's nothing quite like finding out you're not alone in the world;
> it's empowering, particularly for people who have recently lost their
> vision, to be able to speak to someone face to face or over the phone
> who understands what they're going through and can give them advice,
> support and encouragement along the way. I attended a rehab center
> last year (non-NFB-affiliated), and because I've been blind since
> birth, many of the clients, some much older than myself, came to me
> for advice, or simply watched or asked depending on the level of
> remaining vision they still had, how I did things naturally, such as
> walking with a cane. It was a win-win situation: they felt more at
> ease about losing their vision because they saw I was coping just
> fine, and I felt good knowing I had helped people without even really
> trying, or meaning to.
>
> On 1/16/12, Chris Nusbaum <dotkid.nusbaum at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Fellow Federationists,
>>
>> As I have become more and more active in the blind community and
>> have met more and more blind people, I notice that a lot of blind
>> people are not affiliated with any organization of the blind, for
>> one reason or another.  Some say they are put off by the
>> political arguments between the NFB and ACB; some say they don't
>> want to be "tied" to one organization; some say they don't agree
>> with either organization's philosophy and don't want to identify
>> themselves with either organization and their philosophy, and
>> there are other reasons as well.  I try to explain to them the
>> value of the Federation in my life, and how joining an
>> organization of the blind connects you with a diverse network of
>> resources, who can help answer almost any question they would
>> have related to blindness.  I also try to explain to them that if
>> they had any problems, being a part of an organization would help
>> them with their advocacy efforts; the more people you have
>> advocating, the more effective the advocacy is.  But they still
>> don't want to be affiliated with an organization.  So I want to
>> get your thoughts on these questions; why do you think it is
>> important to be a member of an organization of the blind? Of what
>> benefit/value is an organization to its members, and to blind
>> people at large? Some people have said to me, "Sighted people
>> don't have any organizations dedicated to their concerns as
>> sighted people; why should I join an organization dedicated to
>> blindness?" Still others have said, "Don't you (Federationists)
>> want to be equal with sighted people? If so, then why do we
>> (blind people) need to be organized in some kind of organization
>> exclusively of and for the blind and people associated with the
>> blind?" These are some interesting questions; what would your
>> responses be to those people? I look forward to hearing your
>> thoughts on this!
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Chris
>>
>> "The real problem of blindness is not the loss of eyesight.  The
>> real problem is the misunderstanding and lack of education that
>> exists.  If a blind person has the proper training and
>> opportunity, blindness can be reduced to a mere physical
>> nuisance."
>> -- Kenneth Jernigan
>>
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>
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