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

Wed Jan 18 15:05:58 UTC 2012

Hi Desiree,

Good points! I used to be on a few ACB lists, but soon got 
annoyed by all the myths being spread on there about NFB and how 
it works, mostly by people who obviously didn't know what they 
were talking about.  When I would try to set the record straight, 
they wouldn't believe it or they'd say, "Why are you on an ACB 
list if you're so NFB?" While I think the two can and should work 
together on common issues and am in fact working to start a list 
non-affiliated with either organization, where people can talk 
about blindness-related topics without that getting in the way.  
However, I do tend to identify more with the Federation 
philosophy and its positions on a lot of issues, and so decided 
to join the Federation.  At the same time, I don't have to agree 
with everything the Federation does to identify with its 
philosophy, and have chosen to stay informed, in one way or 
another, about what both organizations believe and are doing.  As 
I said to the NABS list earlier this year when I pointed out an 
article in the Braille Forum, which I happened to disagree with, 
and people thought I was trying to "convert" them to ACB, "I have 
chosen to be a Federationist! I have also chosen to be an 
informed one." So, I totally believe in informed decision-making.

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

----- Original Message -----
From: Desiree Oudinot <turtlepower17 at gmail.com
To: Blind Talk Mailing List <blindtlk at nfbnet.org
Date sent: Mon, 16 Jan 2012 21:03:34 -0500
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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