[Colorado-Talk] Thoughts on the motto living the life you want.

[kevan at nfbco.org]

Sandy, thanks to you and Jenny for giving some thought to the question we posed in Blind CO Blog. We will continue the dialog as we move forward. It is through this kind of discussion that we strengthen the organization. We absolutely must do more to highlight and honor those who volunteer, those who are retired and enjoy arts and crafts, those who are stay at home moms and decide to go back to school. You have served in leadership positions and, although I have not had much of an opportunity to work with you yet, I hear only kind things about the effort you make. As I recall, you received a scholarship. I remember reading about you as a non-traditional stay at home mom who has made it your challenge to return to school. 

What I would say to each and every one of our brothers and sisters is, that if you want to be recognized, if you want us to do a better job of highlighting folks who choose a different path through life, you have the opportunity and I would submit the obligation to help us do that. I value everyone's right to live the life they want. I want to highlight everyone's life, aspirations, capacity, heart, and contribution. 

Sometimes we make mistakes. We are a people's movement. This means we are an organization filled with imperfect people. This is why our love, hope, and determination does make a difference. Stay engaged and help make it so. 

At Your Service,
Kevan Worley
Manager, Project Literacy
303-929-2369
www.nfbco.org 

-----Original Message-----
From: Colorado-Talk <colorado-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Sabndy Schleich via Colorado-Talk
Sent: Sunday, January 5, 2020 12:38 PM
To: NFB of Colorado Discussion List <colorado-talk at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Sabndy Schleich <saschleich7 at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Colorado-Talk] Thoughts on the motto living the life you want.

Hello Jenny,
I really like what you wrote and I’m sure there are other people in the same situation as you. You’re right, I do think that conventions national or state only seem to celebrate people that are working or are looking for work or going to school. what about those people that are not doing those things. I am a stay at home mother and I have never heard anything in convention about stay at home parents. We are just as valuable to society as valuable as people that work or are going to school. I did not start going back to School until my youngest was in kindergarten, because I could be at college while he was in school and I knew that I did not need to be at home to take care of him. I know that not all parents have the option of being a stay at home parent but I fortunately did, but the NFB does not acknowledge stay at home parents. You’re right Jenny, this is not a pity party, but I do believe that the NFB should acknowledge other people that do not have jobs such as stay at home parents and people that do volunteer work. Just because you don’t get paid for a job does not mean it is not a job. Raising children is not an easy task and sometimes I think going to a job would be a much easier task than raising three children. At least going to a job every day when you come home you get to leave that job behind. Raising children is a 24 seven job and it never gives you a break. Volunteer work is another way that blind people can contribute to society. At least we’re not sitting at home on our butt doing nothing! I also believe that the NFB needs to have a association to help support the families of blind people. I have friends that when they got married they were cited and then they went blind later in  life and their family does not understand how to help them. I think that the NFB needs to have support for the family members not just a blind person.

Sent from my iPhone

> On Jan 4, 2020, at 7:38 PM, Jenny Perdue via Colorado-Talk <colorado-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Dear Colorado talk,
> 
> Earlier in the month, Kevin asked us to write things about living the life you want. Yes, I could’ve answered this privately. However, I wonder though, if more people feel like I do then we know.
> 
> The national Federation of the blind motto is living the life we want. Which, is a great motto. But at my very first NFB convention. I soon discovered that living the life I wanted would never be laudedor celebrated or even acknowledged by The national Federation of the blind either within a convention, or, any other format.
> 
> Let me explain why I say that. I was born and raised in a time where if you had vision you had to use it whether or not it was viable or not. So, my education fell through the cracks even though I asked to learn braille repeatedly over my education. I taught myself braille in 1999 at a rehabilitation center for the blind in Daytona. By myself. With no help. Just me and my determination to learn but I wasn’t given the opportunity to learn as a child.
> 
> There are a lot of us out there in the same position. I’ve heard the stories. Oh you can do it, go back to school. Well, at 46 with maybe a six grade education, having taught myself braille. And don’t know Nemeth code. School is just not an option for me.
> 
> OK, that’s the backstory. Now, as a 46-year-old woman. I also have health issues. So working is not an option for me. Which means, no mobility training, no computer, no computer training, or anything else I might need because I’m not valuable enough to receive training because I’m not working or going to school or planning on doing either or.
> 
> So, now I come to my point. Though I have these challenges. And a lot of us do. I volunteer at the Humane Society here in Grand Junction. As far as I know, I’m the only blind person that I know anywhere in the country who was allowed by a shelter to volunteer.
> 
> My Specialty is working with cats or kittens that have been traumatized, or feral. Or for whatever reason that their behavior and trust and a human being is not there yet. Which, has helped several cats and kittens become adopted because I worked with them and taught them how to trust people again. Or even for the first time. That’s important right, that’s valuable right? But do we see that in our conventions. No.
> 
> We see John does a lawyer, we see DJane doe Jane doe has the most successful DEP vending in the state. Awesome, kudos, wonderful things.
> 
> However, those people were given way more opportunities than a lot of us are. What I do with the animals and others do for volunteerism is just as valid, and just as important, and should be celebrated just as much as a scholarship winner for college. I didn’t exactly get that option. A lot of us didn’t. So why do we feel like If we didn’t go to college, CCB, have a successful career, we are not as respected or validated within the national Federation of the blind community. And that includes nationally.
> 
> Bring in money and status does not make a person successful. It does not prove that blindness doesn’t have to be an obstacle. What proves that, or people who do the best they can with what they got. What proves that is the fact that for me, I’m the most well known volunteer at that shelter. I’m also the one they come to before cat is adopted to say farewell. I’m the one they come to when a cat is so Farrell or so frightened that it could lash out, and I’m the person that they know will spend hours with an animal to gain trust and make them adoptable.
> 
> The amazing thing is, people the shelter feel it’s valuable, people at the shelter see what a blind person can do, we are celebrated and appreciated. They even bought a braille label order to label the signs so that I would be more comfortable there The foster families for the animals, the people that come in and look at adopting a cat or kitten, I know the cats and kittens better than the adoption counselors do. Again, very valid, respected.
> 
> The question is, why isn’t that felt in the blind community within the national Federation of the blind. It just doesn’t.
> 
> I came out of that convention more depressed than I had ever been in my life. Well, in a long time :-) I felt like my life didn’t matter. Because all the kudos all the celebration went to people who are successful. Who don’t have the health trials I do, who didn’t have crap for education, who don’t even have a computer because we’re not valid enough within broke rehab to deserve one if we can’t work. Have no equipment. No mobility training since I went totally year and a half ago because I have too many health issues to work but not too many to get training.
> 
> I’m not trying to sound like a pity party, because that’s not it. I have a great life. I just wish my life At what I do with it in the parameters of health, lack of education, lack of computers, lack of equipment, lack of training Was just celebrated.
> 
> I knew a lot of blind folks who have tons of opportunities who sit on their butt and do nothing. And get everything they could possibly want as far as equipment goes. Fine, I’m glad they can. But when the most prominent and respected blind organization that works for equality only makes a huge deal about people who are bringing in the dough, and have a status, what is that exactly say to me as a blind person who is supposed to matter to the national Federation for the blind.
> 
> So, I guess what I’m saying is, you can live the life you want, you can also live the life you’re dealt. And handling that stuff for Grace doesn’t seem to matter. So, I just figured I would express it.
> 
> I will never go to another convention. I already feel like I’m not good enough sometimes, I most certainly don’t need it in the blind community. Much less and NFB. I am a member still, because I know that there are people like me too. We may not get the notice of a credit, but we’re here. I just don’t have to have it shoved in my face that I’m not important or valid in in the organization.
> 
> I hope the other people who feel the way I do will read this, I hope that you will know that you are important. You may not feel like it, you may not feel that the NFB feels like it, but you are. We all are.
> 
> Maybe if we help each other out more, instead of shoving everybody’s success in the faces of people who aren’t that fortunate People like me would Feel like we were An equal and respected  part of it or like we matter.
> 
> Maybe the NFB needs to think about those of us who still need to 
> function in life. Who still need a computer, who still need training, 
> those things don’t disappear because you don’t work. So instead of 
> spending a bunch of money on conventions that celebrate everybody’s 
> good fortune and make quite a few people feel like crap. Maybe we 
> should start helping those of us who didn’t have the opportunities and 
> make the national Federation of the blind really the voice of the 
> blind. I haven’t heard my voice yet
> 
> Jenny
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
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