[Community-service] Discussion starter

[Nella Foster]

Darian I do think the general public has a tendency to see persons with
disabilities as the recipients of service, not the contributors.  I think it
is important for us to get out into our communities and show that we are
independent and useful members of society.  

Yes, we can serve in the blindness community, but we can serve in so many
other areas as well.  I enjoy helping a newly blinded person with Braille,
independent living and learning about available resources.  I've also
enjoyed walking dogs at the animal rescue, advising rape victims of their
legal options and working in a community garden.  Blindness is just a small
part of who I am.  I can use my various skills and interests to serve so
many people in so many ways.

Nella

-----Original Message-----
From: Community-Service [mailto:community-service-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Darian Smith, President, National Federation of the Blind
Community Service Division via Community-Service
Sent: Monday, April 24, 2017 1:08 PM
To: Community Service Discussion List
Cc: Darian Smith, President, National Federation of the Blind Community
Service Division
Subject: [Community-service] Discussion starter

Hi all,
 Just figured I would put this out there to get  some debate going.
 In a general  sense, the definition of community service can basically be
boiled down to doing something for the benefit of a group of persons.
 In the NFB, we might consider community service  as anything we can do for
the benefit of blind people, both within our membership and outside of it.
 In the Community Service Division, we tend to look at community service as
a thing that a blind person might do that would benefit the larger
community, not just other blind folks.
 We believe this distinction is important to make because often society
believes that the only way that a blind person  can do good  is  if they are
doing that  good within the bounds of blindness and the blind community.
 Do you agree with this assertion? Disagree? why or why not?
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