[Community-Service] Join me in support of SAFE Fund Resolution! Stronger Together!

[Cheryl Fields]

Greetings federation family, I’m Cheryl fields, a member of the
Survivors Task Force and I urge you to support the SAFE fund
resolution. Many of us are working hard to ensure that members that
are harmed will have axis to the support they need to heal. passage of
this resolution is an important step in the right direction to secure
a safe and  healthy  organization. Further development and details,
such as, eligibility requirements and administration will be
forthcoming after passage of the resolution. I strongly believe that
each of us has the right to  know they are safe anywhere and
everywhere NFB branding and philosophy is used. Please ask questions,
have discussions so you can make an informed decision. We are Stronger
Together and SAFE is our commitment to stay together. Read the
resolution, discuss it, ask questions and I hope you will support it
by voting YES at the convention.


National Federation of the Blind
Board Resolution

Adopted June 10, 2021

The Board of Directors of the National Federation of the Blind
supports and recommends the below policy for consideration and
adoption by the 2021 national Convention.

WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind was established in 1940
as this nation’s civil rights membership organization of blind people;
and

WHEREAS, our organization places a high value on welcoming in all
blind people to membership and creating a safe space for the exchange
of information and ideas in order to work collectively toward our
common interests as blind people; and

WHEREAS, on January 26, 2018, the Board of Directors reviewed existing
Federation policies and established a national integrated Code of
Conduct to more clearly communicate consistent expectations for
appropriate behavior throughout the membership and to detail processes
for receiving, investigating, and addressing violations of those
standards; and

WHEREAS, the organization’s board of directors has committed to at
least annual review and updating of the code and the processes
supporting the code including incorporating feedback from members to
ensure the Federation community is as safe and supportive as possible;
and

WHEREAS, the organization acknowledges the courage of survivors in
bringing forward their stories and the pressures that may make it
difficult for survivors to feel safe in utilizing the code of conduct
process; and

WHEREAS, individuals who are harmed by those who violate the
Federation’s Code of Conduct may require additional support in order
to heal from those incidents and fully participate in the organized
blind movement: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED that the organization establish the Survivor Assistance
to Facilitate Empowerment (SAFE) fund in an initial amount of $250,000
as a dedicated financial resource for providing therapy support to
survivors of incidents where the Federation’s Code of Conduct is known
to have been violated; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the board of directors will have
responsibility for overseeing the fund including but not limited to
reserving financial resources for the fund, maintaining adequacy of
the fund, reporting the fund financial status to the convention,
assuring confidentiality of individuals who receive support,
establishing and communicating eligibility criteria, engaging
stakeholders in the fund planning, selecting and overseeing a third
party claims administrator who will maintain the confidentiality of
eligible survivors, and taking such other actions as may be necessary
to develop and advance the fund program over time; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that, consistent with the organization’s Code
of Conduct, all steps will be taken in administering the fund to
ensure that survivors are protected from retaliation based upon their
use of the resources of the fund.



Live the Life You Want!

Cheryl E. Fields

216-566-4317


A man has made at least a start on discovering the meaning of human
life when he plants shade trees under which he knows full well he will
never sit.
--D. Elton Trueblood