[DSM-Iowa] FW: [Nfbnet-members-list] We stand in solidarity with victims and survivors

Sat Dec 12 20:45:32 UTC 2020

Good Afternoon Federation Family:

You may get this more than once, and for that I apologize, but the below
information needs to be circulated so that everyone receives it. I'm not
going to add too much more than what is here, except for the following. The
below policy statement is coming from our national organizational leadership
and applies to us all. The National Federation of the Blind of Iowa stands
with our national organization in solidarity with victims and survivors as
outlined below. Our code of conduct is clear, and it has also been updated
to reflect clearer language in several sections that may apply here and
elsewhere. I strongly encourage everyone to review the code of conduct on
the website and I urge you, if there are any questions, please feel free to
reach out to leadership at all levels and we will do our best to address
them. I have been following various threads and posts surrounding this
topic, and while this is not an issue unique to the blindness community, it
has gained the attention of a number of entities in various circles, and
that is why we as an organization and as individuals need to come together
to stand with those affected and speak out on behalf of those who may not be
able to for a number of reasons. Please read the below email in its
entirety, and again, please reach out if there are any questions!       

Scott Van Gorp, President
National Federation of the Blind of Iowa
Phone: 515-720-5282
 <mailto:svangorp at nfbi.org> Email

 <http://www.nfbi.org/> Website 

<https://www.facebook.com/National-Federation-Of-the-Blind-Of-Iowa-372681823
082570/posts> Facebook 
 <https://twitter.com/nfb_iowa> Twitter 
Live the life you want.

The National Federation of the Blind of Iowa is a community of members and
friends who believe in the hopes and dreams of the nation's blind. Every day
we work together to help blind people live the lives they want.

From: NFBNet-Members-List <nfbnet-members-list-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf
Of National Federation of the Blind via NFBNet-Members-List
Sent: Friday, December 11, 2020 3:59 PM
Subject: [Nfbnet-members-list] We stand in solidarity with victims and
survivors

  <https://nfb.org/images/nfb/images/images/top-blue-bar.jpg> 

  <https://nfb.org/images/nfb/images/images/nfb-logo-for-email-template.jpg>

The National Federation of the Blind Stands in Solidarity with Victims and
Survivors

Content warning: the following statement addresses sensitive topics
regarding sexual misconduct and violence.

In light of recent discussions taking place in the blindness community, the
National Federation of the Blind offers this statement expressing our
unwavering commitment to supporting blind people and others in our community
while emphasizing the importance of our NFB Code of Conduct. As the leading
civil rights organization of the blind in the United States, every day we
work to bring equality, love, and hope to our community. The blind
community, like the rest of society, is not immune to violence and sexual
misconduct, and we deeply regret and express our sincerest empathy for any
blind person who has suffered pain and hardship frominstances of abuse and
violence.

The National Federation of the Blind and our affiliated training centers-the
Louisiana Center for the Blind, Colorado Center for the Blind, and BLIND,
Inc. -strongly condemn sexual violence and sexual misconduct of any kind. We
stand in solidarity with victims and survivors. Additionally, we acknowledge
how difficult it is for many to come forward, and we continue to seek
avenues for victims and survivors to be heard. As the collective voice of
the nation's blind, we are committed to and welcome an ongoing process of
learning how to heal from past trauma, to prevent future instances, and to
protect victims and survivors. In undertakingthis priority we rely on
learning, both through internal discussion among members with lived
experiences as well as through consultation with outside experts, to
strengthen and improve our policies and practices and to support victims and
survivors. To that end, we continually encourage comment and seek input on
these issues. 

The National Federation of the Blind works hard to create a welcoming and
safe environment for our members and the public. For several years now,
Federation leadership has endeavored to understand how to appropriately
handle the difficult topics of sexual misconduct and other forms of abuse
within our organizational structure. It has long been the policy of the
Federation to, at the very minimum, prohibit sexual misconduct of any kind
at our events or in our programs and create the most inclusive, welcoming,
and safe environment to conduct our business. In an effort to address our
sexual misconduct policy as well as other important issues, in2018 we
determined more was needed and we created an additional written code of
conduct and grievance process to ensure that consistent and assertive
actions were taken. The written code is only one aspect of committing more
organizational resources to the ongoing effort to improve our Federation. As
part of our normal practice, we report instances of sexual abuse and
misconduct to law enforcement when necessary and required, support victims
in filing reports when needed, report our findings to relevant certifying
entities when appropriate, and remove members and employees from the
organization when warranted. We take all steps necessary to maintain
confidentiality and we do not tolerate retaliation of any kind. Our code of
conduct isroutinely reviewed and continues to evolve as we learn and grow in
these efforts. Furthermore, we continue to implement programs to support
this work throughout our organization. Nevertheless, we know there is more
work to be done, and it is a priority for our organization to be a safe
space.

If you feel unsafe, under imminent threat, or in immediate danger, you
should contact law enforcement or other appropriate authorities. This is
also a reminder to our members to report violations of our code, especially
those involving sexual misconduct or any form of abuse, as soon as you are
able, and a reminder that concerns can be raised anonymously. Comments about
our policies and practices, or concerns and reports alleging violations of
the code, can be recorded verbally at 410-659-9314, extension 2475, or sent
via email to code at nfb.org
<https://www.nfb.org/libraries/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=19380&qid=4667017> .
Together with love, hope, and determination, we will continue building the
Federation to be the most inclusive, safe, and welcoming place where we
support one another and carry out our important, life-changing work. Our
full NFB Code of Conduct can be found at
https://www.nfb.org/about-us/history-and-governance/code-conduct
<https://www.nfb.org/libraries/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=19381&qid=4667017> .

This statement is also available on our website:
https://www.nfb.org/about-us/press-room/national-federation-blind-stands-sol
idarity-victims-and-survivors
<https://www.nfb.org/libraries/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=19390&qid=4667017>
.

 <https://www.nfb.org/libraries/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=19382&qid=4667017>
<https://www.nfb.org/libraries/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=19382&qid=4667017>  

 <https://www.nfb.org/libraries/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=19383&qid=4667017> 

 <https://www.nfb.org/libraries/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=19384&qid=4667017> 

 <https://www.nfb.org/libraries/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=19385&qid=4667017> 

 <https://www.nfb.org/libraries/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=19386&qid=4667017> 

 <https://www.nfb.org/libraries/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=19387&qid=4667017> 

National Federation of the Blind | 200 E Wells Street | Baltimore, MD 21230
| 410-659-9314 

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