[HIABS] Ending Accreditation without Authenticity: A Call to Action for the Fourth Generation of the Federation

[Justin Salisbury]

Aloha, my Federation Ohana,

Now that we have kept our subminimum wage bills alive up to crossover, I want to take a minute to remind us all of a national initiative to end accreditation without authenticity. In the January Braille Monitor, President Riccobono detailed the relationship, or lack thereof, between the organized blind and an accrediting body in the blindness field. In case you missed it, the article is here:

https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm18/bm1801/bm180102.htm

It is up to all of us to speak up. Pretty simply, if decisions are going to be made affecting the blind, we, the National Federation of the Blind, also known as the "organized blind movement," must be at the head of those decisions. NAC has a long history of disregarding what we, the consumers, want for ourselves.

Involving myself in this initiative is helping me clarify my own understanding of how we, as first-class members of society, have a right to speak up on matters pertaining to us. My hope is that you all will experience that same benefit because it is personally empowering. Furthermore, as we have faced opposition in the state legislature from organizations which claim to be experts on disability issues, some of the elected officials have become confused and determined that the blind or disability community is divided. In fact, we are not. The consumers are one group with one set of incentives, and the service providers are another group with a different set of incentives.

As the primary stakeholders, we must stand up for our own needs and operate according to our own incentives.

Please join me in contacting AER and respectfully requesting that they join our cheer: NO MORE NAC!

Mahalo nui loa,

Justin

Justin M. Salisbury, MA, NOMC, NCRTB, NCUEB
Legislative Committee Chair
Honolulu Chapter
National Federation of the Blind of Hawaii
Phone: 808.797.8606
Email: President at Alumni.ECU.edu<mailto:President at Alumni.ECU.edu>
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-salisbury

"Once social change begins, it cannot be reversed. You cannot un-educate the person who has learned to read. You cannot humiliate the person who feels pride. You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore."

Cesar Chavez


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