[Home-on-the-range] "why aren't the consumer organizations growing?"

[Cindy Ray]

Hey there, wondered where you had been, Diane. I can't remember which way you spell that name.

How did you read those magazines before they went on-line.

I'm doing the Braille Summit in a couple of weeks, and it is at Perkins School for the Blind. On Wednesday morning is an optional tour. Anyway, we did not use our canes on the campus at the Kansas School for the Blind or on the campus in Iowa either. Never thought it was much of a problem, but when I lived in Deepwater, Missouri, I felt that I wanted to use a cane to avoid falling in ditches that existed on the roads there. It was a tiny town. I was proud to use it and go places, sometimes by myself. LOL.

I remember when Chuck recommended that I get a dog, I said I would stand out too much, look too different. His response to that was, hyou don't think you look different with a cane. I realized then that I hadn't thought of it before, and I decided it did not matter.

Cindy Lou

On Jun 3, 2013, at 8:45 AM, Dianne Hemphill <diannehemphill at cox.net> wrote:

> Hello federationists...Jack and I are back from  our latest adventure so am getting caught up on some articles via news line...there's a lot of conversation within the latest 2 issues of the Matilda Ziegler regarding perspectives as to why neither NFB or ACB membership is growing (though I'm  I  not sure how accurate this conclusion really is regarding NFB membership)  Anyway, it behooves us to hear from others ...perception, whether true or false, can help us clarify who we are to those that don't really know us. 
> 
> Additionally, there is some discussion regarding Perkins School for the Blind's earlier non use of white canes with their students...some said they felt they were "just fine" even as totally blind students, not to use a cane around campus.. Fortunately this policy appears  to have changed, though I wonder if it applies to all students...I for one, with legal blindness status as a kid, went around without a cane but pretty scared much of the time...I think sighted professionals fear that we "won't fit in" if we look different...what a bunch of irresponsible pop psych...we need to be safe and the inner strengths of self esteem will follow...this weeks MZ articles won't be put on line until tomorrow so you have a little time to catch up with the discussions. Let us know what you think about all of this. 
> 
> I'm adding YOLO as my new sign off before my name. It's my newest, favorite saying seen  all around and stands for "you only live once"-  and, I add, make it count...
> YOLO - Dianne
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