<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div dir="ltr"><span></span></div><div dir="ltr"><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><div dir="ltr"><span></span></div><div dir="ltr">Hi, folks, <br>An update for the Cambridge Chapter: </div><div dir="ltr">The Police Cadet escort to/from the Senior Center (from and to the Central Square MBTA Red Line) is suspended for this month and is not likely to be reinstated, according to the police contact, unless there is official support from NFB leadership. </div><div dir="ltr">That is the information I have at this moment, and I wanted to give folks enough notice to make the best plans for yourselves for the next meeting. <br>I will let the police contact know I’ve sent this information to the Listserv. If anything changes on their end, it will be because they’ve made changes due to contact with leadership, and leadership can of course, take it from there with Listserv announcements on their own or delegated to another volunteer. <br>I know that many appreciated and used the Cadet Escort while it was available, and that there’s a lot of potent feeling about the establishment and social representation of it, from an independence perspective. Please do know that the police have said they would and do dispatch police support to any group that seeks it, regardless of disability status. So if the NFB official position were to change at any point, the Cadet Escort could be reinstated by contact from leadership. <br>It is regrettable yet understand that the escort offering caused uncomfortable discourse. We all know all too well that blind folks’ independence (indeed, how disrespected we have been and are by the public in all realms) has a painful history both past and present. I’ve educated the eager-to-learn police contact about this background and currentness, and referred him to the book <i>Walking Alone and Marching Together.“ </i>The police contact and his superiors have empathy for the situation and don’t want to walk further into the distressed waters in the matter of independence, hence their current suspension of the escort unless/until there’s a signal from leadership on this. <br><br>If you feel unsafe while going through Central Square, you can call Cambridge Police dispatch at 617-349-3300, and they will dispatch someone to you when an officer is available. If you experience an emergency that requires police, you can, of course, call 911. <br><br>With warm regards, <br>Helen Kobek</div></div></body></html>