[nabs-l] nabs-l Digest, Vol 53, Issue 11

Darian Smith dsmithnfb at gmail.com
Thu Mar 10 20:17:45 UTC 2011 

Bridget,
 these points  brought up are good ones. I would say that  the
encouragement  to get out into the world and  be the confident and
skilled blind person (we are basicly saying, being the best possible
individual )you can be, comes into play with mentorship.  So, if we
wish to see people take a step out into  the"real world", let us model
it in our actions.  This is to say, the arguments can be made in
chapter meetings and  on list serves, but the real noise is made when
we do what we say we do or "walking the walk".

What we have historrically faught for, is the right to make our own
way.  In the federation, making your own way is just as valid. if
someone  wishes to have their hands in five different divisions,  two
affiliates, two and a half chapters, and an extra committee, then more
power to them.  If someone wishes to  just show up to convention,  and
watch  divisions do what they do, and  then go and get uber involved
in      the work of sustainability organizations, or religious groups,
 then great. I know  people via the NFB who are deeply involved, and
people who are rarely.   I think the root of  the work we do, and the
divisions that exist is tied to the idea of finding a common ground, a
meeting place for us  as blind people to understand the truth about
blindness. We know  the truth is that blindness isn't  limitting, that
we are as  dynamic and free- thinking, or as narrow-minded as  anybody
else is with  acception that we  so happenn to not  see as well as
everyone else. And to tie it back to divisions, we know that our
divisions have this ideal, our philosiphy in mind or else they
wouldn't be a division.

In my mind, Arielle needs not defend a division, though I  am a member
of a few,  and understand and agree with what she is  saying.

 Historically, it seems like the  organization tends to take an
"either, or" approach to situations.  This has it's validity to be
sure, but, what of the gray area? Any future  lawyers, scientests, or
the like on this list?  I'm sure that you can see both the need for
divisions,  and the need for folks to make their  own way, and see
how both  don't need to be exclusive to each other.

  Sorry for the  multi - directional rant.
  Darian

On 3/10/11, Bridgit Pollpeter <bpollpeter at hotmail.com> wrote:
> Arielle,
>
> I agree completely with your argument, and it is in part to our
> divisions that much has been accomplished for the blind community-- for
> lack of a better expression.
>
> I agree that the divisions allow us, particularly those who are newly
> blind, or new to the Federation, to gain some insight and learn about
> the possibilities.  The divisions also help find methods and tools that
> give us an opportunity to achieve success in our endeavors.
>
> However, at some point, we must teach people to seek the world outside
> the Federation.  This does not mean we reject the NFB or blind people,
> and it certainly is not a reason to eliminate divisions, but our goal is
> to achieve equality among our sighted peers, but when we close ourselves
> off from the world at large, we are not working towards this goal.
>
> I in no way support a rejection of any group-- sighted or blind.
> Balance in all things is what I stress.  Too many of us have our hands
> in many facets of the NFB and not participating in our communities
> except for basic involvement-- work, school, family-- if even this.
>
> I am not saying this is an epidemic, but it is something to consider.
> Those of us who have discovered this balance and achieved the
> independence and confidence to further the Federation's goals of
> participating in society, can forget that not everyone is at this level.
>
> We certainly should support the Federation and any group associated with
> the NFB, and eliminating groups that often are the extensions that draw
> people into the organization, would be detremental, but we also must
> help members discover how to take what they learn and become those
> active, vital members of society we always push as the Federation's
> goals.
>
> Bridgit
>
> Message: 6
> Date: Wed, 9 Mar 2011 17:22:20 -0700
> From: Arielle Silverman <nabs.president at gmail.com>
> To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> Subject: [nabs-l] In Defense of Divisions
> Message-ID:
> 	<AANLkTi=7s6vAB0F6qg2TYboo6gFvUC5xzwKu_886y_Z=@mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
>
> Hi all,
>
> As president of a national NFB division I feel compelled to speak in
> support of our divisions. I believe the national NFB divisions are
> essential for two reasons. First, they greatly facilitate the mentoring
> and networking that is such an integral part of what we do. When I get a
> call from a student who just became blind and wants to obtain resources
> and information, it's much easier for me to say "Hey, why don't you join
> NABS, and you can talk to other blind students in your major and find
> out what techniques they use" than to say, "Hey, why don't you join the
> NFB, a huge consumer organization made up of thousands of blind people
> of all ages and professions?" Of course I tell them that by joining NABS
> they're also joining the NFB, which provides a whole wealth of
> additional resources. But much of the important work our divisions do,
> if they're as active and strong as they should be, is to facilitate
> mentoring and the exchange of information about specific topics. If
> you've been to a Blind Lawyers, Blind Merchants, or Blind Educators
> meeting at NFB convention, why did you go? The second reason for
> divisions is to inform the rest of the organization about what advocacy
> issues matter and how to tackle them. Much of the work the NFB national
> office is involved in at the moment is geared toward improving
> accessibility of online college course systems, textbooks, etc. This
> battle was sparked by information from real members of our student
> division, and we continue to help them gather the data they need to
> understand the scope of the problem. The parents' division helps us who
> are not parents understand what kinds of issues their blind children are
> facing with education and why these issues matter. I actually think our
> divisions for people with multiple disabilities (like the deaf/blind
> division, for instance) should be nurtured so they can help us
> understand the unique difficulties they face so we can include these
> problems in our collective advocacy strategy. Not to mention, as others
> said earlier in this thread, that blind people with other disabilities
> sometimes tend to feel a bit lost in the big wide NFB. By being part of
> a division or interest group, these people are still in the NFB, but
> inside a supportive community of peers and potential mentors.
>
> I've noticed that lately on this list there is a lot of "either-or"
> thinking being expressed. Either you hang out with blind people, or you
> join the sighted community. Either we join cross-disability coalitions
> or we reject people with multiple disabilities. And, either we remain
> united or we form divisions and special interest groups. I believe this
> kind of dualistic thought is unnecessarily restrictive, and I would like
> to see more "both-and" propositions considered here. I feel very
> fortunate to have close and rewarding relationships with both blind and
> sighted people. Similarly, I believe the NFB can only grow stronger by
> investing in our divisions and special interest groups, which can do
> much to bring in new members, utilize our collective resources to help
> blind people, and inform our advocacy priorities. Despite being called
> "divisions", our divisions should not compete with one another or
> "divide" the organization politically. In fact, I've seen several NFB
> divisions collaborate when planning events. Furthermore, of course our
> NFB divisions aren't going to replace other community organizations we
> may wish to join. It's entirely possible to be active in NABS or another
> NFB division, but also active in campus or community student
> organizations, church groups, etc. In fact, I suspect many of us who are
> railing against divisions, by virtue of being on this list and being
> involved in your state student divisions, are using this kind of
> "both-and" solution.
>
> I will conclude by conceding that some of our NFB divisions are not very
> active. That can be due to many factors including problems with the
> division's elected leadership, lack of membership, or simply lack of
> interest between conventions. However, I don't think this justifies
> getting rid of divisions at all. National divisions can always afford to
> do more stuff-even if it's just setting up a listserv for blind people
> sharing a professional interest to network or setting up a few
> conference calls between conventions.
>
> Best,
> Arielle
> --
> Arielle Silverman
> President, National Association of Blind Students
> Phone:  602-502-2255
> Email:
> nabs.president at gmail.com
> Website:
> www.nabslink.org
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 7
> Date: Wed, 09 Mar 2011 21:11:13 -0600
> From: "Freeh,	Jessica" <JFreeh at nfb.org> (by way of David Andrews
> 	<dandrews at visi.com>)
> To: david.andrews at nfbnet.org
> Subject: [nabs-l] NFB Executive Mark Riccobono Honored by Wisconsin
> 	Alumni Association
> Message-ID: <auto-000004651948 at mailfront3.g2host.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"; format=flowed
>
>
> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
>
>
>
> CONTACT:
>
> Chris Danielsen
>
> Director of Public Relations
>
> National Federation of the Blind
>
> (410) 659-9314, extension 2330
>
> (410) 262-1281 (Cell)
>
> <mailto:cdanielsen at nfb.org>cdanielsen at nfb.org
>
>
>
> NFB Executive Mark Riccobono Honored
> by Wisconsin Alumni Association
>
>
> Named a 2011 Forward under 40 Honoree
>
>
>
> Baltimore, Maryland (March 9, 2011): The National
> Federation of the Blind (NFB), the oldest and
> largest organization of blind people in the
> United States, today announced that Mark
> Riccobono, executive director of the NFB Jernigan
> Institute, has been named a 2011 Forward under 40
> honoree by the Wisconsin Alumni Association.  The
> Forward under 40 award program honors University
> of Wisconsin graduates under age forty who are
> making a positive impact on the world.  Riccobono
> is a 1999 graduate of the University of Wisconsin.
>
>
>
> Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National
> Federation of the Blind, said: ?We are very
> pleased and proud to see Mark Riccobono receive
> this tremendous honor from his alma mater.  Under
> his exemplary leadership of the NFB Jernigan
> Institute, countless innovative programs that
> tackle critical issues of importance to blind
> people have been developed, including science
> academies and advocacy programs for blind youth
> and initiatives that seek to improve the Braille
> literacy rate among blind people both young and
> old.  He truly exemplifies the NFB motto:
> ?changing what it means to be blind.??
>
>
>
> Mark Riccobono said: ?As the executive director
> of the first research and training institute on
> blindness led by the blind, I have been fortunate
> to play a role in many exciting and life-changing
> developments for blind people in
> America?including getting behind the wheel of a
> car equipped with a nonvisual interface that
> allows the blind to drive independently.  While
> we have made much progress, there is still more
> to be done.  Only 10 percent of blind children
> are learning Braille in this country, and this
> directly contributes to a 70 percent unemployment
> rate among blind people in the United States.  I
> humbly thank the Wisconsin Alumni Association for
> this great honor and hope that it will create
> interest in the work of the Federation among my
> fellow Wisconsin Alumni as well as those from other great universities.?
>
>
>
> Riccobono was the first director of the Wisconsin
> Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired, a
> state agency that serves Wisconsin?s blind
> children.  Since coming to the headquarters of
> the National Federation of the Blind in 2003, he
> has spearheaded many initiatives, including
> educational programs designed to engage blind
> youth in the fields of science, technology,
> engineering, and mathematics.  He currently
> serves as executive director of the NFB Jernigan Institute.
>
>
>
> On January 29, 2011, Riccobono became the first
> blind person to drive a street vehicle in public
> without the assistance of a sighted person.  He
> was behind the wheel of a Ford Escape hybrid
> equipped with nonvisual technology and
> successfully navigated 1.5 miles of the road
> course section of the famed track at the Daytona
> International Speedway.  This successful
> demonstration was part of the NFB?s Blind Driver
> Challenge? initiative, which challenges
> universities, technology developers, and other
> interested innovators to establish NFB Blind
> Driver Challenge? (BDC) teams?in collaboration
> with the NFB?to build interface technologies that
> will empower blind people to drive a car independently.
>
>
>
> Riccobono and his wife Melissa, who has worked as
> a school counselor and serves as president of the
> Maryland affiliate of the NFB, live in Baltimore
> with their two small children, Austin and Oriana.
>
>
>
> For more information about the National
> Federation of the Blind, please visit <http://www.nfb.org/>www.nfb.org.
>
>
>
>
>
> ###
>
>
>
> About the National Federation of the Blind
>
> With more than 50,000 members, the National
> Federation of the Blind is the largest and most
> influential membership organization of blind
> people in the United States.  The NFB improves
> blind people?s lives through advocacy, education,
> research, technology, and programs encouraging
> independence and self-confidence.  It is the
> leading force in the blindness field today and
> the voice of the nation's blind.  In January 2004
> the NFB opened the National Federation of the
> Blind Jernigan Institute, the first research and
> training center in the United States for the blind led by the blind.
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 8
> Date: Thu, 10 Mar 2011 07:54:50 -0600
> From: "Laura Glowacki" <orangebutterfly87 at gmail.com>
> To: "Discussion list for NABS,	National Alliance of Blind Students."
> 	<nabs at acb.org>, 	"National Association of Blind Students
> mailing list"
> 	<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>, 	<isvialumni at lists.screenreview.org>
> Subject: [nabs-l] Fw: Save Thousands On Freedom Scientific Demo
> 	Products
> Message-ID: <82820B09004C46B195EF641BB53C2B2F at LAURASCOMPUTER>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
> This company is selling demo technologies at reduced prices.
> Their website is:
>
> http://smartati.com/contact-us
>
> Please see below, and the flyer is attached to this email.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Frank Cosatino
> To: laura glowacki
> Sent: Wednesday, March 09, 2011 5:54 PM
> Subject: Fw: Save Thousands On Freedom Scientific Demo Products
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Hap Holly
> To: Hap Holly
> Sent: Wednesday, March 09, 2011 3:07 PM
> Subject: Fw: Save Thousands On Freedom Scientific Demo Products
>
>
> *I'm sending this to my entire mailing list on behalf of my blind
> computer guru, Roger Cusson in Maine. Please pass this along to
> any 'blind' lists you may be connected with ... or folks that are
> using or could use some of this technology.*
>
> Hap
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Roger R. Cusson
> To: 'Hap Holly'
> Sent: Wednesday, March 09, 2011 2:30 PM
> Subject: Save Thousands On Freedom Scientific Demo Products
>
>
>
>
> Greetings on this fine day,
>
> As you know, I work with Smart Assistive Technologies, down in
> Rochester, NH...
>
> They wish to move a pretty serious amount of Freedom Scientific
> blind/low-vision product down the road!!!
>
> These are demo pieces, and the savings on these items is at least
> 50% off retail...
>
> They have approached me, and specifically asked if I could put
> out the message, that they wish to sell these demo pieces, at a
> substantial savings over retail costs...
>
> If you would please consider passing this message, and its
> associated attachment along to folks that might be looking for
> what we have on special, that would be much appreciated.
>
> As I do make some small amount of commission on the sale of these
> pieces, if when calling into Smart Assistive Technologies, please
> indicate to the staff, that Roger Cusson sent them, in regards to
> the sale of these Freedom Scientific demo pieces.
>
> I appreciate your assistance concerning this matter, and I truly
> pray that life is treating you extremely well!!!
>
>
> Respectfully,
>
>
> Roger R., Cusson
> Computer Access Specialist
> Seeing Hands Enterprises - Lisbon
> (207) 353-5007
> Skype Contact: rcusson
>
> A quote to live by:
> "Any program that works perfectly, simply hasn't been tested
> properly!"
> -------------- next part --------------
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> URL:
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>
> ------------------------------
>
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>
>
> End of nabs-l Digest, Vol 53, Issue 11
> **************************************
>
>
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-- 
Darian Smith
Skype: The_Blind_Truth
Windows Live: Lightningrod2010 at live.com
Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/goldengateace

"The purpose of life is a life of purpose.

— Robert Byrne

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