[nabs-l] Why is it important to join an organization of the blind?

Wed Jan 18 05:23:51 UTC 2012

Hi Chris and all,
This is a good topic. Like others have said, it's important to respect
the range of preferences people have with regard to joining
organizations and giving up their time toward causes. Some people,
sighted and blind alike, are not joiners at all. Some join a few
social groups, some join one or two advocacy efforts, some juggle
several organizational memberships and some seek leadership roles in
one or more of these groups. Some people who join our Federation
choose to participate only in the social and networking aspects, some
do fund-raising, others work primarily on legislation, and some are
able to give their time to all aspects of the organization. In other
words, there is no one best or right way to become affiliated with the
blind community.
I think it's clear that we need to form advocacy groups because we
have not yet achieved full equality with the sighted. We have the
potential to be equal but that potential has not yet been realized. As
a group we are underemployed, undereducated, we miss out on social and
recreational opportunities and there are whole classes of work and
play activities that are still not accessible to us. This comes
largely from psychological, societal and environmental barriers that
can be changed, so our task as a collective is to figure out how to
bring these barriers down.
Yet I don't think the only reason to organize is for advocacy. There
is also something very affirming and empowering about having social
connections with other blind folks. As individuals we are often
inundated with messages from others telling us we aren't as good or as
competent as sighted people. Support from a group of blind friends can
help us recognize our own capacity and worth even when important
people in society do not. When someone pats me on the arm as I'm
walking down the street and tells me I'm doing a nice job, or when the
airline attendant wants to herd me into a wheelchair, it's really
great to know I can laugh about it with other blind people, that I'm
not the only person who has experienced this and that the stranger's
condescension doesn't actually mean anything about my capabilities.
Most of the time when we go through school and work we are visibly
different from everyone else around us, and are usually quite aware of
this fact. There is something special about being one of many who are
like us and who don't treat us differently or like we are inferior
because we are blind. I believe this is a large part of the "magic"
that many of us describe happening during NFB conventions. We feel the
excitement of the advocacy cause, of knowing what we can do to change
what it means to be blind, but we also feel the joy of being in a
situation where we are in the majority and where the community around
us doesn't make assumptions about us just because we are blind.
There are also concrete, practical benefits each of us can get from
joining an organization of the blind, whether it be NFB, ACB or
another group. As others have pointed out, we learn a lot from other
blind people who have been in similar situations. We also benefit when
other blind people advocate on our behalf. I think most Federationists
I know could list at least one concrete opportunity they gained as a
result of joining the NFB. Some people gain jobs they didn't know a
blind person could do before they joined up. Others gain access to
tests or licenses, or get their babies back from Social Services. I
could list two specific opportunities I got as a direct result of
joining the NFB. First, I gained the opportunity to attend the
graduate school of my choice in a state I had never lived in before.
Prior to joining NFB, I thought that for a blind person, learning
one's way around a new city was an arduous task requiring years of O&M
lessons. I doubt I would have attempted it if I had not met
Federationists who did it with no problems, and if I had not attended
LCB, which I learned about from Federationists. Second, I have to say,
I went through high school and most of college without experiencing
any, um, romantic opportunities. True, there are things I could have
done differently in those days to get some action, but I know I'm not
the only blind person who has had this difficulty. After hanging out
in NFB for a few years I met a few blind guys who didn't immediately
write me off as a romantic partner because I was blind, and so I was
able to experience the joys of dating and intimacy. Even though I am
now dating someone sighted (whom, by the way, I met at my
aforementioned grad school) I am very appreciative of those
experiences and all that I learned from them. (And of course we can't
forget all the happy couples out there whose meeting would be
impossible without NFB).
So, in short, organizations of the blind help us attain equal
opportunities. They help us collectively through legislation,
education and other means, but they also help us as individuals, by
enabling us to share experiences and by acting as a forum for
emotional support and empowerment. The question remains, If we reach
the day where the blind are truly equal in every way-when none of us
ever experience discrimination, when everything is nonvisually
accessible and when people never use blindness as a basis for judging
our abilities-will we need organizations of the blind? I suspect
probably not, though we might still enjoy hanging out with others who
use Braille and canes just for the heck of it. I think anyone can
benefit from joining an organization of the blind, but some don't feel
drawn to do so and I would respect their preferences on that. We also
don't have to be at the top of the organization or putting in
tremendous amounts of time to make a difference in the lives of other
blind people. We can make a difference just by sharing our
experiences, by listening to and supporting one another.
Best,
Arielle

On 1/17/12, Bridgit Pollpeter <bpollpeter at hotmail.com> wrote:
> Chris,
>
> You pose very interesting and valid questions. Most of us have met
> people who are blind and adopt a similar attitude as the people you
> describe. There are many reasons why people do and do not join an
> organization, but we must look at what the purpose of these
> organizations are.
>
> First, sighted people do develop, promote and advocate for many issues.
> Now, most of these groups have a blend of people with plenty of
> diversity, but many ethnic and racial groups have organizations
> dedicated to serving minorities and the issues and causes important to
> them. As a type 1 diabetic, I've been involved in diabetic groups
> advocating for better care, encouraging research and providing
> education; I did this sighted. There are other health-related groups
> doing similar work. And the list goes on and on. We often fail to see
> the other perspective especially with blindness. People focus on this,
> forgetting many organizations exist doing similar work. The Federation
> is not unique in terms of an advocacy group promoting causes and
> initiatives.
>
> Now, the initial goals of the Federation were to promote independence,
> work towards changing attitudes and serving as a political platform for
> blind causes led by those with the experience of being blind. So, first
> and foremost, a group like the NFB is dedicated to political activism
> and advocacy. Despite the growing number of divisions within the
> Federation catering to various interests, the priority of the Federation
> has always been to promote and advocate the ideas and causes important
> to Federation members.
>
> That we meet other blind people, having opportunities to network, is
> essential to the growth and success of the Federation because we need
> each generation to adopt healthy, positive mindsets about blindness. The
> social aspect, however, is secondary to the political element. Not
> everyone joins to be politically active. In my experience, a majority of
> people join the Federation purely for social reasons, though many
> eventually come to understand the importance of an active voice
> advocating for equal rights and fair treatment of the blind. This has
> been debated again and again, but at the fundamental level, an
> organization like the NFB is similar to those groups fighting for
> equality among other minority groups. We've been labeled second-class
> citizens for years, not always given opportunities and our abilities are
> questioned and doubted. So we stand up and demand equality.
>
> That we have a chance to network and ask questions of those with
> experience, is a benefit to joining the Federation. You have a support
> system backing you, ready to help in any way. For example, we've heard a
> lot about law students denied bar exams in an accessible mode they
> prefer. The Federation has stepped in to take legal action, assisting
> those law students and others to come. The couple in Missouri whose
> newborn was taken by CPS a couple of years ago for no reason other than
> both parents were blind. The Federation also stepped in to help take
> legal action along with the couple. As technology grows, we struggle
> more and more as blind consumers to use current technology due to the
> lack of accessibility. Again, the NFB is fighting to change this,
> demanding equal access for all consumers. As well as taking legal
> action, the Federation provides advocacy and education.
>
> Many feel Federationist are Nazi-like in their fervor about
> independence. True, many are more combative which does not lead to a
> nurturing environment allowing others to adopt independent ideals. The
> truth is, though, that the NFB supports independence in any way
> providing you with efficiency. Unfortunately, many of us could benefit
> from alternative techniques, which many refuse to learn or use on a
> regular basis. In my experience, and having once been a "partial," often
> the alternative skills truly do make one more efficient than using
> useable vision, and this is why the Federation seems, at times, to be
> against sight, but it's actually the contrary. If you're being
> independent, living your life, not caving into stereotypes and negative
> attitudes, the Federation supports this way of life. The Federation
> expects us to grow and challenge ourselves as ours peers challenge us
> likewise. This is one of the huge differences I see between the NFB and
> other organizations of the blind; we're not expected to stay where we
> are; we're urged to move forward, carving a path before us, challenging
> ourselves to strive for new and greater heights.
>
> So why am I a Federationist? Because I'm not content to sit idly by
> letting others make decisions for me. I'm not content to feel entitled
> to services, legislation and technology that I had no say in, no
> contribution to changes. I don't want to watch a chef cook, I want to
> roll my sleeves up and get my hands in the mix. Networking with fellow
> blind people and learning what we are all doing is great, but I want to
> affect change, and I want to be a part of that change. It's not about
> isolating ourselves from society and forming an elite group made up of
> people who are blind; it's in fact about encouraging and fostering
> integration. We are people with dreams, desires and interests; that we
> are blind is but one attribute of our being. I wasn't always blind, and
> when I lost my sight, I didn't change who I am. My interest and goals
> are the same; I now just accomplish certain things with different
> methods and tools at times.
>
> We all have to decide what we believe in and why. I believe it's
> important to analyze and question beliefs and ideas in order to truly
> digest it. Only then can we form decisions based on our own ideas and
> opinions rather than any thoughts and opinions thrust on us whether
> unwillingly or not. I think we all need to understand that the
> Federation's priority is advocacy and education; when we know this, it
> can make it easier to explain the Federation and its purpose. Despite
> the plethora of members affiliated predominantly for social reasons ,
> this does not change the goals and direction of the collective group, of
> the heart. We've not been accepted as equals, as people just as capable,
> so we created an organization dedicated to breaking barriers and
> demanding equality just like many other groups. Anyone curious about the
> Federation, wanting to join, should understand that first and foremost,
> the Federation is a political group determined to use advocacy,
> legislation and education to change what it means to be blind, and fight
> for our equality.
>
> Sincerely,
> Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter
> Read my blog at:
> http://blogs.livewellnebraska.com/author/bpollpeter/
>
> "History is not what happened; history is what was written down."
> The Expected One- Kathleen McGowan
>
> Message: 6
> Date: Mon, 16 Jan 2012 20:36:38 -0500
> From: Chris Nusbaum <dotkid.nusbaum at gmail.com>
> To: NFB Talk List <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>,	NFB Blind Talk list
> 	<blindtlk at nfbnet.org>,	NFB NABS list <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
> Subject: [nabs-l] why is it important to join an organization of the
> 	blind?
> Message-ID: <4f14d0d5.54dfe00a.0ef7.ffffd34b at mx.google.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1; format=flowed
>
> Fellow Federationists,
>
> As I have become more and more active in the blind community and
> have met more and more blind people, I notice that a lot of blind
> people are not affiliated with any organization of the blind, for
> one reason or another.  Some say they are put off by the
> political arguments between the NFB and ACB; some say they don't
> want to be "tied" to one organization; some say they don't agree
> with either organization's philosophy and don't want to identify
> themselves with either organization and their philosophy, and
> there are other reasons as well.  I try to explain to them the
> value of the Federation in my life, and how joining an
> organization of the blind connects you with a diverse network of
> resources, who can help answer almost any question they would
> have related to blindness.  I also try to explain to them that if
> they had any problems, being a part of an organization would help
> them with their advocacy efforts; the more people you have
> advocating, the more effective the advocacy is.  But they still
> don't want to be affiliated with an organization.  So I want to
> get your thoughts on these questions; why do you think it is
> important to be a member of an organization of the blind? Of what
> benefit/value is an organization to its members, and to blind
> people at large? Some people have said to me, "Sighted people
> don't have any organizations dedicated to their concerns as
> sighted people; why should I join an organization dedicated to
> blindness?" Still others have said, "Don't you (Federationists)
> want to be equal with sighted people? If so, then why do we
> (blind people) need to be organized in some kind of organization
> exclusively of and for the blind and people associated with the
> blind?" These are some interesting questions; what would your
> responses be to those people? I look forward to hearing your
> thoughts on this!
> Thanks,
>
> Chris
>
>
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