[nabs-l] NFB Philosophy

Tue Jul 24 12:33:06 UTC 2012

Vejas,
ACB is the other organization, american council of the blind.

-----Original Message----- 
From: vejas
Sent: Monday, July 23, 2012 5:12 PM
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] NFB Philosophy

What is the ABC?
Vejas

----- Original Message -----
From: "Ashley Bramlett" <bookwormahb at earthlink.net
To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list"
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org
Date sent: Mon, 23 Jul 2012 17:08:53 -0400
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] NFB Philosophy

Josh,
First, his last name is spelled wrong.  Second,
Second, I think based on comments from other lists that he is
staying with
ACB.  As to who is joining whom, unless you have stats to back it
up, I
suspect that organization membership is declining.  This because
not enough
young people are involved in NFB and old members are dying out.
I saw on
nfb-talk that two or maybe three members just passed away.  A few
members in
my state have  passed too such as Sevelle Allen.  Leaders seem to
retire and
pass away or move away.  So really, I'm not so sure nfb
membership is
increasing so much as to shout about it like we're better than
ACB.  I just
don't think young generations join advocacy groups as much, even
if they're
blind.
Ashley

-----Original Message-----
From: Joshua Lester
Sent: Friday, July 20, 2012 1:17 AM
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] NFB Philosophy

Well: the good thing is, that people are leaving the ACB, and
joining
us, because they realize that we're right.
Think about Mike Coppell, (one of their prized members,) who has
just
left them, and joined us!
Blessings, Joshua

On 7/20/12, Brandon Keith Biggs <brandonkeithbiggs at gmail.com>
wrote:
Hello,
Possibly because the NFB is such a huge pusher to the fair wages
and
frankly, they probably saw the unfair wages as hardly something
that will
make a difference.  Also, I believe another voat for less than
minimum wage
is that one can stay on SSI while getting lower than fair wages.
Every side thinks they are right, so does that make them both
wrong?
As pointed out at the banquet speech at the NFB convention this
last year,
we can only try our hardest to be the victors, and because we
know we are
right, we will win.
Thanks,

Brandon Keith Biggs
-----Original Message-----
From: Joshua Lester
Sent: Thursday, July 19, 2012 9:30 PM
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] NFB Philosophy

Arielle: that was a great post.
I just have one question about this.
If our philosophies aren't at odds, then why did the ACB vote,
"Do Not
Pass," on the "Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act,"
resolution at their convention?
Evidently, they're okay with disabled workers being paid below
the
federally mandated minimum wage.
Hmmm!
Thanks, Joshua

On 7/19/12, Arielle Silverman <arielle71 at gmail.com> wrote:
Hi all,
I think Sean's description of "NFB philosophy" as he sees it was
excellent.  I would also add two things:
1.  I don't think the NFB has a patent on this philosophy.  In
fact, I
would argue that most committed ACB members and many other
successful
blind people who choose not to affiliate with organizations also
espouse the positive philosophy of blindness that Sean
described.  The
NFB has chosen to make this philosophy a central focus, but that
does
not mean that non-NFB members cannot live by it themselves or
encourage others to accept it.  It is important to remember that
the
ACB split off from the NFB, and although I am not an expert on
what
happened, everything I've read about the split suggests that it
occurred because of disagreements about how leadership in the
organization should be structured, not about fundamental
philosophy of
blindness.  In more recent years the NFB and ACB have taken
differing
approaches to some policy issues, but that does not necessarily
mean
that their core philosophies of blindness are at odds.  I don't
think
the two organizations should merge into one super-organization
of
blind Americans because I like the fact that individuals have
choices
about which organization to join and that there's not one big
group
monopolizing the organizational stage.  But I also think that
the NFB
and ACB have more in common in terms of their goals for changing
what
it means to be blind than we might think on first glance.

2.  To address Marc's point about universal design: In the nine
years I
have been a part of the NFB, I have observed that the NFB
increasingly
takes a pragmatic dualistic approach to promoting both
individual
coping with accessibility barriers and advocacy to bring them
down.  I
would urge you to read the NFB 2012 resolutions once they become
available online, and you will find that most of these
resolutions
address access barriers in one form or another and advocate for
their
removal.  I believe the NFB is moving further in the direction
of
pushing for accessibility and I have seen change on this front
even
since the time when I first joined nine years ago.  However,
though we
are committed to doing what we can to promote universal access
for
blind people, we also are aware that, realistically, it will
take time
for all those in power to make it happen.  In the meantime, we
are also
working to help blind individuals figure out how to adapt to
those
barriers we are not yet able to control.  For example, we will
fight
for full access to educational technology, but instead of
waiting to
enroll in college until this access happens, we will also work
to
harness the support of human readers and other adaptations so
that we
can still be successful in spite of these barriers.  In other
words,
instead of pitting individual adaptation and universal design
against
each other as mutually exclusive options, why not take a dual
approach
toward both of these goals?
Arielle

On 7/19/12, Justin Salisbury <PRESIDENT at alumni.ecu.edu> wrote:
I have a few notes for a few different people on this thread.

Tyler:
I understand the hesitancy about getting involved when you don't
fully
agree
with everything that everyone else believes.  I once had that
hesitation
about getting involved with organized religion.  I started going
to a
campus
ministry at my college because a friend sold me on the free
dinner, and
I
quickly learned that no church is homogenous in beliefs.  In
some
churches,
the leadership will try like mad to perpetuate the idea that
everyone in
the
church believes exactly what they do and that anyone who
disagrees
slightly
is against them.  In my church, we aren't like that, and we
understand
that
people have differing views.  We unite under the idea that it's
okay to
disagree on individual issues and discuss them, but we have
generally
the
same core beliefs.
That's how we are in the Federation.  If you don't agree with
something
we're doing, I'll make an effort to help you come to terms with
it
because
that's my individual personality.  I often find that, when
someone
disagrees
with something we're doing, it is because of a lack of
understanding of
what
we're doing or the underlying issue.  At the end of the day, I
won't
shun
you.

Marc Workman:
  Of course we, in the Federation, fight to break down the
barriers.  Why
do
you think we do legislative lobbying?  Washington Seminar is an
absolutely
amazing experience, and you should try it!  We honor
adaptability
because
there's no sense in being helpless in the meantime while we work
on
those
barriers.
On the mention of Sean's place in social stratification:  I am a
colored
person, I'm the first person in my family to go to college, and
I don't
bother wallowing in the lack of advantage that I face because of
it.
Quite
frankly, I'm not even convinced that I am disadvantaged by being
a
colored
person.  With the first generation college student part, I have
to seek
mentors in the academic process from outside my family, and I
know many,
many educated Federationists who have eagerly fulfilled that
role for
me.
Lastly, I've made comments like "i've had this conversation with
you
before"
in a public manner to other people-trust me, I have-but I've
realized in
retrospect that it only creates distance between everyone who
hears me
and
myself.  A lot of people take that as an implied personal
attack.  I'm
not
saying Sean took it that way, but I'm sure plenty of people did
read it
that
way.

Brandon Keith Biggs, I loved reading this part of your email:
In my book, there is no larger crime than depriving someone of
their
dreams
and the second biggest crime is taking away the chance for
people to
reach
for those dreams.  For while there are dreams, there is hope.
With hope
life
always has enough energy to turn the corner and keep going.  The
NFB to
me
is that hope and the rock and refuge that is always there for me
if I
need
it.

Yours in Federationism,

Justin Salisbury

Justin M.  Salisbury
Class of 2012
B.A.  in Mathematics
East Carolina University
president at alumni.ecu.edu

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed
citizens can
change
the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.?
—MARGARET MEAD

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