[nabs-l] Success and Why I Left the NFB
Joe
jsoro620 at gmail.com
Tue Apr 1 01:18:21 UTC 2014
Steve,
Excellent post. I can't respond point by point in a timely fashion, but I
want to address something you mentioned. You wrote:
"What you see as a downward spiral, I see as the challenges of change."
I want to be clear that the downward spiral I'm referring to is the waning
interest in the traditional grassroots movement. National conventions are no
longer the sole means of catching up with old friends. You are absolutely
correct that change offers its own set of challenges, but these challenges
are completely independent of the membership core and basic organizational
management. People are discovering they can use technology to make apps more
accessible through direct contact with developers. The same petitions and
social networking strategies currently being used to try to make headway on
accessible technology in education are being exercised by other organized
groups on similar issues out there. In other words, the NFB needs to keep
itself a relevant force if we want it to stay a vital power, because you can
replicate strategies, but you can't replace people.
More to the point, how do you keep NABS graduates involved in the
organization after NABS is no longer relevant? I really don't have an answer
and am curious about ideas as to how this could be accomplished to see the
organization through fifty more years of service. I agree with you that a
lot of the organization's work is an exercise in risk, but when the well
runs dry and the membership is fatigued, or to be quite frank, when the
dedicated membership dies out, what then? Yeah, I think we fix some of our
attitudes and biases. We replace some of the old guard with new blood, but
is it enough?
Okay, any more from me and it's going to seem like I'm raining on the parade
even more than what I've already done. It's really not my desire to be the
Debbie downer of the crowd. Yet I think the dialogue is good, and I wish
more of these discussions were engaged with the general membership and not
just in the safe confines of leadership seminars. Actually, other than a
big-o history lesson and Maurer's take on different letters to the
president, I don't know that my own leadership seminar taught me anything.
So, I developed my own positions and opinions, and you see where that gets
us. To be fair, maybe I'm just the stubborn dim bulb in the chandelier.
When are we going to see the results of that membership satisfaction survey?
More important, when are we going to see the action items that sprung from
it?
Kerri,
Thanks for posting your positive experiences about the organization. My
gloom and doom messages should always be balanced with very positive stories
like yours.
Joe
--
Twitter: @ScribblingJoe
Visit my blog:
http://joeorozco.com/blog
-----Original Message-----
From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Steve Jacobson
Sent: Monday, March 31, 2014 3:42 PM
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Success and Why I Left the NFB
Joe and others,
It is not my position that anything said about the NFB that is negative is
wrong. Organizations are made up of human beings and we are not perfect so
our creations are not likely going to be perfect. Still, some of what one
person may seem as wrong isn't so much a matter of right or wrong as
perspective and opinion. We embarked a good while back now on an expansion
that has resulted in the need to raise more funds than we used to have to
raise. I do not think I am alone among NFB supporters in recognizing that
this is a risk. When you look at our budget and that of the ACB and then
compare legislative successes as you did, Joe, it is certainly clear that
legislative successes are not proportional to one's budget. Whether I
completely agree with legislation ACB passes or not, I recognize that the
ACB has made contributions. However, I have felt for some time and I feel
particularly more so now that our problems can't be solved by legislation
alone. Let's take accessibility, for example. There is a lot of emphasis
on getting more legislation passed that will force software to be
accessible, for example. I happen to believe this is necessary, but it
isn't going to make everything better for us, particularly on the job, all
by itself.
If we are going to make any serious gains, we need to understand the limits
of current technology and explore ways of getting information that is new.
I am not one who got all excited about being able to drive a car, although I
certainly hope that blind people can do that at some point. However, I got
very excited about the fact that as a result of looking at the problem, we
experimented with a number of ways of getting information that had not been
explored before. A significant portion of our budget went into the KNFB
reader. At the time, it was something nobody was doing, and it was a moving
experience when I held up a KNFB reader to the lists of registered people at
a national convention that were just hanging from a crossbar and have it
start to read the content. There have probably been over a thousand kids
who have attended science camps of one kind or another through our efforts.
We have been able to sponsor other gatherings as well for blind lawyers,
teachers, and major players in the technology field. We couldn't have done
any of this in the 80's or 90's, and much of this would not have been done
even now if we hadn't tried it.
So what's my point, I'm not saying anything new, you know all this. My
point is that a lot of this is about risks and perspectives. We won't know
for a long time if some of these efforts will make a difference. Frankly, I
am a believer that one learns almost as much from what doesn't work as one
learns from what does, because if you make a mistake you can eliminate or
refine that approach. Will some of those thousand kids get into math or
science because of what we did? Is the OCR in the new HIMS product a little
better because of what we did with the KNFB reader? Will we see a really
good reader on the iPhone? Might we ever see a reader that could use
artificial intelligence to interpret software on a computer screen instead
of having to educate every person who writes software? Will some of our
efforts mean that there might be a way for us to control the Google
self-driving cars because of some of the work we did on our own car? I hope
that at least some of the answers are yes, but at this point I can't really
say. What I do know is that the smaller dynamic grass roots organization
that we were in the 80's couldn't have had any affect on some of what I've
listed above, nor was it the right time for that. But it also means that we
change. Not only do we change, but we make mistakes as we adjust to change.
Joe, what you see as a downward spiral, I see as the challenges of change.
I'm not satisfied to say that it has to be that way, though. We can and
must learn how to do better, as individuals and as an organization.
Joe, I think you are right that getting training at one of our centers won't
miraculously make life better, and the marketing does sometimes imply that.
However, you are wrong to draw conclusions about such training based upon
the marketing. Discussing and exploring the uncertainties and challenges of
seeking employment as a blind person is a big part of what is addressed at
BLIND Incorporated here in Minnesota and I assume by our other centers.
Some of the point of such training is to encourage the idea that you have to
have a set of tools to approach a given situation and not just one tool.
Still, we have to do more than run people through training.
This is true of any single aspectof our challenges, though. Legislating
that software must be accessible and that one cannot discriminate based upon
a disability was and is still needed, but it won't matter much if we don't
have training. Legislation and even training won't matter all that much if
we don't get a good basic education.
Requiring that school districts teach braille won't fix that problem if
there are no braille instructors in a given area. You can't pick any one
thing out and say that it can lead to success by itself, and you can't see
any given issue as completely standing on its own.
I feel that we are in a better position as an organization to impact the
complex challenges we face with a larger budget than we were. However, it
is more important than ever that we understand where we are going and how
our philosophy fits in. The question of what can we change to address the
challenges of the world and what do we need the world to change is more
important than ever, and I don't see anyone asking questions like that
outside of this organization. With our strengths and our failings, I think
our understanding of asking for help and looking for our own solutions is
what has set us apart in my mind, and while it is risky, I think that
branching out is a risk worth taking to try to have a wider impact. We need
the help of all members, though, to handle change.
Best regards,
Steve Jacobson
On Sun, 30 Mar 2014 12:57:22 -0600, Jamie Principato wrote:
>Arielle,
>That was a very thoughtful and politically sensitive response.
>Joe,
>I am pleased to see I am not alone in making these observations furring
>my own relationship with the NFB. while I
deeply respect the organization's history and truly appreciate the raw
potential the organization has moving forward, the passion I joined with
back in high school has turned to cautious cynicism. I don't think this
perspective is bad, though. I think the NFB desperately needs members who
can see past the smoke and mirrors of PR, and who are willing to discuss
issues of blindness and politics in a no-nonsense way that isn't always easy
to hear. It is a shame though when those of us less willing to toe the line
and pander to those with political power are treated with hostility by some
at the national level, and more still within our local chapters.
>Sent from my iPhone
>> On Mar 30, 2014, at 12:00 PM, Arielle Silverman <arielle71 at gmail.com>
wrote:
>>
>> Hi Joe,
>>
>> Thanks for sharing your experiences. I have not been following the
>> Braille Monitor that closely but I can understand what you are saying
>> about the increased emphasis on fund-raising. I have also felt like
>> the national convention is turning into more of a carnival with all
>> the exhibitors and prizes being given away, and much of banquet that
>> used to focus on philosophy and NFB spirit is now taken up with prize
>> drawings and the like.
>> To be fair, NFB was stronger financially when we joined than it is
>> now, and I understand that some national programs have been cut due
>> to a decrease in revenue from what used to be steady reliable income
>> sources. So NFB may be pushing fund-raising more, but the alternative
>> could be a loss of programs and resources.
>> I have not heard of anyone being blatantly turned away or refused
>> membership in an NFB chapter. If that ever happens it is truly
>> shameful. I do think that sometimes prospective members choose not to
>> join because they perceive hostility from the organization or
>> judgment of their lifestyle choices. I think part of that is
>> perception only, and part of it is reality. The NFB is stereotyped as
>> a radical one-size-fits-all organization, and new members expecting
>> to find that could be especially sensitive to cues of hostility.
>> However, there probably is some real lack of acceptance among certain
>> segments of the organization, which, again, is unfortunate. I will
>> say that I am not the most graceful blind person and was relatively
>> unskilled when I first joined, and I still felt completely accepted.
>> But I know not all of us are so lucky. I would encourage prospective
>> members who have a negative experience to try again in a different
>> chapter or division and perhaps they will find acceptance there. But
>> at the same time, this is something we need to be sensitive to in the
organization.
>>
>> Arielle
>>
>>> On 3/30/14, Michael Capelle <michael.capelle at frontier.com> wrote:
>>> Hello all.
>>> This is why I am not apart of any "blind movement." I live my own
>>> life, live my own philosophy, ETC. I do not believe in a one size
>>> fits all mentality, which is unfurtunately what the NFB does.
>>> Thanks.
>>> Mike
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: RJ Sandefur
>>> Sent: Sunday, March 30, 2014 11:51 AM
>>> To: jsoro620 at gmail.com ; National Association of Blind Students
>>> mailing list
>>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Success and Why I Left the NFB
>>>
>>> Joe, I agree with you. I had to attend both college, and Seminary
>>> without the NFB's help, although it would have been nice to have a
>>> mentoor. RJ
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "Joe" <jsoro620 at gmail.com>
>>> To: "'National Association of Blind Students mailing list'"
>>> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Sunday, March 30, 2014 12:25 PM
>>> Subject: [nabs-l] Success and Why I Left the NFB
>>>
>>>
>>>> 2006 was the last year I attended a national convention. While
>>>> there I was caught up in the ra ra of the movement and felt glad to
>>>> be in the company
>>>>
>>>> of
>>>> so many people who could relate to the challenges that awaited me
>>>> as a recent college graduate. I left convention, finished up my
>>>> summer as a counselor in Iowa, and set off for DC to begin my
>>>> business with the real world. I would never take away someone's
>>>> enthusiasm from attending a national convention or Washington
>>>> Seminar or one of the weekend leadership seminars in Baltimore.
>>>> They are very well-suited to boost a person's spirit, but I believe
>>>> too many people fall through the cracks when faced with reality
>>>> outside of those infrequent gatherings.
>>>>
>>>> To be fair, the organization is no different from any other
>>>> nonprofit business. It needs money to sustain itself, and in turn
>>>> it needs more members to help raise the money. Still, I found it
>>>> rather disappointing that so much of the board meeting I tuned into
>>>> listen to last summer was dominated by calls to raise money for
>>>> this fund or that effort. I found it even sadder that a recent
>>>> issue of the Braille Monitor, our monthly dose of inspiration,
>>>> featured several articles just to the focus of generating more ways
>>>> to drum up more financial support, but perhaps the most frustrating
>>>> byproduct of this new NFB are the e-mails from so-called friends
>>>> from whom
>>>>
>>>> I
>>>> have not heard in years but boldly ask me to contribute to their
>>>> NFB fundraising campaigns.
>>>>
>>>> In short, at some point the NFB embraced enterprise and forgot
>>>> about the movement. Between 2006 and 2012 I went on to help lead
>>>> development efforts for other nonprofits outside of the blindness
>>>> field, also national in scope.
>>>> They too made fundraising a priority, but it never felt like the
>>>> top, or the only, priority. It gets tiresome when we focus on
>>>> recruiting new blood and raising new money and forget about
>>>> strengthening the members and resources we've already had.
>>>>
>>>> Nowadays I have the privilege of knowing some excellent blind
>>>> professionals.
>>>> I think they would do well in the NFB. They are smarter than I ever
>>>> will be and have accomplished more than I may ever achieve, but
>>>> they shun the organization because they were turned away or because
>>>> they were never welcomed in the first place. It's something I
>>>> should have kept in mind when I had my brief taste of leadership in
>>>> the organization. I had too much of
>>>>
>>>> a
>>>> mouth on me to ever be anyone's golden child, but I was reliable
>>>> enough to get the job done. But, getting the job done should have
>>>> really meant attracting and pulling in these men and women who
>>>> could have made the NFB lots better, listening to new ideas, and
>>>> most important, remaining true to the cause and not some
>>>> multi-million-dollar institute we find ourselves incapable of
>>>> sustaining.
>>>>
>>>> So, what does any of this have to do with the original post? I
>>>> don't want
>>>>
>>>> it
>>>> to ever be said I was a hypocrite. The leadership may as well know
>>>> what I think of them, but more importantly, to the college kids on
>>>> the verge of spreading their own wings, I want you to know the NFB
>>>> banner will only guide your way so far. Take what's great about the
>>>> organization and leave the political drama and marketing ploys
>>>> behind. In the end it will be your own wits and talents that will
>>>> earn your pay check. The NFB will never give you anything new. The
>>>> philosophy merely helps you uncover what you always had
>>>>
>>>> to
>>>> be successful. Anything could happen with the new NFB president,
>>>> and I will be the first to retract my words if he is brave enough
>>>> to reverse this downward spiral. You see, we no longer live in a
>>>> world where the NFB is necessary for collective momentum.
>>>> Technology has seen to that. Whether or not the movement sticks
>>>> around largely depends on how badly we want it to exist.
>>>>
>>>> Is the ACB doing it any better? That's debatable, but you know what
>>>> I've found from the people I've met on that side of the house? They
>>>> seem happier, and that's something we can't seem to figure out in
>>>> our camp. The few victories they celebrate they do with even less
>>>> money. Let that be a lesson in financial management to you.
>>>>
>>>> I don't know what the hell I'm doing back here. I told myself I
>>>> would never become one of those bitter former NFB members. My only
>>>> goal was to provide different perspectives to the new generation of
>>>> leaders coming up through the ranks. After all, if you never taste
>>>> the real world, you have no business leading. That's like the
>>>> teacher who teaches because they couldn't cut it, and believe it or
>>>> not, I want to see more and more of you excel at whatever it is you
>>>> want to do. The more of you there are, the greater our strength.
>>>>
>>>> Moving forward I reckon I'll keep my opinions to myself here lest I
>>>> be the rotten apple that spoils the bunch, but in some lame attempt
>>>> to answer the original question, my answer would be this:
>>>>
>>>> The characteristics of a successful blind person are humility to
>>>> consume what they need to be successful, fortitude to turn away
>>>> what will not, and wisdom to recognize the difference.
>>>>
>>>> Joe
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Twitter: @ScribblingJoe
>>>>
>>>> Visit my blog:
>>>> http://joeorozco.com/blog
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
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>>>
>>>
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