[nabs-l] Taking Action on the #HowEyeSeeIt Campaign

Tue Sep 20 05:17:39 UTC 2016

Dear NABSters:

As you may have seen on social media in recent days, various groups
attempting to raise funds for efforts to "cure" blindness have been
conducting a campaign using the hashtag #HowEyeSeeIt. Though we in the
Federation have no problem with medical research on blindness, we are quite
concerned about the misconceptions which are being perpetuated in the
messages sent out as part of this campaign. Therefore, in true Federation
fashion, we have decided to take action. Please see the below messages from
Danielle Trevino and President Riccobono respectively, and participate in
our counter-campaign by sharing videos of how you live the life you want
every day. Also, when you post your videos, please mention @nabslink in your
tweets and tag Nabs Link in your Facebook posts so we can share your
demonstrations far and wide. As Meet the Blind Month approaches, we have a
unique opportunity to educate the public in a way which will have a lasting
and widespread impact. Now, let's show the world how we really see it!

Thanks for all you do,

Chris Nusbaum, Board Member

National Association of Blind Students

Good morning: 

Please see the below message that President Riccobono sent out to affiliate
leaders this weekend. It is important that we take action to push back on
the harmful message that this campaign is spreading. Please note that
thehashtag is spelled using the word "eye," not the letter I. Thank you. 

Dear Federation Affiliate Leaders: 

Some of you have brought to my attention the social media campaign using the
hashtag #HowEyeSeeIt. The people using this hashtag are making videos of
themselves attempting to do everyday tasks under blindfold with the
misguided view that this experience will help them know what it is like to
be blind. The motivation for the campaign is to raise funding to eliminate
blindness. We in the National Federation of the Blind know that blindness
doesn't hold us back. We also know that living with blindness requires
learning the techniques blind people use to do everyday tasks without
vision. We are not opposed to medical research, but the way to generate
interest in medical research is not by further spreading the fear of
blindness and strengthening misconceptions about the lived experience of
blind people. 

The current videos being circulated with the #HowEyeSeeIt campaign are
perpetuating the idea that blindness is something to be feared and that
blind people adhere to low expectations. Some of the tasks people are
encouraged to do in this campaign are having a friend give them an
unidentified amount of cash and then, under blindfold, attempting to pay for
a meal with this money. Another particularly outrageous example is people
are asked to attempt to take care of your child for one minute while
blindfolded. At a time when we have launched new efforts for blind parents
who have their children take away because of misconceptions about blindness,
this is dangerous and offensive. These examples and the dozens of others
used in the campaign rely on the notion that vision is a requirement for
success, but we know the truth-blindness does not define us or our future.

It is critical that we now join together to combat this harmful campaign. I
urge all Federation leaders to lead by example and to encourage the members
of the Federation in your state to join with me in changing the perception
that blindness is something to be feared and that significantly limits our
lives. Now is the time to turn our fear into power and that power into
action. We have the opportunity to demonstrate how we live the lives we want
as blind people in a commanding way. All you have to do is:

1.       Make a video of yourself accomplishing an everyday task as a blind
person. For example, show how you dance, sing, exercise, care for your
children, go to school or work, play sports, manage your finances, travel,
participate in social events, enjoy your hobbies-in short, take a video of
yourself living the life you want.

2.       At the end of your video, say that you're a proud member of the
National Federation of the Blind, and tag three friends or family members to
keep the trend going. You can also urge your audience to make a donation to
the NFB.

3.       Upload your video to social media using the hashtag #HowEyeSeeIt.
Make sure to link to our website,  <http://www.nfb.org> www.nfb.org, and tag
the NFB in your Tweet, Facebook, or Instagram post. If the people you
mentioned in your video are on social media, be sure to tag them too. 

Together, we can show the world that blindness is not what holds us back by
demonstrating how we live the lives we want. We've published a blog, "
<https://nfb.org/blog/vonb-blog/challenging-fear-blindness> Challenging the
Fear of Blindness," that I encourage you to share. Please be sure to share
with me other ideas you have about how we take this opportunity to
demonstrate the truth about blindness. Send me an email with your ideas to
<mailto:officeofthepresident at nfb.org> officeofthepresident at nfb.org. Please
provide me with updates on how the effort is moving forward in your
affiliate and how I can help.

Let us work together with love, hope, and determination to erase the fear of
blindness and raise expectations.

Danielle Trevino

Coordinator for Social Media and Member Engagement

National Federation of the Blind

Chris Nusbaum, President

Maryland Association of Blind Students

Board Member, National Association of Blind Students

Phone: (443) 547-2409

Email: dotkid.nusbaum at gmail.com <mailto:dotkid.nusbaum at gmail.com> 

Twitter: @Chrisn98 and @nabslink

The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the
characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise
expectations for blind people, because low expectations create obstacles
between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want;
blindness is not what holds you bak.