[nabs-l] IMPORTANT: The #HowEyeSeeIt Campaign from Foundation Fighting Blindness

Wed Sep 28 22:35:39 UTC 2016

Afternoon, Vejas,

Everyone has a right just to be. Not everybody needs to be 
engineered, or changed to fit another's ideal. That's supposedly what 
they have in
America, let's walk the walk, guys.
CarAt 02:39 PM 9/28/2016, Vejas via NABS-L wrote:
>While I respect all of yours and President Riccobono's desire to 
>abolish the blindfold challenge, I still don't quite understand how 
>getting involved is going to be beneficial.
>The  way I see it,  we as an organization also do not agree with the 
>ACB. I'm sure that we would want to try to change ACB peoples views, 
>but we seem to have come to understand that, while we do not agree 
>with them, they are there, and still respect these with an ACB 
>lifestyle.  Similarly, there are training centers all over the 
>country with very low expectations, but we don't really try to 
>implement the NFB model on all of them. Some training centers do 
>come forward and wish to subscribe to the NFB model, such as SAVI of 
>Arizona while I was an LCB student, but had they not wanted to, we 
>never would have tried to implement their way of thinking on them.
>Vejas
>
> > On Sep 28, 2016, at 05:06, Kathryn Webster, NABS President via 
> NABS-L <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> >
> > Dear NABS:
> >
> >
> >
> >                On August 25, 2016, the Foundation Fighting Blindness (FFB)
> > created what they are calling the "Blind fold Challenge," under the hashtag
> > "#HowEyeSeeIt (eye as in E. Y. E.)  In this challenge, people are asked to
> > put on a blind fold for a minimal amount of time to preform a day-to-day
> > task. In doing so, a person is supposedly made aware of what it is like to
> > be a blind person.
> >
> > It is the hopes of the Foundation Fighting Blindness that, because they
> > recognize the struggles blind people face, they will donate money to "cure
> > blindness."
> >
> >
> >
> >                Our members of the National Federation of the Blind have
> > spoken out against this campaign, and we have been silenced. In 
> fact, we are
> > not inherently opposed to medical research for blindness. What we find
> > problematic is the inaccurate portrayal of blind people as helpless; or
> > worse: blindness as something to fear. For example, one of the videos
> > demonstrates "what it would be like if you lost your sight.what it is like
> > to no longer see your children." In an age where blind parents are
> > systematically subjected to third-party custody or separation from their
> > children, on the bases of their blindness, videos misconstruing blind
> > parenting is offensive, dangerous, and frightening to us.
> >
> >
> >
> >                We have explained, using scientific research, why blind fold
> > simulation is harmful in societal interactions and practical 
> application. We
> > have fought back hard, by demonstrating what it is truly like to be blind,
> > independent, and capable. We have been marginally successful. The 
> fight does
> > not stop here. We must continue the fight to show that we can live the life
> > we want.
> >
> >
> >
> > There are three things we must keep in mind and take action:
> >
> > 1. Do not participate in the blindfold challenge: they are destructive and
> > dangerous to our work.
> >
> > 2. Do not donate to this campaign: we are not against medical 
> research, even
> > medical research conducted by the foundation. We are against this campaign,
> > though!
> >
> > 3. Educate people. Please post videos, pictures, and text. This 
> will explain
> > how you live the life you want. We know that blindness is not the
> > characteristic that defines us, or what holds us back. We know, with
> > alternative techniques and proper training, we can perform the same task as
> > an average person in an average setting.
> >
> >
> >
> > In pushing back, we must stay respectful. We must continue educating the
> > public because it is the low expectations of blindness that 
> create obstacles
> > between us and our dreams.
> >
> >
> >
> > I believe in us, the students, to show our capabilities by pushing back on
> > the Blindfold Challenge. Let's join together, the national 
> Federation of the
> > Blind, the most powerful blindness organization in our nation.
> >
> > #HowEyeSeeIt
> >
> >
> >
> > Please let me know if you have any questions; and I can't wait to see all
> > the posts our blind students have to share!
> >
> >
> >
> > Yours and the Movement,
> >
> > Kathryn Webster
> >
> > President | National Association of Blind Students
> >
> > (203) 273-8463
> >
> > Nabs.president at gmail.com <mailto:Nabs.president at gmail.com>
> >
> > Nfb.students.com
> >
> > @nabslink
> >
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