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

Thu Sep 29 22:06:52 UTC 2016

Carl,
Great points. We cannot compare what the ACB does for advocacy with the FFB. 
They have different goals, missions and structures.

So, where can I see some of these harmful videos? I'll have to see the ffb 
website and see what it says about their campaign.

Ashley

-----Original Message----- 
From: Karl Martin Adam via NABS-L
Sent: Wednesday, September 28, 2016 7:42 PM
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
Cc: Karl Martin Adam
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] IMPORTANT: The #HowEyeSeeIt Campaign from 
FoundationFighting Blindness

The ACB isn't running a campaign to convince sighted people that
the blind are incompetent and thereby making it less likely blind
people will be hired and more likely judges, juries, and social
workers will feel justified in taking away the children of blind
parents.

----- Original Message -----
From: Vejas via NABS-L <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org
Date sent: Wed, 28 Sep 2016 14:39:45 -0700
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] IMPORTANT: The #HowEyeSeeIt Campaign from
FoundationFighting Blindness

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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