[NABS-L] Conversation Starter: How do you feel about the agency pledge resolution?
Robin
robin-melvin at comcast.net
Sat Jul 18 00:13:41 UTC 2020
So "Those People are No Different than in the
Sighted Community as it pertains to Their Beliefs
when it comes to Affirmative Action , & Based on
that, I can presume a Lot of Things about Them
At 04:57 PM 7/17/2020, you wrote:
>Yes, cricket I think it would be a situation
>where those who were hired had relevant
>qualifications. I know that I have been hearing
>a bit about affirmative action from some people
>that I talk to in the Federation, and they seem
>to automatically assume incompetence when
>affirmative action is brought up. in other
>words, there’s always a narrative about how
>so-and-so was put into a position without
>appropriate qualifications and was incompetent
>but hired anyway. I don’t buy it, just sharing
>some experience from the last couple of days
>when I listen to people talk about this
>resolution. Sent from my iPhone > On Jul 17,
>2020, at 6:44 PM, Cricket Bidleman via NABS-L
><nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote: > > Hi folks, > >
>Interesting conversation. What defines
>qualified? This is pretty much affirmative
>action. What’s your response to affirmative
>action? And for those who support one but not
>the other, why? > > > Emily, as far as I
>understand it, this resolution would provide for
>qualified blind people to get in those
>organizations to make the appropriate changes.
>Am I misinterpreting? > > > Best, > CXB > > — >
>Crickket X. Bidleman (she/her/hers) > Stanford
>University | Class of 2021 > BA Candidate |
>Communications > Accessibility Consultant |
>Stanford University Computer Science > Director
>of Communications | Associated Students of
>Stanford University (ASSU) > President |
>California Association of Blind Students
>(CABS) > >> On Jul 17, 2020, at 16:31, Emily
>Schlenker via NABS-L <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
>wrote: >> >> I think it is a rigid and
>reactionary way of thinking, Justin. fact is,
>there are lots and lots of highly educated blind
>people who could do jobs at these agencies, so
>the argument that we would be putting people in
>who are not qualified is not reasonable. >> >>
>Sent from my iPhone >> >>>> On Jul 17, 2020, at
>5:54 PM, Justin Salisbury via NABS-L
><nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote: >>> >>> I support
>it, as well. >>> >>> What do you all say to the
>people who are universally opposed to quotas
>designed to help minorities? >>> >>> Sent from
>my iPhone >>> >>> Justin Mark Hideaki
>Salisbury >>> >>> Mobile: 808.797.8606 >>>
>Email:
>808salisbury at gmail.com<mailto:808salisbury at gmail.com>
> >>> ResearchGate:
>https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Justin_Salisbury
> >>> LinkedIn:
>https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-salisbury >>>
> >>> >>> >>>> On Jul 17, 2020, at 4:46 PM, Cory
>McMahon
><cory.j.mcmahon at gmail.com<mailto:cory.j.mcmahon at gmail.com>>
>wrote: >>> >>> I support it. >>> >>>
>-----Original Message----- >>> From: NABS-L
><nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org<mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org>>
>On Behalf Of Justin Salisbury via >>> NABS-L >>>
>Sent: Friday, July 17, 2020 3:33 PM >>> To:
>National Association of Blind Students mailing
>list
><nabs-l at nfbnet.org<mailto:nabs-l at nfbnet.org>> >>>
> Cc: Justin Salisbury
><PRESIDENT at alumni.ecu.edu<mailto:PRESIDENT at alumni.ecu.edu>>
> >>> Subject: [NABS-L] Conversation Starter: How
>do you feel about the agency >>> pledge
>resolution? >>> >>> Aloha Fellow
>Federationists, >>> >>> I am enjoying the
>discussion surrounding one of this year's
>resolutions. I >>> want to know how our NABS
>members feel about it, so please share your >>>
>thoughts. Here is the resolution: >>> >>>
>Resolution 2020-05: Regarding Blind Leadership
>at Private Agencies for the >>> Blind WHEREAS,
>over 200 private agencies in the US have been
>created to >>> serve the blind; and WHEREAS, an
>essential part of the governing structure >>> of
>an agency for the blind is to include the
>processes, policies, and >>> procedures that
>will ensure that the agency for the blind
>administration is >>> responsive to the
>interests, needs, and aspirations of its
>constituency; and >>> WHEREAS, the most
>authentic representatives of the constituency of
>agencies >>> that serve the blind are blind
>people who have the lived experience of >>>
>blindness and have shown the commitment to
>engage in self-organization and >>> who are
>willing to be partners, directors, or managers
>of agencies for the >>> blind and advisors to
>them: Now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the
>National >>> Federation of the Blind in
>Convention assembled this eighteenth day of
>July, >>> 2020, that this organization call upon
>agencies for the blind to adopt the >>> formal
>goal of committing to a governing structure with
>numeric parity >>> between blind and sighted
>directors and managers, which will ensure >>>
>partnership with the blind who have dedicated
>their lives to improvement of >>> blindness
>services nationally; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED
>that we call upon >>> and invite all United
>States blindness agencies to formally adopt
>the >>> following Blindness Parity Pledge, to
>wit: >>> Our agency, the [NAME OF ORGANIZATION],
>was created and exists to help blind >>> people.
>We believe that those in whose name we serve
>should be represented >>> in parity in the
>governing board of directors and agency
>management. This >>> parity will result in blind
>people having a significant contribution to
>help >>> guide the services our agency provides
>and guiding the most effective ways >>> to give
>it. Therefore, we pledge ourselves to the values
>and commitments >>> that follow: >>> We are
>managed by executives who are compensated for
>their work, and those >>> executives, in turn,
>are managed by a board of directors. We believe
>that >>> blind people must be a part of any
>blind agency's management team at both of >>>
>these levels. While setting any particular
>percentage may appear to be >>> arbitrary, we
>know that, without a number it is impossible to
>measure >>> whether we are meeting our goal of
>significant involvement. We therefore >>> pledge
>that this agency will measure, in five years or
>less, at least half >>> of our management team
>be composed of people who are blind. We
>further >>> pledge that within the same
>five-year period our organization will commit
>to >>> a minimum of 50 percent of its governing
>Board of Directors be composed of >>> people who
>are blind. >>> To underscore the importance of
>parity representing those we serve, we >>>
>pledge to amend our by-laws to ensure that the
>parity, once achieved, will >>> continue as a
>hallmark and point of pride in our agency in
>perpetuity. >>> >>> We believe there is no
>better way to demonstrate our commitment to
>the >>> constituency we serve than to have blind
>people contributing by being part >>> of our
>management. Our agency's current operation and
>its goals for the >>> future must be informed by
>those we serve, and we must, in appearance and
>in >>> fact be guided by blind peoples'
>experience and aspirations at every level. >>>
>The effect of blind parity and inclusion will
>ultimately help our agency >>> address the
>accessibility needs of those we serve. They will
>help ensure >>> that every document we create
>will be accessible. With our full community >>>
>engaged, we will strive to see that our presence
>on the World Wide Web is >>> exemplary and
>serves to demonstrate that websites can be both
>visually >>> attractive and completely usable
>with screen reading technology. >>> Furthermore,
>our commitment to accessibility will extend far
>beyond the >>> written word. When we produce
>charts, graphs, and documents with pictures, >>>
>we will use state-of-the-art technology to make
>these accessible for the >>> blind. >>> We value
>the feedback and active participation of blind
>people in the >>> development and implementation
>of the services we provide. In addition to >>>
>reaching parity on our board and management
>team, we pledge also to create a >>> working
>committee of the consumers we serve to meet
>regularly throughout the >>> year and advise on
>best practices in our programs and services. The
>members >>> of this independent advisory
>committee and the chairperson of the
>committee >>> will be chosen by the consumers
>themselves and meet at least quarterly with >>>
>senior management to build an agency which will
>continue to grow in >>> responsive, relevant and
>blind-positive ways. >>> >>>
>_______________________________________________ >
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