[NABS-L] Fwd: [Perform-Talk] Saving Envision’s College Success Program from Cancelation or Degradation

[Armando Vias]

Signed
Sent from my iPhone

On Apr 3, 2024, at 8:01 PM, Cricket Bidleman via NABS-L <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:

 Of possible interest
Sent from my iPhone

Begin forwarded message:

From: Personal via Perform-Talk <perform-talk at nfbnet.org>
Date: April 3, 2024 at 19:26:06 EDT
To: NFB Performing Arts Mailing List <perform-talk at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Personal <tashea92 at gmail.com>
Subject: [Perform-Talk] Saving Envision’s College Success Program from Cancelation or Degradation
Reply-To: Performing Arts Division list <perform-talk at nfbnet.org>


I am not sure if this is an appropriate place for this request, but I believe that this is an issue that any current or former blind or visually impaired student can relate to and recognize the importance of.

My fellow College Success mentees and I recently and abruptly learned that Envision would be suspending the college Success Program and all of its activities. This is a program that links blind and visually impaired college students with empathetic blind and visually impaired mentors who can guide and support us through college and post-graduation career planning. It’’s a fantastic program that has helped so many students by giving us a safe place to receive guidance from those who have already faced and surmounted similar challenges and support from fellow students who share the same journey. While they have said that their intention is that the program will be suspended for only a few months, we are not sure if the program is coming back. And while the letter stated that they will be assessing and reevaluating the program, we are  also concerned about the fact that they are doing so without the consideration and input of the mentees who are affected the most by changes.

This suspension has essentially and suddenly left mentees without guidance in the middle of the school semester. Those of us who were being supported in our career development, have also been similarly impacted.

We are also not sure if our mentors will be kept on following changes to the program and so are concerned about who will be mentoring us in the future, and if they will even identify with us as blind individuals.

In order to address our concerns, what we consider to be a complete lack of consideration, and the potential threat of   Them implementing a program that refuses the input of the mentees it is proposed to support, my fellow mentees and I have written a group letter and have made it into a petition. We  are asking anyone we can to support us by signing and sharing the letter via Change.org.

So, if you are comfortable and can sympathize or empathize with our concerns, we would be so grateful if you could  please sign and share with any family, friends, coworkers, and organizations who may be sympathetic to our cause. I will include the link below. The letter included in the petition explains in further detail, our love for this program and our mentors as well as  the actions we hope to be  taken.

<https://chng.it/Fh64Htb8Z9>
<DRQxRPeUQnwKvef-1600x900-noPad.jpg>
Can you spare a minute to help this campaign?<https://chng.it/Fh64Htb8Z9>
chng.it<https://chng.it/Fh64Htb8Z9>


Thank you so much in advance for all of your consideration.
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