[nfb-db] We Need Your Support

[Mussie]

Hi John,
I will certainly sign up. I was also shocked that AADB's board decided to 
postpone the convention despite the efforts of people to raise and 
contribute money (I am one of them and now feel my contributions are 
worthless). It is astounding that AADB proclaims to advocate for the 
deaf-blind community, yet the NFB and other blindness organizations are the 
only ones holding annual conventions. That is really irritating --  
deaf-blind people need a powerful and influential voice, and conventions 
help promote the interests and needs of the deaf-blind community. At the 
2003 convention, two important participants included a state senator and the 
head of the Rehabilitation Services Administration.
I believe that without a convention, AADB lacks credibility to speak up for 
the needs of deaf-blind Americans that the NFB speaks for the blind to 
influence policies and programs affecting individuals who are deaf-blind at 
every level of government. So, I hope AADB hears our voices loud and clear 
and does not sit on its hands while other organizations (not to mention deaf 
organizations) actively promote their interests through conventions.
Good luck John! Keep the effort up.
Mussie
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "John Lee Clark" <johnlee at clarktouch.com>
To: "'NFB Deaf-Blind Division Mailing List'" <nfb-db at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, July 04, 2009 9:23 PM
Subject: [nfb-db] We Need Your Support


> Can I add your name in support of our efforts to convince the board of 
> AADB
> to give us back our most cherished tradition: the national conference. 
> Many
> deaf-blind people do not have email and are not able to speak up in such a
> short time, so this petition needs support from ANYONE who understands how
> important our conferences are to us.
>
> For more information, read the petition below.  I hope you will be willing
> to add your name.  If so, you can reply to this message with "Yes!" and I
> will add your name.  Also, forward to those you think might want to 
> support.
> Thanks!
>
> We, the members and friends of the American Association of the Deaf-Blind,
> were shocked and heartbroken when Arthur Roehrig, on his last day as
> president (Tuesday, June 30, 2009), announced that the board had voted two
> months earlier to postpone the next conference to 2013.  This means seven
> years of no conference.  We find this unacceptable.
>
> In his letter, the president explained that AADB did not have enough money
> for a conference.  That is not true.  AADB DOES have the money, but the
> board decided to use it to maintain AADB Office staff and expenses, which
> total around $300,000.  Most of this money comes from a fund AADB had for
> many years, that used to be solely for conferences.  We ask the board of
> AADB to use this fund for conferences again.  Ever since the expansion of
> AADB Office affected our conferences, members have made it clear on many
> occasions that we want the deaf-blind community's most important cultural
> touchstone back: the conferences.
>
> In the same letter, the president mentioned that the host organization for
> the next conference had found a hotel available for 2011.  The hotel
> requires a $25,000 deposit.  The host organization even raised $10,000 on
> its own.  That left $15,000.  But the board decided to postpone the
> conference with the hope that the host organization would raise more 
> money.
>
> We are disappointed that the board did not make cuts to the already
> overpriced and ineffective AADB Office (for an organization of our size,
> four hundred deaf-blind members) and transfer $15,000 to the hotel to
> complete the deposit.
>
> We affirm that the conferences are of utmost importance to the deaf-blind
> community.  We ask the board to get the next conference back on track for
> 2011.  We request that the board transfer $15,000 to complete the hotel
> deposit by the end of July.  Failure to do so will result in the members
> among the undersigned withdrawing our memberships and requesting refunds,
> followed by other acts of protest by members and our allies.
>
> Members and non-members, deaf-blind and others, all are welcome to support
> our cause.  If you would like to sign this petition, email your name and
> city to ipo56 at aol.com by July 10.  The leaders of this petition will 
> submit
> it to the board of AADB on that day.
>
> Thank you for your support!
>
> Petition Leaders
>
> Melanie Bond
> Bay City, Michigan
>
> John Lee Clark
> St. Paul, Minnesota
>
>
>
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