[nfb-db] We Need Your Support

Sun Jul 12 14:40:16 UTC 2009

Maurice,
My apologies, I did not know such discussions were not allowed. I assumed 
that since this list says NFB Deaf-Blind, discussing anything affecting 
deaf-blind people in terms of services and programs offered to them is 
within the boundaries of what the forum should focus on. I am not sure if 
you are the list owner, but would you please post the specific guidelines 
governing use of this list? Because this lsit has been awfully quiet and may 
even lose its usefulness if topics to be discussed are severely restricted.
Thanks -- and again, sorry!
Mussie
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Maurice Mines" <minesm at me.com>
To: "NFB Deaf-Blind Division Mailing List" <nfb-db at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, July 11, 2009 8:03 PM
Subject: Re: [nfb-db] We Need Your Support


> hi this not a aadb list agen please take this off list, now. On Jul 4, 
> 2009, at 11:13 PM, Mussie wrote:
>
>> 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
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> nfb-db mailing list
>>> nfb-db at nfbnet.org
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-db_nfbnet.org
>>
>>
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