[nfb-db] HKNC

Thu May 23 06:53:02 UTC 2013

Hi Everyone:

First, I want to say I am very disappointed by how many of you have
been treated at conventions and such by the NFB.
I have never had this experience of being treated rudely. I am
saddened to learn of this, because I love the NFB, and it's positive
philosophy, and I think everyone should be able to enjoy it and
participate in the organization.
I have a question. I have been selected to attend a leadership seminar
at the National center next week. Apparently, htis seminar is for
young, up and coming leaders. It is by invitation only, and I was
recomended by my state president and so was invited.
What can I do as a young leader to help combat this problem in the
federation? It is wrong people are being treated this way and if
someone wants to go to convention they should be able to and have full
access to the information!! What can I do to help with this?
The way people have been treated by federationists is wrong, and ridiculous!!
Marsha and everyone, please don't give up. The more of us who become
leaders and stand up and make our voices heard, the more the NFB will
have to wake up and listen. We must not give up. We must make our
voices heard.
Marsha, as for your question, I just recently attended training. I
decided to attend LCB because I felt they pushed their students and
challenged them more than HKNC does. I am not against HKNC, I just
didn't think it would push and challenge me the way LCB would. I had a
very positive experience at LCB, and I learned many techniques for
communicating to compensate for my hearing loss. I also learned how to
get assistance/use a sign to get assistance in crossing streets. They
also taught me how to mental map, use the sun, cardinal directions,
and we worked a ton on communication.
I also wonder what the NFB's position is on HKNC. I wish HKNC pushed
and challenged their students the way the NFB centers do.
Thanks,
Kerri

On 5/22/13, Sheila Leigland <sleigland at bresnan.net> wrote:
> yes, I am exploring the posibility of going to hknc for training. My
> blindness skills are good but mixed with hearing loss I could use some
> training.
> On 5/22/2013 8:37 PM, Marsha Drenth wrote:
>>
>> Sheila,
>> Your exploring the option of going to HKNC for training? Just wanted to
>> clarify.
>>
>> Marsha drenth
>> Sent with my IPhone
>>
>> On May 22, 2013, at 1:35 PM, Sheila Leigland <sleigland at bresnan.net>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> hi marsha I am considering this also for the same reason that you are.
>>> and we as federationists better wake up and start treating each other
>>> with the respect that we claime to deserve and want. I hope to meet you
>>> at comvention this year.
>>> On 5/21/2013 8:14 PM, Marsha Drenth wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Hello Listers,
>>>>
>>>> For the past year I have lost a significant amount of hearing. Last
>>>> tested I was at a 100DB loss. I have been totally blind for the last 10
>>>> years. as a child I attended a school for the blind. So my blindness
>>>> skills are good. But now with the loss of my hearing, life has certainly
>>>> gotten interesting and challenging. I will be the first to say that I
>>>> have been struggling. Currently I am a full time student at a major
>>>> university pursuing a degree in Social Work. I have one year left.
>>>>
>>>> So my questions are this, Has anyone on this list been to HKNC? I know
>>>> the NFB advocates for a blindness skills training center, but that is
>>>> NOT what i need. my OVR came to and has recommended that I go to HKNC
>>>> for training. If you have been, I have a whole slue of questions, that
>>>> i'll ask at another point.
>>>>
>>>> What is the NFB's stance on HKNC? This by no means will impact my
>>>> desicion to go or not to go. I am curious.
>>>>
>>>> I guess a better reason of why I ask the above questions, is that I have
>>>> been an NFB member for my entire life, my parents, my grandparents all
>>>> have been in the NFB. my grandparents were around when the two
>>>> organizations split. I have grown up with the positive philosophy. I get
>>>> it, I truely do. But here I have been thrust into the world of
>>>> deafblindness. Not many people know this yet, as I am working to figure
>>>> things out, I am only begining to be comfortable with expressing my
>>>> needs to others. I know that is whole another subject on acceptance, but
>>>> that is not my point for this post.
>>>>
>>>> I will relay an experience I had at my last national convention, last
>>>> year in Dallas. I was in the general session, I got up to go to the
>>>> bathroom, found my way out fine. Found the bathroom fine. But when I
>>>> entered the big huge room, I was lost. I asked persons around me where I
>>>> was. People were rude. i said I can't hear. people made fun of me. I
>>>> walked around looking for my state for atleast 15 minutes. I was
>>>> frustrated, I didn't know which way was to the front or the back of the
>>>> room or the way to get out.
>>>>
>>>> I tell you all this, because I realized that my ability to hear, my
>>>> independence was changing. There were other times that I got lost, but
>>>> people were so rude, so mean. When I expressed that I was hard of
>>>> hearing and totally blind, people did not understand, care, or get it.
>>>> In other words I was shunned, looked down upon, made fun of.
>>>>
>>>> Why can't people in the NFB accept persons who are different? Why are us
>>>> who are deafblind looked down upon? And if confirmed, its just because
>>>> our blindness skills are lacking. That is not the case.
>>>>
>>>> So do the NFB people look down upon those who go to HKNC? Is there a
>>>> difference in training philosophy? Again I said this won't change my
>>>> desision to go for training or not. more curious than anything.
>>>>
>>>> Look folks I don't want to argue about this, but I do want answers.
>>>>
>>>> Thank you for reading, and sorry this is so long....
>>>>
>>>> Marsha drenth
>>>> Sent with my IPhone
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