[Nfb-editors] Purpose of a NFB publication

[Wunder, Gary]

Hi Bridgit. One of the things I like in your note was your observation that "We now have the opportunity to explore a future of our own making.  Jobs, school and families are not dreams we long for, but are realities within our reach." 

One of the questions I've been struggling with is how to start a dialogue, probably in the Braille Monitor, about whether these are still the widely-shared dreams of blind people. I read the statistics about our unemployment, and in my job searches have certainly encountered discrimination, but I can't tell you of very many Missourians who are actively out looking for work. Neither can I tell you about many who are employed.

In my younger days there were blind people who were smart and articulate who simply would not tackle the challenge of going to get a job. Some of them were amateur radio operators and spent their days doing good by taking Western Union style messages and sending them free of charge across the country and the world. The message might be as simple as happy birthday or as complicated as "I'm going in for surgery tomorrow. I will let you know how it goes. I will appreciate your prayers." Still other amateur radio operators would connect their telephone and radio and help people talk to loved ones. This, of course, was before the days of free long distance. 

The thing I want to focus on here was that the folks who spent most of their time doing this substituted these volunteer tasks for employment. They were not seeking jobs. They were getting fulfillment but from a very different source because our society, whether through SSI, SSDI I, the Missouri blind pension, or some other program, was perfectly willing to give them at least a minimal level of support and didn't challenge them with the tough question "Why aren't you employed?"

Today I think I see our young blind folks substituting the Internet for ham radio. Maybe they are all about building websites to communicate something special they believe they know about blindness. Some do their own radio shows. Some make podcasts. The shows and topics seem to be all over the place. On one podcast I follow, which is usually technical in nature, one person put up a recording demonstrating how to change a diaper, while another produced a podcast of his dog guide popping the bubbles that are found in shrink wrap. Both were similar--lots of rustling plastic but not a lot of information. I do not object to what anyone wants to do for entertainment, but my concern is that these playtime activities are being substituted for what I see as a major life activity and responsibility, that being to earn a living and do these other things as time allows.

I think the question I would like to explore is whether the work ethic which burned in so many folks of my generation still is prevalently found today. If not, who put out the fire and how do we rekindle it? Is our safety net frequently being used as a means of permanent support, and, if it is, is there something we can and should do about it? 

Some folks I know claim they had to do upwards of a hundred interviews to get their first job. Is this still true today? If so, I'm not hearing about it. My fear is that, with all of the civil rights protections and advances in technology, we still have a significant number of intelligent blind people who aren't taking advantage of a world which is more receptive today than ever it has been in the past to getting us employed and accepting us as capable human beings in society.

I think the dream we share is worth dreaming and that what we dream of is attainable. Are there more effective ways for us to sell this dream? If so, how can our newsletters and our Braille Monitor help?  As I look at the most recent issue of the students late, it is perfectly obvious to me that some still buy the dream. The question really is how many, and are there better ways for us to sell the dream of equality so that more young folks act on it?

Gary