[nfb-talk] NY Times Article on Gov. Paterson and Braille

[Joe Orozco]

David,

The number of entry points to blindness are as plentiful as our membership
is diverse.  I completely acknowledge that the issue is vast and that there
is no one single approach to eradicating poor education systems,
rehabilitation establishments, and uninformed parents, but I dare say there
is more we could do to make the issue a more central part of what the NFB as
a whole is accomplishing.  For instance, am I correct that the Bell program
only exists in certain states?  Is this also true of the mentoring program?
How did the NFB go about procuring the funds to make these programs
possible, and how can states educate themselves on how to make these
programs available in other areas?  How could Affiliate Action play a more
vital role in not just recruiting new members, but turning our existing
members into informed advocates who can communicate more fluently with
teachers, counselors and relevant providers about higher expectations for
their clients?  Is it possible for us to engage a public relations campaign
with the magnitude of the Blind Driver Challenge to send a singular powerful
message that visual impairment of any degree can and should be addressed
with the highest of expectations?  I don't expect all the answers, but I
guess I'm also not looking for more reasons why the issue of closing the gap
between the so-called partially sighted and the totally blind is so
insurmountable.

Best,

Joe

"Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves,
some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all."--Sam Ewing