[nfb-talk] NFB beginnings

Tue Aug 8 14:24:45 UTC 2017

I don't intend this as a criticism of what you are saying, Star Gazer, 
but I would very much encourage people to attend local chapter meetings. 
I can't tell you how surprising it is for me, personally, to find myself 
writing that. I used to think I had no reason to go to the local chapter 
meetings because I'm not a blind person. I am a person who happens to be 
blind. So why would I  want to hang out with other blind people? As it 
turns out that attending the local chapter meetings has a lot to offer:

1. Energy: Everyone struggles with blindness from time to time. I have 
found it refreshing to be around people who are as imperfect as I am and 
yet deal with these problems every day. The strength I've seen in others 
has made me stronger.

2. Mentoring: People who have recently lost their vision can benefit a 
great deal just by being around others who havn't let their blindness 
change their life significantly. I don't think you even have to take an 
active mentoring role. Just talking about your job, your family, your 
hobbies, how you exercise -- all those things show a newly blind person 
that life can be pretty normal.

3. Information: I've learned a lot of adaptive techniques from my 
friends at the local chapter. We compare guide dogs, guide dog schools, 
canes, methods for learning braille, all kinds of things.

4. Socialization.: Honestly, it's just a really fun group of people. We 
are planning on renting paddle boats a week from Saturday. I just know 
with that group, it is going to be a blast.

5. Advocacy: First of all, there are important local issues your NFB 
chapter might deal with. Secondly, the NFB's policies start at the base. 
The people at your local NFB chapter are the ones who will be going to 
the NFB convention and voting on resolutions.

On 08/08/2017 08:23 AM, Star Gazer via nfb-talk wrote:
> 			Hi. Have you found others that agree with you? Do
> they want to get involved and make the sort of changes you do? Can they in
> the sense that do they have commitments and/or lifestyles that would make
> what you are proposing difficult?
> At this point in my life, meetings are the last thing I want to do. That
> will probably change, but now my focus is on my kids and husband.
> Your first step is finding others that are agree with you and then finding
> ways they can get involved that work for them.
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nfb-talk [mailto:nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of adrijana
> prokopenko via nfb-talk
> Sent: Tuesday, August 8, 2017 9:10 AM
> To: NFB Talk Mailing List <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: adrijana prokopenko <adrijana.prokopenko at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] NFB beginnings
> 
> I live in a small country and the blind people are all scattered around.
> There is a state blindness association, but I think time came for us to do
> something different. it proves hard because for many transportation and
> financial matters are a problem to keep meeting others more often.
> 
> On 8/8/17, Star Gazer via nfb-talk <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> 			I haven't read NFB's book.
>> Some you may enjoy are My Eyes Have A Cold Nose And Meet My Girls.
>> Both involve dog users, but the take-away at least for me is that like
>> with all things, those who have the will and the support network and
>> the good timing to be born at the right time can do just about
>> anything. Get enough of those people together and change happens.
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nfb-talk [mailto:nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
>> Ringlein, Ellen via nfb-talk
>> Sent: Tuesday, August 8, 2017 8:24 AM
>> To: NFB Talk Mailing List <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
>> Cc: Ringlein, Ellen <ERinglein at nfb.org>
>> Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] NFB beginnings
>>
>> Adrijana,
>>
>> You may find it interesting to read part or all of the book Walking
>> Alone and Marching Together, which covers the first fifty years of NFB
> history.
>> Here are link to the book online.
>>
>> HTML version:
>> https://nfb.org/Images/nfb/Publications/books/books1/wamtc.htm
>>
>> Audio version
>> https://nfb.org/WAMT
>>
>> Cordially,
>>
>> Ellen
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nfb-talk [mailto:nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
>> adrijana prokopenko via nfb-talk
>> Sent: Tuesday, August 08, 2017 5:19 AM
>> To: NFB Talk Mailing List
>> Cc: adrijana prokopenko
>> Subject: [nfb-talk] NFB beginnings
>>
>>   Hi all,
>>
>>   Wondering if anyone here has ever been in contact with the NFB
>> founders or anyone else who was greatly involved since the
>> Federation's beginnings and how it all started? I found the basics on
>> the NFB site, but I am getting to wonder what things were like then
>> for the blind on a daily basis, how it was that they could meet and
>> hold meetings and make arrangements of all kinds at that time when
>> orientation and mobility and other blindness skills were not much
>> known or taught to the blind. I am sure that the founders and others
>> who were involved have already proved themselves and their abilities,
>> but I guess it is always nice to hear stories of all kinds that may
>> lead someone somewhere. Not everywhere in the world the blind have
>> equal opportunities and I hope it would be of help to some of us.
>>
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