[Nfbf-l] NFB: fundamentals of blindness

[Jordan Norregaard]

I have received emails recently about the NFB at large, and what it
means to be a federationist.  These are only my opinions and
impressions, and may be absolutely wrong--everyone is entitled to an
opinion!

First off, I'd like to discuss reaching out to the masses.  All blind
people could use a bit of a helping hand, or advice from time to time.
I'll give a true example.  I'm not going to convention this year, but
I did see a restaurant with a buffet.  I am totally blind, and I'm
wondering how someone would manage a buffet?  Are their any special
techniques to know?  Can a totally blind person navigate a buffet
unaided, or would this be one of those times to ask for sighted help?
Since I truly don't know these answers, I'd like the advice, but am
afraid to ask.  Most federationists are already top-notch independent,
and know a ton of skills, and have had people who guided them on their
way properly.  If I ask these questions, would I be looked down upon?
Would you consider me an ignorant idiot?  Truly, no offense, but its a
general assumtion from quite a few people I know, that federationists
are somewhat arrogant and have their noses in the air.  Reaching out
to the masses means sometimes going back to the fundamentals of
blindness adaptations, social skills, table manners, social manners in
general and the like.  The newly blinded may have trouble with the
little things we're so use to doing for ourselves, I.E. cutting food,
identifying food on a plate, Etc.  I'm surprised someone hasn't
thought to make a discrete website for this stuf...I could use some of
it!  Just make a good website with the ettiquet stuff, o&m techniques,
cane travel...basicly all the basics.

I'll give one heck of an embarrassing example.  If it takes me
humiliating myself to start a movement, so be it!   I was living alone
for about 9 months, diong college courses.  Of course, I was eating
food, and didn't care about table manners--who's gonna watch me eat?
I didn't realize I fell back into  some terrible habbits--using
fingers instead of a fork or a piece of bread, generally eating too
fast Etc. It appeared as if I was shoveling in the food!  So, what if
an adult needs well...a bit of re-education, or a brush-up on skills?
Usually, family and friends would do this, but I can give instances
where my mom has flat out lied to me about things--what is the proper
way to take food off a scure? I'm sure my adapted method was terribly
wrong, but I guess my mom didn't want to embarrass me...but, I knew on
some level that it was, in fact, wrong!  I'm not wanting to hear,
"your doing it fine," when I know that's not the truth, it simply
makes me more humiliated when I did find out how to actuallly unscure
food  properly!!!  I'd rather go to a  discrete website about this
stuf...its private, no one knows but me!...and I'm guaranteed to get a
true answer from someone who knows what he's doing.

One more bad habbit, eating all of one food before switching to
another food--ok ok, how do sighted people manage?  I was never
correct on this behavior, till I read a future reflections magazine
telling me it was unmannerly to do so.  If I ask my mom, would I get
the truth or a lie?  I'd rather hear the truth, although I might not
want to hear it.

In summary, let's go back to basics, make a website for the little
stuff us blind people miss, or take for granted as stuff we already
know--some of us don't have the fonts of knowledge and experience
most federationists have.  "Its OK to ask questions, we don't bite, or
judge."

Jordan