[Nfbf-l] Letter Opposing Dining in the Dark

Thu Oct 11 15:54:41 UTC 2018

Bah humbug!  I say.

 I have read every word posted on the dining in the dark opinions, which are not always in sync with all people at any given time. 

Briefly, I support any activity I can use as a tool to enhance my life not only as a blind, low vision person but a blind profoundly hard of hearing person diagnosed as  deaf blind.

What I hear throughout all I read has been the blind are still perpetuating the idea that we are a victim of society. I am not a victim of society. As a blind woman with profound hearing loss I have engaged in education about my own way of living life as I moved through my life as a young child, student, wife, mother of four, grandmother, great-grandmother, supporting a career military husband for 28 years, working part time, full part time, whatever was needed to help the family coppers and never ever thinking I was a victim of my own circumstances. 

Any event, such as dining in the dark, to me is an invaluable tool for   myself as well as four  others in my life  circles. I have attended for dining in the dark events in the past 10 years and believe it or not, I have learned more about my own self through these events which has given me a wider perspective on blindness and how to communicate that to my family, and people in the public square.

Just giving  my humble opinion here which  was hugely   expanded when I saw a “hashtag” gem of a    quote,  by one of our very own NFB Floridians.    

This nugget told me to* “be yourself. Everybody else is taken.”

  This little Oscar Wilde gem tells me I am not a victim of the world I see. I am walking through life as everyone else walks through life... experiencing and lending my understanding to those whom I meet along my journey, and this includes events such as dining in the dark.

I appreciate the psychological data and what it takes to build data but we are no longer  avictim of anything but ourselves. Take a look at what we have accomplished in nearly 80 years of advocacy, tough  advocacy, breaking down all manner of  barriers. The list is long. This is now 2018 and for me all that has gone before me has helped me to come into this moment of wisdom. 

Thank you for listening.

Brooke Evans

Ask yourself: “do I dare shake up the universe?”     ~T.S. Eliot 

Begin forwarded message:

From: Marion Gwizdala via Nfbf-l <nfbf-l at nfbnet.org>
Date: October 10, 2018 at 8:06:13 PM EDT
To: "NFB of Florida Tampa Chapter List" <nfbf-tampa at nfbnet.org>, "NFB of Florida Internet Mailing List" <nfbf-l at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Marion Gwizdala <marion.gwizdala at verizon.net>
Subject: [Nfbf-l] Letter Opposing Dining in the Dark
Reply-To: NFB of Florida Internet Mailing List <nfbf-l at nfbnet.org>

Dear Florida Federation Family,

               A week or so ago, I sent a message to these lists concerning
Dining in the Dark fund raising events. These messages were triggered by a
Tampa Bay chapter member who, in spite of knowing the National Federation of
the Blind's opposition to such events, announced one being hosted by the
Tampa Lighthouse for the Blind. I understand another community
rehabilitation program (CRP) is hosting such an event. As per my previous
message, it is the policy of the NFB to voice our opposition to such events
when we learn of them and to encourage those conducting them to reconsider
an event that only serves to reinforce the negative stereotypes of blindness
and demean the blind they purport to serve.

               As the president of the National Association of Guide Dog
Users and with the encouragement of President Riccobono, I have written the
message below with the unanimous consent of the NAGDU board of directors. I
encourage you to read this message, along with the supporting supplemental
information accompanying it so you are better educated about our rationale
for opposing these sort of events.

Fraternally yours,

Marion Gwizdala

From: president at nagdu.org [mailto:president at nagdu.org] 
Sent: Wednesday, October 10, 2018 4:00 PM
To: 'cbenninger at guidedogs.com'
Cc: board at nagdu.org; officeofthepresident at nfb.org
Subject: Concerning Canine Heroes Auction
Importance: High

Dear Ms. Benninger,

Via Email: CBenninger at guidedogs.com

           I am writing on behalf of the National Association of Guide Dog
Users (NAGDU), a division of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB),
concerning Guide Dogs for the Blind's intention to use a blindness
simulation episode during its upcoming Canine Heroes Auction. Though the
National Federation of the Blind is a proponent of the use of learning
shades - sometimes referred to as "sleep shades" - to effectively train
individuals in the techniques of blindness, we object to the use of
simulation as a fund raising technique. Whether intended or not, simulation
exercises tend to invoke fear and pity in the participants, compromising the
goals of the National Federation of the Blind and, I would hope, those of
guide dogs for the Blind.

           Placing a blindfold on a sighted person does not help the person
understand what it is like to be blind; rather, such simulations only serve
to reinforce the negative stereotypes and misconceptions that compromise our
ability to fully participate in our community as we strive to live the lives
we want. This is not only the opinion of the National Federation of the
Blind; it is also the conclusions of research in simulation exercises
conducted by social psychologists. A blindfolded sighted person will not
encounter a waitress asking their 5-year-old what her father wants to drink,
strangers grabbing and pushing the blind person where the well-meaning
individual thinks they are wanting to go, A doctor asking the blind person
who bathes them, or the condescending comments of pity offered by the
public, all incidents I and nearly every other blind person have
experienced. 

           We realize the importance of raising funds to continue the work
of Guide Dogs for the Blind; however, we object to the exploitation of the
fear of blindness and the demeaning of the blind as the tool for raising
those funds. We believe the Canine Heroes Auction would be just as
successful without the simulation episode and urge Guide Dogs for the Blind
to publicly join the National Association of Guide Dog Users and the
National Federation of the Blind by condemning and opposing the use of
simulation exercises as a fund raising technique.

           For your information, I have attached the text of Resolution
2012-04 condemning the use of simulation exercises as a fund raising event.
I am also including below links to two articles which recently appeared in
the Braille Monitor, the monthly publication of the National Federation of
the Blind. One of these articles is written by Mark Riccobono, president of
the National Federation of the Blind, and the second by Dr. Ariel Silverman,
a Social Psychologist. 

Walking a Mile: The Possibilities and Pitfalls of Simulations by Mark
Riccobono

https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm17/bm1704/bm170402.htm

Disability Simulations: What Does the Research Say? 

By Ariel Silverman, Ph.D.

https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm17/bm1706/bm170602.htm 

           In closing, I would like to share the spontaneous, unsolicited
impressions of an executive with a major airline after attending two
simulation events. "It struck me as not a realistic simulation of what it
must be like for a blind person to eat a meal.After having done the exercise
twice, I have learned a few of the techniques that a person might use to eat
their dinner, but I have no illusions that it taught me much at all about
the overall experience or skills required in life.  Unfortunately, I'm sure
that a large number of people who left the exercises think they learned more
than they really did.

With kind regards,

Marion Gwizdala, President

National Association of Guide Dog Users Inc. (NAGDU)

National Federation of the Blind

(813) 626-2789

President at NAGDU.ORG

Visit our website <http://nagdu.org/> 

Follow us on Twitter <http://twitter.com/nagdu> 

The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the
characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise
expectations because low expectations create barriers between blind  people
and our dreams. You can live the life you want! Blindness is not what holds
you back.

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