[NFBF-L] Braille Monitor article

Sun Mar 15 15:34:43 UTC 2020

Andy chimed in on leaders list. Great to see Jacksonville first to respond.

Denise Valkema, President
National Federation of the Blind of Florida
President at nfbflorida.org
(305)972-8529
WWW.NFBFLORIDA.ORG
Follow us @nfbflorida
Live the life you want.

> On Mar 15, 2020, at 11:17 AM, Kaye Baker via NFBF-L <nfbf-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> I think this is a great article. Here are a few of my opinions. I realize they might not be shared by some, but that is what makes us all different.
> I have been a federationist for many years, and over the years I have loved many of their tag lines. I too have heard all of the criticism of both the organization, and the saying itself. The question for me though, is, what is so wrong with being one of the "elite blind?" What do we think of when we hear the word elite. Some of us think of snobbish behavior, or people looking down at others, but I prefer to think of it a little differently as Mr. Wunder illustrates. I believe that someone who has worked tirelessly from the time they were young to achieve the things that their sighted piers achieve in life has the right to call themselves the "elite blind." A person who went to, or even graduated from a college with mainly sighted students, and works at a job at the same level and salary as sighted co-workers. A person who has and raises successful blind, or even sighted children while being a blind parent can also consider themselves among the elite. Those who live their lives in such a way that they do not apologize for being blind, but rather accept that this is the way we were created, and we live our lives in the best and most positive way we can, should be considered the elite blind.
> Do any of these traits imply looking down on others? I say not. I'd say that in fact we should be an encouragement to those who may not have the skill or confidence. We should help whenever and wherever we can to make another blind or even sighted person more knowledgeable or skilled. We should remember that our contributions to society, each other and the world do not have to be overlooked or diminished just by the very fact that we are blind.
> I am proud to be the "elite blind." I have worked hard to earn it. I hope others will join me.
> Best
> Kaye Baker
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: NFBF-L <nfbf-l-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Denise Valkema via NFBF-L
> Sent: Sunday, March 15, 2020 10:31 AM
> To: NFBF <nfbf-l at nfbnet.org>; NFBF <nfbf-leaders at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Denise Valkema <valkemadenise at aol.com>
> Subject: [NFBF-L] Braille Monitor article
> 
> Any discussion on article below? The article is pasted below the link. 
> 
> https://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm20/bm2003/bm200306.htm
> 
> 
> Live the Life You Want: A Choice or a Prescription for Being an Elite Blind Person
> 
> by Gary Wunder
> 
> When I was asked to be a part of coming up with branding messages and we selected “Live the Life You Want,” I was keenly aware that anything we chose would perpetuate the questions folks on the outside have always had about us: Is the Federation’s goal to help blind people travel their own path, or is it the Federation telling blind folks how to live? I knew that the way people perceived a message was everything and feared that if it took much explaining, it wouldn't be the right tagline. My concern didn’t spring from some innate ability to predict the future but from living through some of our past.
> 
> I clearly remember other messages that tried to briefly speak to our mission and work—nowadays called an elevator speech. If you only get the time it takes to go from floor three to four, can you briefly explain what this organization that means so much to you does and why others might want to help further its goals?
> 
> "We are Changing What It Means to be Blind" was a phrase I liked very much. It was on the lips of many of my generation in the movement. But the problem with it was that too many people thought we were pledging to change visual acuity, and it took too much time to explain that it was social change that filled our agenda. Then there was "It is Respectable to be Blind," the reaction to the fact that some didn't believe that people perceived as broken could ever garner true acceptance and respect. But some folks objected to this one because they thought we were saying that the mere presence of blindness in one’s life conveyed respectability. They agreed that being blind didn't preclude being respectable but neither did it convey respectability The criticism of our tagline isn't the five words "Live the Life You Want." It is the suspicion that what we really mean is that blind people are to live their lives in such a way that they become the elite blind, the people who go further than anyone expects, the people who are admired by all because of their undeniable intellect, motivation, and accomplishment. To some extent I understand the concern and the way that some have elevated it to a criticism. Every civil rights organization pushes its people to go beyond where they are. All of us believe that many of the things that keep us from being all we can be are socially constructed barriers. But beyond this, most people involved in civil rights also believe that part of the problem we face comes from buying the societal expectations that do so much to limit us. So yes, there is upward pressure to do more and be more, but no organization encouraging the advancement of a class is free from this expectation.
> 
> For me our tagline asks each of us to exercise some faith: faith that we will help when one of us encounters problems in living the life they want, and faith that each of us can dare to dream and dare to act on those dreams. Not every dream will come true, and not every dream is meant to. As a youngster I dreamed of being an astronaut, and that hasn't happened. But many of my generation shared that dream, and only a small number achieved it. Blindness certainly precluded me from flying in space, but so too did a number of things: the few positions there were to be had, the training that was required, and even the height and weight requirements that were and probably still are a part of the program. 
> 
> Nobody in the Federation has ever questioned what I have wanted or done in my life except a dear friend who once told me that before writing a book about myself, I’d first need to do something worth writing about. My Federation colleagues, friends, and family have asked me to be honest in distinguishing between real accomplishments and the faint praise I can easily get by being blind. They have asked that I look at the things I have in my life and try to see that others have it at least as good, and they have allowed me to participate in something I believe makes that possible. 
> 
> At least from my perspective as the editor of this publication, I welcome articles from people whose aspirations and achievements vary widely. If you volunteer for an organization that values your work and gives you satisfaction, write us. If you work a job that pays at or slightly above minimum wage and you have a story to tell about how you do it as a blind person, write us. If there is something you do in lieu of paid employment and there are good reasons why you don't pursue something that pays, tell us about it. If you have tried and failed and there may be a way we can help or benefit from your experience, together let’s put that out for public discussion and concerted action.
> 
> Please don't assume that because you don't see articles about people like you, it is because we actively discourage them or outright turn them down. I believe we mean what we say in our tagline and that we find value in anyone brave enough to dream, brave enough to try, and brave enough to share their story with blind people who share in common this pledge of helping each blind person live the life they want
> 
> 
> Together,
> Denise Valkema, President
> National Federation of the Blind of Florida President at nfbflorida.org
> (305)972-8529
> WWW.NFBFLORIDA.ORG
> Follow us @nfbflorida
> Live the life you want.
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