<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)"><!--[if !mso]><style>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style><![endif]--><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
span.EmailStyle19
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>For your information.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal>Sincerely, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Camille Tate <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>President, Melbourne Space Coast Chapter, National Federation of the Blind of Florida <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>2<sup>nd</sup> Vice President, National Federation of the Blind of Florida <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Phone: 321 372 4899 <o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b>From:</b> NFBF-Leaders <nfbf-leaders-bounces@nfbnet.org> <b>On Behalf Of </b>DENISE VALKEMA via NFBF-Leaders<br><b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, October 12, 2021 8:40 PM<br><b>To:</b> NFBF <nfbf-l@nfbnet.org>; NFBF <nfbf-leaders@nfbnet.org><br><b>Cc:</b> DENISE VALKEMA <valkemadenise@aol.com><br><b>Subject:</b> [NFBF-Leaders] NFB FB Post: JOBS, EQUALITY, AND THE BLIND<o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal>NFB Post on Facebook Though this article is twenty-two years old, the core messaging within is still relevant. Given the same career opportunities and room for advancement as the sighted, blind people can and do rise to the occasion and shatter low expectations every day. <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p style='background:white;-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0)'><span style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'>JOBS, EQUALITY, AND THE BLIND</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='background:white;-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0)'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'>by Patricia Munson </span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=1 cellspacing=3 cellpadding=0 align=right width="31%" style='width:31.0%;background:white;-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0)'><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-element:frame;mso-element-frame-hspace:2.25pt;mso-element-wrap:around;mso-element-anchor-vertical:paragraph;mso-element-anchor-horizontal:column;mso-element-left:right;mso-element-top:middle;mso-height-rule:exactly'><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black;border:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in'><img width=192 height=191 style='width:2.0in;height:1.9916in' id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image002.jpg@01D7BFB0.5B48DC90" alt="Image removed by sender. Superintendent Andrew Viscovich honors Pat Munson on her twenty-five years of teaching in the Berkeley Uniteed School District"></span><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center;mso-element:frame;mso-element-frame-hspace:2.25pt;mso-element-wrap:around;mso-element-anchor-vertical:paragraph;mso-element-anchor-horizontal:column;mso-element-left:right;mso-element-top:middle;mso-height-rule:exactly'><i><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'>Superintendent Andrew Viscovich honors Pat Munson on her twenty-five years of teaching in the Berkeley United School District</span></i><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr></table><p style='background:white;-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0)'><i><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'>From the Editor.- Patricia (Pat) Munson is one of the leaders of the National Federation of the Blind of California.</span></i><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='background:white;-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0)'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'> This year I am celebrating my twenty-fifth year as a regular public school teacher. It was on March 13, 1964, that I stepped off the bus and walked to the personnel office of the Berkeley Unified School District. As I was waiting to be called in for the interview, the secretary's telephone rang. I heard her repeat, as she wrote, that a music teacher at one of the junior high schools would be leaving at the end of that school year. Right then and there I made up my mind that I was going to get that job! </span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='background:white;-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0)'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'> I had had a number of<i> </i>job interviews prior to this one, so I knew what to expect. I possessed the credentials, and I knew all I had to do was convince the personnel director that Berkeley simply could not survive without my services. The minute I affixed my signature to that contract was the happiest day of my life, not just because I got a job but also because I was one more blind person moving into the mainstream of society. My family was thrilled, my college professors elated, and the blind I knew gained hope for their economic future. </span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='background:white;-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0)'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'> In late August my reader and I went into my classroom and sorted through and attached Braille labels to all the material I was to use. This very large classroom was used for five classes of introduction to music plus the girts'glee club. The glee club had about 100 girls. I was a very nervous, happy new teacher that first day of school. </span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='background:white;-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0)'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'> Being about two miles from the University of California, we had many demonstrations against the Vietnam War and all the rest. I survived it all, but when a transfer was offered to me to teach English to foreign students, I jumped at the chance. </span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='background:white;-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0)'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'> For almost eighteen years now I have been teaching these students. The work is interesting and rewarding and would now qualify me to work as an ambassador, foreign service employee, or who knows what. I have taught English to almost all cultural groups on earth. </span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='background:white;-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0)'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'> Of course, most students are shocked to find a blind teacher when they enter my room, for it is no secret that the blind of most of the rest of the world do not have as good a life as the blind in the United States. The blind of this country have jobs and more rights than before because of the collective work of the members of the National Federation of the Blind. My foreign students learn the very first day that I operate exactly the same way as all the other teachers. The only difference is my use of Braille. I keep my records in Braille and later copy the information on the appropriate records or student papers. I use exactly the same texts as they, but mine are in Braille. Around the room I have many pictures which I use for demonstration purposes. I hang them all myself and know what is in each, for Braille is on all of them. I discuss blindness, and they see me walking independently in the community. We openly talk about blindness so that when they return to their countries they can encourage blind adults and children. </span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='background:white;-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0)'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'> Before the 1950's the blind in the United States were excluded from all public school jobs. The law pertaining to teachers mandated that a teacher have "normal" vision. Members of the National Federation of the Blind worked long and hard to delete the discriminatory language and, of course, were successful. I, along with many other blind teachers, have eradicated the myth that the blind cannot teach the sighted. Like me, the blind who have been teaching in the public schools of this country have opened the doors for the generations of the blind to come. </span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='background:white;-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0)'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'> I proudly share this momentous occasion with all the blind, for it is in concert that we all make large strides toward total equality in this land, which promises liberty and freedom for all.</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal>—-<o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal>Denise Valkema<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>NFBF affiliate board #2<o:p></o:p></p></div><div id=AppleMailSignature><p class=MsoNormal>NFBF Jacksonville board #1<o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal>(305)972-8529<o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>