[NFBMI-Talk] Greater Detroit Agency for the Blind protest August 26, 2021 at 1:00 PM

[atherjammoa at gmail.com]

Confronting The Crisis

At The Greater Detroit Agency For The Blind And Visually Impaired Day Of
Action Peaceful Protest March III August 26th

 

 

.            Opened in 1961, the Greater Detroit Agency for the Blind and
Visually Impaired (GDABVI), is a nonprofit agency that provides vision
rehabilitation services to blind and visually impaired clients across 7
counties in Southeast Michigan including: Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Monroe,
Washtenaw, Livingston, and St. Clair. GDABVI specializes in teaching
Braille, mobility/independent travel, cooking, and essential independent
living skills to blind senior citizens. It also serves as the only place for
the Greater Detroit Blind Community to meet regularly for social,
recreational, and educational events. 

 

.            Using the global pandemic, the need for cosmetic building
upgrades, and the absence of an executive director (after he forced-out two
of them consecutively without just cause) as weak excuses for his hidden
personal agenda to get rid of the GDABVI, GDABVI's Board Chairman Frederick
Simpson has kept the building closed since March of 2020. Refusing to meet
with or give the blind public a timeline for the reopening of the building,
while offering GDABVI clients who are desperately waiting in limbo no
reasonable alternatives for rehabilitation services, Simpson is arrogantly
and disrespectfully point-blank denying life changing services to scores of
blind people who are more isolated and in greater need now than ever before.


 

.              Frederick Simpson and his Board of Trustees' reckless
disrespect for and neglect of the entire blind community will no longer be
tolerated.

.            We invite all of our community partners, supporters, family
members and friends to join the Greater Detroit Blind Community as we unite
to address this crisis that has been created unnecessarily at the GDABVI. 

.            Stand with us by attending our third Day Of Action Peaceful
Protest March in front of Frederick Simpson's residential home Thursday
August 26th at 1:00 PM located at 3019 West Boston Boulevard in Detroit.

.                 Come and express your outrage as well as your support for
the blind community's policy recommendations for this agency at our peaceful
protest march Thursday August 26th from 1:00-2:00 PM.

.            Participants must wear a mask and should bring a light folding
chair if desired.

.            Spread the word, tell everybody!

.            Help us fightback, reopen, and save this vital community
institution.

 

 

.            For more information, call 313-247-3301.

Policy Recommendations

Fought For By The Greater Detroit Blind Community

To Resolve The Crisis

At The Greater Detroit Agency For The Blind And Visually Impaired

 

.            We, the members, organizations, community leaders, and
consumers of the Greater Detroit Blind Community stand and fight in unity
for the immediate reopening of the Greater Detroit Agency for the Blind and
Visually Impaired (GDABVI) located at 16625 Grand River in Detroit; and for
the preservation and improvement of the agency through the implementation of
our policy recommendations listed below. Please join our efforts to pressure
GDABVI's Board of Trustees and Board Chairman Frederick Simpson to fully
implement each of these policy recommendations that are designed to keep the
GDABVI open, relevant, and viable for future generations to come. 

 

.              The GDABVI shall convert its daily operations and bylaws from
that of a private nonprofit organization to that of a public nonprofit
organization thus granting the general public legal rights to access to and
reasonable prior knowledge of GDABVI Board Meetings, votes, and related
documents and procedures, in addition to the timely posting of all minutes
from GDABVI Board Meetings on GDABVI's web site. 

.            The GDABVI shall be sanitized, cleaned, and reopened
immediately for daily operations and the provision of urgently needed
rehabilitation services to the blind and visually impaired with appropriate
staffing, cleaning, and pandemic related safety protocols put in place prior
to reopening.

.            The GDABVI shall add and at all times maintain at least four
members on its Board of Trustees who are accomplished leaders in the Detroit
Blind Community specifically and who have authoritative knowledge of the
scope of needs and capabilities of blind people. 

.            The GDABVI shall hire and maintain an executive director who
has a strong background in business financing and fund raising, an
impressive track record of training/working with blind and visually impaired
people, and authoritative knowledge of the scope of needs and capabilities
of blind people. 

.            The GDABVI shall remain a key hub for social, recreational,
educational, and political activity throughout the Greater Detroit Blind
Community continuing to provide blind consumers, organizations, and
community leaders with access to the facilities and a welcoming space for
such activities at no-to-very-low cost as established under Former Executive
Director Victor Arbulu.

.            Staff at the GDABVI shall emphasize personal independence and
mastery of blindness skills to consumers across all rehabilitation service
areas.

 

.            For more information, call 313-247-3301.