[NFBofSC] Positive Note 1729

[David Houck]

October 2, 2019

Memo To:  Executive Officers, Board Members, Chapter & Division Presidents &
Others

From:  Frank Coppel, President

Positive Note 1729

Greetings Fellow Federationists:

 

              Hello from Portland, Oregon where we are currently visiting
with Shelley's sister and later this week we will be attending a family
wedding on Saturday, October 5.  It feels like fall in Portland as the day
time temperature is expected to reach 59 and the night time temperature is
expected to be 46.  

              As we begin the month of October, I hope many of our chapters
have Meet the Blind Month activities already planned.  Meet the Blind month
is an extremely important time of the year, as it provides our members the
opportunity to educate the public of the programs and services offered by
the National Federation of the Blind.  Meet the Blind Month activities can
also be used as a recruitment tool to introduce blind individuals to our
organization.  

              I hope many of our chapters are planning to join the
Greenville Chapter as they will be holding a meet the blind day and white
cane walk at Lake Conestee Nature Park in Mauldin, SC.  When: October 12,
2019 - 10:00-2:00.  Where: Lake Conestee Nature Park.  Purpose: To inform
the community and visually impaired citizens of the NFB local chapters and
other resources in the upstate. The meet the blind and white cane walk will
allow the community to interact with the blind in our community to foster
relationships and understanding of the needs and abilities of our visually
impaired community.

              Activities: Meet the blind, registration, informational
tables. Walk starts at 11:00. We will walk through the park and end at the
White Pines Shelter in the park for a barbecue lunch, live music, raffle and
door prizes. All money raised will benefit the Greenville Chapter to
continue their work.  Advanced Ticket Cost: $15.00 per person included
lunch. Tickets at the event are $18.00.  Event Organizers: Crystal and John
Knope - (864)908-8068, ckkvangogh at att.net.  Phillip Outland- (864)534-2877.
President: J.W. Smith- (864) 269-0004.

              We also have an announcement from Debra Canty, President of
the Sumter chapter of the NFB of SC.  "The National Federation of the Blind
celebrates Meet the Blind Month and Blind Awareness Month every October.
Throughout the month, we conduct a variety of outreach activities that
create opportunities for sighted people to meet blind people in their local
area. One of these events is held at the Sumter County Fair in the exhibit
hall where blind paraphernalia is demonstrated, info is given, donations are
received, and many fairgoers meet a person who happens to be blind. Many of
these activities includes faith base, social and cultural events within the
community." 

              It looks as though the Greenville and Sumter chapters are
holding excellent activities to promote Meet the Blind Month.  I hope to
hear from other chapters regarding your Meet the Blind Month activity, and I
will share this information in the Positive Note.  

              The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is
not the characteristic that defines you or your future.  Every day, we raise
the expectations of blind people because low expectations create obstacles
between blind people and our dreams.  You can live the life you want:
blindness is not what holds you back.  Joining me for comments in this
Positive Note is the President Emeritus of the NFB of SC.  Here is Dr.
Capps.  

              Beginning on October 1 the NFB sponsors Meet the Blind Month
and October 15 is known as White Cane Safety Day.  It's appropriate that we
give this wonderful program some history.  We were first introduced to the
White Cane Program while attending the NFB Convention in San Francisco in
July of 1956.  In those days the name of the program was called White Cane
Week which was held between May 1 and 15.  Upon returning to Columbia I was
successful in getting radio stations like WNOK to broadcast the prominent
speech by our NFB Founder, Dr. Jacobus tenBroek entitled, "Within the Grace
of God." Soon thereafter we began to work on the White Cane Week Program for
1957.  Mailing lists were obtained and we organized a statewide mailing
campaign.  We got the White Cane material together which included a signed
endorsement from George Bell Timmerman.  A lot went into the program.  The
Secretarial Association pitched in and helped with the letters and
addressing envelopes.  Stuffing parties for the White Cane letters were held
in our home.  The mailing went to prospects located primarily in Columbia,
Spartanburg and Charleston as this was the extent of our chapters at that
time.  The White Cane letters accomplished two things, one was to educate
the public about blindness and the other was to raise much needed funding.
The opening of responses were enjoyed at state board meetings as each
response was opened.

              Another historical beginning was when the NFB of SC approached
the legislature in 1972 which resulted in the passage of the Model White
Cane Law in South Carolina.  The preamble states:  "It is the policy of this
State to encourage and enable the blind, the visually handicapped, and the
otherwise physically disabled to participate fully in the social and
economic life of the State and to engage in remunerative employment."  It
further states the rights of blind persons in the use of a white cane or
guide dog, driver's responsibility when seeing a blind person using a cane
or guide dog in crossing streets, A blind person is to be treated as an able
bodied person in all areas of conveyance, access to public buildings, access
to employment, etc.  The legislature wanted to waive any damage done by
guide dogs but these dogs are an extension of the blind person and the blind
preferred to take on responsibility for controlling their dogs.  The
Governor is also to proclaim October 15 annually as "White Cane Safety Day"
and extoll the White Cane Law provisions to the public in the state.  This
law is featured in the Legislative Hall of Fame in the Federation Center's
conference room.  

              For many years now David Houck our Executive Director has had
so many things to work on as our programs have grown over the years but he
is doing an excellent job.  Lack of space prohibits greater documentation of
the history of the white cane program but as Meet the Blind Month goes on in
October I am certain we will be hearing much from our chapters across the
state concerning Meet the Blind Month activities as President Coppel
mentioned above regarding the Greenville and Sumter Chapters.  

 

Final Thought:   Transforming our dreams into reality:  Challenge yourself -
you are more capable than you think.

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