[NFBSF] Feb 17 & March 17 at 7:00 PM PT: Advocacy as Blind People – Let’s Figure Out How We Show Up

[Laura Millar]

Hello everyone,

The Constitution of the National Federation of the Blind describes us as a
vehicle for collective action by the blind. So with everything happening in
the world right now, this feels like exactly the right moment to lean into
that.

Many of you have been asking for space to talk about advocacy. How are
blind people showing up? What is actually accessible? What feels safe? What
is realistic? What are people trying that works?

You asked. We listened.

The NFB San Francisco Chapter Outreach and Education Committee is
dedicating our next two community calls to advocacy. Not to debate issues.
Not to tell anyone what to think. But to compare notes, sharpen strategies,
and give each other more information so we can each make our own informed
choices.

The more we know, the more options we have.

Part 1: High-Intensity Advocacy Spaces
Tuesday, February 17 at 7:00 PM PT
Zoom:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6535619678?pwd=g2r7hfzZq8UC4czxbEKdlnqtf0c7yw.1&omn=84192401716

This first conversation is about rallies, protests, marches, and other
large, fast-moving environments.

We will talk specifically about:

How blind people navigate dense crowds nonvisually
Managing high noise, shifting routes, and unpredictable movement
Building a quick and effective buddy system
How to orient and train a willing bystander in five minutes or less
What to do if you get separated
Meeting points, check-ins, and exit strategies
Thinking through safety before you even leave your house
How people are using Meta glasses in advocacy spaces
Considerations around documenting, live streaming, and serving as a rally
or protest watcher

This is the practical stuff. The details rarely written down, gathered and
shared in real time by the blind community, from people living it.

Part 2: Other Ways We Show Up
Tuesday, March 17 at 7:00 PM PT
Zoom: Same link as above

Not all advocacy happens in a crowd.

This conversation shifts to the many other pathways blind people use to
engage, including:

Calling and meeting with local or state representatives
Preparing for and giving public comment
Door knocking and canvassing
Attending town halls and community meetings
Tabling and community education
Coalition work and showing up with partner organizations
Organizing follow-up and tracking commitments nonvisually

We will focus on mechanics. Preparation. Follow-through. Confidence. Moving
effectively through systems that were not designed with us in mind.

Maybe you have been doing advocacy for decades and are now navigating it as
a blind person. Maybe you are newer to blindness and wondering what is
possible. Maybe you have one strategy that could make someone else’s
experience safer or more effective.

There is so much we can learn from each other.

Let’s talk.
Let’s connect.
Let’s figure out how we show up.

In community,
Laura Millar
Co-Chair, Outreach and Education Committee
National Federation of the Blind, San Francisco Chapter

Contact (925)-321-8804