[NFBV-Announce] Read What's Going On

Thu Mar 31 16:54:06 UTC 2022

Hey NFB Family and Friends,

This is another attempt at sending this information.  Attempts earlier in
the week failed.

Jacki.

Please check out our Spotlight On section this week. Enjoy your week.

Kudos Corner…

Join president Chris Walker on Tuesday, March 29, 2022 from 12:15  PM to
12:40 PM. Chris has been invited by the Winchester host Lions to be a guest
speaker.

Chris will share his story and provide resources regarding the National
Federation of the Blind. You can join in through the below zoom link.

Chris is also A member of the Lions Club and is involved with many
community service projects. Building relationships and collaborations with
different local organizations in the Winchester area.

Live the life you want! Blindness is not what holds us back!

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82379491154?pwd=WklFcjI3NG1CaEtpWmpKZ2wvT01JZz09

Spotlight On…

Greetings fellow federationists!  It is Women’s history month!

Below I will give you a historical tidbit about the influential and
inspiring Sojourner Truth.  Following that, I will include a poem I wrote
that expands on the theme and then brings it back to the original message
with the final line.  The poem is called “Black And”.

Sojourner Truth was born into slavery in 1797 in the state of New York.
She was told she would be granted her freedom on July 4, 1826.  After her
liberty was refused, she walked to freedom and emancipated herself.
Sojourner Truth delivered a now famous speech at the 1851 Women’s Rights
convention in Ohio.  Truth’s purpose was to persuade people that women,
black or white, deserve to be treated equal to men and thus have equal
rights. Further, she posed a question rhetorically, aint I a woman?  This
question served to point out the discrimination that is experienced by
being a black woman. Now, there is some debate as to whether Sojourner
actually spoke the words “aint I a woman” and so there are different
versions of the speech being argued.  However, none of this takes away from
the overarching theme, which is… equality.

Black And

Oh I can’t feel a way?

Because I’m black…

And a woman

Gotta reframe it

My expression

Or you’ll get the wrong impression

Rename it

Claim it’s

Aggression

Simply… because…

I’m black

And a woman?

But I’m a woman first

Still you refuse to allow me

To be me

To speak passionately

Due to my skin’s reflection

My obsidian complexion

But I’m a woman first

So you can feel comfortable, I gotta check my tone?

But last I checked…

I was grown

But I gotta dim… my light?

So you don’t label me, relabel me

Gotta shrink down tight

Gotta push down my true self

So you don’t complain?

So you don’t campaign

Against me

Perpetuate false history

Oh, so I can’t be feisty

My debates can’t be spirited?

Gotta cool down my hot, my spicy

Gotta be bland and inhibited

Simply… because…

I’m black

And a woman

But I’m a woman first

You know, half the population

Of the universe

You started this conversation

So let me finish it

Replenish it

Until you diminish

Your harmful rhetoric

Eliminate

Your incorrect narrative

That I can’t be clear and distinct

With my speech

That I can’t speak prominently

So you police

My words my tone

My voice my face

So much so

That you erase

The message

The point

I’m trying to make

Simply… because…

I’m black

But aint I a woman?

Peace,

Butterfly

References

https://sojournertruthmemorial.org › ... › Her Words

https://www.learningforjustice.org › texts › aint-i-a-woman

I received an advocacy request.  I do remember thinking the last time I
used the Metro that I could not hear the faregates and I just thought I
missed it, or that the particular one I was going through was quiet.
Apparently not. See below:

Christine Grassman, President, Potomac Chapter

***

Metro has started installing updated fare gates. Unlike the previous
systems, these are harder to hear when they open, and the only reason I’m
personally able to see if they’ve opened is that the screen flashes green.
These systems are not accessible though, because if you are not fast
enough, especially when walking with a guide dog, they will prematurely
close on you. I’ve gotten caught twice just this week alone. Can we somehow
reach out to Metro and bring this to their attention?

*****

I want to point out also that if one cannot hear the faregates in a
crowded, noisy station, and it is not a station with which you are
familiar, it will be difficult to locate them in the first place. It is
also my understanding that:

1. The fare machines currently beep if you have your fare card facing the
wrong way. That's another accessibility issue all on its own. The older
machines would activate regardless of how your card was facing, but the
point here is that the machine should emit some sort of audible tone to let
the individual know the gate has opened. The tone should be different from
the error tone.

2. There needs to be a longer interval before the gate closes. My guess is
the motion censor is not detecting movement past a certain height as the
dog [guide] moves forward. I am further assuming the gate is designed to
close if it thinks no one is moving through to avoid piggy backing. It
needs to be fixed to allow passengers a moment longer to safely move
through the gate. This is not just a blindness issue or even just a service
animal issue. Older passengers could experience difficulty if they have to
walk slower.

Please share this, and send your fare gate encounters (if you have any at
the few stations where they have been installed — we have to address this
before a full execution — to:

bdoherty at wmata.com

(202) 570-2447

If you have media contacts which might be able to assist, please reach out
to them.

Join the Winchester Chapter as we participate in the 95th Apple Blossom
Festival. We are pleased that we have a parade float representing Virginia
and  the National Federation of the Blind.

The great news is that we still have space availability on the float if you
want to participate and ride along and wave to the crowds. We have eight
seats available and it is on a first come first serve basis.

The parade takes place on Saturday, April 30, 2022. The parade will kick
off at 1:30 PM. If you're interested, please call me and I can provide
further information and details.

The float is pink and green and white. It has a bridge that goes over. But
those riding we will have pink or green T-shirts available. They will have
the NFB logo, National Federation of the Blind Virginia on the back of the
shirts.

we are so excited and we hope that you all can make it. You can also be on
the sidelines cheering us on as we bring awareness and outreach to the
community.

Below is a link for more information for Apple Blossom. Thank you.

https://www.thebloom.com/?back=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Fsearch%3Fclient%3Dsafari%26as_qdr%3Dall%26as_occt%3Dany%26safe%3Dactive%26as_q%3DApple+Blossom+website%26channel%3Daplab%26source%3Da-app1%26hl%3Den

Chris Walker

President, Winchester Chapter

The future belongs to the people who believe in the beauty of their dreams.
-Eleanor Roosevelt

Peace,

Jacki Bruce

Corresponding Secretary, National Federation of the Blind of Virginia
mailto:jackibruce6 at gmail.com <jackibruce6 at gmail.com>
tel:(757)291-1789 <(757)291-1789>
www.nfb.org
www.nfbv.org

Follow us on Twitter @NFBVirginia
Find us on Facebook @NationalFederationoftheBlindofVirginia

Live the life you want.

The National Federation of the Blind is a community of members and friends
who believe in the hopes and dreams of the nation’s blind. Every day we
work together to help blind people live the lives they want.
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