[Nfbwv-talk] SAUNDERS ARTICLE FROM HUNTINGTON HERALD-DISPATCH

[Ed McDonald]

This story about Buck and Mary Ann Saunders appeared in the October 5, 2010, 
edition of the Huntington Herald-Dispatch:

Faces of the Tri-State: Couple inducted into West Virginia Federation of the 
Blind Hall of Honor
Huntington Herald-Dispatch



October 05, 2010 @ 12:00 A

HUNTINGTON -- Buck and Mary Ann Saunders have never been afraid of a little 
bit of hard work.

In fact, you'd be hard-pressed to find a time in their lives when they 
weren't working toward a degree, raising their two now-adult children or 
striving to improve the communities they've lived in during their 44-year 
marriage.

All of that effort reached a particularly rewarding pinnacle last month when 
the Saudnerses were inducted into the National Federation of the Blind of 
West Virginia Hall of Honor.

"It was something we certainly were very proud of," Mary Ann Saunders said. 
"We had been there when others were inducted, but I had never thought about 
whether or not it was something we ever would be a part of."

Buck and Mary Ann Saunders met while they were students at the West Virginia 
School for the Blind in Romney in the 1940s and '50s, but they didn't pursue 
a relationship until the 1960s.

However, Buck said neither of them ever stopped pursuing a quality of life 
that few thought possible when they were younger.

"A friend once said to me 'Well, you do things differently, but you get them 
done.' That's the whole point," Buck Saunders said. "We're just people who 
have had to adapt to situations without vision to do it. Without it, you 
have to work a little harder. You have to find a way it can be done. That's 
true for anyone who wants to fit into the society in which he's born."

Buck Saunders joined the national federation in the late 1950s, while he and 
Mary Ann joined the Huntington Chapter of the federation in 1970, when it 
was known as the Huntington Lighthouse Club.

Buck Saunders has served as chapter president multiple times, and he was 
elected to represent the chapter on the state Board of Directors in 1980, a 
duty he fulfilled for 20 years.

When the state federation established a telephone-based news and information 
service called NFB-Newsline, Mary Ann Saunders was the coordinator.

Throughout their years together, the Saunderses have been a part of 
fundraising efforts, helped the blind find their local news via Newsline, 
mailed out scholarship forms and organized a technology seminar for blind 
people in the community.

There isn't enough space in any news source to list all of their community 
service endeavors, which include picking up litter in their neighborhood and 
providing books for blind children to read.

Mary Ann Saunders said she knew she would fit into the organization because 
it spoke to a lot of the things she believed in.

"At first, I didn't see any point in it because they were talking about 
getting more welfare for blind. Later on, I realized, you have to feed 
people when they're hungry before they can think about a job," Mary Ann 
Saunders said. "We hadn't been married long. We just thought the causes 
needed our help. At first, we mostly just sat back and learned about what 
was going on."

Mary Ann Saunders said there were White Cane Laws in place that required 
drivers to be aware of a person walking with a white cane because that 
person is blind and "they're doing their best to cross and travel properly."

"Employers complained that the blind needed to get jobs," Buck Saunders 
said. "All of this stuff we do is because if only non-disabled people lived 
in the world, it might be fine and everyone could get jobs, but it doesn't 
work that way."

While new laws and the Saudnerses efforts have sharply broadened the way of 
living for the blind community, Buck Saunders said it is up to individuals 
to take their lives into their own hands.

"You can sit at home and have everything taken care of for you, or you can 
put in long hard work. You can work for years to get things accomplished," 
Buck Saunders said. "You have to work around negative opinions. You find a 
way that is the most effective way for you to do it. Sometimes you fight 
pretty big giants."

The Saunderses said they continue to "fight giants" everyday, but they hope 
by winning those battles, that they can serve as an inspiration to others.

"When someone says someone says their friend son mother or daughter is blind 
or losing vision. I hope the only emotion isn't fear, and that they realize 
they can learn alternative techniques of doing everything from working 
around the house to cooking to computers on down," Mary Ann Saunders said. 
"People will realize the blind aren't helpless, we can do things for our 
selves. We know people live busy lives and don't have time to go to organize 
meetings. Many people are non-joiners, but we will continue with the 
federation and community work for as long as we can."