[Nfbwv-talk] President Riccobono's Notebook for September 19, 2016

[Smyth, Charlene R]

September 19, 2016
President's Notebook
National Federation of the Blind
Mark A. Riccobono
officeofthepresident at nfb.org<mailto:officeofthepresident at nfb.org>
(410) 659-9314

Dear Fellow Federationists,

This past weekend an organization released a social media campaign with the hashtag HowEyeSeeIt. The people using this hashtag are making videos of themselves attempting to do everyday tasks under blindfold with the misguided view that this experience will help them know what it is like to be blind. The motivation for the campaign is to raise funds to eliminate blindness. We in the National Federation of the Blind know that blindness doesn't hold us back. We also know that living with blindness requires learning the techniques blind people use to do everyday tasks without vision. We are not opposed to medical research, but the way to generate interest in medical research is not by further spreading the fear of blindness and strengthening misconceptions about the lived experience of blind people.

The current videos being circulated with the #HowEyeSeeIt campaign are perpetuating the idea that blindness is something to be feared and that blind people adhere to low expectations. Some of the tasks people are encouraged to do in this campaign are having a friend give them an unidentified amount of cash and then, under blindfold, attempting to pay for a meal with this money. Another particularly outrageous example is people are asked to attempt to take care of their child for one minute while blindfolded. At a time when we have launched new efforts for blind parents who have their children taken away because of misconceptions about blindness, this is dangerous and offensive. These examples and the dozens of others used in the campaign rely on the notion that vision is a requirement for success, but we know the truth-blindness does not define us or our future.



We've published a blog, "Challenging the Fear of Blindness<https://nfb.org/blog/vonb-blog/challenging-fear-blindness>," that I encourage you to share. See below for some related critical actions.

Critical Actions This Week:
Challenging the Fear of Blindness - #HowEyeSeeIt:
It is critical that we now join together to combat this harmful campaign. I urge all Federation leaders to lead by example and to encourage the members of the Federation in your state to join with me in changing the perception that blindness is something to be feared and something that significantly limits our lives. Now is the time to turn our fear into power and that power into action. We have the opportunity to demonstrate how we live the lives we want as blind people in a commanding way. All you have to do is:

1.       Make a video of yourself accomplishing an everyday task as a blind person. For example, show how you dance, sing, exercise, care for your children, go to school or work, play sports, manage your finances, travel, participate in social events, enjoy your hobbies-in short, take a video of yourself living the life you want.

2.       At the end of your video, say that you're a proud member of the National Federation of the Blind, and tag three friends or family members to keep the trend going. You can also urge your audience to make a donation to the NFB.

3.       Upload your video to social media using the hashtag #HowEyeSeeIt. Make sure to link to our website, www.nfb.org<http://www.nfb.org>, and tag the NFB in your Tweet, Facebook, or Instagram post. If the people you mentioned in your video are on social media, be sure to tag them, too.



News:
Space Available Program:
Norma Crosby, president of the NFB of Texas, has written an article addressing the issue with the Space Available program. The article can be found at http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/economy-budget/293784-support-thornberrys-bid-to-fix-space-available-program.

Video:
The most recent video, featuring Dave Hyde, can be found at https://youtu.be/mO8MxX_tZwQ.



Reminders:
Meet the Blind Month:
Meet the Blind Month is fast approaching. We'd love to hear about what members of your affiliate are doing to go out into the community and educate folks about blindness. This year's hashtag is MTBM16; please be sure to share your activities on social media.



Dates to Keep in Mind:

*        Fall Conventions<https://nfb.org/state-conventions>

*        September 30-October 2: NFB BELL Academy Training Seminar (Advanced) in Baltimore, Maryland

*        September 26: Free Accessibility Training Boutique<https://nfb.org/free-accessibility-training-boutiques>: Accessible Websites, Made Accessibly: An Introduction to Drupal

*        October 20-23: NFB BELL Academy Training Seminar (Novice/Intermediate) in Baltimore, Maryland

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.


Mark A. Riccobono, President
National Federation of the Blind
200 East Wells Street at Jernigan Place
Baltimore, Maryland 21230
Phone: (410) 659-9314
Fax: (410) 659-5129
Email: officeofthepresident at nfb.org<mailto:officeofthepresident at nfb.org>
Twitter: @Riccobono and @NFB_Voice
Web: www.nfb.org<http://www.nfb.org/>





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