[Ohio-talk] NFB and ACB

Mon Apr 20 14:38:51 UTC 2015

Dear Kaiti,

I am late to this discussion, but, as you might guess, I have firm opinions on the subject. It is a complicated matter. Eric, for example, is talking with the president of the ACB of Ohio about our effort to change the governance structure of OOD, and she has been very supportive. They are working together amicably and productively. So how do your issues differ from this example? 

As you know, the ACB arose from the differences that opened up during our civil war. The ACB was composed of the folks who wanted state power and a relatively weak confederacy model at the national level. They were uncomfortable with conflict with the agencies that ruled our lives, and they passionately believed that you attract more flies with honey than with vinegar. This last may be true, but I have never been much interested in collecting flies. 

In any case historically there have been significant differences between NFBs and ACB stands on lots of issues. For a long time you could pretty much look at the NFB position and guess the ACB position because it would be opposite to ours. I have not read the Braille Forum for years, so I don’t pretend to know their stance on the big issues of the day, but I think it is interesting that their positions are not generally known. This suggests to me that they are not doing a lot these days. Certainly in Ohio, when both organizations are present and asked for our positions, they mostly say, “Me too,” after we have articulated our position.

As for this business of belonging to both organizations, are you aware that we have a policy of no duel membership? We do not make much of it because we do not want to prevent people from deciding to join the NFB if they are members of the ACB, but the policy is in place, and we try to encourage chapters not to allow members of the ACB to hold leadership positions because of the real possibility of conflict of interest. We have not always succeeded in this effort, but we try. This is because ACB members in good standing should be opposed to many of our positions. For example, a couple of years ago the ACB refused to join us in support of the TIME act because they said that the issue of subminimum wages did not affect many of their members, so they saw no reason to take a stand on it. Surely you can see that an officer with that position would not be eager to take a stand against Goodwill. 

I think you are right to have reservations about affiliation with the ACB. Your friend is a good colleague for you on campus issues, but, if she knows anything about her organization, she will have philosophical differences with you. Maybe she does not know enough about national politics to have differences with you. That may mean that you will bring her across to your way of thinking. Certainly if she does think like you about independence, she belongs with us. The ACB has a long history of not wanting to hurt people’s feelings by suggesting that they push themselves out of their comfort zones and try new things. You can see that this fits with be nice to the agencies and always look for the accommodations that will make things easiest for us, like marking the currency.

I have gone on long enough. I am sure that I have made some people angry with this position, but it is important that we be clear at the beginning of a new national administration that our policies have not changed even though our president has. We will work with the ACB when our interests coincide, but we will not join their organization. We are strongly opposed to NAC and opposed to agencies that accredit with NAC. These have been our policies for decades, and they continue to be our positions today and into the future.

Barbara 
Barbara Pierce 
President Emerita
National Federation of the Blind of Ohio
Barbara.pierce9366 at gmail.com
440-774-8077
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 zwant; blindness is not what holds you back.

> On Apr 18, 2015, at 9:52 PM, Kaiti Shelton via Ohio-talk <ohio-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Hi all,
> 
> One of the things I've been working on this semester, and talked a
> little bit about on the list recently, is an organization for students
> with disabilities and allies on UD's campus.  My partner in crime in
> this is another blind student, and it is interesting how things have
> worked out.  We seem to have very similar attitudes about independence
> and are in agreement on how to work to make disability less of a taboo
> topic of conversation on campus, but I'm a Federationist and she's an
> ACB member.  It's interesting because sometimes in conversations we'll
> dance around mentioning the different organizations.  For example, the
> other day she said, "I went to a conference in October and-something
> about BSVI."  I know it was the ACB convention, so I'm wondering why
> there needs to be the secrecy about it.  I doubt she's intentionally
> doing it-it's probably passed down through the generations.
> 
> I'm guilty of this, too.  Though I have not been shy about my
> allegiance and have specifically said things like, "I heard this at an
> NFB thing," I have not done it as much as I normally would.  I am also
> guilty of not wanting to do anything with the ACB.  Until Dr. Maurer
> made a comment telling me I should apply for ACB scholarships at the
> last conventions I never applied simply because I didn't agree with
> the organization's approach.  I also heard horror stories of NFB
> people being announced as "The other camp" as they entered ACB
> functions, and didn't want to be treated like that so I never thought
> of attending anything they sponsored.
> 
> It really got me thinking about how the organizations are still at
> odds with each other today.  It's funny, too, because when I've
> mentioned things like, "We could do something for Meet the Blind
> Month," the reaction is just like, "Oh, an NFB thing."  I wouldn't
> quite describe it as disappointment, but definitely something along
> those lines.  While I personally don't agree with the approach the ACB
> takes as an organization, I won't judge someone who does.  I know a
> few people who have had membership in both organizations
> simultaneously and like them.  I don't think I've ever met a full ACB
> person, though, so this is something new.  I really like her and her
> attitude about things is very similar to mine, so this is puzzling me.
> I would love to use opportunities in the club to promote things like
> Meet the Blind Month, or use a fundraiser to possibly get some funds
> for BELL as a service event, but in this instance I feel obligated to
> keep it neutral.  Thoughts?
> 
>   --
> Kaiti Shelton
> University of Dayton 2016.
> Music Therapy, Psychology, Philosophy
> President, Ohio Association of Blind Students
> Sigma Alpha Iota-Delta Sigma
> 
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