[Ohio-talk] A Timely Article

[Cheryl Fields]

Great Article! Cheryl

On 2/18/16, Smith, JW via Ohio-talk <ohio-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Dear NFB of Ohio Family, Friends and Colleagues,
>
> One of our graduate students made me aware of this article and so I have cut
> and pasted it here for you to both enjoy and read as well.
>
> JW
>
> "What I'll Say the Next Time Someone Asks if I know Stevie Wonder"
>
> The 58th Annual Grammy Awards was held in Los Angeles on February 15, 2016.
> Artists representing every genre of music packed the Staples Center as fans
> from all over the country watched for performances and fashion alike.
>
> With so many losses felt within the music community since the beginning of
> the year, Stevie Wonder and
> Penatonix<http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/grammys/6875306/stevie-wonder-pentatonix-thats-the-way-of-the-world-grammys-2016>
> honored Earth, Wind & Fire's Maurice White with an emotional performance of
> "That's the Way of the World." Wonder, who became blind shortly after birth,
> then preceded to remain on stage as Penatonix members read the Grammy
> nominees for "Song of the Year."
>
> After video played, the camera cut back to Stevie Wonder, who was holding
> the winner's card. As he began to fumble with the card, attempting to open
> its seal, Wonder murmured, "So, I'm gonna break this open, pop it open...
> you know, what the hell?" The audience laughed while Penatonix members
> awkwardly looked on, seemingly wondering if they should intervene or let the
> music icon continue to open the envelope.
>
> Wonder quickly attained success and upon turning the card towards the
> audience, it appeared to be blank.
>
> "OK, so you all can't read this huh? You can't read it; you can't read
> Braille. Nah, Nah, Nah, Nah Nah."
>
> The audience erupted with laughter. Stevie, glided his fingers over the dots
> adding, "I just want to say before saying the winner, that we need to make
> every single thing accessible to every single person with a
> disability<http://themighty.com/2016/02/stevie-wonder-calls-for-disability-accessibility-in-grammys-speech/>."
> The audience applauded Wonder as Ed Sheeran took home the win for his song,
> "Thinking Out Loud."
>
> As a blind woman, I've had a love-hate relationship with Stevie Wonder since
> losing my vision in 2012. As one of the most famous blind people in the
> entertainment world, people often say say to me, "Oh, I can name a blind
> person, (pause) Stevie Wonder."
>
> I also get asked, "Do 'you' know Stevie Wonder?"
>
> Know him? Of course I know who he is. I've heard his music. Are we going out
> to dinner or texting each other daily? In a word... no.
>
> Surprising as it may sound, not all blind people hang out together. We exist
> in this world. We participate in our communities, and if we do happen to
> encounter a fellow individual with a visual impairment, then yeah, we
> compare notes. Maybe we swap numbers, similar to sighted people when they
> meet someone who shares a similar interest.
>
> I know enough about Stevie Wonder to expect a great performance, but I was
> equally surprised by the Grammys' choice to have him hold the winner's card.
> Even as a blind woman, I was thinking, "Man, is somebody going to help him
> with that envelope?" and "How is he going to read that thing?"
>
> Well, Stevie showed me. Hell, he showed the entire musical community. A
> blind man read and announced a Grammy winner.
>
> He didn't need assistance. He didn't require a sighted person to do the job.
> He just did it. Elegantly. Professionally. Perfectly.
>
> But beyond that, Stevie Wonder lightheartedly used the opportunity, perhaps
> even unbeknownst to him, to educate the world about "inclusion."
>
> "We need to make every singe thing accessible to every single person with a
> disability."
>
> Inclusion for all, whether it's the blind celebrity announcing the Grammy
> winner or the autistic child looking for matriculated classes in their
> school. The disabled community craves accessibility. We sometimes require
> accommodation. But we all, disabled or not, want inclusion.
>
> The next time someone asks me if I "know" Stevie Wonder, I won't be
> frustrated by their innocent ignorance.  Instead, I will proudly say, "Yes,
> he's the guy who killed it at the 2016 Grammys by showing the world how
> accessibility for the disabled community is so empowering."
>
>
>
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