[Ohio-talk] FW: [Coms_grad] FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

[Smith, JW]

Colleagues:

I share this with you and I did not even know that it had occurred.

We need to stay on top of this one!

Jw

Dr. jw Smith
School of Communication Studies
Scripps College of Communication
Schoonover Center, Rm. 427
Athens, OH 45701
smithj at ohio.edu<mailto:smithj at ohio.edu>
T: 740-593-4838


From: Eugene, Nicole
Sent: Monday, September 26, 2016 1:16 PM
To: Smith, JW <smithj at ohio.edu>
Subject: Re: [Coms_grad] [Ohio-talk] FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

J.W.
Thanks for sharing this. Last week I saw a bunch of people walking around campus & town blindfolded or with their eyes closed half-wittingly guided by a fellow students. This was almost obviously without guidance of an instructor who would want to teach students the correct way to engage with a visually impaired person. Some people were holding hands, one guy was guiding a blindfolded person from behind by directing their shoulders and others just walking side by side offering the person with their eyes closed with some hints as to what the terrain contained. I didn’t know if you heard about this already so I figured I would let you know. The press release echoes what I found disturbing about the casual manner in which blindness was being treated. On another note, this sounds like the making of an interesting paper if you ask me.

Nicole Christina Eugene
Ohio University,
School of Communication  Studies
Athens, OH 45701
T: 740.597.3019  F: 740.597.4810
www.NicoleEugene.com<http://www.nicoleeugene.com>
ne598513 at ohio.edu<mailto:ne598513 at ohio.edu>

On Sep 26, 2016, at 11:38 AM, Smith, JW <smithj at ohio.edu<mailto:smithj at ohio.edu>> wrote:

fyi

Jw

Dr. jw Smith
School of Communication Studies
Scripps College of Communication
Schoonover Center, Rm. 427
Athens, OH 45701
smithj at ohio.edu<mailto:smithj at ohio.edu>
T: 740-593-4838



-----Original Message-----
From: Ohio-Talk [mailto:ohio-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of richard via Ohio-Talk
Sent: Monday, September 26, 2016 11:25 AM
To: 'NFB of Ohio Announcement and Discussion List' <ohio-talk at nfbnet.org<mailto:ohio-talk at nfbnet.org>>
Cc: richard <rchpay7 at gmail.com<mailto:rchpay7 at gmail.com>>
Subject: [Ohio-talk] FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Chris Danielsen
Director of Public Relations
National Federation of the Blind
(410) 659-9314, extension 2330
(410) 262-1281 (Cell)
cdanielsen at nfb.org<mailto:cdanielsen at nfb.org>

National Federation of the Blind Comments on Foundation Fighting Blindness #HowEyeSeeIt Campaign

Baltimore, Maryland (September 26, 2016): The National Federation of the Blind commented today on the #HowEyeSeeIt  challenge launched in the past month by the Foundation Fighting Blindness, which has garnered considerable recent publicity. The NFB has also delivered a letter <https://nfb.org/president-mark-riccobono-letter-regarding-howeyeseeit-campa
ign<https://nfb.org/president-mark-riccobono-letter-regarding-howeyeseeit-campa%0bign>>  to the Foundation Fighting Blindness, and NFB members are using
ign> the
#HowEyeSeeIt hash tag to counter the campaign via social media.

Mark A. Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said:
"The National Federation of the Blind is deeply concerned that the #HowEyeSeeIt challenge, as currently structured, will do lasting harm to the ability of millions of blind Americans to live the lives we want. In encouraging people who are not blind to don blindfolds and make videos of themselves attempting everyday tasks, this campaign perpetuates the fears, misconceptions, and low expectations that society has about blindness by giving those who take the challenge or view the videos an inaccurate understanding of the lived experience of blind people. In particular, suggesting that it is difficult or impossible for blind parents to care for their children is false and irresponsible. As a blind father of three children who also happens to be married to a blind person, I can say unequivocally that, with nonvisual techniques, we can, and do, capably parent thriving children every day. Yet children have been removed from the custody of blind parents solely because of misconcept!
ions about their ability to care for them, without any actual proof of abuse or neglect, and the #HowEyeSeeIt campaign threatens to worsen this already grave problem.
This is only one example of how this campaign will harm the chances of blind people, including board members and supporters of the Foundation Fighting Blindness, to live productive and happy lives.

"To be clear, we have no quarrel with the Foundation Fighting Blindness or the medical research that it seeks to fund. However, we believe that this particular method of gathering support will harm the very people whom the Foundation Fighting Blindness and the National Federation of the Blind, in different but complementary ways, seek to help. I and other members of the National Federation of the Blind have told the Foundation Fighting Blindness that the perpetuation of misconceptions about, and by extension discrimination against, the blind is unacceptable, but so far we have been ignored. We therefore demand that the Foundation Fighting Blindness stop filling its coffers by spreading misconceptions and jeopardizing the dreams and aspirations of blind people."

###

About the National Federation of the Blind

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.





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