[Ohio-Talk] Blind Parents Legislation

[Todd Elzey]

The National Federation of the Blind of Ohio (NFBO) is close to once again
having our legislation to protect blind parents' rights reintroduced into
the Ohio Legislature. This year we are going to have companion bills going
in both the Ohio House and Ohio Senate, which we believe will significantly
increase our chances of getting the legislation through the process this
legislative session. But we need everyone to contact their Ohio legislators
to get them to support the legislation. Affiliate Secretary Eric Duffy just
sent out the below Father's Day letter to every State Senator and State
Representative. Do you have a Father's Day story that might help convince
our legislators to finally pass this important legislation? If so, follow
Eric's example and send it to your State Representative and Senator today!
Here's Eric's letter:

Dear Representative: and Senator:

Whether or not you celebrate Father’s Day on Sunday, I hope you will at
least take time to reflect on your father and what he meant to you. My
father died twenty-six years ago, but I think of him often, especially on
Father’s Day. My two boys, whom I raised as a single father, were the only
grandchildren my father never met. Because I am blind, he really didn’t
think I would have children. Like many of his generation, he didn’t believe
that blind people could successfully raise children.

This long-outdated belief in the lack of capacity of the blind to raise
children is still destroying families today. Even in 2021, it is still not
uncommon for a social worker to take children from blind parents simply
because of the parent’s blindness. In addition, in custody battles, it is
also not uncommon for a court to side with a sighted parent simply because
of the other parent’s blindness. That is why we need your help now.

Representatives Erica Crawley and Sharon Ray and Senators Bob Hackett and
Nickie Antonio are introducing legislation to prevent blindness from being
used as the sole basis of determining custody of children. This legislation
would mean that a blind person will be judged just like anyone else during
child welfare, divorce, adoption, foster care, and guardianship proceedings.

We need your help to pass this legislation this Session. You can help send
a strong message to blind Ohioans and all citizens of the great State of
Ohio letting them know that the blind of this state will no longer have to
fear that their children will be ripped from their home simply because a
social worker or another person in authority presumes that blind people
should not raise children.

This legislation received strong bipartisan support in the last legislative
session, passing the house 93-0. I am writing today to ask that you sign on
as a co-sponsor of either the House or Senate bills. I am also asking that
you support and vote for the legislation as it passes through the
legislative process. Please also let the House and Senate leadership know
that passing this legislation is important to you.

On this Father’s Day, I and the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio
ask that you support this legislation so that no father or mother will ever
have to wonder if they will have grandchildren simply because their son or
daughter is blind.

Please contact me by email or phone if I can provide additional information
about this legislation or the National Federation of the Blind. I can be
reached at 614-377-9877 or peduffy63 at gmail.com. I am counting on your
support, and so are thousands of blind citizens around the state.

Sincerely,

Eric Duffy,
Secretary, National Federation of the Blind of Ohio