[stylist] Blind and segregation

[Judith Bron]

Lori, You and I are not on different pages.  the NFB has done everything 
possible to insure that blind students are properly educated.  However, 
getting the NEA or NFT to do the same is a battle that would make WW two 
look like child's play.  Certainly the NFB should keep plugging.  They have 
been successful and the proof is the number of literate and educated blind 
students graduating.   Perhaps our focus should be a PR campaign to show, in 
articles, with speakers, audio visual demonstrations etc. exactly what is 
possible with children who are educated  properly even if they are blind. 
Also, getting the educational system and society in general to look at the 
blind as normal people with lots of potential, intelligence and creativity 
is another battle that is not won yet. . Society doesn't have a clue about 
exactly what the blind are capable of and what makes them capable.  Judith
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <LoriStay at aol.com>
To: <stylist at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, December 31, 2008 2:41 PM
Subject: Re: [stylist] Blind and segregation


What has the NFB done for students?   If I miss something, kindly fill in 
for
me!
1. Made sure Braille is the default reading system for blind children.
2. Negotiated with publishers, and later with legislators to get textbooks
available in electronic format in a timely manner so blind students could 
keep
up with their peers.
3. Pushed the same kind of legislation into law for college students.
4. Gone to court any number of times to be sure a student would be taught
braille when the schools tried to say he or she didn't need it.
5.   Established parents divisions so that parents could be made aware of
their blind children's needs from an early age.
6.   Encouraged the use of the white cane for small children so they would
not have to learn how to get to the corner when they reached 18.
7.   Insisted that blind children ought to be held to the same standards as
sighted children, with age appropriate goals.

I'm sure there is more.
Lori
In a message dated 12/31/08 2:33:49 PM, jbron at optonline.net writes:


> What you could legislate are guidelines to school boards for visually
> impaired or legally blind students. But then you are depending on school
> districts to enforce a law that will cost them more money. Perhaps you
> could lobby the NEA, but don' count on results. Their priorities go in 
> this
> order: salary, benefits, more control over students to garentee docile
> behaviors and on time dismissals. No, I don't have much faith in unions 
> who
> are handed more and more money each year to come up with negative results.
> Want to go this route? You will feel better for making a dent in a failed
> system, but it won't make a darned bit of difference to blind students.
>




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