[blindkid] A beautiful speech.

[Carol Castellano]

Penny,

I remember driving in the car with my sister when Serena was a baby 
and saying to her, "I can get used to the idea that she can't see, 
but I wish there were another word that we could use to describe 
it.  The word "blind" has so many connotations."  And Serena really 
WAS totally blind.

It was a growth point for me, too, to become accustomed to using the 
word.  NFB literature was a godsend for me because it gave me ways to 
talk about blindness in a positive manner--blindness is a 
characteristic, blindness does not have to stop a person from leading 
a full and normal life, it's okay to be blind.  This in turn helped 
my family learn not to pity Serena, but to enjoy her as a person and 
watch her develop and grow as they did all the other new babies born 
into our family.

Together, all of us in the Federation are working toward reclaiming 
the word "blind" and making it mean professionals working in offices, 
mechanics working in shops, scientists in labs, teachers in 
classrooms, dads & moms taking care of a home and kids, citizens 
taking part in community life--just regular people leading regular 
lives.  This is one of the reasons many of us are so passionate about 
our mission--every time one blind person succeeds, it makes the world 
a better place for all blind people.

I'm so glad the speech was helpful to you.

Fondly,
Carol

Carol Castellano
Director of Programs
National Organization of Parents of Blind Children
973-377-0976
carol_castellano at verizon.net
www.nopbc.org

At 12:48 AM 6/23/2011, you wrote:
>I was looking at the new website the NFB of Utah made that I saw mentioned
>on the BlindTalk List serve.  While I was looking I found found a speech
>that brought me to tears. I am assume most of you have heard it.  I am
>pretty sure I have read it before in one of my many late night research
>sessions.    I am still wiping the tears from my eyes.  Its a speech by
>Carol Castellano from the national convention two years ago titled "Why are
>you trying to make that child blind"
>
>http://blindhow.com/posts/92#content
>
>So if you haven't listened to it you really should even it if you have read
>it.  I am sure so many of you have already are well aware of this speech
>already but it really spoke to me.   I actually got in a heated discussion
>last weekend at a family party with an OLD family friend.  He
>was insistent my daughter was not blind and completely disagreed with me
>using that word.
>
>Seeing what braille has done for my daughter these past few months have been
>amazing. It was one of the most hardest things I have ever heard when my
>daughters TVI told us that she recommend braille.  (I am so grateful for
>this teacher today) I wanted to yell in the meeting "but Abby's not blind".
>She was 6 and had 20/20 vision a year before. I couldn't even say the word
>BLIND without gagging  so I kept my mouth shut and listened.  I have not
>problem at all with someone using visually impaired but calling my daughter
>blind and being comfortable just saying the word was such a growth point for
>me.   Being able to over come my own personal misperceptions was harder.
>
>I got a bit off my point. GO LISTEN to this speech.
>
>--
>--Penny
>----------
>Adventures with Abby - visionfora.blogspot.com
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