[BlindKid] An Introduction, and some Food for Thought

Mon Apr 27 16:02:29 UTC 2020

Dear Tina,

Thank you for raising the issue of children's books that present strong
blind characters and convey healthy attitudes about blindness. As you point
out, there is a definite need for good material. Here are a few suggestions.
I hope others can add their ideas.

Pedro and the Octopus was created and published by the American Action fund
for Blind Children and Adults. It is available from the Independence Market.
This book is unique in that it has colorful tactile illustrations by Ann
Cunningham that portray a young blind boy enjoying a day at the beach with
his family. 

My young-adult novel, Belonging, is available on Bookshare and from NLS.
Although it was published in 1978 (and reprinted in 2001), I hope blind
teens might still relate to some of the issues. 

Barbara Cheadle, past president of NOPBC, published an article in Future
Reflections called Analyzing and Selecting Children's Picture Books that
Feature Blind Characters. It includes her assessment of several titles, some
thumbs-up and others not. You can find it at
https://www.nfb.org/sites/www.nfb.org/files/images/nfb/publications/fr/fr29/
3/fr290301.htm.

Over the years Future Reflections has published positive reviews of a number
of children's books. Check these out:

My Three Best Friends and Me, Zulay,
https://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/fr/fr34/1/fr340117.htm
My Fair Child,
https://www.nfb.org/sites/www.nfb.org/files/images/nfb/publications/fr/fr29/
3/fr290317.htm
A Blind Guide to Stinkville and A Blind Guide to Normal,
https://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/fr/fr38/1/fr380117.htm

-----Original Message-----
From: BlindKid [mailto:blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Tina Hansen
via BlindKid
Sent: Sunday, April 26, 2020 10:00 PM
To: blindkid at nfbnet.org
Cc: Tina Hansen <th404 at comcast.net>
Subject: [BlindKid] An Introduction, and some Food for Thought

My name is Tina Hansen, and while I'm not a parent or educator of a blind
child or student, something's been bothering me lately.

I appreciate all the literature and other media we have in the NFB that
articulates what we believe through story, teaching, and other tools. But
I'm beginning to wonder if there is a potential gap.

Some of us may remember an attempt back in 1994 to create a special issue of
Future Reflections aimed at a young audience. This was a good start, but
when I came across it much later, I was made aware that there's not much in
our media library targeted at blind/visually impaired kids that somehow
articulates our philosophy.

I've noticed many books about blindness targeted at a young age group, but
since many of them are fiction, it's not unusual for some of the stereotypes
about blindness to sneak in. Since I've been in this organization for a
while, I've gotten somewhat suspicious about books either written more than
60 years ago, or anything not written by our own members. There are a few
exceptions, such as Blind Abilities, but for the most part, I tend to stick
to our own literature. While I may hear from other organizations, I always
know the NFB allows me to reaffirm my belief that blindness is not what
defines me.

The only children's book about blindness that I can truly enjoy is Michael
Hingson's book, Running with Roszel, since it's written by one of our
members. Incidentally, I think it needs an audio edition so blind and
sighted children and parents can listen together. Apart from that, I tread
carefully. Part of this may be due to my own ignorance, but part of it may
just be limited thinking.

So here's my burning question. Is it necessary for our organization to
produce media specifically targeted at young people and their parents. Is it
time to present podcasts or You Tube videos hosted by children and their
parents?

My model for this is the Dream Big ppodcast at

www.dreambigpodcast.com

This podcast has been going on since the host was 6, and she's now around
10. She got the idea from the podcasts her parents were sharing with her,
and hearing the examples related by their adult hosts. She wondered if
anyone was presenting these positive messages in ways that kids could
understand it, and when she and her family didn't find anything, she stepped
in and filled the gap. Even as an adult, I enjoy it, because while children
are her main audience, she respects adults.

I'd love to discuss what I envision in greater depth, but for the moment,
I'd like to start the dialog. Do any of you have any thoughts? Thanks.

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