[CCCNFBW] resolutions associated with our philosophy discussions today

Tue Oct 14 17:58:21 UTC 2025

I hope it is okay to leave a comment that I did not get to make on Saturday.
Even the word Blind or Deaf "able bodied" or "normal" people have
negative responses to them, it is something they wer taught growing up. I
fell like that is why when they become disabled , such as being blind, they
sit at home for 5 years because they think it is a negative thing, "well I
am blind, my life is over, I might as well sit here and let people do
things for me". Not knowing that we do so many more things than just take
care of ourselves.
We need to show what we can do to show the able bodied people that blind
people, not just one of use but lots of us, do things for ourselves and
other everyday.

Beth Greenberg

On Sat, Oct 11, 2025 at 1:51 PM Don Mitchell via CCCNFBW <cccnfbw at nfbnet.org>
wrote:

> Below are two resolutions from 2024 and a referral to a resolution made
> in1993 that discuss the use of the words blind, visually impaired and
> related verbiage used in talking about blind people.
>
>
>
> RESOLUTION 2024-21: Regarding Calling Upon the News Media to Use the Word
> “Blind”
>
> WHEREAS, blind people are held back by a common set of misconceptions
> about being blind, low expectations for blind people, and barriers
> resulting from a lack of equal access to information and public services;
> and
>
> WHEREAS, since 1940 the National Federation of the Blind has used the word
> “blind” as an inclusive term with a functional definition that encompasses
> individuals with varying degrees of blindness, but who have in common the
> need to use nonvisual tools and techniques, some or all of the time, in
> order to learn, work, play, and otherwise live the lives we want; and
>
> WHEREAS, throughout our history, we have rejected the tendency of society
> to treat the word “blind” as a word to be avoided; and
>
> WHEREAS, for example, in 1993, our convention affirmed in Resolution
> 1993-01 that “We believe that it is respectable to be blind, and although
> we have no particular pride in the fact of our blindness, neither do we
> have any shame in it. To the extent that euphemisms are used to convey any
> other concept or image, we deplore such use”; and
>
> WHEREAS, because of our belief in the normality and capacity of blind
> people, we reject the idea that eyesight or vision is a requirement for
> success, and believe that vision-centered language focuses on what we are
> perceived to lack, a negative framing of blindness, rather than on our
> fundamental normality as people who share a characteristic that, while it
> does not define us, is a positive part of who we are; and
>
> WHEREAS, increasingly other groups of people with disabilities and the
> wider society have embraced the idea that “blind” and other words
> describing disabilities are not words to be avoided, but positive
> indicators of identity; and
>
> WHEREAS, a common euphemism for the word blind is the phrase “visually
> impaired,” or variants thereof, which is an example of vision-centered
> language that portrays us as broken because of our lack of eyesight; and
>
> WHEREAS, the news media, in all its forms and to varying degrees, uses
> words to inform and shape the perceptions of those who consume it; and
>
> WHEREAS, the phrase “visually impaired” continues to be used by many media
> outlets to describe blind people, even in stories about individuals who
> embrace their identity as blind people and which purport to be positive and
> affirming: Now, therefore,
>
> BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention
> assembled this seventh day of July, 2024, in the City of Orlando, Florida,
> that we call upon all of the major broadcast, print, and digital news
> outlets, services, and other entities that influence the language used
> throughout the American news media to stop using the term “visually
> impaired” to describe blind people, and to instead use the word “blind” in
> the way that those of us who have the authentic lived experience of
> blindness use it; and
>
> BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we call upon all of these entities to consult
> with the National Federation of the Blind as they review and revise their
> guidance to journalists, editors, and producers, and otherwise make
> decisions about the language they use in describing and characterizing
> blindness and blind people.
>
> RESOLUTION 2024-22 - Regarding the use of the term "visually impaired"
> when referring to blind people with some vision
>
> WHEREAS, language plays a crucial role in shaping society's perceptions
> and understanding of different perspectives and aspects of life; and
>
> WHEREAS, accurate terminology is an essential factor in the creation of a
> climate which fosters respect and inclusivity for everyone, including the
> blind; and
>
> WHEREAS, at its 1993 convention, the National Federation of the Blind
> unanimously adopted Resolution 93-01, which says in relevant part, “…the
> word blind accurately and clearly describes the condition of being unable
> to see, as well as the condition of having such limited eyesight that
> alternative techniques are required to do efficiently the ordinary tasks of
> daily living that are performed visually by those having good eyesight…”;
> and
>
> WHEREAS, this resolution clearly declares that the word "blind" is meant
> to include people with poor vision or no vision and does not circumvent the
> use of a word which, in other circles, is either avoided altogether or
> combined with other terms such as "visually impaired," "visually
> challenged," “sight challenged” or "hard of seeing,"--euphemisms  which are
> thought to be more acceptable and less off-putting to the broader
> community; and
>
> WHEREAS, the term "visually impaired" (often combined with the word
> "blind" as in Blind and Visually Impaired) is used by many programs and
> agencies serving the blind as an attempt to clarify that their services are
> available to individuals with limited or no eyesight and not just to
> individuals who are totally blind; and
>
> WHEREAS, the word "impaired" when combined with the word "vision" or
> "visual" implies a sense of deficiency and inferiority and perpetuates the
> incorrect notion that people who have lost part or all of their eyesight
> are automatically less capable or limited in their abilities as compared to
> people with normal eyesight; and
>
> WHEREAS, when referring to a group of people comprised of individuals with
> varying degrees of sight--from total blindness to legal blindness to
> significant vision loss--the term "blind and low vision" is a more accurate
> and positive description in that it correctly indicates less-than-20 20
> vision without connoting the negative assumptions and stereotypes that have
> too often been associated with the blind; and
>
> WHEREAS, other minorities, such as the deaf community, have successfully
> advocated for the use of terms like "deaf or hard of hearing" in place of
> "deaf and hearing impaired," recognizing the value of moving away from
> terminology that includes the word "impaired"; and
>
> WHEREAS, self-advocacy and asserting preferred terminology can do much to
> challenge existing misconceptions and encourage others to adopt more
> accurate and respectful language; and
>
> WHEREAS, raising awareness and educating the public to use appropriate
> terminology that is free from negative assumptions and stereotypes can be
> achieved through educational campaigns, media initiatives, and inclusive
> language guidelines in academic and professional settings: Now, therefore,
>
> BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind, in Convention
> assembled this seventh day of July, 2024, in the city of Orlando, Florida,
> that this organization reaffirm the respectability of the word "blind" as
> articulated in Resolution 93-01; and
>
> BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization call upon organizations,
> agencies, and entities that work with or serve individuals who are blind
> who feel that it is appropriate to use terms such as "blind and visually
> impaired," "visually impaired," or similar terminology in their names
> and/or promotional materials to use instead "blind," "blind and low
> vision," "low vision," or similar phrasing instead; and
>
> BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization acknowledge and praise the
> United States Federal Government for making a strong effort to use the term
> “blind and low vision”.
>
>
>
>
>
>
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