[Nfbf-l] Letter Opposing Dining in the Dark

Fri Oct 12 16:03:55 UTC 2018

Roanna,

	Thank you for your message. Not only do you feel the sighted people at your Dining in the Dark event learned much about blindness, scientific research reveals simulation exercises generally have negative outcomes. Such events may tug on the heart strings and, for the benefit of fund raising, on the purse strings. The charities performing such events laud them as a success but that success is only their bottom line. They may claim they serve us but they are really doing us a disservice!

Fraternally yours,
Marion Gwizdala

-----Original Message-----
From: Nfbf-l [mailto:nfbf-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Roanna Bacchus via Nfbf-l
Sent: Friday, October 12, 2018 10:16 AM
To: Marion Gwizdala via Nfbf-l
Cc: Roanna Bacchus
Subject: Re: [Nfbf-l] Letter Opposing Dining in the Dark

Hi Marion thanks for your message. I am also in opposition of these Dining In The Dark events. A few years back, I attended a two-week residential program with the Lighthouse of Central Florida. For our final celebration, the students in the Transition program decided to host a "Dining In The Dark" event. I am not sure that our parents and family members learned by wearing a blindfold.

On Oct 10, 2018 8:06 PM, Marion Gwizdala via Nfbf-l <nfbf-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>
> Dear Florida Federation Family, 
>
>
>
>                 A week or so ago, I sent a message to these lists concerning 
> Dining in the Dark fund raising events. These messages were triggered by a 
> Tampa Bay chapter member who, in spite of knowing the National Federation of 
> the Blind's opposition to such events, announced one being hosted by the 
> Tampa Lighthouse for the Blind. I understand another community 
> rehabilitation program (CRP) is hosting such an event. As per my previous 
> message, it is the policy of the NFB to voice our opposition to such events 
> when we learn of them and to encourage those conducting them to reconsider 
> an event that only serves to reinforce the negative stereotypes of blindness 
> and demean the blind they purport to serve. 
>
>
>
>                 As the president of the National Association of Guide Dog 
> Users and with the encouragement of President Riccobono, I have written the 
> message below with the unanimous consent of the NAGDU board of directors. I 
> encourage you to read this message, along with the supporting supplemental 
> information accompanying it so you are better educated about our rationale 
> for opposing these sort of events. 
>
>
>
> Fraternally yours, 
>
> Marion Gwizdala 
>
> From: president at nagdu.org [mailto:president at nagdu.org] 
> Sent: Wednesday, October 10, 2018 4:00 PM 
> To: 'cbenninger at guidedogs.com' 
> Cc: board at nagdu.org; officeofthepresident at nfb.org 
> Subject: Concerning Canine Heroes Auction 
> Importance: High 
>
>
>
>
>
> Dear Ms. Benninger, 
>
> Via Email: CBenninger at guidedogs.com 
>
>             I am writing on behalf of the National Association of Guide Dog 
> Users (NAGDU), a division of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB), 
> concerning Guide Dogs for the Blind's intention to use a blindness 
> simulation episode during its upcoming Canine Heroes Auction. Though the 
> National Federation of the Blind is a proponent of the use of learning 
> shades - sometimes referred to as "sleep shades" - to effectively train 
> individuals in the techniques of blindness, we object to the use of 
> simulation as a fund raising technique. Whether intended or not, simulation 
> exercises tend to invoke fear and pity in the participants, compromising the 
> goals of the National Federation of the Blind and, I would hope, those of 
> guide dogs for the Blind. 
>
>
>
>             Placing a blindfold on a sighted person does not help the person 
> understand what it is like to be blind; rather, such simulations only serve 
> to reinforce the negative stereotypes and misconceptions that compromise our 
> ability to fully participate in our community as we strive to live the lives 
> we want. This is not only the opinion of the National Federation of the 
> Blind; it is also the conclusions of research in simulation exercises 
> conducted by social psychologists. A blindfolded sighted person will not 
> encounter a waitress asking their 5-year-old what her father wants to drink, 
> strangers grabbing and pushing the blind person where the well-meaning 
> individual thinks they are wanting to go, A doctor asking the blind person 
> who bathes them, or the condescending comments of pity offered by the 
> public, all incidents I and nearly every other blind person have 
> experienced. 
>
>
>
>             We realize the importance of raising funds to continue the work 
> of Guide Dogs for the Blind; however, we object to the exploitation of the 
> fear of blindness and the demeaning of the blind as the tool for raising 
> those funds. We believe the Canine Heroes Auction would be just as 
> successful without the simulation episode and urge Guide Dogs for the Blind 
> to publicly join the National Association of Guide Dog Users and the 
> National Federation of the Blind by condemning and opposing the use of 
> simulation exercises as a fund raising technique. 
>
>
>
>             For your information, I have attached the text of Resolution 
> 2012-04 condemning the use of simulation exercises as a fund raising event. 
> I am also including below links to two articles which recently appeared in 
> the Braille Monitor, the monthly publication of the National Federation of 
> the Blind. One of these articles is written by Mark Riccobono, president of 
> the National Federation of the Blind, and the second by Dr. Ariel Silverman, 
> a Social Psychologist. 
>
>
>
> Walking a Mile: The Possibilities and Pitfalls of Simulations by Mark 
> Riccobono 
>
> https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm17/bm1704/bm170402.htm 
>
>
>
> Disability Simulations: What Does the Research Say? 
>
> By Ariel Silverman, Ph.D. 
>
> https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm17/bm1706/bm170602.htm 
>
>
>
>             In closing, I would like to share the spontaneous, unsolicited 
> impressions of an executive with a major airline after attending two 
> simulation events. "It struck me as not a realistic simulation of what it 
> must be like for a blind person to eat a meal.After having done the exercise 
> twice, I have learned a few of the techniques that a person might use to eat 
> their dinner, but I have no illusions that it taught me much at all about 
> the overall experience or skills required in life.  Unfortunately, I'm sure 
> that a large number of people who left the exercises think they learned more 
> than they really did. 
>
>
>
> With kind regards, 
>
> Marion Gwizdala, President 
>
> National Association of Guide Dog Users Inc. (NAGDU) 
>
> National Federation of the Blind 
>
> (813) 626-2789 
>
> President at NAGDU.ORG 
>
> Visit our website <http://nagdu.org/> 
>
> Follow us on Twitter <http://twitter.com/nagdu> 
>
>
>
> The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the 
> characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise 
> expectations because low expectations create barriers between blind  people 
> and our dreams. You can live the life you want! Blindness is not what holds 
> you back. 
>
>
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