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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>How many of you remember when the following
article came out?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>This is just an exert taken
from?</FONT></DIV></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Future Reflections July- Sept 1985, Vol. 4 No.
3</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>BLINDNESS: THE PATTERN OF FREEDOM<BR>An Address
Delivered By KENNETH JERNIGAN<BR>President, National Federation of the
Blind<BR>At the Banquet of the Annual Convention<BR>Louisville, Kentucky, July
4, 1985<BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>When we consider public education (the second of
the four essential components in<BR>our pattern of freedom), we are reminded
again that none of the four stands alone.<BR>They overlap and interweave to form
a composite. What the blind believe about themselves,<BR>they teach to the
public; and what the public believes conditions the blind. Not<BR>only
individuals but also organizations may have negative impact and mistaken
attitudes.<BR>The American Council of the Blind is a prime example.<BR>Its state
affiliate, the Missouri Council of the Blind, plans to hold its 1985
convention<BR>in St. Joseph. Carolyn Anderson, Secretary-Treasurer of the local
chapter of the<BR>Missouri Council of the Blind, talked to the SL. Joseph
News-Press about the matter<BR>last fall. In an article appearing October 28,
1984, she says: "We have a commitment<BR>from Boy Scouts who are working on
merit badges to serve as volunteer guides when<BR>needed by a delegate. Free
transportation from both bus stations to the hotel has<BR>been arranged. And,
since there is no day or night for the blind, the hotel is even<BR>providing for
food service in case someone decides it's breakfast time at 2 in
the<BR>morning."<BR>If we did not know the philosophy of the American Council of
the Blind, we might<BR>be astonished. As it is, we accept this statement as
standard procedure--simply another<BR>obstacle to overcome on our road to
freedom. In an article captioned "Blind But Not<BR>Dumb" which appeared in the
St. Joseph Newsl£ess.of November 20, 1984, Beryl Gordon<BR>(our local NFB
president) tried to mitigate the damage. He said:<BR>"Often I am asked, 'Why
can't organizations of and for the blind get together? They<BR>are all working
toward the same thing, aren't they?'<BR>"This is a very hard question to answer
in one short sentence, and until you see<BR>something in the newspaper such as I
have recently read you don't even try.<BR>"A member of the Missouri Council of
the Blind was quoted as saying that since there<BR>is no day or night for the
blind, the hotel where they will be holding their 1985<BR>convention will be
providing food service in case one of them would decide it was<BR>breakfast time
at 2:00 ajn.<BR>"Can you just imagine what life would be like for the blind if
all of us believed<BR>something this ignorant? Can you imagine what potential
employers might think when<BR>reading something this degrading about blind
persons' intelligence?<BR>"It's no wonder we can't find jobs. It is no wonder
public facilities do not want<BR>us to come in. It is no wonder others have the
attitude that we need to be taken<BR>care of."<BR>In case you think Ms. Anderson
was misquoted by the reporter, listen to her answer<BR>in the News-Press of
November 29, 1984. She says: "As usual, the National Federation<BR>of the Blind
misinterprets and twists things for their own purposes. We believe the<BR>NFB
confronts everything with rudeness, abruptness and single-mindedness. Such
negative<BR>re actions make it more difficult for those of us trying to work in
a positive way.<BR>We try to deal with local buisnesses, officials and the
public without considering<BR>them to be our enemies. Focusing our efforts on
the good and the positive and remembering<BR>with gratitude the help we get from
the sighted in our community, we have improved<BR>our outlook. We try to keep a
sense of humor and look at life's inconveniences with<BR>some amount of
laughter. Perhaps the NFB should try this and not be critical of other<BR>people
and their efforts."<BR>Whatever else may be said, Carolyn Anderson and Beryl
Gordon are not working for<BR>the same thing. In one sense, of course, she is
right: We could laugh at ourselves,<BR>be grateful for whatever we get, and
accept the stereotype--but the price is too<BR>high. Such conduct translates
into exclusion from employment, custodial treatment,<BR>and second class status;
and it also blights the spirit and shrivels the soul--for<BR>whatever we live
and believe, that we surely become.<BR>And we are not just dealing with
generalities. It is not simply a matter of being<BR>nice or saving feelings. To
the extent that we fail to find a way to educate the<BR>public, lack the courage
to provide that education even in the face of hostility,<BR>or are unable to
understand our true potential, we and all other blind people suffer.<BR>I
recently received a letter from the sighted mother of an adopted blind child
expressing<BR>appreciation for our literature and encouragement: "My daughter
Shelly," she said,<BR>"is now eleven years old. She is fully integrated in a
local school and has learned<BR>to read and write Braille.<BR>"Six years ago,
when we adopted her, she was a 'potential unknown,' high-risk adoption<BR>case.
We took her out of a small institution, where she had lived all of her
life.<BR>She had spent most of her time confined to a large hospital sized crib,
with no stimulation<BR>and little human contact. She was in diapers and ate only
pureed baby food, which<BR>had to be fed to her. In the past six years this same
child has become bilingual,<BR>is in her third year of piano lessons, skates,
swims, rides a double bike, reads<BR>and writes, and is no longer a 'potential
unknown' but rather a child of great potential."<BR>So writes this sighted
mother, and her words give us perspective. It is not pleasant<BR>to disagree
with others and take public stands, but sometimes the alternative is<BR>worse.
We do not regard our neighbors as enemies, but this does not mean that we<BR>are
willing to submit to diapers and pureed baby food. It does not mean that we
are<BR>willing to accept slavery--even if the slavery is gently offered, kindly
meant, and<BR>well intentioned. As John Dewey said: "Liberty is not just an
idea, an abstract principle.<BR>It is power, effective power to do specific
things." And as Benjamin Franklin said:<BR>"They that give up essential liberty
to obtain a little temporary safety deserve<BR>neither liberty nor safety." We
want no strife or confrontation, but we are not willing<BR>to give up essential
liberty to obtain a little temporary safety. We have learned<BR>the power of
collective action, and we will do what we have to do. We are simply<BR>no longer
willing to be second-class citizens.<BR>The need for public education is
everywhere apparent. The fact is typi fied by an<BR>article appearing in the
Omaha World-Herald of December 5, 1984. Headlined "Donations<BR>Pay for Glasses
for Needy During the Year," the article says: "Detecting and solving<BR>vision
problems are important in the proper development of children, said Dr.
Matilda<BR>Mclntire, director of community pediatrics at Creighton University.
That is why the<BR>cooperative effort of The World-Herald Good Fellows and
Creighton is valuable to<BR>the community, she said. 'We feel very strongly that
a child cannot learn if he cannot<BR>see."1<BR>To which we reply, thousands of
us grew up as blind children and have achieved a<BR>moderate degree of literacy
and success. If Dr. Mclntire is right, I wonder how we<BR>did it.<BR>Early this
year I received a letter from one P. F. Membrey, who described himself<BR>as the
director of GAPEX, a product consulting and export firm from London,
England.<BR>He said, concerning a new Braille-Writer which he wished to sell:
"Following its<BR>recent introduction to the United Kingdom market, GAPEX have
been appointed sole<BR>distribution agents for this unique product. Accordingly,
we are now able to supply<BR>the BRAILLEWRITER to those institutions or
individuals who work with or have care<BR>of blind or partially sighted
people."<BR>Mr. Membrey, Carolyn Anderson, and Dr. Stromer would probably say we
are nitpicking,<BR>but people usually say what they mean even if they do not
mean to say what they say.<BR>The orientation which (whether inadvertently or
not) leads to talk of selling a product<BR>to "institutions or individuals who
have care of blind or partially sighted people"<BR>is destructive and damaging.
We must observe it, reject it, and attack it—not only<BR>for public
enlightenment but for our own self-respect. As Harold Laski said:
"We<BR>acquiesce in the loss of freedom every time we are silent in the face of
injustice."<BR>We want no strife or confrontation, but we are simply no longer
willing to be secondclass<BR>citizens.<BR></DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>