[nfb-talk] state con attendance
Chris Westbrook
westbc at clw19.com
Sat Nov 10 20:12:21 CST 2007
You make some good points, even if you have the wrong state. <grin>. Man I
wish I were in California, but I'm stuck on the other coast in Pennsylvania.
Nonetheless, names don't matter, and I'll see what I can do.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike Freeman" <k7uij at panix.com>
To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, November 10, 2007 8:59 PM
Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] state con attendance
> Chris:
>
> With great respeect, I think you have not just a chip but a whole forest
> on your shoulder as regards volunteers at convention. NFB has them also
> but they are very unobtrusive and only help when asked and, frankly,
> don't help in areas wherein blind persons should be able to do for
> themselves. Lest you think I'm being preachy, I'm thinking of what
> happened at a recent WCB (Washington Council of the Blind -- WCB)
> convention wherein convention-goers who came on a WCB bus were told to
> put labels on their bags so that volunteers could find their bags for
> them (no thought that the passengers would find their own bags) and also
> there were volunteers to unpack and repack the bags of convention-goers.
> I'm sorry but that's plumb ridiculous.
>
> I agree with you that such things as appliance access are looming large
> in the inaccessibility department. But ACB is no more equipped to solve
> that problem than are we in NFB. Everyone may talk a good line about how
> wonderful "universal access" is but it ain't gonna happen. Why? Because
> manufacturers and, by extension, the general public, aren't going to pay
> for it. There are many more sighted persons than there are blind
> persons.
>
> Eventually, litigation may make a difference -- that's where your
> lawsuit and ours come into the picture. But there's a lot of case law to
> be made before such suits can be made effective.
>
> Moreover, when we worry about equal access, what do we really mean? How
> do we specify it legally? And do we mean access for the tech-savvy or
> for those who haven't a clue insofar as computer use are concerned.
> Accessibility, at least in terms of software, is a moving target and
> probably always be about two steps ahead of us. But we must keep on
> fighting. But we must act intelligently and not go off half-cocked. Just
> claiming, as ACB often does, that if the sighted have it, the blind
> ought to also won't cut it because, in the end, the only way that can
> happen is for all blind persons to regain their sight which won't
> happen. What we must strive for is access that's "good enough" -- that
> allows us to compete.
>
> By writing the foregoing, I am not minimizing your concerns; I tend to
> share them although I think the solutions aren't as simple as many of us
> would like them to be. So we're not so far apart on these matters as I
> may sound.
>
> However, I am going to challenge you a bit on the convention bit and
> about NFB governance. Mostly, what I here from you is "can't can't can't
> can't". Have you talked with your local chapter about getting a national
> convention scholarship? How about Robert Stigel, your affiliate
> President? And, believe me, there's a lot for state affiliates to do;
> the national leadership cannot handle a majority of what NFB does. So
> have you run for local office? How about state office? How many projects
> have you volunteered for in the last six months for your local chapter
> president? How about for the state affiliate?
>
> In other words, the NFB really is all of us. Quit complaining about how
> you are de facto being excluded ang get in there and pitch! WE need you
> and you need us!
>
> And get that block of wood off your shoulder! (broad smile)
>
> Mike
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Chris Westbrook
> To: NFB Talk Mailing List
> Sent: Saturday, November 10, 2007 2:36 PM
> Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] state con attendance
>
>
> Mike, you make some good points. Being a young blind person myself, I
> think
> it's sad that many younger blind people view progress as inevitable
> and feel
> no need to join an organization. On the other hand, I'm not really
> sure
> what NFB is really doing to stop the tide from turning against us The
> biggest issue I see looming ahead is a loss of access to information.
> This
> could be due to inaccessible computer software, inaccessible
> appliances, or
> any number of other things I haven't thought of. On the inaccessible
> appliances front, we had a home showcase at convention, but do you
> really
> think that will make a difference? I'm sure most manufacturers really
> don't
> care whether their products were coincidentally sort of accessible. I
> hope
> our NFB Jernigan Institute can eventually help with this area. That
> leads
> me to my next point, which is what mike said about some people
> believing
> that the national leadership are the experts. I see the NFB as a very
> top
> down organization with much of it's activity happening at the national
> level. I wonder if in the future the NFB will become more and more
> focused
> on it's Jernigan institute and basically be a clearinghouse for
> research and
> product design, while the ACB does most of the advocacy work? I know
> for
> myself I really don't see that many ways for a rank and file member to
> influence policy, especially if they can't come to convention but even
> if
> they can.
>
> Also, I really think people in NFB need to relax and realize that not
> every
> blind person has had great training or has the ability to do
> everything
> independently. I know ACB has been criticized for having volunteers
> at
> their convention, and frankly I find that kind of amusing when NFB's
> leadership always has someone going sighted guide with them. IF it's
> good
> enough for the leadership, why is it not good enough for the general
> membership? If you don't want the help, just refuse it, but don't
> keep
> someone like me from using help that we may need. On another note, I
> frankly think ACB is better equipped to handle the challenges of the
> future.
> Yes, they can be a bit more demanding than necessary, but I think we
> as
> blind people are going to have to do more and more of that as time
> goes on.
> NFB's philosophy is too focused on always being independence and this
> whole
> idea of blindness being a nuisance and not that big of a deal. I'm
> afraid
> the NFB will suddenly wake up one day when all microwaves and other
> appliances are flat paneled with no way to use them effectively, there
> are
> no usable telephones, all keyboards are completely touch screen and
> wonder,
> gee how did we get here? I think I may be exaggerating slightly, but
> I
> don't think I'm exaggerating as much as some may think. My only
> consolation
> is that when things start getting worse, we will wake up and disregard
> what
> Kenneth Jernigan said in his speech "the day after civil rights"
> whenever
> that is, and start fighting again. I just hope it's not too late.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Mike Freeman" <k7uij at panix.com>
> To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Saturday, November 10, 2007 2:02 PM
> Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] state con attendance
>
>
> > Ray:
> >
> > Welcome to the way the "other half" lives. Here in Washington, we
> > consider we're doing an outstanding job if we get seventy-five to
> eighty
> > people at our state banquet. Unlike at national conventions, our
> > banquets are more well attended than are our plenary convention
> sessions
> > as some convention participants bring guests to the banquet who do
> not
> > attend the rest of the convention.
> >
> > Of course, part of the problem here in Washington is that, whether
> we
> > admit it or not, we're still suffering from the organizational split
> > that accompanied the whole Robert Acosta business in the late 1970's
> > when the then-affiliate for Washington was expelled (or chose to
> leave,
> > depending upon one's viewpoint) and was reorganized. The old
> affiliate
> > eventually joined ACB so that ACB is considerably larger numerically
> > than is NFB in Washington. In the legislature, however, it is we of
> NFB
> > who are known for getting things done.
> >
> > AFfiliates east of the Mississippi such as Massachusetts are far
> larger
> > than are our affiliates out here with the exception of California.
> WE
> > are, in Shakespeare's terms, "we happy few". But NFB is where the
> action
> > is.
> >
> > On the original subject, what I see in terms of dwindling convention
> > attendance and grousing about the irrelevance of convention material
> > stems, I believe, from a number of trends in society today. First,
> > society is, in general, much more fragmented than was the case
> thirty or
> > forty years ago. People move around the country much more often than
> > heretofore and, hence, don't put down roots and make as many lasting
> > local friendships. (When was the last time you attended a "block
> > party"?) They are thus less likely to have great circles of
> friends --
> > arguably a prerequisit for easy growth of organizations.
> >
> > Second, perhaps because society is more fragmented and because there
> are
> > more venues of entertainment (cable TV, the Internet, video games
> and
> > the like), I believe that people are far less likely to be "joiners"
> > then was the case even twenty years ago. There are too many other
> things
> > competing for their time.
> >
> > Third, I believe that it is fair to say that the 1960's and 1970's
> were
> > decades of activism. Whatever your thoughts are concerning the war
> in
> > Iraq, note the vast difference between the small anti-war
> demonstrations
> > of today and the mass protests against the Vietnam war from 1964 to
> > 1975. WE of NFB, like many other activist organizations, are the
> victims
> > of the paradigm shift from activism to indifference and (see above)
> from
> > the paradigm of working to make changes to being entertained.
> >
> > Fourth, I believe that, rightly or wrongly, many young blind people
> > today see all the progress that the blind have made over the
> previous
> > two generations toward a world of equality with the sighted and
> conclude
> > that continued progress in this arena is inevitable. Obviously, I
> > disagree with this assessment and, in fact, I am worried that we
> might
> > be on the verge of slipping backward, making NFB even more of a
> > necessity than it may have been twenty years ago. Couple this with
> laws
> > mandating provision of services such as DSS offices at universities
> and
> > this is a recipe for organizational lacitude IMO. I opine that many
> > young people do not recognize that provision of some of these
> services
> > constitutes a wolf in sheep's clothing and, hence, when they hit the
> > "real world" and encounter businesses that don't automatically
> provide
> > them with all the high-tech gadgetry they think they need, they
> > interpret the problem as one of discrmination rather than one simply
> of
> > the way the world works. All this is to say that many blind people
> of
> > all ages today don't see why they need to gain advocacy skills or
> pay
> > attention to all the "dull" stuf involving politics or their
> agencies
> > for the blind. Let "the experts" do it. And while many would agree
> with
> > us that agency moguls may not be the "experts", some are beginning
> to
> > see *us* as the "experts",where by "us" I mean NFB leadership. In
> other
> > words, I'm not sure that the rank-and-file always sees that it has a
> > stake in what's happening or that it really has the power to change
> > things.
> >
> > This problem is not unique to NFB: ACB has it also. The "advantage",
> if
> > one wishes to call it that, that ACB has is that often its
> affiliates
> > conduct many more social functions than do NFB affiliates -- at
> least
> > it's like that out here in the Pacific Northwest. When, for example,
> was
> > the last time you attended a NFB affiliate convention where a
> comedian
> > was the featured banquet speaker? It has happend in ACB affiliates
> out
> > here.
> >
> > Now I would hazard that this sort of fluff is not what we in NFB
> truly
> > want. But to make changes, we must understand why what we're doing
> may
> > not always appeal to "the masses" and, therefore, must decide
> whether we
> > can incorporate other items into our conventions that might gain
> > interest and not cause groans of "same ol' same ol'" while at the
> same
> > time not betraying our NFB heritage and philosophy.
> >
> > I don't have the answer but I value the discussions as we may
> > collectively come up with ideas that might work for all of us.
> >
> > Mike Freeman, President
> > NFB of Washington
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: Ray Foret Jr
> > To: NFB Talk Mailing List
> > Sent: Friday, November 09, 2007 9:37 AM
> > Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] state con attendance
> >
> >
> > Edd, I am floored!!! Are you truly telling us that at your last
> New
> > Hampshire state NFB convention, y'all only had 30 attendees? Only
> 30?
> > What
> > is y'all's membership compared to that number? I just cannot get
> my
> > mind
> > around the idea of y'all putting all that work in to an all day
> state
> > convention and having only 30 people there. Perhaps you might
> inquire
> > of
> > your members just what the issues are which cause them not to
> attend
> > y'all's
> > convention. From what I gather, you say in your message that folks
> > were
> > complaining that the program items were "so so". If I'm not
> mistaken,
> > we
> > usually have over 100 folks at the Louisiana NFB state convention.
> > How
> > about I forward your message on to Pam Allan and she can maybe
> suggest
> > what
> > you might want to consider.
> >
> > Sincerely yours,
> > The Constantly Barefooted,
> > Ray
> > Home phone and fax:
> > (985)853-0139
> > E-mail:
> > rforetjratbellsouthdotnet
> > Skype Name:
> > barefootedray
> > Blog:
> > www.raysworld.blogs.com
> > Podcast .rss Feed:
> > http://feeds.feedburner.com/worldofray
> >
> > God bless President George W. Bush!
> > God bless our troops!
> > and God bless America
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Ed Meskys" <edmeskys at localnet.com>
> > To: "nfb-talk" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
> > Sent: Friday, November 09, 2007 10:44 AM
> > Subject: [nfb-talk] state con attendance
> >
> >
> > When I first became NH state president in 1988 the first few state
> > conventions I put on had about 100-120 attendees, up about 20% from
> > the
> > previous president, because I did a lot of outreach to find former
> and
> > new
> > members, and initiated a state newsletter. We had been drifting
> down
> > ever
> > since, to under 50. Last year we had our 50th anniversary, and got
> > more
> > attendees, but with people muttering about our programs being the
> > "same old,
> > same old." This year we decided to devote our whole morning to a
> topic
> > important to blind persons and many others in a rural state, the
> > future of
> > transportation in NH. We made it a one-day con, with a luncheon
> > banquet, and
> > the National report, some technology, mobility, and our business
> > meeting in
> > he afternoon. With the help of Blind Services, the talking book
> > library, the
> > Governor's Commission on Disabilities, and Granite State
> Independent
> > Living
> > (Foundation) we distributed over 2000 flyers, and aside from
> program
> > participants we had only 30 attendees. Our officers are very
> > disappointed,
> > and are saying it cost so much money to put on and advertise the
> con,
> > and
> > put in so much work, that we will pull back and only have a
> business
> > meeting
> > with lunch in the back room of a restaurant next year. Are other
> > states
> > having the same problem getting attendance at a con?
> >
> > We are using an Imagination Grant to put on a one-day tech expo
> next
> > April,
> > which is not a convention (cons are normally in October or
> November).
> > If
> > this flops too, I think the board will be devastated. We lined up
> an
> > excellent panel of five experts and administrators for the
> > transportation
> > panel, and are working on getting excellent speakers for the tech
> > expo.
> >
> > Incidentally, the results of our state elections were:
> > continuing constitutional officers:
> > Marie Johnson, President
> > Gil Vickery, FVP.
> > Judy Leavitt, SVP
> > Ed Meskys, secretary
> > Lucille Lynch, treasurer
> > and our new slate of untitled board positions is:
> > Julie Clark (new)
> > Wayne Harvey (new)
> > Donald Little (new)
> > John Parker (returning)
> > Stephen Yerardi (returning)
> >
> > Best, Ed Meskys
> >
> >
> > Edmund R. Meskys
> > NIEKAS Publications
> > National Federation of the Blind of N.H.
> > Moultonboro Lions Club
> > edmeskys at localnet.com
> > 322 Whittier Hwy
> > Moultonboro NH 03254-3627
> > my credo:
> > Clinton lied, nothing happened
> > Bush lied, thousands died
> > and over 3,000 permanently brain injured
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > nfb-talk mailing list
> > nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
> > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-talk
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > nfb-talk mailing list
> > nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
> > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-talk
> >
> >
> >
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