[Nfbnet-members-list] National Federation of the Blind Comments on Foundation Fighting Blindness #HowEyeSeeIt Campaign
webmaster
webmaster at nfb.org
Mon Sep 26 14:16:15 UTC 2016
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Chris Danielsen
Director of Public Relations
National Federation of the Blind
(410) 659-9314, extension 2330
(410) 262-1281 (Cell)
<mailto:cdanielsen at nfb.org>cdanielsen at nfb.org
National Federation of the Blind Comments on Foundation Fighting
Blindness #HowEyeSeeIt Campaign
Baltimore, Maryland (September 26, 2016): The National Federation of
the Blind commented today on the #HowEyeSeeIt challenge launched in
the past month by the Foundation Fighting Blindness, which has
garnered considerable recent publicity. The NFB has also delivered
<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=5889&qid=1392463>a
letter to the Foundation Fighting Blindness, and NFB members are
using the #HowEyeSeeIt hash tag to counter the campaign via social media.
Mark A. Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind,
said: "The National Federation of the Blind is deeply concerned that
the #HowEyeSeeIt challenge, as currently structured, will do lasting
harm to the ability of millions of blind Americans to live the lives
we want. In encouraging people who are not blind to don blindfolds
and make videos of themselves attempting everyday tasks, this
campaign perpetuates the fears, misconceptions, and low expectations
that society has about blindness by giving those who take the
challenge or view the videos an inaccurate understanding of the lived
experience of blind people. In particular, suggesting that it is
difficult or impossible for blind parents to care for their children
is false and irresponsible. As a blind father of three children who
also happens to be married to a blind person, I can say unequivocally
that, with nonvisual techniques, we can, and do, capably parent
thriving children every day. Yet children have been removed from the
custody of blind parents solely because of misconceptions about their
ability to care for them, without any actual proof of abuse or
neglect, and the #HowEyeSeeIt campaign threatens to worsen this
already grave problem. This is only one example of how this campaign
will harm the chances of blind people, including board members and
supporters of the Foundation Fighting Blindness, to live productive
and happy lives.
"To be clear, we have no quarrel with the Foundation Fighting
Blindness or the medical research that it seeks to fund. However, we
believe that this particular method of gathering support will harm
the very people whom the Foundation Fighting Blindness and the
National Federation of the Blind, in different but complementary
ways, seek to help. I and other members of the National Federation of
the Blind have told the Foundation Fighting Blindness that the
perpetuation of misconceptions about, and by extension discrimination
against, the blind is unacceptable, but so far we have been ignored.
We therefore demand that the Foundation Fighting Blindness stop
filling its coffers by spreading misconceptions and jeopardizing the
dreams and aspirations of blind people."
###
About the National Federation of the Blind
The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the
characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise
the expectations of blind people, because low expectations create
obstacles between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life
you want; blindness is not what holds you back.
National Federation of the Blind
200 East Wells Street
at Jernigan Place
Baltimore, MD 21230
United States
(410) 659-9314
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/nfbnet-members-list_nfbnet.org/attachments/20160926/2c7823b8/attachment.html>
More information about the NFBNet-Members-List
mailing list