From: empower@smart.net
Subject: ACB President comments on organizational differences
Thought this may be of interest,
Jamal
----- Forwarded Message Follows -----
Date: Thu, 26 Feb 1998 20:47:39 -0500 (EST)
From: Paul Edwards 
To: acb-l@telepath.com
Subject: Re: an open letter
+== acb-l Message from Paul Edwards  ==+
As President of the American Council of the Blind, I hesitate to weigh in
on this issue but want to say one or two things and then ask a couple of
questions.  First I would urge our friend from New Zealand to take a look
at my January meswsage.  It is probably a little muddy but I think it
speaks to some of the differences between our two organizations.  For me,
an issue that has not wo far been raised concerns integration.  NFB, I
believe, espouses the notion that the objective of blind people ought to
be to  be invisibly and seamlessly  accepted in our society. I believe
this goal is both unrealistic and irrelevant.  Simply working towar a goal
that is not attainable is not a problem, by itself.  However, if one takes
the next step it becomes a problem.  To gain acceptance within a wider
society, the NFB has taken the position that blind people should not
request that society alter what it does or how it does it.  Blind people
should, instead, adjust to society so they will not be perceived as asking
for social and environmental and informational alterations that might
serve to stigmatize blind people.  Here is where I part company with them.
I belive blind people have a right to expect the environmwent to be made
more friendly.  In addition, I believe that the real issue facing blind
people today is not integration.  No matter how much we tone down our
demands, the society in which we live will regard us as different and, I
would argue, as inferiors as well.  This is not something to cry about;
it's simply real.  ACB must and will continue to work to see that society
meets blind people more than half way.
One more observation!  The blindness community is too small for division.
I am not aware of any major issue before Congress over the past three
years where the positions taken by the two organizations were so at odds
as to create any sense of confusion for lawmakers.  That is as it should
be.  We cannot afford to create room for opponents of what is best for
blind people by appearing to be divided.  That would invite distaster and
neither organization nor people who are blind would benefit.  It seems
clear to me that there are philosophical differences between our two
organizations which makes merger  virtually impossible but certainly does
not preclude communication and cooperation.
Now for my questions.  I have heard people describe the NFB as more
proactive and I have noted that several on the list appear to lament ACB's
failure to take action.  I would really like to hear more about these
issues as the leader of ACB.  I would ask you to carefully review the past
several years and write down the accomplishments as you see them, of our
two organizations.  Most of the significant accomplishments in the
nineties were not solely  due to any single organization.  If an
organization says it did things all by itself, ask yourselves how often
that can really be true?
Now I have taken far too much time and space on this list and I apologize
to all of you for that.  Here, I do not see myself as more than just
another participant though, as ACB's President, I would hope I could learn
from all of you and certainly take what is said here very seriously.
There are a whole range of received truths and stereotypical responses
that are out there when considering our two consumer organizations.  I
believe both organizations need to examine all of them and subject each to
some fairly careful filterring for reality.  Thanks for your attention and
your discussion.  You are the future policy of our organization being
written.
 Paul Edwards (305) 692-9206
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