[Missouri-l] Sighted MCB Executive Director

Sat Apr 4 11:31:27 CDT 2009

Scott, You make some very thoughtful and excellent comments in your post. However, I do take issue with  your reference to the requirement of Braille for the position as "asinine." My dictionary uses these words as synonyms for asinine "deficient in intelligence, simple, brrainless, foolish, mindless, senseless, silly, witless, unintelligent,, weak-minded." Now perhaps the requirement was not wise and needed to be reconsidered but believe me there is nothing the least bitt asinine about Braille or its use.If as you believe, the person who serves this organization as  ED must be blind, then that blind person must also know, respect and value the tools that allow us to cope with blindness. I realize you were not characterizing Braille as asinine, only the requirement for knowing Braille but I still believe that was an unnecessarily harsh and negative word. That being said, I do agree with many of your comments. But a sighted Ed can learn about, if not experience,  the thingsyou talk about,  particularly if we have a blind person in the office in some capacity, which I think we should have if we hire a sighted ED. John   
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: KCAgape at aol.com 
  To: Missouri-L at MoBlind.Org 
  Sent: Saturday, April 04, 2009 9:39 AM
  Subject: [Missouri-l] Sighted MCB Executive Director

  I thought about being silent, but.....

  I too applied for the position of Executive Director for the Missouri Council of the Blind.  Please understand before I make comments, it is not my intention here to whine or campaign to get the position now or in the future because I do not play little, political games like this, but I do believe I want you to know where I am coming from.  (I wish to make it clear I hope my comments does not jeopardize my standing with MCB, especially since I am in the running for the MCB ED position still.)  The fact is: I am extremely passionate about the happiness and welfare of members of Missouri's blind community because I am affected, too.

  I must confess I was "amped" (encouraged) the MCB Board of Directors eliminated the requirement of being Braille literate for the position.  You know how I thought that was really an asinine requirement.  

  Please believe me I am all for equality, fairness, tolerance and "thinking outside the box" in terms of hiring a so-called "sighted" ED.  In fact, because I have a degree of vision, I might be construed as being sighted as well.  However, I contend even though I have some eyesight, my issues are parallel to you who are totally blind, and believe we are all in this together because of the very nature of our visual disabilities.  After some objective introspection, I agree it would send a confusing if not an inappropriate message to the general public and the blind community to hire a sighted ED.  Furthermore, a sighted ED might know of our issues, but it is a far cry by knowing and understanding our concerns than experiencing them firsthand, regardless of other credentials, per se.  

  I would like to cite a few challenges that we, as members of the blind community encounter, and would a sighted ED have a genuine (empathetic) clue what I am writing about?  Does someone who is sighted truly understand what it is to face discrimination when employed much less looking for a significant job?  Does a sighted person comprehend the hassles involved with securing reliable transportation or acquiring affordable assistive technology or a manager's refusal to have you and your service animal admitted in a restaurant?  Does a sighted individual know the heartache we experience as members of the blind community when we encounter those who are either too paternalistic, pitying, condescending or treat us as second-class citizens only because we cannot see or see as well they?

  Furthermore, will a sighted ED have a history with the American Council of the Blind or MCB or a similar consumer-driven organization, so they have a handle of disability culture, particularly the blind and those with low vision, is all about?  I do not mean knowing every, single issue, but enough knowledge beyond than a superficial understanding.  Could a sighted ED be persuasive not only to find potential funding streams and speak to governmental officials of our needs, but also convince others as well as the MCB constituency they have a profound, sincere interest of us and the challenges we encounter?  I believe this ought to be a fundamental criterion for the MCB ED position.

  I believe the NAACP does not have a non-African American in its leadership position nor the National Organization for Women does not have a male in charge.  I could be wrong.  It is not a matter of reverse discrimination not to have a sighted ED, but the practicality of improving our lives as members of the blind community, to be fully integrated and accepted by someone who knows the score intimately because she or he lives it!

  Thank you for reading.

  Scott D. Vroegindewey    

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