From No Blind Life to Rockin’ the Blind Life
by Charles Tate
From the Editor: Charles Tate is a leader in the National Federation of the Blind of Arkansas. Like many others, he had exposure to the National Federation of the Blind long before he chose to join our movement. Here, he writes about the moment when he knew for sure that our organization was for him and about how his life has changed since then. By the way, the speech he references in his story is the 2003 banquet address “The Rest of Reality,” and you can read it in the August/September 2003 Braille Monitor archived on our website, htttps://nfb.org. Here is Charles’s story:
Hello, my name is Charles. I was born blind. Growing up in a small town in rural Arkansas, I went to public school with no connections to a blind community or other blind people. I didn’t know what it meant to be blind, so I either told people I was legally blind, visually impaired, or just faked it. I got pretty good at faking it over the years.
In 2003, I went to a rehabilitation center for the blind in Kentucky to learn some skills for independent living and computer skills. During this time, the National Federation of the Blind was holding its national convention in Louisville, and the center where I was staying gave us cab vouchers to attend a few days of the event. I had never heard of the NFB before this and had no idea what to expect, but I was blown away by all the confident blind people advocating for and educating about blindness issues. It was an amazing experience, but being seventeen and a busy student, I didn’t join at the time. However, hearing President Maurer’s reading of a speech about waiting stayed in my mind forever.
Years later, not in a very good place, when I turned thirty and started losing more of the vision I had, I became reclusive, staying in my house constantly and feeling depressed. I even drank too much just to get through the day. I decided to give the National Federation of the Blind a try. After sending an email to the president of my state affiliate and receiving a very fast response, I was connected with the At-Large Chapter of Arkansas.
In 2023, my blind-at-heart wife, Rikki, and I registered for the NFB National Convention in Houston. We made some mistakes, like not staying at the convention hotel, but we attended many general sessions. One day, while walking through the hotel, I stopped to let some folks pass by. I saw a family with two children, both with the shortest canes I had ever seen and the biggest smiles on their faces.
There was something about those few moments of watching those kids. My mind started doing flips, my eyes teared up, and my heart started beating fast. I thought I was going to have a panic attack, but looking back, I think it was the realization that I could be as happy and as confident as those two little children. As many mistakes as we made on that trip and with so many decisions we wish we could have made differently, that particular path, going to whatever session or back to the room, was the path I was meant to walk on that day. That moment was my breaking point. I decided I had enough, and it was time to stand up. After that experience, I came home, dusted off my cane, and now I can honestly say I’m proud to be a blind person and a member of the National Federation of the Blind. That family, and especially those two kids, will never know this, but that moment will stick with me forever. Thank you for that; it’s something I hold close to my heart.
Everyone says the same thing about me: since the Federation found me, my outlook on life, confidence, and overall sense of happiness have improved. My fifteen-year-old daughter, Sady, who has optic atrophy like me, is a proud member of the Federation and is eager to learn and contribute in any way she can. Sady will be attending her first national convention this year in New Orleans. I’ve told her this story and can’t wait for her to have her own eye-opening moment like mine. I think it has taken her a bit to get used to a more confident and independent father.
We get out in our community and throughout the state advocating for and educating about blindness. We set up at festivals and fairs, give talks about blindness, and speak on the Courtesy Rules of Blindness to help inform the public and recruit new members. We are excited to talk about the great work of the Federation and anxious to see what the future holds for our state.
Since becoming a member in 2023, I have been elected treasurer of the At-Large Chapter and first vice president of the Arkansas affiliate and selected as a member of the 2024-2025 Kenneth Jernigan Leadership in Service cohort.
Another thing that has helped me on this journey is the guidance and patience of some of the best people, from the top down. I’ve met many affiliate presidents and most of the wonderful people employed at our national HQ in Baltimore, Maryland. My leadership journey has been one of the most rewarding programs I have ever been in, allowing me to learn from the best. We as members need to remember to appreciate all of our leaders more. The Kenneth Jernigan Leadership in Service program has been such an amazing experience. Our group of sixteen has such amazing ideas and minds. I have learned so much already and am excited to dive into more.