New Jersey's Blind Refused to Be Collateral Damage
by Linda Melendez
From the Editor: Linda Melendez is the energetic and infectiously enthusiastic president of the National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey. Here she shares a recent victory for the affiliate she leads:
On the evening of Tuesday, January 13, 2026, I received alarming news that the transition team for Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill had requested the mass resignation of hundreds of employees within the New Jersey Department of Human Services (DHS) through an email communication sent that morning. Included in that sweeping directive were employees of the New Jersey Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired (CBVI)—the very professionals blind New Jerseyans rely on to learn Braille, travel safely with a white cane, secure employment, and live independently. The timeline was immediate, and the potential damage was staggering.
Teachers of blind students and orientation and mobility instructors are not political appointees, which are usually the category of state workers asked to resign when a new governor takes office. They are specialized, credentialed professionals. At a time when CBVI already faces a serious shortage of these experts, the forced resignation of even a handful would have destabilized services statewide. The reported eighteen-hour window for resignation submissions signaled urgency—but not the right kind. Transitions of power are part of democracy. Destabilizing blindness services must never be.
The Decision to Act
We decided right away to issue a public call to action. Silence was not an option. Within hours, we began drafting what would become the first of several coordinated advocacy messages. The following day, January 14, our first social-media public post went live. It reached more than 14,000 people within twenty-four hours and was shared more than 130 times. The blind community, our allies, and professionals across the state responded immediately.
At the same time, we drafted a resolution condemning the proposed action and demanding explicit protection for CBVI’s specialized staff. That draft was sent via email to the National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey Board of Directors on January 14. By January 15, after a majority of the Board had voted yes (two board members who are CBVI employees rightfully abstained), Resolution 2026-01 was formally adopted. We did not convene in a hotel ballroom or wait for a quarterly meeting. We used the tools available—email, phones, and determination. Here is the full text of the resolution:
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND OF NEW JERSEY
RESOLUTION 2026-01
Regarding the Immediate Protection of Specialized Blindness Services Staff at the New Jersey Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired
WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey (NFB of NJ), through its duly elected Board of Directors, speaks with authority on behalf of blind people throughout the State of New Jersey, including all chapters, divisions, members, and the broader blind community we represent; and
WHEREAS, the New Jersey Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired (CBVI), within the Department of Human Services, is legally and morally obligated to provide essential education, rehabilitation, and independent living services to blind children and adults; and
WHEREAS, Teachers of Blind Students (TBS) and Orientation and Mobility (O&M) Instructors are highly trained, credentialed professionals whose work is indispensable to Braille literacy, safe independent travel, employment readiness, and full participation in society; and
WHEREAS, CBVI is already operating under a severe and well-documented shortage of qualified TBS and O&M professionals, resulting in unacceptable delays and unmet needs across the state; and
WHEREAS, the NFB of NJ Board of Directors is deeply disturbed and profoundly disappointed by reports that the governor-elect’s transition team has demanded the mass resignation of Department of Human Services personnel, including specialized CBVI staff who are not political appointees and whose positions are mission-critical; and
WHEREAS, forcing or accepting the resignation of these professionals would recklessly destabilize blindness services, immediately harm blind students and adults, and place New Jersey in jeopardy of failing its legal obligations under state and federal law; and
WHEREAS, blind New Jerseyans cannot and will not accept being treated as collateral damage during a political transition, particularly when the consequences include loss of independence, educational neglect, and exclusion from the workforce; and
WHEREAS, blindness is not the characteristic that limits opportunity, but rather the removal of competent services and the imposition of low expectations: NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of Directors of the National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey, speaking on behalf of all blind New Jerseyans, on this fourteenth day of January, 2026, that we unequivocally condemn any action that results in the resignation, displacement, or loss of Teachers of Blind Students, Orientation and Mobility Instructors, or other specialized CBVI personnel; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the NFB of NJ demands the immediate and explicit exemption of all CBVI specialized staff from any requested or implied resignations within the Department of Human Services; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the NFB of NJ expresses its strong disappointment that such a harmful proposal was advanced without consultation with the organized blind community or consideration of its devastating consequences; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the NFB of NJ demands a clear, public commitment from the governor-elect to protect the continuity, integrity, and staffing of blindness services in New Jersey; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the NFB of NJ insists that no restructuring, transition action, or administrative directive affecting CBVI occur without meaningful engagement with the blind community and its representative organizations; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this resolution be transmitted to the governor, governor-elect, Department of Human Services leadership, members of the New Jersey Legislature, and all relevant officials.
Coordinated Advocacy
Each evening for the next few days, a small team of leaders worked late drafting letters and social media posts for distribution the next morning. These were sent widely to members, to elected officials (including our members of Congress), and to the transition team itself. The Federation’s national leadership was copied on each letter distributed. Multiple organizations and individuals forwarded our messages. My phone rang constantly. My inbox filled. It was a very busy time! Here is the letter that we sent to the governor-elect and her transition team:
Dear Governor-elect Sherrill,
On behalf of the National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey (NFB of NJ), we write to express our profound alarm and deep disappointment regarding reports that the governor-elect’s transition team has requested the mass resignation of hundreds of employees within the New Jersey Department of Human Services, including highly specialized professionals serving the New Jersey Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired (CBVI).
If accepted, this action would create an immediate and devastating crisis for blind New Jerseyans. Teachers of Blind Students (TBS) and Orientation and Mobility (O&M) Instructors are not political appointees. They are frontline educators and rehabilitation professionals whose expertise cannot be quickly replaced. These professionals teach blind children to read and write Braille; instruct blind adults in safe and independent travel; and provide the skills that make employment, education, and full participation in community life possible.
CBVI is already facing a critical workforce shortage. There are simply not enough certified TBS and O&M instructors to meet current demand. Removing experienced professionals—whether temporarily or permanently—will not improve efficiency. It will cripple service delivery statewide.
If these resignations are accepted, the consequences will be severe and immediate:
- Waiting lists for blindness training and rehabilitation services will expand dramatically.
- Blind adults will lose the tools necessary to live and work independently.
- Blind students will be denied legally mandated instruction, placing New Jersey at serious risk of noncompliance with state and federal law.
Blindness itself is not the barrier. The real barrier is the loss of timely, competent services delivered by trained professionals who hold blind people to high expectations.
Therefore, the National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey demands the following actions:
- Immediate and explicit exemption of all CBVI specialized staff, including Teachers of Blind Students and Orientation and Mobility Instructors, from any requested or implied resignations within the Department of Human Services.
- A public commitment from the governor-elect to protect the continuity, integrity, and staffing of blindness services during the transition and beyond.
- Meaningful engagement with the organized blind community before any administrative or structural changes affecting CBVI are implemented.
Transitions of power must never endanger essential disability services. Administrative efficiency cannot come at the cost of civil rights, independence, and opportunity for blind New Jerseyans.
The National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey stands ready to work collaboratively with the incoming administration. However, we will not remain silent while the infrastructure that enables equality and independence for blind people in this state is placed at risk.
Respectfully,
Linda Melendez
President
National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey
Here is an example of one of our social media posts, issued on the third day of the crisis:
D3 CALL TO ACTION: STILL NO RESPONSE — WE CONTINUE
For the third time, we are publicly stating the facts: the transition team for Mikie Sherrill has not contacted us in any way. No response. No acknowledgment. No meeting.
This silence continues despite three clear, documented attempts to engage in good faith.
First attempt: At an Inclusivity Summit, we were given the opportunity to leave a recorded message directly for the transition team, clearly requesting an in-person meeting.
Second attempt: At the New Jersey League of Municipalities conference, we spoke directly with a member of the transition team and provided information about our organization, again requesting a meeting.
Third attempt: At a nonprofit conference, we provided information directly to the Lieutenant Governor–elect about our organization and formally requested an in-person meeting.
At every encounter, we asked for dialogue.
At every encounter, we requested a seat at the table.
Yet here we are, on the third phase of this public campaign, with no feedback and no response.
Let this be unmistakably clear: we will not stop.
We will continue this campaign until we receive notification, sit down with the transition team, and reach a resolution that protects blindness services and respects the lived experience of the blind community.
We are walking alone and marching together.
This is our strength. This is our unity. This movement is not going away.
TAKE ACTION
Contact the governor-elect’s transition team and demand engagement with the blind community.
Call the State House: (609) 292-6000
Transition team portal: https://www.nj.gov/govelect
Suggested message:
“I am calling to urge the governor-elect’s transition team to respond to the blind community and schedule an in-person meeting. Three good-faith attempts have been made with no response. We are walking alone and marching together, and we will not stop until we are heard.”
The door remains open. The invitation stands.
The pressure continues until we are heard.
The Response
As advocacy intensified, we began to receive responses. The Executive Director of CBVI and the Assistant Director both responded directly. Finally, after three days of our sustained campaign, we learned that the reported demand that seventy unclassified employees submit resignations within eighteen hours—including CBVI personnel—was rescinded.
On Friday morning following our initial call to action, CBVI leadership confirmed this and personally expressed appreciation for our swift advocacy. The outcome was achieved through the collective efforts of our members, our supporters, and the union representing affected employees.
Let me be clear: this victory did not happen by accident. It happened because organized blind people acted immediately and in unity.
Accountability Continues
On January 21, 2026, I spoke with Deputy Commissioner for Aging and Disability Services Kaylee McGuire of DHS. While that conversation was constructive, I am still awaiting a formal meeting with the newly appointed DHS Commissioner. We have requested that meeting, and we expect it to occur.
Our work is not finished. A rescinded directive is not the same as a structural safeguard. Political transitions will occur again. The question is whether blindness services will be insulated from unnecessary disruption in the future. We are insisting that they will.
What This Means
This experience reinforced several truths. First, speed matters. We began responding the same day the issue came to light. Second, unity matters. Our members amplified the message, and our allies joined us. Third, documentation matters. By adopting Resolution 2026-01 within forty-eight hours, we created a formal record that could not be ignored.
Organized blind people must always have a seat at the table when decisions are made about programs that shape our education, employment, and independence. Blind New Jerseyans will never accept being treated as an afterthought. Being adversarial is never our default position, and so we will communicate and collaborate when we can. But we will also act decisively when our rights and services are threatened.
The record reflects that in January 2026, we refused to be collateral damage. Because we stood together, blindness services in New Jersey remain intact.
That is the power of the National Federation of the Blind.