Reflections from a First-time Attendee and the Joy in Helping Host a Meeting of theWorld Blind Union

Reflections from a First-time Attendee and the Joy in Helping Host a Meeting of theWorld Blind Union

Braille MonitorNovember 2016

(back) (contents) (next)

Reflections from a First-time Attendee and the Joy in Helping Host a Meeting of theWorld Blind Union
by Gary Wunder
Often in my Federation career I have heard arguments against localitis, the idea that your chapter is separate from the affiliate, and the affiliate separate from the national body. Along with other Federation leaders I have repeatedly made the case for one movement, one organization, one team, but I have always drawn the line when it comes to crossing international boundaries, being somewhat parochial in the view that I should put my effort into the country in which I live—the United States of America.

When the NFB took on the challenge of hosting the 2016 World Blind Union (WBU) General Assembly and the International Council for Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI), my first thoughts were, "I wonder what this will cost? I wonder how much time it will take away from the really important work we do? I wonder what benefit will accrue to us, and will it really matter to the blind of the world where these organizations meet?”

I didn't say any of this; it felt negative, and I wanted to be open to the possibility that we might give in ways that I had not considered and that we might also receive in ways I could not fathom.

So I sat through the initial planning, expecting that the Braille Monitor would want to cover the event and that I would be invited along, but not really thinking about a more active role.

Any reservation I had about putting energy into the world meeting evaporated when Debbie and I got to Orlando a day before the proceedings began. Never having traveled abroad, I was swept up by all of the different languages being spoken around me and all of the accents in which I heard English being spoken. Some of the languages sounded beautiful to my ear, and some of the accents gave me a new appreciation for our mother tongue. It also led to some interesting discussions as we delighted in the various flavors of English and the differences in meaning of phrases depending on where the person who spoke was from. When giving directions to walk from the hotel to a nearby restaurant, I might tell a person to go left down the sidewalk and the restaurant is at the second light. Someone from New Zealand would have said to go left down the footpath; someone from Britain would have said to go down the pavement; and someone from South Africa would have said to go left down the pavement, and the restaurant was at the second robot. Martine Able, who is from South Africa, told me about the first time she went for a walk in Auckland (New Zealand), and she asked a passerby how many robots she would have to cross over to find a particular shop. The passerby just disappeared on her, obviously thinking her a little crazy (or as the Brits might say, a little barmy.)

While to Americans tea is a hot beverage or perhaps a quick break to sit and chat over that liquid delight, that is not the case in other countries. In New Zealand and Britain, tea is more of an early evening meal. In South Africa, tea is more of an afternoon snack. But supper, which in America is generally agreed upon as the large evening meal, in New Zealand is a snack meal closer to bedtime, while South Africa agrees with us Americans. Though there were others, some highly amusing, and even suggestive, we’ll leave this topic for another time.

As the host, the NFB was expected to provide volunteers to assist the delegates and others who attended. This point was emphasized repeatedly, the concern being that the delegates would need help and would want it promptly. Traditionally this has meant providing plenty of sighted volunteers. While some of these were on hand, blind Federationists did the vast majority of the guiding, and the results were interesting. At this conference when the blind led the blind we did not fall into a ditch but startled and eventually motivated those we guided. When people asked for a guide, we provided them with a human guide. When they heard a cane and realized it was attached to the arm they were following, some would stop and ask what we were doing. We said we were acting as their human guide, and they made it clear that they had expected someone with sight. But, interestingly, no one hesitated for long when we explained that we knew the layout of the hotel and could get them where they wanted to go. By the time the meetings got into full swing, it was not uncommon to see delegates using their canes, sometimes with us as human guides and sometimes declining our help by proudly stating, "I can do this myself, but thank you." Hurray!

Not only were delegates impressed by their human guides and what they learned to do for themselves, but they loved the talking signs, the folks we call marshals at our national conventions. Our traditional marshals were not only talking signs but friendly hosts inviting delegates to meetings. "Welcome to the meeting of the general assembly; step right this way." "Good morning, and welcome to the first session of the World Blind Union Joint Assembly." Those who passed by couldn't just take the advice and move into the room. Almost everyone shouted out a thank you or moved to the side to tell us how exciting they found the concept of talking human signs. After the first day we realized we could have fun with this and got people who stopped to join us in the call out. The twist was that we got them to do this in their language. They enjoyed the celebrity, the participation in our project, and the reaction they heard as those filing into the room were even more amazed to hear greetings in their language. Never has it been so much fun to be a marshal or a biological talking sign.

One of the highlights in observing the general assembly was in seeing the recognition accorded to our leaders. Immediate Past President Maurer’s long service was clearly evident in the respect shown him by the delegates and officers of the WBU. The respect for the President of the National Federation of the Blind was similarly evident in the attention paid his remarks and the enthusiastic response to them. The contribution Mary Ellen Jernigan has made was acknowledged when the members of the general assembly unanimously voted to accept her as a lifetime member of the organization, an honor which is recognized with special seating in the same way designated areas are provided for the delegates from each country. When I think about the major struggles we face in maintaining our organization such as recruiting members, raising funds, and coming up with innovative programs, I will now view these challenges in a new light. Civil War is a reality in far too many countries, and blind people suffer disproportionately. We heard from service providers who risked their lives to go where blind people were; who were called upon by the rebel forces to account for why they, as government representatives, were found in rebel territory; and who were called upon when arriving back home to demonstrate their loyalty to the government by justifying why they would provide services to the rebels.
Organizing a chapter is hard work, but what we do is nothing compared with what must occur in some countries to make this happen. Many have little in the way of public transportation. Sometimes the requirement to conduct a meeting in more than one language is a significant obstacle. Cultural differences sometimes make communication between different provinces exceedingly difficult. The fact that many countries who came to the World Blind Union even have organizations of the blind is a testament to the toughness of blind men and women who want better for themselves and the inspiration they draw from one another in bringing about a better tomorrow. The National Federation of the Blind wanted to help the World Blind Union by being the host of its 2016 General Assembly, but as is the case so many times when we give, we often are the beneficiary of treasured experiences we never envisioned. This was my experience, and I thank the National Federation of the Blind and the World Blind Union for letting me be a part.

Media Share

// maxLength) {
twtTitle = twtTitle.substr(0, (maxLength - 3)) + '...';
}
var twtLink = 'http://twitter.com/home?status=' + encodeURIComponent(twtTitle + ' ' + twtUrl);
document.write('');
// ]]>

function fbs_click()
{
u=location.href;
t=document.title;
window.open('http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fdev.twitter.com%2Fp…;);
return false;
}

(back) (contents) (next)