NAD versus NFB: What's wrong with this picture?

BY JESSICA THURBER

The nation's premier civil rights organization of, by and for deaf and hard of hearing individuals in the United States of America. The Voice of the Nation's Blind.

Two organizations, National Association of the Deaf (NAD) and National Federation of the Blind (NFB), are at the forefront of the disability rights movement. That is, for the most part, where the similarities end. Hold on to your seats, folks. We're in for a bumpy ride.

Background

A few years ago, a friend and I were having an argument about what I will call "infighting" in the deaf community. ASL vs. Oralism vs. Cueing vs. vs. vs. As a deaf person, I felt strongly about my identity. About the culture and language of deaf people. My friend didn't disagree but instead told me she wanted to show me something. She drove me to the NFB headquarters. "A full city block," she said. I was floored. "This what the NAD could be if we stopped the fighting over the differences and make a choice to fight for equal rights for deaf people."

Round One: Headquarters

The most shocking comparison—perhaps because it is the most visual—is the headquarters for these two organizations. For those who haven't been to the NAD headquarters, here's a quick-and-dirty illustration of the office space:

And this is the NFB's headquarters—a whole city block:

All of it. Each floor, each room, each window belongs to the NFB. There's a huge sign on the top of the building, which can be seen from I-95, announcing proudly what the building represents. The NFB even has its own parking lot, cafe, and conference space. All of this space dedicated to improving the quality of life for blind Americans.

Take a moment to consume the two images and imagine what office space like the NFB's could do for the NAD.

Round Two: Demographics and Membership

I know, I know. Numbers are boring. But they are so important and, in this case, enlightening.

Demographics

An estimated 35 million adults report experiencing some hearing loss. That's 17% of American adults. Compare that to the 15 million blind and visually impaired people in the United States. Yes, your math is correct, there is a 20 million difference between the two.

Membership

With a 20 million person advantage in its pool of potential members, surely the NAD boasts impressive membership numbers. Right? Wrong. The NFB has more than 50,000 members across the country while NAD has approximately 5,000. At $40 a year, NFB gets 2 million dollars from membership fees alone. The NAD, $200,000.

Round Three: Losing the Fight

Am I the only one who finds something wrong with this picture? As a deaf person in the deaf community, I'm appalled at these numbers. The equation is clear:

Low membership = not very much money = crappy office space and limited advocacy efforts

When you consider the fact that the community of deaf and hard of hearing people in the U.S. is 20 million people larger than those with vision loss, this disparity in funding and space should not exist.

We are capable of so much more. By refocusing energy and finding common ground where we do not reject any person with hearing loss, it is possible to have ourselves a building that consumes a whole block. Where we can work together to ensure that deaf and hard of hearing individuals get a chance to fulfill their potential because we enjoy equal civil rights.

Unfortunately, this is not yet the case.

Round Four: How to Win

I have a few theories as to why we are not achieving the dream office, but all of these theories can be clumped into one main reason: the infighting.

Achieving the dream can be easy. Really. The solution? Make a choice. Choose focusing on the issues that can move us forward as a community: communication access, employment, assistive technology, emergency preparedness, et cetera. And save the identity discussions for the coffee shop.

Once we get to that place, we'll soar.


Cross-posted from Slinging from the Margins.

ABOUT JESSICA THURBER
Jessica Thurber graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology in 2006 with a BFA in Graphic Design and is the founder of Deaf Politics. You can write to her at jess@deafpolitics.org, or follow her on Twitter.

Ideologies have no place in the budget

BY COREY AXELROD


The government shut down? If NFL players can be locked out by team owners over what the general public perceives to be a few measly issues, surely anything can happen. While this is by no means an attempt to make a mockery of the United States government, there are a number of flaws in the current system that needs to be fixed. Shutting down the government is not going to be the answer, and it really is up to Congress to prevent more than 800,000 federal employees from being “temporarily suspended.”

There are negative implications of a government shutdown for many, including those who serve our country and put their lives on the line on a daily basis. While those serving in our military will continue to earn money, they will not receive pay checks until the stalemate is resolved. Get rid of the ideologies of politics! At this point, I don’t care about abortion and clean air, for lack of a better way to look at the scenario. I’m more concerned about the everyday citizen who will be impacted by the stalemate at hand.

Democrats are pointing their respective fingers at Republicans by accusing Republicans of trying to push forth another stop-gap measure of keeping the federal government going for another week without resolving the fundamental issues. It’s a lot to take in, and a sticking point for conservative Republicans is that the government needs to significantly reduce funding for abortions in an attempt to try and control the country’s ballooning deficit.

I understand both sides of the argument, but an oxymoron presents itself as both parties are not truly looking at the fundamental issues at hand—the problems deeply rooted into our society that have been fostered by government’s ignorance.

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...an oxymoron presents itself as both parties are not truly looking at the fundamental issues at hand—the problems deeply rooted in our society that have been fostered by government's ignorance.

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As a relatively new small business owner, I’m concerned about how small businesses will be affected. Small businesses are the predominant market that my business, Synergetic Business Solutions, serves. The negative impact of this government shutdown, including the suspension of small business loaned guaranteed by the Small Business Association and the Federal Government, has long-term implications affecting small business owners that far surpass the period of a potential government shutdown.

Further, businesses in construction and in real estate can be severely impacted if a government shutdown carries on for an extended period of time. Government-guaranteed mortgages will be suspended, and this will ultimately sabotage the recovery of the struggling housing market.

At this point, Congress needs to realize that there are fundamental issues with the government that are more significant than a few billion dollars that cannot be decide on because of ideologies. There are ways to shave the deficit, including testing those on welfare for drugs in their system. Hey, it’s worth a shot. While we’re at it, why not make it more difficult for those to collect Social Security Disability and Supplemental Security Income checks? Right now, it seems that all deaf and hard-of-hearing people need to qualify is a certain threshold of a hearing loss and earnings not surpassing state and federal limits.

The bottom line is that there are a number of deaf and hard-of-hearing people that use their hearing loss as an excuse for not being able to find a job. I realize that hearing loss may be conducive to having a difficult time finding a job, but going on disability or receiving SSI is not the best short- and long-term solution for everyone involved. Those milking the system ultimately sell themselves short while everyone else foots the bill. I do, however, want to share that if anyone has been discriminated against in the hiring process, they should seek out legal consultation to determine if their rights have been violated.

Nevertheless, for those that have not been discriminated against but simply have the intent to milk the system, these individuals should be subjected to stringent processes to obtain disability and SSI checks. I realize increased processes bring up another complication, the oversight of these individuals; however, I believe that it would be much more effective to hire deserving people to oversee these individuals rather than those who do not deserve the money. We’re already shelling out billions of dollars on a yearly basis for disability and SSI checks, as well as for health benefits for those receiving these checks. So instead of status quo, Congress should look into making policies more stringent and setting up stricter guidelines for which someone can receive disability or SSI checks (i.e. must have proof of an attempt to find permanent job placement over a fixed period of time, as well as work with a Vocational Rehabilitation counselor).

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We're already shelling out billions of dollars on a yearly basis for disability and SSI checks, as well as health benefits for those receiving these checks.

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Ultimately, it all boils down to whether ideologies truly matter in the long-term scheme of things. Do I want the government to shut down? Most definitely not; instead, I would prefer to see changes being made that foster the growth of our nation. There needs to be change, and the change does not need to happen with ideologies. Instead, change needs to happen in the core of government structure, one that wastes billions of dollars on a yearly basis. Fuse more money into the economy the right way, not in the way of giving money to those milking the system. Positive contributing members will be the ones that pay for their children’s education, purchase American made products, and so forth, and will ultimately have a bigger impact than those milking the system.


ABOUT COREY AXELROD
Corey received his Master's in Business Administration (MBA) degree in Marketing and Sales Management from Rochester Institute of Technology in 2010. With his profound interest in marketing and brand management, Corey started Synergetic Business Solutions to provide start-up and small businesses with a creative and strategic approach to creating solutions specifically for smaller sized organizations. Corey also spends his time working at Hager Productions as the Director of Strategy and Business Development and at Rochester Institute of Technology as an Adjunct Instructor. During his free time, he enjoys reading, writing, listening to music, and playing and watching sports.

Why I am political: #9

BY NEIL MCDEVITT



TRANSCRIPT:
So someone asked me why am I political? I could give you many answers. I care about my kids future, [two brief interludes with kids hamming it up on the camera] my parents were heavily involved in political issues in our hometown, you could say I'm ambitious, But the real reason is because I care about people. I care about my neighbors. I care about people I see every day. I care about our soldiers. I care about our emergency responders. And I care about other people in the deaf community. That's the simple answer.