Vol. 36, No. 1
March 2006
NATIONAL FEDERATION
OF THE BLIND OF ARIZONA
People who lose their eyesight find it very difficult to make the many large adjustments alone. They may receive some training in mobility & independent living skills, but struggle to have the courage and/or motivation to put these skills into practice. It's then that they may recognize their need to associate with and learn from a group of competent and capable blind adults. These blind and visually-impaired people have organized as the National Federation of the Blind to exchange ideas and solve common problems of blindness.
The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) is the largest group of organized blind persons in the country, with hundreds of chapters nationwide & five local chapters throughout the state of Arizona. It is also a powerful consumer advocacy organization, in which the blind are speaking for themselves. Since its inception in 1940, the NFB has been striving to achieve equality, opportunity and security for the blind and visually impaired through its mission, which is to assist blind and visually impaired people in becoming productive, independent citizens who participate fully in their community.
The NFB firmly believes that the real problem with blindness is not the lack of eyesight itself, but the misconceptions and harmful attitudes that exist in society towards blindness. The NFB also believes that, given proper training and opportunity, the average blind person can compete on equal terms with his/her sighted peers. Thus, the organization’s priority is to share its positive philosophy about blindness with the community. It regularly publishes a great variety of literature, such as Voice of the Diabetic quarterly magazine, The Braille Monitor monthly newsletter, and Future Reflections magazine for parents and teachers of blind children. The NFB also provides appropriate activities for blind children and helps parents provide a positive environment for their child's development.
The NFB encourages education for the blind by offering one of the best secondary education scholarship programs in the nation. To help blind persons find gainful employment, they offer NFB Jobline, a free automated phone-based job search system. To keep blind persons informed on current events and issues, they offer NFB Newsline® at no charge through the Talking Book library. Newsline® makes local and national newspapers and magazines accessible in very intelligible synthetic speech over a toll-free telephone line.
The NFB pushes hard for improved rehabilitation services for the blind in the state and advocates for individuals who may not receive the proper training and opportunities they need. For those who no longer can work, the organization advocates for equitable social security benefits. They initiate and promote legislation to improve quality of life for the blind and visually impaired on national, state and local levels.
NFB members meet with legislators at an annual legislative luncheon, various public meetings and private appointments as needed. Members of the organization sit on various committees to affect public policy, such as the Governor's Council on Blindness and Visual Impairment (GCBVI) and Phoenix's Mayor's Council on Disability Issues (MCDI).
To learn more about the NFB, visit the Website, www.nfb.org, or the state affiliate's Website, www.nfbarizona.com, or call NFB of Arizona’s information and referral hotline at (602) 956-7798.