Time To Walk The Walk

For several months now I have watched and pondered as blind and visually impaired Canadians continue to struggle with issues directly affecting them. This is no shocker or no shaker but what could potentially be a shocker is if some how we can all come together under strong leadership to fight for what is rightfully ours.

I often shake my head in share frustration and bewilderment whenever I see so many well-meaning folks on the Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians(AEBC) listserv voicing their well-articulated opinions but when it comes to taking that definitive step to put one's foot forward! Well, here is where the cards seem to come tumbling down and suddenly, the voices fade away into the woodwork and only a handful are left to fight on.

I often enlighten this picture to attending a party. I walk into a very crowded room of party goers and midway through the function someone comes around asking for volunteers to help clean up after the party is over. The room is suddenly transformed from a din of noise to murmured whispering followed by soft footsteps quickly departing. After a few minutes, I stand there and ask tentatively: "Who else is here?" After a slight hesitation two or three voices answer in response and they are the same familiar ones that have always responded to calls to walk the walk. Does this sound familiar to you?

It seems to me as if on the one hand, the AEBC's leadership wants to pick up the challenge and charge ahead and every time I expect them to score the goal by putting the puck in the net; they disappoint me by passing it around and eventually they end up losing it.

A few weeks ago, John Rae a prominent member of the blind and visually impaired community and a board member of the AEBC, attended the well-publicized CNIB meeting. This meeting was held by CNIB to pass a motion to say that their next CEO and succeeding CEOs does not have to be a blind or visually impaired Canadian. No shocker, and no shaker! The motion passed without much difficulty and it was reported that despite John's gallant efforts to speak, he was somewhat shut out and the voting process to pass the motion itself seemed to be very suspect. John came in screaming towards the net with the puck on his stick ready to shoot but you know what? He never had a chance because the all-powerful CNIB lined up in front of him and there was nowhere for poor John to go so he had to fade away gracefully. No shocker, and no shaker!

It is time now for us to put this embarrassing meeting behind us and move on. Time for us to come up with a decisive plan of action and carry through with it. It is simply unacceptable for us to keep on groaning and complaining while doing nothing. It is not an excuse for us to leave everything up to just one person or small group of persons. It is time for us to stop blaming organizations such as the AEBC and each other for ineptitude and bad attitude.

The blame game has not worked and will never work. The action game will and this is what we need to accept. The days of depending on the CNIB to act in our best interest are long gone. This organization has quietly chosen to desert us and have left us to fend for ourselves. They have turned their backs on us in favour of seeking greener pastures and new opportunities for themselves. They have withdrawn almost all of their client services, they have somehow managed to inflame us with their recent insulting fundraising campaign letter, and in their way of thinking they have chosen to put more of their efforts towards making themselves look good in the eyes of the International blind community rather than doing right by us.

I have watched along with many others as this once-respected institute has slipped from the top rung to the cellar over the years and you know what? They don't seem to care!

So, where does all of this leave us? Are we willing to step up to the plate and take responsibility for our own futures, our lives, and those of tomorrow's generation of blind and visually impaired kids? Are we ready to forget about the CNIB and move on? Are we ready to stop fighting among ourselves and come together for survival? Remember now, strength lies in numbers. There are several burning problems for us to deal with as a collective community. We need to deal with such things as: Getting our Federal government to alleviate poverty among special needs and Aboriginal Canadians. Getting our federal government to create equal access to information on the Internet and job opportunities for us. Greater access to post-secondary education for us. Better health care for Canadians with disabilities. Equal access to technology. The development of training and job creation programs. To avoid such debacles such as the one that the CSSD has created deliberately shutting out blind and visually impaired Canadians from their training programs. In short, a better attitude whereby society sees us as contributors rather than as dependents.

I know, this is all much easier said than done. It is not easy to deal with constantly being told "no" and the odd time when we are told "yes" we are much too shocked to react. If we truly want to make a better life and future for ourselves, if we truly want to become independent thinkers and doers, and if we truly want to ensure a legacy for ourselves and our community, then we will forget about training our guns on the CNIB. Continuing to bash the CNIB is like beating a dead horse. What we need now is to put our thoughts into logical and fluid action plans. If you truly want to make a difference then here's your chance to start walking the walk.

We need more doers than thinkers. We need more proacters rather than reacters. We need persons who will make it their duty to work towards a brighter future for blind and visually impaired Canadians. We need persons who are not afraid to stand up for their rights rather than shrinking into the woodwork. In other words, we need our community to say "If we pay taxes, then we need to be treated like everyone else." This is our chance to act now. I'm Donna J Jodhan your free lance writer and reporterwishing you a terrific day.

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