by Charles H. Crawford
As many of you may know, the American Council of the Blind will elect a whole new group of officers to lead the council for at least the next two years at this summer’s national convention in Des Moines. While every election is meaningful, this one holds particular significance not only for ACB, but for our entire blindness community — as many historic trends and forces come together in a time of real decision for our organization. Let’s look at a few of the most pressing issues, in order to establish why this election and the folks elected will confront many concerns of crucial importance to people who are blind, and in particular to the members of ACB.
First there is the social policy of the United States with respect to people with disabilities in general and blind people in particular. It is no secret that the “states’ rights” direction of the Supreme Court may generate a need for the leadership of ACB to determine how we might best position blind people to be properly protected under civil rights laws. If that were not enough to do, we must also determine what special education, vocational and other rehabilitation programs should be. Add assistive technology and its sub-groupings of who should get it, how, and from whom, and you can see that we have much to do on the social policy agenda. Should I also mention Social Security and what those programs mean to what we now call people who are blind? Of course I should, since SSI and SSDI will most certainly be under the microscope along with the definition of blindness itself.
Then there are the challenges of both understanding and articulating the ACB agenda and philosophy to all who need to hear it, including not only the politicians, but also the larger blindness community, as well as our own membership. The message must be positive and affirm who we are. It must communicate the optimism of an organization that has lifted up thousands of blind folks and made concrete contributions to the quality of life for all of us. It must above all point to a future as the path we make for ourselves, and not some road chosen for us by others.
Finally, the new leadership of ACB will bear a grave responsibility for carrying our issues and concerns into a new political reality, one in which no organization can dominate the blindness agenda. One in which new understandings and multi-group actions will impact our lives, against the backdrop of changing world views — by decision makers from the White House to each of the state houses.
Who will the new leaders of the American Council of the Blind be? Our members at the coming convention will exercise their common wisdom to elect them. I encourage all who plan to attend the convention to take this duty with the utmost serious consideration. Listen to the debates, talk with the candidates, ask questions, and think through the issues before making your choice. You are the engines of change. You and you alone will shoulder the responsibility for electing people who must confront the many challenges of leadership in a world that will need every bit of talent we can offer.
Yes, the ACB constitution has wisely created checks and balances on the respective powers of various officials and others, but it is an awesome privilege that has been conveyed solely upon our convention to choose good and wise leadership. All ACB members who can attend the convention should do so. All who cannot, must offer your views to your state and special-interest affiliates to ensure that your concerns are heard in the ballots they cast.
Whoever wins their respective offices must take on the challenges of leadership with eternal gratitude and humility for the trust we place in them, the opportunities for positive change with which they are presented, and the awesome responsibility they have for sustaining the values that have held us all in good stead from the first days of the revolution where we formed ACB and continue to carry us to the confidence we place once again in our elections.