(Editor’s Note: When we saw a copy of this letter in our e-mail, we decided to print a slightly edited version in “The Braille Forum” to extend our own congratulations to the hard-working members of ACB of Nebraska and to share the good news with our readers. Thank you, Sanford, for allowing us to share this story with everyone in ACB.)
Mr. Jim Jirak, President
ACB of Nebraska
3512 S. 44th Ave.
Omaha, NE 68105
Dear Jim:
The members of Kansas Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired congratulate you and the many blind and visually impaired advocates in Nebraska who sustained the effort to create a Commission for the Blind until it became a reality. This is a great day not only for Nebraska’s blind and visually impaired population but for the entire blindness community across the United States.
In states with separate commissions — which Nebraska joins — the efficacy of this structure is reasserted. In states such as Kansas, struggling to have similar legislation enacted, we draw renewed hope and dedication to stay the course. For the few states that are not fortunate enough to have a Commission for the Blind and are not even attempting to have one created, your success exerts the right amount of pressure to move in this direction. For all of us, the fact that your legislation could be enacted at a time when the common wisdom would speak against such a possibility serves to quiet our critics and detractors, demonstrating the truth that the odds can be overcome when the endeavor is meritorious.
Again, congratulations to Nebraska!
Sincerely yours,
Sanford J. Alexander III
President & Chairman of the Board