Mr. Paul Harvey
Paul Harvey News
333 No. Michigan Avenue (suite 1600)
Chicago, Illinois 60601
RE:A Different Perspective on Blindness, An Open Letter to Paul Harvey
"The mission of NCSAB is to promote through advocacy, coordination, and education the delivery of specialized services that enable individuals who are blind and visually impaired to achieve personal and vocational independence."
Dear Mr. Harvey:
As President of the National Council of State Agencies for the Blind, I represent the views and perspectives of our member agencies. One of the most important population groups we serve are senior citizens who are losing vision due to Age Related Macular Degeneration. There are an estimated 5.5 million seniors over 65 who are blind or visually impaired, and this number is projected to double over the next fifteen years. Our members provide "independent living" services to these seniors to enable them to live productive and independent lives. These services may include instruction in how to travel using the white cane, use of Braille, use of computers and other assistive technology, how to cook and mark household appliances, and how to perform other tasks related to home and personal management. We can also provide certain types of assistive technology, such as talking calculators, talking watches, magnifiers, and other low vision aids. For seniors who are blind and wish to be employed, we can provide an even greater range of supports and services designed to enable those seniors to remain employed or regain employment.
We recognize that certain nutritional supplements have been shown to slow the progression of macular degeneration. However, as you consider the language to be employed in your broadcasts, we urge you to please be aware that terms like, "I thought my life was over" and "go home and go blind" make our task more difficult. With proper training, people who are blind or visually impaired are able to lead active, productive and normal lives. There are approximately 10 million Americans who are blind or visually impaired. They come from every possible walk of life, including homemakers, teachers, lawyers, scientists, politicians, athletes, and, yes, even broadcasters.
We certainly support scientific research into the causes and cures of blindness. However, the practical application of some research, such as research into artificial vision, is at very best many years if not decades away. In the meantime, some people who hear news reports on artificial vision may sit at home and wait in vain for a medical breakthrough that may not happen within their lifetimes. Every day we see tragic instances in which blind or visually impaired seniors decline the very training that would enable them to travel and do the things they would otherwise enjoy as part of an active lifestyle, instead sitting at home and vainly hoping for a treatment or cure that will restore their vision.
The tragedy of blindness is not the blindness, but rather those instances
of persons who do not get the training that would enable them to overcome
their blindness. We would appreciate anything you could do to help us to get
our message of hope and encouragement out to the millions of Americans who
are blind or visually impaired.
Sincerely,
Greg Trapp, J.D.
President, NCSAB (www.ncsab.org)
Executive Director, New Mexico Commission for the Blind