Lesson Purpose: Discussion of NFB philosophy during a chapter meeting is one of the best methods to build a cohesive and informed chapter body. Presenting a philosophical-based discussion is important for both new and established members; it quickens the understanding of the “normalness” of blind persons with acceptance of our beliefs and promotes a genuine and lasting commitment to the Federation’s work. The topic of this lesson is one possibility from a nearly inexhaustible supply that can be drawn from NFB literature, sponsored programs, activities and initiatives.]
[Instructions for the Discussion Leader: Helpful notes to aid the discussion leader will be enclosed in brackets [ ] and are not intended to be shared with the members.]
[Suggestion for Presenting this Topic: The story being used is from my THOUGHT PROVOKER forum and when I posted it, I did not explain the reason for the provocative title, because I felt the reader would gain more by having to puzzle out the connection between what happened to the shark and also happens to too many blind people. My thought is this: do not tell your people the specifics of the topic, but announce --- “For our next philosophical discussion we are going to read and discuss a short story called ‘Blindness and Sharks.’”]
[The Structure of the Lesson- Read the introduction found in section 1. Then read the THOUGHT PROVOKER, “Blindness and Sharks,” found in section 2. (If needed, use the discussion questions and answers provided in Section 2 to open and guide the discussion.)]
[In your own words, present the following information to the members.]
--Introduction- “The name of this month’s thought-provoking discussion is ‘Blindness and Sharks.’ It comes from the THOUGHT PROVOKER discussion forum authored by Robert Leslie Newman; Website http://www.thoughtprovoker.info. The purpose of a THOUGHT PROVOKER is to use a short-short story that encapsulates an issue of blindness in a way to both entertain and educate the reader.”
[Read the story aloud to the group.]
BLINDNESS AND SHARKS
The torpedo-shaped fish circled and circled in the desktop aquarium. My friend was showing me his new pet shark. "He is not a true miniature. He is small because of the size of the tank I keep him in. If we let him go out to sea, he would grow to his species’ normal size."
"Interesting." I said, thinking I'd tell him all that I thought; weird or not. "This puts me in mind of some blind people I know."
"What do you mean?" My friend asked.
[End of the story; begin the discussion. The following questions (Q) can be used to guide the discussion. At some point, you may want to reread the story to spark more discussion or to get back on track if members drift off the point.]
-(Q)- What is the story about?
[If needing to be more specific]
-(Q)- The friend who was visiting, what did he mean when he said, “This puts me in mind of some blind people I know?”
[The following are samples of answers (A) that are relevant.]
-(A1)- The invisible walls of ignorance that blind people experience every day in the form of low expectations, discrimination in employment, social stigma, lack of opportunity, and more --- are no less effective than the physical walls of the aquarium that result in the stunted growth of the shark.-(A2)- Most people that run into walls all the time stop trying to do something new and do not experience personal growth.
[Ask members to share personal stories and look for positive management of how he or she handled the situation. Reinforce the more socially acceptable methods for dealing with these stressful times. Be supportive, not judgmental.]
-(Q)- Have you have experienced someone placing a restriction on you? What happened? How did you handle it?
-(Q)- Why is it important to be able to recognize when someone is placing a restriction on you?
-(Q)- Why is it important to discuss this type of treatment and talk about how others handle it?
-(Q)- What are some of the activities, services, initiatives that our chapter, affiliate, or national organization are doing to combat this treatment, this ignorance? What can we, do about “Changing what it means to be blind?"
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