Hi Charlse.
While I won't say the rnib's attitude makes sense I am quite aware why they
have it.
Actually, where as with deafness or mobility issues there is a good
proportion of people who have them in younger life, the majority of blind
people actually are! over the age of 70. Last estimate I checked said that
%80 were over 50, and %60 over 70. Of course, that isn't an excuse, but it
is part of the reason, though the second part is far nastier.
Money! Though the rnib is a charity in the Uk and has therefore tax
excemption status, it actually functions much more as a business, with a
managing director, share holders etc. %50 of their donations come from
people leaving legacies to the rnib in their wills, indeed on th last
information day I went to last year, the over two hours! the rnib spent
telling people how important leaving money to them was in their wills
boardered on brain washing.
I have attempted many times over the years to change this perception. I have
encouraged production of rp resources, suggested braille gamebooks (at the
time I didn't know about internet capabilities), and from the age of 7! have
been asking their talking book library to please produce a few more titles
which readers of younger age groups would be interested in, ie, sf, fantasy
and horror. no dice!
And the worst thing is this doesn't seem to change, indeed recently (since I
have some time having finished my phd), when I found out the guide dogs
holiday organization had shut down (a group who I had been on several
interesting trips with, including both down hill and cross country skeeing
in the alps, sailing and wind serfing in griece, touring egypt in 2010),
when I asked the rnib if a similar organization was still around all they
offered me were retreat breaks in their "specially adapted centers for the
eldily" ---- which needless to say wasseveral million miles away from what
I was looking for!
Beware the Grue!
Dark.
---
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