Blind Voices Coalition was originally established during 2017 as the NC Blind Lions; meeting bimonthly as a cyber group. While our name has changed to Blind Voices Coalition; our original focus for establishing a group of Blind and Low-Vision individuals to support, inform, and challenge one another to achieve maximum personal accessibility and independence for self and collectively as a group will always remain as our defining purpose! Blind Voices Coalition is comprised of blind and low-vision individuals coming together to support and exchange information concerning all matters blind in an inclusive friendly atmosphere not constrained byfinancial means or by either physical or geographical barriers. While Blind Voices Coalition began as NC Blind Lions with the geographic identity of North Carolina; the group quickly grew to include callers from multiple states, thus the necessity to remove any direct linkage to a specific geographic location became obvious! An additional policy shift defining organizational structure of Blind Voices Coalition has been adopted, as a product of rebranding for facilitating greater inclusion and growth, to operate as an independent organization without direct linkage to any single organization; including, Lions Clubs International, American Council of the Blind, National Federation of the Blind, etc. this policy change dictates a thankful message to all members of these iconic organizations, that we as Blind and low-Vision individuals truly appreciate all provided support and opportunities for participation in sponsored activities that would not have been possible without the caring members of these organizations! The determined necessity for Blind Voices Coalition to maintain an independent identity is based on the desire to establish a group where the voice of each individual is weighted equally without being governed or filtered by a politically structured format. So the message to all organizations desiring to support the Blind and Low-Vision is that Blind Voices Coalition wishes to associate with any organization, but to achieve our goal of providing a resource for the Blind and Low-Vision adhering to the guiding principles defined through application of the “Blind Perspective Philosophy” dictates that Blind Voices Coalition operates without affiliation to any established organization.
All too often; the Blind and Low-Vision are not provided the tools, encouragement and training required to achieve full inclusion within society. These shortcomings occur due to a lack of understanding by those Sighted individuals holding positions of power from which decisions are made on behalf of the Blind and Low-Vision. The biggest challenge the Blind and Low-Vision face is that we all live in a visual world that has been designed and built by sighted individuals applying principals defined within the “Sighted Perspective Philosophy”; thus mandating the Blind to live in a visual world where accessibility is governed by perceived knowledge in lieu of actual knowledge, which is only attainable from blind individuals articulating the guiding principals as defined within the “Blind Perspective Philosophy”.
Blind Voices Coalition has established our website to provide a platform where people who are blind or have visual deficiencies can come together through digital connections for support and a chance to interact with like individuals, without limitations created by a lack of accessible accommodations. Blind Vision Coalition encourages all Blind and
Low-Vision individuals to express their views, suggestions and comments. The power of our website lies in the ability by all to access information coupled to a dedicated site for the exchange of knowledge governed by the “Blind Perspective Philosophy”, cataloged as an accessible database; searchable for referencing as required, regardless of visual acuity. Over time, with support and consistent submission of content by the blind and low-vision communities, this website will develop into the definitive resource for archiving knowledge concerning all issues of interest to the Blind and Low-Vision in support of their quest to live the most independent, accessible, integrated and inclusive life possible based on actual ability in lieu of perceived disabilities! To facilitate this outcome, Blind Voices Coalition will continue to provide access to information through live cyber connected meetings that now progressing forward will be Supplemented through interaction with our website.
Blind Voices Coalition invites and encourages all Blind and Low-Vision individuals to join the conversation through participation in one of our regularly scheduled cyber connected meetings or through contributions of content to our website.
Blind Voices Coalition values your voice and knowledge; as together we can do so much more for the Blind!