[real-eyes] Re: Rfb gives rationale for name change
- From: Robert Beach <rbeach@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: "real-eyes@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <real-eyes@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 12 Apr 2011 10:32:39 -0500
I think a better name could have been created, but really, it isn't the end of
the world. At least the name isn't stigmatizing or insulting. If you look at
the organization for what it has been and what it intends to be, the name does
fit.
I remember when the name was changed from Recording for the Blind to Recording
for the Blind and Dyslexic. Many blind people said they would no longer use
the service because it would no longer focus on their needs and quality would
go down. Some said they did not like being associated with the term dyslexic.
Well, lo and behold, RFB&D survived and so did we. Quality of service did not
go down, but actually has improved.
The name is not that big a deal for me. I think it will make them harder to
find when people do a search for services, but maybe not. Time will tell.
Robert Lee Beach
Assistive Technology Specialist
Kansas City Kansas Community College
7250 State Avenue
Kansas City, KS 66112
913-288-7671
rbeach@xxxxxxxxx
-----Original Message-----
From: real-eyes-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:real-eyes-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of V Nork
Sent: Monday, April 11, 2011 8:18 PM
To: real-eyes@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [real-eyes] Rfb gives rationale for name change
Hello list, Below is a copy and paste of a segment of the RFB newsletter sent
me as someone who uses their services quite a lot. I don't really object to
the name change, I see it from their point of view as expressed below. I could
say it sounds a little vague and a bit bland, but really, this may be just my
opinion. I love La, as I guess we will end up calling these folks. Ginny
Dear Member,
I am personally reaching out to share with you the exciting news that Recording
for
the Blind & Dyslexic
R has changed its name to Learning Ally.
Changing the name of an institution such as Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic,
with
its rich history and tremendous network of 300,000 members, is not something we
entered
into lightly. Over the past year, we have worked closely with scores of
students,
parents, teachers, volunteers and others to explore the current state of the
organization
and chart its future.
First and foremost, this transformation has been driven by our members.
Our research and focus groups reveal that the most significant reasons for
change
come directly from individuals just like you:
Our member community is more diverse than ever before, including individuals
with
many different kinds of learning disabilities where access and reading are
barriers
to their learning.
The broad community of individuals in the U.S. who "learn differently" has grown
significantly and a portion of these individuals are not blind or dyslexic.
Our current
name limits our ability to reach the wider base of individuals who could benefit
from our services.
And most significant of all, a universal issue expressed by the vast majority of
our members surveyed is that they don't want to be typecast.
When told about the news of our new name, a freshman in college who began using
RFB&D
in second grade said:
"Finally. . .I'm tired of typing out that long name - and I
don't like being labeled as Dyslexic!"
This anecdote echoes the sentiment of countless thousands of members. They don't
want to be referred to as "disabled"; they simply want to enjoy equal access and
opportunities to learn and succeed like anyone else. Our new name goes directly
to
the heart of supporting them.
Right-click here to download pictures. To help protect your privacy, Outlook
prevented
automatic download of this picture from the Internet.
Learning Ally - Making reading accessible for all
We will continue to serve and support you.
We are excited about the future and hope you will encourage your friends,
parents,
teachers, and others in your community to become a "Learning Ally" to help us
reach
more individuals with tools for educational success. Be sure to visit our new
website
at
LearningAlly.org
to learn more about FREE Membership opportunities, FREE software and our NEW
APPLE
APP which now makes our books compatible with your favorite Apple device.
Thank you again for allowing us to help in your pursuit of learning and in your
support
of RFB&D, and now Learning Ally, as we move forward to serve even more
individuals
in the future.
Andrew Friedman
President & CEO
25%
C2011 Learning Ally, Inc. All Rights Reserved. LearningAllyTM, Making Reading
Accessible
for AllTM
, the "Access" icon, Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic
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