DO WE WANT TO CHANGE OUR NAME? WHAT DO YOU THINK?

From the KABVI Board of Directors

At the January Board meeting, the Board discussed changing this organization’s name. Changes proposed were: “Kansas Council of the Blind”, and “Kansas Council of the Blind and Visually Impaired”. Reasons for doing so included the fact that “Kansas Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired” is quite a mouthful to remember. Also, our current name does not reflect our affiliation with the American Council of the Blind. A shorter name would benefit fund-raising. And, finally, as the KABVI former President, Sanford Alexander predicted, there is often confusion between KABVI and KSBVI, the initials for the Kansas Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired, the state agency

Consensus of the Board was that, because of today’s language, the words Visually Impaired still need to be a part of the name. In the vernacular of America, blind usually means totally without eyesight. Visually impaired means any degree of eyesight even minimal.

KABVI’s goal is that all people across the complete spectrum of vision impairment shall benefit from its activities. Begun in 1920, KABVI was founded before the National Federation of the Blind or the American Council of the Blind. Originally the Kansas Association for the Blind, (KAB) the name was changed later to include the visually impaired segment of our population, becoming KABVI as we are known today.

Changing the name of this organization is a matter which will need to be brought before the membership at our next convention. Please let Ann Byington or Nancy Johnson know your opinion on this matter before the next Board meeting on April 22, 2006. Contact them by phone, Braille, tape, in regular or large print, or via e-mail.