@Dennislong82 I am grateful for the 10,000 character limit on this instance, because it gives me space to make several points.
First, I have already answered this question on the forthcoming Access On episode. Everyone is free, of course, to conduct themselves online however they want. But human nature is such that if you’re constantly sending vitriol and negativity into the world across multiple channels, eventually, people depending on their personality and communications style will either just choose to disengage, or respond in kind. That doesn’t mean that criticism is never justified, and indeed I guess anyone in public life can expect some, but when you look at the battles blind people have just to do the things others take for granted, surely it makes sense for us to be kind to each other whenever possible and be a source of strength to one another during the struggles? It’s important to establish the facts, and to direct the criticism to the right entity.
You claimed recently that the Federation, and I quote, “refused to make any comment about the Vispero situation”, and further went on to say that it was because I had worked for Freedom Scientific previously, all while meetings were occurring passing on the detailed, constructive, and justified concerns of blind people. In my considerable experience, the most counterproductive human behavior when it comes to interacting with someone is to attribute motive. You must surely appreciate that when people feel that their motives are being questioned, it just sends a signal that here’s someone more interested in lashing out rather than being a part of the solution.
I choose typically not to respond to those sorts of attacks. If I can put my head down at night after another exhausting day knowing I did all that I could to make life better for blind people, that’s enough satisfaction for me. A lot has happened there since the NFB took those actions you claimed were not being taken. Even more is going to happen. The fact that Home Annual License holders will soon have Page Explorer, that accounts are now not so draconian in several respects, that’s worthwhile, it really benefits people. In many negotiations, there is a time when people can talk publicly, and there is a time when talking publicly could put progress in jeopardy.
Specifically about the Meta situation, everyone is welcome to do what many blind people around this country kindly choose to do, and take the time to file detailed reports with specific defects, how to reproduce them, the behavior you’re getting and the behavior that you want to get instead. The NFB passes on a lot of good quality data thanks to this input, for Windows, Mac, iOS and Android. The NFB collates this feedback, it establishes pattern, it passes them on to people who may make a difference.
Does remedy occur as fast as all of us as blind users want? No, not always, although I would note that in Meta’s case, their prompt enactment of the NFB’s suggestion to turn their wearables platform into an open platform that third-party developers for blind people can leverage is already starting to make a huge difference in our community. Sometimes progress comes quickly, at other times it’s a grind that can take years. With very big tech, sometimes the people who are on our side internally have to compete for resource allocation time and don’t win those internal battles. The NFB may be able to help there, and I will come back to that. That’s the nature of advocacy.
The Federation has advocated strongly to Meta to provide a direct means for blind people to pass on their feedback about defects, which keep occurring with frustrating regularity. That URL is in the show notes of the forthcoming Access On 68. That URL is: https://www.meta.com/help/policies/707685072208748/
You are welcome to use it, although as someone who has helped to bring about meaningful change over decades, I would advise that if you use that form to submit vitriolic rants and assumptions, you will not get the change you want. Developers, quality assurance engineers, and product managers are human too.
What has the Federation been doing about this specific issue? It meets regularly with Meta leadership. When a specific issue of high impact emerges, the Federation escalates. It strongly encouraged key leadership and development people at Meta, successfully I might add, to attend last year’s national convention so they could meet blind people firsthand and get feedback about what was broken and what urgently needed fixing.
Without a doubt, Meta’s website is a huge systemic, consequential problem. It badly needs a serious overhaul. It’s frustrating and not fit for purpose from an accessibility perspective.
It is taking far too long, but why shoot the messenger? The NFB doesn’t write the code. The NFB can only continue to pass on constructive feedback that illustrates how broken the site is, and communicate increasing concern.
The NFB is made up of individuals who choose to work hard and make a difference. If you are in fact an NFB member, something you have said to me in the past, then you will know that you have power in this situation. Any member can submit a resolution for consideration by the Resolutions Committee. National Convention is the supreme governing body of the organization, and resolutions passed at national convention are policy statements of the organization.
I am very grateful for people who express appreciation for the victories when they come, and who provide encouragement and support when things take longer. It’s hard work, but it’s worthwhile work. Because after all, the NFB is blind people speaking for ourselves, organizing collectively because we are stronger together, to move us towards equality.
Right now, people from around the country are working together not just to move forward, but in fact to maintain the progress we have made. I look at the work being done on the Access Technology Affordability Act which would get technology in the hands of more blind people who need it. I look at the work being done to safeguard the implementation of Title 2 of the ADA in certain situations so many more documents will be accessible. There is so much of importance to do, and it goes well beyond technology. Everyone is welcome to do their bit. There is room for all of us.
I am going to end this with my favorite quote of all time from Theodore Roosevelt. In doing so, I offer that we each have a choice which of the two people in this quote we want to be.

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.

The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming;

but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly,

so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.