The Blindness Revolution

Jernigan in His Own Words

James H. Omvig

• Publisher: Information Age Publishing
• Year: 2005
• Print ISBN:
  9781593113308
  9781593113315
• eBook ISBN:
  9781607524731
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Social Policy
• Index: Social Sciences

This book recounts the dramatic story of the transformation of the Iowa Commission for the Blind from a verifiably ineffective service agency to perhaps the most outstanding and effective adult service program in the nation in the span of 10 short years. What happened in Iowa was revolutionary, and the character of work with the blind in America and around the world was altered forever—the alternative civil rights–based service model worked. Using Kenneth Jernigan's own writings of Board meeting minutes, reports, and letters, I present the details of the remarkable story from an activist's point of view.

Table of contents

• Cover
• The Blindness Revolution: Jernigan in His Own Words
• Series
• The Blindness Revolution: Jernigan in His Own Words
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Critical Concerns in Blindness Series
• Contents
• Preface
• About the Author
• Acknowledgements
• Foreword
• Introduction
• 1 The Problem and the Solution
• 2 Jernigan: The Man, The Revolutionist
• 3 Courtest and Good Manners: From Humble Beginnings
• 4 "Vision", Timing, and Risk Taking
• 5 Knowlege of and Commitment to an Agency "Defined Philosophy"
• 6 The Vision Remains but Plans Change: Flexibility, Ingenuity, and Perserverance
• 7 An Apparent Death Knell for the New Program: Optimism, Determination, and Resolve
• 8 Resilience, Ability to Strategize and Prescience: Dreams and Drudgery
• 9 Compassion, Knowledge of the Political Process, and Communication Skills
• 10 Determination, Conviction and the Empowerment Motive: Washing Dishes and Other Such Tidbits
• 11 Compromise, Personal Involvement, and Meeting Challenges: More Erbe Antics
• 12 An Inevitable Conflict: Civil Rights versus Institutionalized Ignorance
• 13 Trustworthiness and the Calm After the Storm
• 14 Recognition, Discrimination, Foreign Visitors and, oh yes, Iverson Departs
• 15 More Growth and More Optimism: The Vending Program, State Civil Service, Governmental Reorganization, Job Offers for Jernigan, and the Revolution Expands Beyond Iowa’s Borders
• 16 The Visioning Extends to Federal Food Service Opportunities, State Civil Service, Governmental Reorganisation and Blatant Discrimination
• 17 A Hero in History: The Revolution is Validated
• Epilogue