“Everybody has something to bring to the table of life,” said Roy McCutcheon, who recently moved to Hamburg and has been blind his whole life. McCutcheon is part of the new Greater Berks Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of Pennsylvania.
“The National Federation of the Blind is 75 years old this year,” said Karen Chandler, secretary of the Berks chapter and Windsor Twp. resident. “There has been no chapter in Berks County, I don’t believe, for a long, long time.”
The Berks chapter had its first meeting Jan. 9 and had the largest attendance for an initial meeting in Pennsylvania according to Chandler. Close to 40 members attended that first meeting. The organization is about blind people helping make a difference for blind people.
“The key is that it is ‘OF’ the blind not ‘FOR’ the blind, so it’s blind people helping each other with the help of sighted people as well,” said Jim Meck, president of the Berks chapter in a previous interview with Berks-Mont Newspapers.
One of the rules of the organization is that the majority of the members must be visually impaired including the president and the vice president. A minority of sighted people may be members as well, such as Chandler.
“I think that people that haven’t had a person with a visual impairment in their life think they’re disabled,” said Chandler. “That they need to be led around, that they need to be taken care of. This organization is about blind people speaking out about what they want.”
“Don’t be afraid to be independent,” added McCutcheon, “as must you possibly can.”
McCutcheon’s career has easily busted many of the stereotypes about people with visual impairment. The musician has traveled to 43 states, providences in Canada, as well as Japan and other countries. He took lessons for a year on keyboard/piano, but for the most part is self-taught.
After growing up in Philadelphia, McCutcheon lived in Nashville, Tennessee, for 10 years and has played in the bands of country singers including Alan Jackson, Travis Tritt, Randy Travis and Tanya Tucker. He is also proud of the two children he raised who he joked turned out pretty well, as a teacher and a computer programmer, even if he was their dad.
“This is what we’re out here to do, to bust stereotypes,” said Chandler. “If someone sees Roy out with his cane, they shouldn’t feel sorry for him because this is someone who has played with famous people.”
McCutcheon is very independent with gps walking and has enjoyed being able to explore his new home in Hamburg. He is also well versed in using public transportation which is something that he can help teach his fellow peers just as he is looking forward to a peer helping to teach him how to cook scrambled eggs.
“It’s all about peers helping peers,” added Chandler.
“The NFB also tries to advance the legislation that benefits blind people,” McCutcheon pointed out using quiet cars being a danger to people with visual impairment and having public transportation that does not announce stops making McCutcheon and others have to rely on someone else to tell them where they are as examples of current problems.
Recently, Jim Meck and his band along with McCutcheon and other members of the Berks chapter of NFB played a concert in Fleetwood during which they all received standing ovations.
“Just because people have lost their sight doesn’t mean they lost their vision,” said Chandler.
The next meeting of the Berks chapter is Thursday, March 12 at 10 a.m. at Abilities in Motion located at 210 N. 5th Street, Reading. Meetings are the second Thursday of each month.
Jim Meck and the Guide Dogs will be playing at Cigars International in Tilden Twp. on Friday, March 13 starting at 9 p.m.
The Greater Berks Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind is run by Jim Meck, president, Brad Hart, vice-president, Karen Chandler, secretary, and Amanda Welch, treasurer, as well as board member John Kauffman.
The organization is looking for members, volunteers and financial support. All donations go directly to the chapter. For more information please contact Jim Meck at 610-750-4526.
