Freedom. An important subject, one that we must all think about. Think about what freedom means to you while you listen to me talk about what freedom means to me.
First, freedom means independence � the ability to take care of one�s self. If you can travel by yourself, that�s part of independence. If you can fold your own clothes, that is part of independence. And if you can cook, and so on and so forth, that�s also part of independence. But you must put all of these tasks together in your day-to-day life to achieve independence, and this is part of freedom.
Secondly, free-agency is part of freedom as well. Free agency is the ability to make choices for yourself. When you can make decisions about what kind of job you want, that�s free agency. Deciding when to cross a street is free agency. When you decide what college to attend, that�s free agency. Free agency is the ability to make good or bad choices.
Now, thirdly, independence and free agency will go together throughout your life. If you are limited in your independence, you will also be limited in your free agency. Let�s say a blind person has five choices of getting around. There�s walking, taking the bus, taking a cab, begging rides off of people, and special transit for the disabled. Now, let�s say you don�t know how to travel independently as a blind person. There goes walking and there goes the bus. You are now limited to taking a cab, begging rides from people, and special transit. But walking and taking the bus are the most independent and the cheapest ways of getting around. So now you�re limited to those three options. If you take a cab, you�ll spend a lot of money. If you beg for a ride, you have to worry about getting someone you can�t trust. If you take special transit, you have to schedule your life two weeks in advance. And so the conclusion is that free agency and independence go hand-in-hand�if you are limited in one, you are
limited in the other.
In closing, these are the things that I think make up freedom: independence, free agency, and making good choices. The NFB is trying to teach parents about the importance of these elements of freedom to blind children. We should value them and try to exercise them in our everyday lives. Now think about what freedom means to you, and see what you come up with. Thank you for your time and willingness to listen to this speech.