I offer a Manifesto for Blind Citizens who are concerned about social change in progressive and innovative terms and who will do everything within their power to influence the establishment to adopt an attitude that acknowledges and promotes social and political equality for us...and who know that if society continues to endorse prejudicial stereotyping, then public attitudes cannot possibly change because we will continue to be perceived as charity cases...and who also know that the only way to bring about this change is to insist that we be treated as equal citizens with individual voices who should be judged on our intelligence, creativity and skills and who are entitled to receive unrestricted access to any and all programs that will ensure us an equal opportunity to succeed. Let's Get R-E-A-L As blind citizens of Canada, we wish to get R-E-A-L: to be treated with Respect while being given Equal opportunity to become Assimilated into society at large and be Liberated from the stranglehold of charitable organizations. Respect: We want to be treated with same respect accorded the majority of able-bodied Canadians. Equal: We want to be given an equal opportunity to demonstrate our intelligence, our creativity and our skills and to compete on an equal playing field. Assimilated: We want to be recognized as an important part of the social mainstream -- to be assimilated into society -- with equal access to the rights, privileges, services and considerations that are given every able-bodied citizen. Liberated: We want to be perceived