To say Jernigan was a pioneer in the movement toward empowerment amongst the blind is like saying Mozart was pretty good at music. Jernigan's ideas, that the blind can and should speak for themselves and that blindness creates a minority subject to prejudice and discrimination, resulted in significant debates within the "blindness system," most often between the blind and those who sought to control them. Jernigan proved his theories in his tenure at the Iowa Commission for the Blind with practical ideas and programs that moved the blind from artificial children to employed and valued citizens. Jernigan's subsequent work in the National Federation of the Blind made it the premier organization involving the blind in civil rights. Omvig's assessment of the arguments and Jernigan's contributions is robust, and should be read by those who still consider the "medical model" in any way viable. Annotation ©2005 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
