The editorial staff reserves the right to edit letters for content, style and space available. Opinions expressed are those of the authors, not those of the American Council of the Blind, its staff or elected officials. “The Braille Forum” is not responsible for the opinions expressed herein. We will not print letters unless you sign your name and give us your address.
Eye Contact and Pedestrian Safety
(Editor’s Note: We found this provocative letter on an e-mail list. Debbie agreed with us that her letter belongs in this column for every ACB member to see and ponder.)
A couple of days ago, I happened upon a radio interview with an individual who had been injured in an intersection while riding his bicycle. Although I missed most of the details of the misadventure, this one sentence made me doubly aware that ACB is definitely on the right path in terms of intersection access. The man said, “The mistake I made that caused the crash was that I did not make eye contact with the driver.”
Now we have intersections that because of their configuration are often difficult to identify via tactile clues and whose traffic control patterns are ever changing and whose traffic control devices are inaccessible to us. Because of the changes in traffic control planning, there is now added to this mix the necessity of making eye contact with drivers not only in roundabouts but in all intersections.
What we are doing (in terms of advocating for accessible pedestrian signals) is right, and it in no way marks us as second-class blind people. What sighted person is ever looked down upon because he or she checks out the walk/don’t walk signs before making a crossing? Is there a sighted person who is accused of depending too much on these signs and, as a result, not using his/her other skills to make a determination as to when it is safe to cross the street?
Without access to this country’s streets and highways, every aspect of our lives is negatively impacted. The NFB understood this years ago when they took the lead in getting white cane laws passed all over this country. Our access to America’s streets and highways is guaranteed by law; it is a legal right. The ability to drive a vehicle is a privilege for which a license is required, a privilege that can be revoked but, sadly often is not, when that privilege is abused. It is indeed ironic that the privilege of driving in this country is regarded as a right and the right of access to America’s streets and highways for all its citizens is regarded as a privilege.
— Debbie C. Grubb, Bradenton, Fla.
Another Response to Marett Letters
This is in response to Lucia Marett’s letter on blindness issues. I noticed that the previously published responses explained the facts, but they didn’t explain the “whys.” Yes, there are successfully employed blind people, such as engineers and scientists. But how did they get there? The main reason is that they were at the right place at the right time. If you’re not at the right place at the right time, all of the hard work, studying, and even wishful thinking will mean absolutely nothing! This is the way things usually work out — even though they won’t tell you that during rehabilitation.
Another problem is that one group says you can do it all while another says you can do nothing. I once went through a program that stated I could do it all. (At least the implications were there even if it wasn’t stated directly.) That type of training could make you believe that you could do things that you really can’t do. That is much, much worse than believing that you can do nothing. Having unrealistic expectations is worse than having none at all.
The training I received helped convince me that I could be a police dispatcher, even though I had never seen a computer in my life at that time. I was naive enough to go for an interview for a dispatching job. Did I get the job? I didn’t understand it at the time, but I certainly do now. At that time (I was young), I thought I was being discriminated against because I was blind. I didn’t get the job because I wasn’t qualified, not because I was blind. I didn’ understand that then, but I certainly do now. What a difference a few years can make!
— Charles Biebl, Baltimore, Md.
Re: Dori by Sarah Blake
I am writing to thank Sarah Blake for her articles which have appeared during the last year about her guide dog Dori. Also I wish to thank Penny Reeder for her article about Glory that was in the March 2001 edition. I found the articles most interesting and educational.
Currently I use a white cane. This aid helps me to go most places. Someday I plan to get a dog. These types of stories are just what I have been looking for. I would like to see more articles in the Forum about the blind and their experiences and what they come in contact with on a daily basis. I think it would not only help me, but others who may be going through the same thing.
Keep up the good work there at the ACB.
— J.L. Blackwell, Chester, S.C.