[Blind-rollers] For anyone in the UK

Mon Mar 15 18:05:58 UTC 2010

I had mobility training from Dallas Lighthouse for Blind paid for from the  
Tx Dept of Blind when I first lost my vision.  She was excellent..taking me 
 from feeling sorry for myself staying in bed most of time, to empowering 
me to  live again with MS/vision loss.  I now go for walks, through familiar  
stores, hospitals, public streets, church and my son's school.  All the  
kids know my cane and respect that I am visually impaired.  I have four  years 
college and love life.  I am certainly not going to allow my vision  loss 
to hold me back.  Emily (my mobility trainer) would be proud of  me.  I have 
advocated for places that are not handicap accessible (which  are many 
places in Tx) because that is a big barrier when a sidewalk has no  entrance/exit 
but we need to find ways around barriers.  I guess I don't  fear injury in 
the chair because before I got the chair, I fell many times  trying to walk. 
 The MS causes such muscle weakness that I easily  fall.  My mobility 
specialist also test drove the chair to prove how hard  it is to tip the chair 
over because that was a fear when I first got  started.  ANYTHING was an 
excuse not to get moving because I was in a  depression over my diagnosis.  I 
even garden in my wheelchair...everyone  laughs at church/calls it my John 
Deere.  I know life is scary when we our  body has such changes but I personally 
want to live life to the fullest.  I  agree mobility training is essential. 
 I would love to set up a group here  to get together.  I want to try 
dancing in my wheelchair!!  Just my  humble opinion. deb

In a message dated 3/15/2010 12:47:44 P.M. Central Daylight Time,  
lauraeaves at yahoo.com writes:

it's  interesting to persons outside the UK as well, even if not directly  
impacted.
As a step toward bridging the gap between 2 opposing  opinions, perhaps you 
can come up with mobility training for visually  impaired persons using a 
power chair.  I mean, I kind of agree that  the walking public is not 
altogether safe when someone is driving full  speed in a power chair and 
hits 
them from behind.  You have your own  method of travel with mobility aids 
that prevent collisions.  If they  are trying to ban all visually impaired 
persons from having and using  power chairs, perhaps the alternative is to 
require training mobility  training, and then have ready a description of 
effective cane travel in a  power chair and how it is done.
It's just a thought.
Good  luck.
--le

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Sasha Ayres"  <sashaallears at yahoo.co.uk>
To:  <blind-rollers at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, March 15, 2010 8:09  AM
Subject: [Blind-rollers] For anyone in the UK

Help protect  blind wheelchair users’ right to freedom in the UK.

The Department for  Transport is currently consulting on proposed changes 
to 
the laws covering  powered mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs.  One 
of 
the  proposed changes is to introduce a fitness to drive test that would  
include an eyesight test.  Imposing a vision requirement would have  
appalling consequences for those of us who are blind and need to use a  
wheelchair; it would rob us of our right to freedom.

With  appropriate use of long canes, guide dogs and/or electronic obstacle  
detectors, blind people can and do safely use powered mobility  vehicles.  
I 
support the need to promote the safe use of powered  mobility scooters and 
powered wheelchairs.  I would support any moves  to improve the training 
available to blind users of powered  wheelchairs.  However, the assumption 
that good eyesight is necessary  for the safe use of powered mobility 
scooters and powered wheelchairs is  prejudice, discriminatory and utterly 
unacceptable.

I am blind and  use a powered wheelchair, a long cane and an ultrasonic 
obstacle  detector.  Most of the time, I detect obstacles (including 
people)  
using the ultrasonic obstacle detector and manoeuvre around them without  
making contact at all.  Sometimes my cane contacts an obstacle (or  person) 
but this is no different than for a blind person who is  walking.  Since 
the 
initial period of learning to control the chair,  which I did entirely on 
private land, I have never hit an obstacle or  person with my wheelchair.

My powered wheelchair is able to go at  speeds up to 4mph.  I find that 
this 
speed is safe in quiet  uncluttered areas.  In more crowded or difficult 
areas I slow the  speed down.  Personally I would not feel very safe going 
above 4mph  but other blind users using other obstacle-detecting or 
obstacle-avoiding  tools may feel safe at higher speeds.  There may be a 
case 
for  restricting the maximum speed for blind users to be appropriate for 
the  
obstacle-detecting/avoiding tools they are using but any such restrictions  
should reflect genuine distances at which obstacles can be detected and  
the 
space needed to manoeuvre and must not be based on prejudice  assumptions.

Using my power chair with a long cane and ultrasonic  obstacle detector I 
am 
able to independently and safely get out and  about.  If the use of powered 
wheelchairs were restricted to those  with good eyesight, blind wheelchair 
users, such as myself, would be  trapped in our homes and robbed of our 
right 
to freedom.

Don’t let  the Department of Transport imprison blind wheelchair users. 
Please  respond to the consultation on proposed changes to the laws 
governing  
powered mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs (DFT 2010-10) available  
online at http://www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/open/2010-10/ and oppose the  
inclusion of an eyesight test in the fitness to drive test.

The mor  of us who respond, the better our chance of preventing this change 
from  being enacted.  I do hope that you will act on this and I would  
appreciate it if you would please let me know what action you have taken.  
If you would like to discuss the issue further, please contact  me.

Please note that this is a UK only consultation.

Yours  sincerely,

Sasha  Ayres

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