[blindkid] to sign or not to sign

Mary Strahan phouka at kc.rr.com
Sun Feb 24 21:04:15 UTC 2013


I agree with Richard.  I've actually tried to get "Blind Child at Play"
signs for our street with no luck--evidently City Hall likes to ignore me.
My issue is this:  people tend to gun their cars down our street.
Kids--whether they can see or not--aren't the most safety-conscious when
they're playing.  Kids run out in the street after balls, or chase their
friends, or dart out from between cars.  If I can get the signs on the
street, that might be enough to give drivers pause when they're about to
floor that gas pedal.

My son's 4, and I've heard the same comments Richard has:  evidently, he
doesn't "look blind," either.  People don't understand why he's using a
cane, or why the cane's even there.  These are comments I get from cashiers
when I'm checking out at the store or when we're wandering through the zoo;
they're definitely low-speed encounters, like Richard describes.  At the
high speed of cars gunning down the street?  Yikes.  

I think there's also a fair amount of ignorance over what a white cane is
for.  I'd swear that we covered service animals and disabilities to some
degree in school--I knew not to pet a working dog, for instance--but that
doesn't seem to be the case everywhere.  I follow a woman on Twitter,
Sharlyn Ayotte (@blindambition) who has had people ask why her dog is
wearing a harness; it blew my mind that anyone wouldn't know what a guide
dog was for. I've seen photos of cane users who live in larger cities posing
with their broken canes (I wasn't able to find the photo, but Tommy Edison,
the blind film critic, is one of them)--the canes are broken by people
driving cars who turn in front of the cane user who's crossing the street.
I'm guessing the driver is ignorant of what the cane is for, so doesn't
realize the harm done by breaking the cane when the user's out and about
(can you imagine?)  Given the amount of ignorance out there, I don't see
harm in having signs.

Also--there are "children at play" signs, too.  I think the "Deaf Child at
Play" or "Blind Child at Play" signs just give a little extra warning for
drivers when they're dealing with younger kids who need help to stay safe.
(Note that I think all younger kids can use some help to stay safe--not just
those with disabilities.)

Just my 2 cents worth.  --Mary

********************************
Help me help CCVI by donating to--or better yet, joining!--Eddie's Entourage
and this year's Trolley Run.
http://trolleyrun.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=1031951&li
s=1&kntae1031951=49AB3445947C4BF39CC2C67F746B519C&supId=344473835

You can also help by shopping (yes, shopping!).  Check out
http://my.fundraising.com/EddiesEntourage 
********************************





More information about the BlindKid mailing list