[blindlaw] Pimp My Cane

WB mruniverse08 at gmail.com
Tue Mar 30 22:41:23 UTC 2010


I'm a member of NFB and have heard the things that Mark was speaking of.
Dave, you may be taking your view which you stated.  The fact is that there
are many members who do what Mark spoke of.  And the perception of many in
the blind community is as such.

I've heard an NFB member rail against the I-Phone because they wanted to
dissuade a person from purchasing it so they could waste money on the KNFB
reader which is way to expensive.  I've heard many a philosophy on the use
of straight canes and why we shouldn't use a folding cane.

The list goes on and on.  I think a point was being made that those who wish
to disagree with mark are blatantly overlooking.

Again, he can defend his own statements but I've been reading the e-mails
relating to this topic.  Once again, I and others have gotten on their
soapbox on a topic that started lightly.  Well, here's to reading some more.

-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of David Andrews
Sent: Tuesday, March 30, 2010 2:27 PM
To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Pimp My Cane

Mark:

Two things:  first, discussion of NFB philosophy is not really on 
topic for this list, nonetheless I will try and briefly answer your 
question.  I think the problem comes in that you misunderstand why we 
aren't in favor of some audio pedestrian signals, some forms of 
currency identification etc.  First, some of your language, that we 
"rail against" does not lend itself to reasoned discussion.  Your 
examples to me imply that you think we are against any recognizable 
identification of blindness.  This isn't the reason.  I think as a 
group we are proud of ourselves as blind persons and what we have
accomplished.

On the other hand we feel that you should only ask for and use those 
accommodations that are necessary, and when there are other ways of 
accomplishing something, you should use those ways.

You are drawing a black and white picture of the world, and NFB's 
reaction to it, and the true picture is much more nuanced.

Dave

At 04:51 PM 3/28/2010, you wrote:
>I'm following this thread, and I know a large percentage of the folks
>here are NFB members; I personally a not, nor any organization, for
>that matter.  I find a bit of hypocrisy in this discussion:  First the
>NFB rails against things like audible cross walk signals and so on,
>claiming that the blind don't need them, that it's not what the blind
>"want," whatever.  Same with identifiable currency.  Now, however, I
>hear a bunch of the same people saying, in effect, "I want to carry a
>symbol of blindness! I want to proclaim my blindness to everyone so
>that they can alter their behaviors appropriately in recognition of
>the fact that I'm blind!"  I should think the true spirit of the NFB
>might be to use a black cane and give no indication whatsoever of
>blindness, except on a purely voluntary basis.  I just don't
>understand this.


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