[Blindtlk] The Blind Driver Challenge

[Gary Wunder]

We had a discussion about a week ago with a slightly different subject line.
Ray asked some interesting questions and below is a response from President
Maurer.
 
Warmly,
 
Gary
 
 

 

 

 

 

SENT VIA E-MAIL 

 

August 26, 2010

 

Mr. Ray Foret Jr. 

[rforetjr at comcast.net]

 

Dear Ray: 

 

Thank you for your e-mail dated August 25, 2010, in which you ask, "what
will blind people do when the technology fails?"  In the case of the
blind-drivable car, I would suggest stepping on the brake and calling for
repairs.  I hope that the brakes work when I step on them.  If they don't, I
shall hope that I can stop the machine using the gearbox or the emergency
brake.  If those systems fail, I shall shut off the ignition and pray.  

 

We rely on technology all of the time.  We try to build it so that it is
fail-safe, but this never works.  We blew up a Challenger on the launch pad
some years ago.  We hunted for the reason that the failure occurred, and we
redesigned the machinery.  If we start with the proposition that we will not
explore any technology unless we know that it will never fail, we will give
up many exciting prospects.  

 

Some blind people have been injured or killed traveling with canes and dogs.
I wish that this had not happened.  However, I am not prepared to stop
travelling.  The cost is too high for me to let this threat keep me at one
location all of the time.  This is the same formulation that we use for
travel for the sighted.  I believe that our work will help to make vehicular
traffic safer for everybody, including the sighted.  However, there will be
some risk.  The zero-risk people should not participate in these activities.


 

I understand that some people believe that the risk involved in what we are
doing is greater than the risk involved in building elements of the
transportation system for the sighted.  I do not believe this, and I
challenge those who say so to prove it.  I believe that what we are doing
will diminish risk for everybody.  I think the kind of exploration involved
in the nonvisual management of information will provide extraordinary
results for blind people and for sighted people.  Nevertheless, a project of
this kind cannot be a zero-risk proposition.  Almost nothing we do has
zero-risk.  

 

Sincerely,

 

 

Marc Maurer, President

National Federation of the Blind

 

MM/kw