[Blindtlk] REDBOX DISCRIMINATES AGAINST THE BLIND BY FAILING TOPROVIDE ACCESSIBLE SELF-SERVICE KIOSKS

[Mike Freeman]

Sheila:

In the legal sense, you are correct. "Separate but equal" under law doesn't
cut it. But I'm talking philosophy and physiology here. Perhaps a couple of
examples in the form of questions will illustrate my point. (1) How does one
give truly equal access to paintings and photography to a totally-blind
person? (2) Likewise, how does one give truly equal access to a totally-deaf
person to a music concert? In an absolute sense, the answer to both of these
questions is that one can't. but one can describe the paintings and
photographs to the blind person and one can describe the effect of the
concert on the audience to the deaf person and if the concert is an opera,
one can hand the deaf person a printed copy of the libretto.

All I'm really saying here is that we should be clear in our minds as to
what we're asking for and whether it's truly equal access or equivalent
access and if one cannot truly give equal access in an absolute sense, is
equivalent access enough and, if so, whether said equivalent access must be
of a certain form.

I won't belabor the point further except to assert that if we aspire to make
each and every device in society accessible to the blind, short of inventing
Mr. Data from STNG, the quest will be never-ending.

But let me also be clear that I fully support the Home Appliance
Accessibility Act. In fact, I wish it were politically feasible to extend
its mandate to home medical equipment.

Mike Freeman


-----Original Message-----
From: blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Sheila Leigland
Sent: Sunday, January 15, 2012 7:30 PM
To: Blind Talk Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] REDBOX DISCRIMINATES AGAINST THE BLIND BY FAILING
TOPROVIDE ACCESSIBLE SELF-SERVICE KIOSKS

This is an interesting discussion. Who would be the one deciding when access
was equivalent versus equal. That was tried with racial groups and
discrimination was decided to exist because equivilent and equal weren't the
same because equivalent incluces separation or segregation.I believe this is
the same princpaal.

sheila leigland

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