[nagdu] Blind-Drivable Car at Convention

Tamara Smith-Kinney tamara.8024 at comcast.net
Wed Feb 2 00:10:55 UTC 2011 

Oh, but I want to live long enough to drive into town, parallel park beside
a busy sidewalk then hop out for the car with my guide dog and walk the rest
of the way to work (or shopping, I'm easy)!  Or even with my whtie cane.
Either way, it would be funny.  Well, I guess not being able to see the
looks on people's faces when they first start seeing those sorts of sights
is a bit of a bummer, but I can imagine what they will be.  /lol/

I fear you may be right about attitudes and so forth.  Then again, even
though it seems like in some areas we're in a reverse pendulum swing, the
wacked out economy and the housing crisis and the general shake up in what
our culture at large has believed is the way things just are because that's
how they're supposed to be could result in suprising changes in the social
order once the dust settles.  I admit, I tend to have a grim view sometimes,
since historically the blind do not fare well in crisis based cultural
upheavals...  But then I realize it's very possible that we gained enough
ground leading up to this, and we've benefitted from so many advances in
technology, that we could come out even or even ahead...  As would other
disability groups, for the same reason.  Hard to say, really, since the dust
isn't finished rising into the air as far as anyway can maybe almost sort of
agree.

Still, someone was pointing out that blind people are getting a boost in
terms of gaining employment because so many others have given up on even
looking out of sheer discouragement.  That's cool.

So, who knows, maybe when the blind-drivable car comes onto the market and
the infrastructure is there for it, they will actually allow blind people to
drive it.  I want that sporty red convertible!  /grin/

Tami Smith-Kinney

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Buddy Brannan
Sent: Tuesday, February 01, 2011 2:31 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Blind-Drivable Car at Convention

Hi,

Oh, I'm completely with you on your analogy with the Wright brothers. Will
we see blind people driving in our lifetime? I sure hope so. As I've said
elsewhere (as have others, I'm sure), I believe the attitude and legislative
barriers are going to be much harder to manage than the technological ones
will. I think the technology will be ready in our lifetimes, but I'm not so
sure that sighted drivers will be as willing to share the roads with us, and
that's going to be the harder battle to win. (I suspect that by the time we
*do* win that one, everyone will have automated vehicles and it won't
matter.) Having said that though, the technological offshoots of this, and
the developments that come of it in goodness knows how many areas, will be
tremendous. 
--
Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
Phone: (814) 860-3194 or 888-75-BUDDY



On Feb 1, 2011, at 4:58 PM, Rovig, Lorraine wrote:

> Dear Buddy,
> It is also worth noting, in a practical sense, that from the first flight
by the Wright Brothers at Kittyhawk to the first step on the moon took 50
years.  I think this trip at Daytona Racetrack is the equivelent of a
Kittyhawk for a blind driver.  I wouldn't expect a Wright Brother to fly
that airplane of theirs anywhere but on a closed beach until they solved a
few more problems.  On the other hand, fifty years isn't so long for such a
huge leap of mankind as stepping on the moon.  I expect blind drivers will
be on the open roads in my lifetime.  Here is a link to more information
about the Daytona trip by Mark Riccobono as found on the NFB Website:
> 
> Blind Man Drives Car Independently
> The NFB announced today that for the first time a blind individual has
driven a street vehicle in public without the assistance of a sighted
person.  Mark Anthony Riccobono, a blind executive who directs technology,
research, and education programs for the organization, was behind the wheel
of a Ford Escape hybrid equipped with nonvisual technology and successfully
navigated 1.5 miles of the road course section of the famed track at the
Daytona International Speedway.  For more information on this historic
moment, please read the digital news release with audio and video or the
official press release. http://www.digitalnewsrelease.com/?q=nfb_daytona and
> http://www.nfb.org/nfb/NewsBot.asp?MODE=VIEW&ID=760 
> 
> Lorraine Rovig
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Buddy Brannan
> Sent: Tuesday, February 01, 2011 4:24 PM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Blind-Drivable Car at Convention
> 
> No, there's no strip in the road. Speed strips" are vibraing things that
are in a cushion under the driver's legs and up his back. These give
information about whether he can speed up or slow down. The files on
blindbargains.com are fantastic. BTW, I doubt that any blind people will
drive the car on the open road. Putting aside the whole issue of not having
driver's licenses and not being insured, I really don't think that the
technology is quite ready for real world use. Probably won't be for some
time yet. And count on legal hurdles and red tape beyond that before we can
actually have a car that we can drive, and never mind the cost of having
such a car modded. Think a van with a wheelchair lift is expensive? I'd bet
this will be more. 
> --
> Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
> Phone: (814) 860-3194 or 888-75-BUDDY
> 
> 
> 
> On Feb 1, 2011, at 3:23 PM, cheryl echevarria wrote:
> 
>> neither did I.
>> 
>> The biggest compliment you can pay me is to recommend my services! 
>> 
>> Cheryl Echevarria 
>> http://www.Echevarriatravel.com<http://www.echevarriatravel.com/> 
>> 1-866-580-5574 or 631-456-5394
>>
reservations at echevarriatravel.com<mailto:reservations at echevarriatravel.com>
>> 
>> Affiliated as an Independent Contractor with Montrose Travel
CST-1018299-10
>> Affiliated as an Independent Contractor with Absolute Cruise and Travel
Inc.
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: Albert J Rizzi<mailto:albert at myblindspot.org> 
>> To: 'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog
Users'<mailto:nagdu at nfbnet.org> 
>> Sent: Tuesday, February 01, 2011 3:18 PM
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Blind-Drivable Car at Convention
>> 
>> 
>> I did not hear anything  about needing a strip on the road  or anything
like
>> that to tell you the truth. 
>> 
>> Albert J. Rizzi, M.Ed.
>> Founder
>> My Blind Spot, Inc.
>> 90 Broad Street - 18th Fl.
>> New York, New York  10004
>> www.myblindspot.org<http://www.myblindspot.org/>
>> PH: 917-553-0347
>> Fax: 212-858-5759
>> "The person who says it cannot be done, shouldn't interrupt the one who
is
>> doing it."
>> 
>> 
>> Visit us on Facebook LinkedIn
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org<mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org>
[mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
>> Of Cindy Ray
>> Sent: Tuesday, February 01, 2011 3:13 PM
>> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Blind-Drivable Car at Convention
>> 
>> There are probably plenty of software issues to iron out. Also, as I
>> understand it, mostly the car has to drive on a strip that heops with the
>> sensors, but I could be wrong. Blind Bargains has a podcast of the drive,
>> complete with the crowd there, race announcers, and all, and a press
>> conference. I think it is blindbargains.com though it could be .org.
>> 
>> 
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