[Nfb-greeley] Greeley's Front Page News

[Dora Lopez]

Settlement agreement brings into focus how blind people get around - a lot
like those with sight do

 

Joshua Polson/jpolson at greeleytribune.com | The Greeley Tribune

 

Melissa Green sits with her cane last week at her home in Greeley. Green is
just one of the blind faced with the challenges of navigating Greeley.

A few friendly tips 

Here are some helpful tips from folks we spoke with: 

> Say "Hello" - Blind people don't necessarily need your help. Along with
showing good manners, saying "hello" opens up a conversation if indeed
somebody needs your help. 

> Be vigilant - Whether the pedestrians are blind or sighted, it's good to
keep an eye out before barreling into a crosswalk with your car. 

> Be extra vigilant - If you drive a hybrid or electric car, chances are you
don't make nearly as much noise as other cars. So pay special attention to
pedestrians when you come upon crosswalks. 

> Be nice - Try to avoid yelling at people, revving your engine or other
intimidating behaviors aimed at any pedestrian. 

More information 

For more information about the Colorado Center for the Blind, go to
<http://www.cocenter.org/> http://www.cocenter.org. 

One of Melissa Green's final tests involved making a list, going to the
grocery store and then cooking a meal for 40 people. 

She wasn't training for a culinary arts degree. Instead, Green, who is the
director of the Montessori Academy of Northern Colorado in Greeley, was
finishing up her time at the Colorado Center for the Blind. 

The goal of the center is building confidence and increasing independence of
those who are blind. Green said as a black girl growing up in the
neighborhood she did in New Jersey, she didn't get the type of training she
could have or should have. 

For example, she was told she could only possibly ever cook using the oven.
Now, she makes pancakes on the stove, which seems tame compared to the rock
climbing, skiing and white water rafting, which she did at the Center for
the Blind. 

The idea is this: Blind people can do almost anything people with sight can
do. And local residents, including Green, say it's a message people with
sight should hear too, particularly in the wake of a settlement agreement
between Greeley and a blind pedestrian struck by a vehicle two years ago
near the University of Northern Colorado. 

Discovering how it happened, and what can be done to prevent it, requires
more understanding of how blind people navigate the city. 

Both Maria Madrigal Luz and Zachary Dreicer, the people struck crossing 11th
Avenue in late 2014, spent time at the Colorado Center for the Blind. Travel
cane instructor David Nietfeld knew them both. And instructors at the center
spent time talking about the incident when it happened. 

"It's something we've talked about to demonstrate how the audible signals
aren't the best thing to be relying on and using," Nietfeld said 

Greeley residents who are blind, including Green, agreed. The audible signal
seems to lie somewhere between distraction and annoyance in terms of
helpfulness, at least to some. 

Green said she listens for traffic patterns before she decides to cross a
street. 

UNC student JJ Aragon said she thinks the audible signals are useful, but
she doesn't recommend using them as the only guide to crossing the street. 

"I'll hear the tweet, and I'm aware that it's theoretically safe to cross,
but I still make sure to listen for traffic," Aragon said. 

Dan Burke, who also works at the center, said sometimes the audible signals
are so loud you can't tell which direction they're coming from, and they
drown out the sound of traffic. He likens relying on those alone to sighted
people failing to look both ways after seeing the walk signal. 

Greeley has just a handful of audible signals. Aragon said she doesn't have
much trouble getting around the city, saying the people are friendly. She
used Denver as a comparison. 

"(Greeley-Evans Transit) staff are a lot more friendly," Aragon said. "They
take time to talk to you and get to know you. It makes traveling more easy."


Sometimes, the friendliness goes overboard. Aragon has had people get out of
their cars to help her when she's simply listening to traffic.

Green sometimes takes paratransit, a service offered by GET. She uses a cane
as well as PJ, her yellow lab, to help her around. 

Green hasn't had the same experience, saying she's been the victim of
heckling and other offensive actions while walking around town. 

Aragon said she didn't mind the over-friendliness, but said some blind
people would be offended. For Burke, it's an annoyance because it comes
across as a sighted person "knowing what he needs." 

Here's what he, and others, need, both Burke and Nietfeld said: 

"If I could say one thing and talk to everybody in the world all at once, I
would say if you see a blind person and you're wondering if they're OK, just
say 'Hello,'" Nietfeld said. 

 

 

 

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