[Nfbf-l] Sight is Required

[Matt Roberts]

On Jun 26, 2011, at 7:22 PM, Tara Prakash Tripathi wrote:

> In fact you should think from the perspective of civil rights. There was a time when people of a specific race could not do a lot of things they would have wanted to. They didn't change their color, they managed to change the world. Same thing about women, gays, jews, all kind of people have been discriminated against at some point in history for being different. In place of counting our limitations, we should point fingers at the environment that imposes limitations. Can we do everything using nonvisual means? I am sure some day we will. Or the work on the bionic eye is progressing rapidly. So chill out, join the movement, better days are on their way.
> 
Movement for what, keep things as they are? The bionic eye is coming, and when it does, I'm getting one!
IF you're happy living with your limitations, great, but I'm not! I want to live my life the way I want! I've said it before, and I'll say it again! To live a full life, with full accessibility you have to see.  I'll repeat this again as well, if you appear blind at all, it frightens people.  It is what people are most afraid will happen to them.  What kind of life will they have? The same life we have now!
Try crying discrimination if you call a company and because you can't see a display a tech must come out and you have to pay for it.  The company will just laugh at you.  The policy won't be changed just because you can't see! Companies don't choose to change it, why should they? What benefit is it to them?
Someone mentioned in an earlier message if I wanted to go somewhere would I have a pilot fly me? NO, if i could see, I'd have my pilot's license and fly myself n my own plane.  I enjoy aviation, but guess what, it's closed to me because I'm blind.  Most of my other interests are as well.  What am I supposed to do, adopt gardening, furniture making, reading talking books, living on the phone or computer, watching TV, listening to the radio, and go to NFB and ACB meetings? I don't have a problem doing some or all of those things, but I don't want them to be my whole life.


Matt Roberts blindbiker at yahoo.com