[Nfbf-l] Imagine This
Alan Dicey
adicey at bellsouth.net
Sat May 9 20:03:25 UTC 2015
Dear Friends,
This was sent to me by a friend, and they did not post the author's name.
I thought some would find this intresting, even relate to it as I do, when I
lost my eyesight Thank goodness things have improved over the years, at
least in the State of Florida, but I have friends in States in our Nation,
where things are still not very good for people who lose their eyesight and
go Blind.
With Best Regards,
God Bless,
Alan
Plantation, Florida
Imagine: You've just entered your office on what may well be the most
hectic, stressful day of your life.
Suddenly you realize all of your Reference books, piles of paper work and
notes are covered with little Bumps. In fact, you discover there is not one
single printed word to be found. Every scrap of information necessary to do
your job is now in Braille. Imagine: you rush back out of your office,
wildly looking about, peering Into offices, staring over the shoulders of
clerks. Everybody is calmly doing their job, using Braille.
Mysteriously they have learned the Language Overnight. Only you, it seems,
were overlooked. For some unknown reason, You Are permanently and totally
Braille challenged.
Imagine: you dash for the door hoping the rest of the world has not gone
Mad. It has! In the elevator, you're not sure which button to press for The
Lobby. Someone has to help you. They stare at you as if you are stupid.
Pausing at the newsstand, you are unable to tell one magazine from another.
You can't stand it, you need to go home and collect your thoughts. But at
The bus stop, there's no way of telling which coach is yours. You back
Away, not wanting anyone to know, and you decide you'll call a cab. Of
course, You Only brought bus fare and lunch money, not nearly enough for the
taxi.
Remembering your bankcard, you pull it out as you run back into the Lobby.
There, at the ATM, you stop short. The card has turned to Braille, and so
have all of the instructions on the machine. You'll have to call home and
ask for help. Funny, you never paid much attention to the telephone dial
and now, in your growing state of confusion, you don't recall which number
goes where
You are so alone, so frightened, you actually begin to weep.
Imagine: you have always seen yourself as a leader, a visionary, a
problem-solver. You will not run from this challenge. You shall succeed.
You have a large mortgage. Once you have recovered from the great shock,
you begin looking for ways to survive.
Imagine: you have finally made arrangements, through your employer, to hire
a Braille reader, a process so complex and painful you plan to patent it and
use it to torture Terrorists.
Now you sit in your chair going quietly mad listening to the drone of your
reader's voice, taking hours of time to cover what you once scanned in
minutes, while others whip about you efficiently communicating among
themselves via Braille-FAX and Email.
You begin to feel the "ice" in isolation. Imagine: you learn you are not
alone. You are a member of a very small minority of Braille-Challenged
people.
There is, in fact, a Braille-less culture; a history far too long and
complex to discuss here.
So, you become a member of the, Braille-less Association of America (BAA).
At the BAA meetings you find out about a number of small companies
manufacturing adaptive equipment which enables Braille-less persons to
access all of the Braille computers, FAX machines, Braille scanners and
Braillers. The expense is far more than you can afford, so you seek
assistance from your employer. Your request is turned down. There are no
requirements that your employer accommodate your disability. Imagine: BAA,
along with many other disability groups, battle in Congress for the passage
of a Bill, guaranteeing you equal treatment under the Law. The bill passes
and, despite subtle messages from your fiscal officer, money is, "found" for
your accommodation.
After considerable time and effort, the technician from the Department of
Services for the Braille-less, has you on-line. Now you are able to scan
Braille text and convert the little dots into letters, and through a very
complex process, the Braille display on your computer is transformed into
print.
Finally, you are again up to speed, being your old efficient self, feeling
good about your work.
Imagine: you are humming and smiling and cranking along in high gear.
Suddenly, a message flashes on your screen and drives terror through your
heart. New breakthroughs in technology have produced equipment so superior
to the ancient junk--at least four years old-- presently in use, that your
organization is upgrading the entire communications system. The BAA,
technicians have already informed you that your adaptive equipment is not
compatible with it.
You go to the, "Powers-That-Be" in your organization, and request a meeting
to discuss this concern. You are told that your fears are groundless. You
will not be forgotten.
Following this meeting a rumour goes around hinting that you are trying to
sabotage the new system, and your associates begin to whisper behind your
back. They want the new system. It's far superior, more compact, ten times
faster, and it's cool looking. They are sick of your "whining and constant
complaining". You feel the "ice" settling in again.
Imagine: you have been forgotten.
The new system is in place. Everybody loves it. You've been told not to
worry; someone will be around to do what is necessary to put you back
on-line. The "someone" they had in mind is the same technician who told you
the system would not work. Despite your concerns, no one bothered to
investigate before the equipment was installed.
Once again you sit, going quietly mad while your reader ploughs line by line
through the piles of Braille.
Imagine: you know you are close to losing your mind or your job--probably
both. You must find other employment, but you do not want your associates
to know you are finally beaten.
You try to figure out a way to do a quiet job search when all information is
only accessible in Braille.
One day you hear that your State has developed a central information centre,
called a, "kiosk".
These information centres are being set up in easily accessible locations.
The plan is for these kiosks to make government information and services
available quickly and conveniently, to the public. Sort of a "one stop
shopping centre". You learn that lists of job openings are among the many
services offered. This is perfect. This is exactly what you need. You
discover your town recently placed a kiosk in the Mall. You go there on
Saturday afternoon. There it stands, costing the taxpayers hundreds of
thousands of dollars to create, but well worth it. In its ultimate form,
the kiosks will bring virtually all State services right into your local
neighbourhood. You are thrilled as you step up to the controls. An
automated voice welcomes you and brags about the wonders of this system.
Breathlessly, you wait for your instructions... Then, the Braille display
appears. Imagine: they are dragging you away, shrieking at the top of your
voice. Onlookers are amazed. They do not know how you managed to rip the
iron bench from the floor of the Mall. None of them dared to try to stop
you as you swung it over your head, again and again, smashing the kiosk into
pieces of broken plastic, glass and twisted metal. None of them understand
why you kept screaming the same words over and over.
"I pay taxes, too! I pay taxes, too! I pay taxes, too!
More information about the NFBF-L
mailing list