[Nfbmo] Nearly blind St. Charles runner changes route due to neighbor concerns

[Gary Wunder]

One of the hardest things we've had to confront in state and federal law is
the charge that, when we are out and about without sighted assistance, we
are contributorily negligent for any accidents in which we might be
involved. We have had some significant victories in overturning this
contributory negligence finding, but I suspect it would stand up in this
case. Still, no matter what law comes into play, imagine how devastating it
will be if this gentleman is killed or severely injured and what
responsibility the driver of the vehicle that hits him will live with for
the rest of his or her life. I'm all for blind people doing physical
activities, and I'd go so far as to say that I think the lack of them is a
major deficit in many of our lives. Physical challenge is important and
should be encouraged, but I think this makes a better argument for providing
pedestrian walk and run paths than it does for running down the middle of
the street.

I too feel some concern about the signs that warn about the presence of
blind people. Soon after the AIDS virus became a widespread concern, many
hospitals got significant public criticism for not designating those
patients who carried the virus. Their failure to do so was chalked up to
political correctness or timidity to stand against the gay community, but I
think there was a very good reason for not posting the warning. The truth is
that hospitals want the kind of safety procedure that will keep their staff
free from infection, whether or not a person is thought to have AIDS. Given
the incubation period of the virus, the reluctance of people to be
straightforward about whether or not they have it, and the fact that many of
us could be carriers and just not know it, the procedure made a lot of
sense. People should be careful all the time they are behind the wheel of a
vehicle and should not be alert simply when someone thinks a blind person
will be around.



-----Original Message-----
From: Nfbmo [mailto:nfbmo-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Randy Carmack
Sent: Monday, October 08, 2012 2:19 PM
To: NFB Listserv
Subject: [Nfbmo] Nearly blind St. Charles runner changes route due to
neighbor concerns

Group,

I heard this story on the radio and am shocked of the ignorance of people in
this day and age.  Although a story like this coming out of St. Charles does
not really surprise me.  I believe that the NFB should do some things in St.
Charles towards community education.
Maybe a big group of us could walk down the middle of some of their busiest
streets.  I know, not very feasible, just venting.

I provide the story and link below.

Thanks,
Randy Carmack

http://www.kmov.com/home/Nearly-blind-Missouri-man-compromises-on-route-1731
10531.html

Nearly blind St. Charles runner changes route due to neighbor concerns

by Associated Press
KMOV.com
Posted on October 8, 2012 at 8:26 AM
Updated today at 12:27 PM

ST. CHARLES, Mo. (AP) -- A nearly blind suburban St. Louis marathon runner
has agreed to tweak his route because neighbors feared colliding with him.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch says that Dennis Atkins, 57, can only see
shadows of objects and differentiate between light and dark.

He used to run down the middle of streets in a St. Charles subdivision,
guiding himself by focusing on black-line expansion joints.

Now he's agreed to instead stay close to street sides where parking already
was prohibited. He'll focus on where the grass meets the curb.

Atkins also promised to wear bright-colored clothing and to stick to less
traveled streets.

Meanwhile, the city will post a sign or signs alerting drivers to watch out
for a visually impaired person. There's also talk of reducing the speed
limit.

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