[NFBMO] FW: [Nfbnet-members-list] NFB President Receives Automotive Innovation Award

Thu Jan 25 17:27:01 UTC 2018

I agree with you, Daniel. I think we are often tempted to be afraid of the
unknown, and when it comes to very complicated things, we want to believe
that there is something unique about the human brain that no machine can
equal. We reluctantly conclude that there are some things machines do better
than we do, and each day provides us with new challenges to figure out how
we are superior as we enable machines to do an ever-increasing number of
tasks which we once thought were only doable by human beings.

I have no doubt that some people will die as a result of this new
technology. I also know that we lose around 50,000 people a year because
right now human beings are driving. Right now the craze is to talk about how
we are distracted by cell phones - the desire to talk on them and the desire
to text. But before the cell phone and continuing today, there are other
significant distractions. When you hear your child yell from the backseat,
you look. When you see an accident off to the side, you look. When you want
to adjust the temperature in your car, the radio station that is playing, or
the volume of the sound, you briefly take your eyes from the road. Most of
the time you are okay, but when the car ahead of you unexpectedly slows down
or the car in an oncoming lane swerves into yours, that diversion is turned
into tragedy.

I think that for blind people the issue will not be whether our society
embraces autonomous vehicles. I think, like so many other pieces of
technology, that the issue will be whether the interface is accessible and
whether society believes that vision is still essential in operating a motor
vehicle. I also applaud the work of President Riccobono in seeing that we
are deeply involved in these discussions - not just spectators offering our
comments, but actually hosting some of these major events.

Forgetting about blindness for a moment, it will be interesting to see how
autonomous vehicles affect the sale of cars. Will people who now demand a
car in their driveway and a car in the work parking lot feel the same way if
there is a large pool of vehicles they can call upon whenever they need a
ride? Will a two car family suddenly decide that it can get by with one?
Will the coming of age represented by owning a car prevail as it does in
most of America, or will we come to think of transportation more like the
people in New York City who don't want the bother of trying to find and pay
for a parking place? When it comes to the sale of insurance, what will we be
insuring against? It seems to me that we will not be insuring my daughter
based on her excellent driving record if she is not actually driving the
car. Perhaps we will ensure on the reliability that each vehicle has
demonstrated with regard to the number of accidents per mile in which it is
involved.

If we are really talking about the widespread use of autonomous vehicles
within five years, we have a lot to think about. I am excited. Perhaps what
it eluded me at sixteen will come to pass before I am sixty-six. I have
certainly lived more than a half-century without being able to drive, but I
do have to say that the appeal is still there. I am glad that we are in the
middle of all of this, and I'm glad you are as well.

Since we will be rooming together next week at the Washington Seminar, we
will be able to beat this subject to death, and since we will be away from
our computers, people can use this list to tell us how very wrong we are.
It's a wonderful world, isn't it?

Gary

-----Original Message-----
From: NFBMO [mailto:nfbmo-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Daniel Garcia via
NFBMO
Sent: Tuesday, January 23, 2018 7:36 PM
To: NFB of Missouri Mailing List (nfbmo at nfbnet.org)
Cc: Daniel Garcia
Subject: [NFBMO] FW: [Nfbnet-members-list] NFB President Receives Automotive
Innovation Award

Many people, both blind and sighted alike, have expressed to me the idea
that they don't believe fully autonomous vehicles will be safe. I believe
that fully autonomous vehicles will be as safe if not safer than the current
driver-operated vehicles we have to contend with now. Over the past year, I
have seen a marked increase in fully autonomous vehicle related material
coming out of the National Office. I for one am very glad that President
Riccobono is as excited as I am about the possibilities of the fully
autonomous vehicle.

Regards

Daniel Garcia, President, Kansas City Chapter National Federation of the
Blind of Missouri dangarcia3 at hotmail.com<mailto:dangarcia3 at hotmail.com>
(816) 621-0902

From: NFBNet-Members-List [mailto:nfbnet-members-list-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of National Federation of the Blind via NFBNet-Members-List
Sent: Monday, January 22, 2018 9:38 PM
To: nfbnet-members-list at nfbnet.org
Subject: [Nfbnet-members-list] NFB President Receives Automotive Innovation
Award

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NFB President Receives Automotive Innovation Award Baltimore, Maryland
(January 22, 2018): Mark A. Riccobono, President of the National Federation
of the Blind, has received one of the inaugural Autos2050SM awards. The
awards are being presented by the Auto Alliance and the Alliance for
Transportation Innovation.

President Riccobono is among twelve state and national political leaders and
automotive innovators who will be honored at a dinner and awards
presentation in Washington, DC on January 24. The new awards and dinner are
part of the larger
Autos2050<https://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=9982&qi
d=2123757>SM
event<https://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=9982&qid=21
23757>.

On October 25, 2017, the National Federation of the Blind and the Auto
Alliance hosted a first-of-its-kind
gathering<https://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=9983&qi
d=2123757> of consumers with disabilities, auto representatives,
ride-sharing providers, and policymakers. The purpose of the gathering was
to discuss the advances, challenges, and path forward for autonomous vehicle
development. It was a key step in the ongoing conversation about how
autonomous vehicles can be developed and deployed safely, while considering
the needs of the 57 million Americans with disabilities.

On January 29, 2011, President Riccobono became the first blind
individual<https://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=9984&q
id=2123757> to operate a vehicle independently. He navigated a course at
Daytona International Speedway as a demonstration of how technology can
allow the blind to drive.

?As much as I appreciate the honor of this award, its significance is
greater than recognizing the National Federation of the Blind,? President
Riccobono said. ?It is also a sign that leaders in the automobile industry
recognize the importance of incorporating the input of the blind as the next
generation of automotive technology is designed. This gives us hope that new
autonomous vehicles will provide a level of mobility and independence that
the blind have never experienced before, enhancing our ability to live the
lives we want.?

"The Autos2050 Driving Innovation Awards are designed to honor those who
have made significant contributions over the past year,? said Mitch Bainwol,
president and CEO, Auto Alliance. ?Mark and the NFB have been tireless and
effective advocates for the needs of the entire disability community in the
ongoing national debate around the development of autonomous vehicles.?

###
About the National Federation of the Blind

The National Federation of the Blind (NFB), headquartered in Baltimore, is
the oldest and largest nationwide organization of blind Americans. Founded
in 1940, the NFB consists of affiliates, chapters, and divisions in the
fifty states, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico. The NFB defends the rights of
blind people of all ages and provides information and support to families
with blind children, older Americans who are losing vision, and more. We
believe in the hopes and dreams of blind people and work together to
transform them into reality. Learn more about our many programs and
initiatives at
www.nfb.org<https://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=9985&
qid=2123757>.

CONTACT:

Chris Danielsen

Director of Public Relations

National Federation of the Blind

(410) 659-9314, extension 2330

(410) 262-1281 (Cell)

cdanielsen at nfb.org<mailto:cdanielsen at nfb.org>

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