[Quietcars] NFB article you should read.

Wed Jul 21 23:56:53 UTC 2010

I can't say that I've always yearned to drive a car. Perhaps that's more a
guy thing.
In the beginning, I wasn't sure whether creating a car blind people could
drive would be possible. Even if possible, I wasn't sure it would be worth
the effort required.
I've changed my mind since then. I believe the spin off technology from this
project will lead to some very useful developments for blind people and for
car safety as a whole. Some of those developments may lead to a genuinely
practical mobility aid to supplement the cane or guide dog. Only time will
tell.
Besides, some communities are so small that public transportation will never
be a viable option. As long as the car is king, and I genuinely wish it
weren't, getting around will be a challenge for people who don't drive. If
the technology can be produced at a price affordable for individuals, and if
laws can be changed to permit blind people to drive on public roads using
it, driving independently will help remove lack of transportation as one of
the barriers we face.
A friend of mine was born with totally nonfunctional arms. An engineer
retrofitted a car with technology that allowed her to drive using her feet
to steer. She was willing to pay several thousand dollars to get the
technology installed because it gave her much more flexibility in getting
where she wanted to go. I'd like more flexibility myself. We currently pay
portions of the cost of cars and insurance for two of our children. They're
very willing to drive for us, but they are not, and should not be, our
personal chauffeur service. They have their own work, school, and social
schedules. Even with two cars in the family, I frequently walk, take the
bus, taxis, or call a friend for a ride. No complaints, I get where I need
to go and am grateful for the many options I do have, but I would love to
have the same ability to go somewhere efficiently on the spur of the moment
as my friends and neighbors have.
If the ultimate cost of such technology could be brought within range, I
believe it would help a significant number of blind people.
Then there's the question of whether the car ought to be king. On that one,
I agree with those who say public transit is a better idea for the society
as a whole. But, when it comes to the car lovers, I'd rather beat them, but
I think our best practical option is to join them.
Thanks for posting that interesting article and for the good points you all
raised. agree this is somewhat off topic, so I apologize for continuing the
conversation thread. 

-----Original Message-----
From: quietcars-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:quietcars-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Brett Boyer
Sent: July 15, 2010 10:24 PM
To: Discussion of new quiet cars and pedestrian safety
Subject: Re: [Quietcars] NFB article you should read.

Hi. This is a great message Mike. I don't say much on here because I tend to

get myself in to trouble. But... You hit on a lot of the issues. And I agree

with you and Chuck.
thanks
bb
Brett Boyer
Production / Program Director
KZBR 97.1 FM
Alamosa Colorado
www.kzbr971.com
Morning show. Comedy Block. Rockin Hits 24 / 7
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "michael townsend" <mrtownsend at optonline.net>
To: "'Discussion of new quiet cars and pedestrian safety'" 
<quietcars at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, July 09, 2010 1:50 PM
Subject: Re: [Quietcars] NFB article you should read.

> Chuck, I don't mean to belittle any of the legislative efforts that 
> have been put forth by our house and senate, nor to demean those who 
> have worked tirelessly on crafting the hybrid legislation that is now 
> before the representative for whom we voted, however, straying away 
> from a mission on projects that will ultimately benefit a few peole 
> and probably never become
> reality for all but a minute few seems pretty wasteful in time and money, 
> as
> you've indicated.
>
> When the employment rate is about 30 percent of blind people, and the 
> transit systems, home and business designs, accessibility in the 
> workplace, on the streets and in theaters and on television haven't 
> been improved significantly, this does seem a bit far fetched.
>
> While interesting, it's not a really mind blowing event that would 
> allow
> me
> to stand up and cheer.  Having said that, however, I love cars, and have
> been around them since I was a kid.,  Driving a Ford Escape four cylinder
> automatic really doesn't send me, if you know what I mean.
>
> I am sure that students worked hard on this, and the accomplishment
> deserves
> applause and recognition.  But, I don't think that people who drive while
> blind, or DWB, are going to be a great percent of our nation's driving
> populous.
>
> I'll say no more on the project, as I've exhausted my thoughts.
>
> Thanks for writing in, chuck, and whether we agreed or not, this is a
> great
> discussion; unfortunately, not for this list, although the sponsor of the
> effort is your organization.
>
> ?this is why I thought that it was okay to post here.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: quietcars-bounces at nfbnet.org 
> [mailto:quietcars-bounces at nfbnet.org]
> On
> Behalf Of ckrugman at sbcglobal.net
> Sent: Friday, July 09, 2010 2:32 PM
> To: Discussion of new quiet cars and pedestrian safety
> Subject: Re: [Quietcars] NFB article you should read.
>
> I have to agree with you completely. Having been blind since birth I 
> think that much more emphasis could be spent on improving public 
> transit and working toward such things as personal rapid transit which 
> is being experimented with in Europe and other places. I can only 
> wonder how much money is spent on this activity that could be spent 
> more effectively with greater results. Chuck
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "michael townsend" <mrtownsend at optonline.net>
> To: <quietcars at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Friday, July 09, 2010 7:32 AM
> Subject: [Quietcars] NFB article you should read.
>
>
>>I am a car nut and have loved cars since I was a young child.  I 
>>listen to  car radio and television shows, read all I can on the net 
>>and ride in and  work on as many cars as possible, but here are my 
>>thoughts about the below  article which I have posted.  This is a 
>>great idea, however, it will  benefit  few in the long run.
>>
>> Mike T in NJ
>>
>>
>>
>> Rather than concentrating efforts on ludicrous things like driving a 
>> car, which is a one person accomplish or an accomplish which will see 
>> fw doing it, concentrate on training that will allow blind persons to 
>> function in regular atmospheres, like corporations, or to allow one 
>> to be self-employed to then lower the 70 percent jobless rate of the 
>> blind or sight impaired.
>>
>> My thoughts, solely.
>> Below is an article that a TSE handler posted to another list. What 
>> do you think.
>>
>> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
>> 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%40nfb.org> 
>> <mailto:cdanielsen%40nfb.org> National Federation of the Blind to 
>> Debut Car That Can Be Driven Independently by the Blind at Rolex 24 
>> NFB, Virginia Tech, and Grand-Am Form Historic Partnership to Advance 
>> Innovative Technology Daytona Beach, Florida (July 2, 2010): The 
>> National Federation of the Blind
>> (NFB)
>> and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, College of 
>> Engineering (Virginia
>> Tech) announced today that they have partnered to demonstrate the 
>> first street vehicle equipped with technology allowing a blind person 
>> to drive independently. The vehicle
>> is scheduled to be demonstrated to the public as part of the pre-race
>> activities at the 2011 Rolex 24 At Daytona. The Ford Escape, equipped
>> with nonvisual interface technology, will be driven by a blind
>> individual who will navigate part of the famed Daytona International
>> Speedway course on January 29, 2011.
>> Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said:
>> "The National
>> Federation of the Blind is dedicated to the development of innovative
>> technology to improve the lives of blind Americans, and Virginia Tech
>> has accepted our challenge to apply nonvisual interfaces to the task
>> of driving, which has always been wrongly considered impossible for
>> blind people. But we are not trying to build a technology alone. We
>> are trying to build a technology that can be combined with an
>> intellect to do things that neither could do alone. We are pleased to
>> have the opportunity to demonstrate the fruits of our efforts before
>> the automobile enthusiasts and racing fans at the Rolex 24 At Daytona.
>> This demonstration will break down the wall of stereotypes and
>> misconceptions that prevent our full integration into society by
>> showing the public that the blind have the same capacities as everyone
>> else.
>> Our
>> only challenge is access to the information we need."
>> Dr. Dennis Hong, Director of the Robotics and Mechanisms Laboratory at
>> Virginia Tech,
>> said: "Three years ago we accepted the NFB Blind Driver Challenge to
>> develop a vehicle that can be driven by a blind person. The challenge
>> was not the development of an autonomous vehicle that could drive a
>> blind person around, but rather the creation of nonvisual interfaces
>> that would allow a blind person to actually make driving decisions.
>> The first-generation prototype was demonstrated with a modified dune
>> buggy at the NFB Youth Slam in the summer of 2009. We are pleased to
>> work with NFB and Grand-Am to demonstrate the second-generation
>> prototype at the Rolex 24 festivities."
>> "GRAND-AM is honored to lend its support to this intriguing-and
>> inspirational-project,"
>> said GRAND-AM Spokesman Herb Branham. "The Rolex 24 At Daytona is a
>> showcase for the latest automobile technology, making this race an
>> appropriate backdrop for the first public demonstration of a car that
>> can be driven by the blind."
>> The NFB Jernigan Institute-the only research and training facility on
>> blindness operated by the blind-has challenged universities,
>> technology developers, and other interested innovators to establish
>> NFB Blind Driver Challenge (BDC) teams, in collaboration with the NFB,
>> to build interface technologies that will empower blind people to drive a
> car independently.
>> The purpose of the NFB Blind Driver Challenge is to stimulate the 
>> development of nonvisual interface technology. Undergraduate students 
>> at Virginia Tech's College of Engineering, under the direction of 
>> Professor Dennis Hong, have been actively working with the NFB on the
> challenge.
>> During the summer of
>> 2009 the
>> Virginia Tech BDC team worked with blind students in the NFB Youth 
>> Slam on the first-generation prototype of a blind-drivable vehicle, 
>> and many of the NFB students had the opportunity to drive using the 
>> first generation of the nonvisual interface. Dr. Hong and his 
>> students are currently working with the NFB on the second-generation 
>> prototype vehicle, which will integrate new and improved versions of 
>> the first-generation nonvisual interface technologies into a Ford 
>> Escape. For more information about the NFB, please visit www.nfb.org 
>> . For our digital news release about the Blind Driver Challenge and 
>> the planned debut of the BDC car at the Rolex 24, including audio and 
>> video clips for television and radio, please visit 
>> www.DigitalNewsRelease.com/?q=NFB_CarKit
>> .
>> ###
>> About the National Federation of the Blind With more than 50,000 
>> members, the National Federation of the Blind is the largest and most 
>> influential membership organization of blind people in the United 
>> States. The NFB improves blind people's lives through advocacy, 
>> education, research, technology, and programs encouraging 
>> independence and self-confidence. It is the leading force in the 
>> blindness field today and the voice of the nation's blind. In January 
>> 2004 the NFB opened the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan 
>> Institute, the first research and training center in the United 
>> States for the blind led by the blind. C2010 All Rights Reserved - 
>> Copyright 2010 NFB Site Powered by xCatalyst
>>
>> "I am accustomed to hearing malicious falsehoods about myself...but I 
>> think I have a right to resent, to object to, libelous statements 
>> about my dog." -Franklin D. Roosevelt
>> Mike Townsend and Seeing Eye dog Brent Dunellen, New Jersey 08812
>> emails: mrtownsend at optonline.net <mailto:mrtownsend%40optonline.net>
>> <mailto:mrtownsend%40optonline.net> ; michael.townsend54 at gmail.com
>> <mailto:michael.townsend54%40gmail.com>
>> <mailto:michael.townsend54%40gmail.com>
>> Home Phone: 732 200-5643
>> Cellular: 732 718-9480
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Quietcars mailing list
>> Quietcars at nfbnet.org 
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/quietcars_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> Quietcars: 
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/quietcars_nfbnet.org/ckrugman%4
>> 0
>> sbcglobal.net
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Quietcars mailing list
> Quietcars at nfbnet.org 
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/quietcars_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> Quietcars: 
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/quietcars_nfbnet.org/mrtownsend%
> 40opto
> nline.net
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Quietcars mailing list
> Quietcars at nfbnet.org 
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/quietcars_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> Quietcars:
>
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/quietcars_nfbnet.org/bboyer202%40gmail
.com
> 

_______________________________________________
Quietcars mailing list
Quietcars at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/quietcars_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
Quietcars:
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/quietcars_nfbnet.org/gabias%40telus.ne
t