[Sportsandrec] No AdapTap System Necessary

Fri Aug 10 17:36:47 UTC 2012

Good afternoon, Peter,

I do actually agree with you that most things are overly adapted, and
I agree with Joe that this is often explicitly counter intuitive. I
don't play any blindness sports, my martial arts are all entirely
non-accommodated, and my idea of making something accessible is by
putting, at most, a plastic bag over a soccer ball. My teammates are
nearly exclusively sighted, and the only time they're not is when I'm
either working with my students or my colleagues on something new.

However, I also see the usefulness in at least the short term,
especially for competitive situations. I find probably 98% of sighted
guide impressively unnecessary, but I use it sometimes. I won't take
sighted guide in an airport, but might in a loud movie theater, etc.
If I'm working with a student and I need to teach them a particular
kind of gate depending on the terrain, I might have them take my arm
so that I can show them my footwork. This isn't inherently different.
Swimming isn't a make it or break it skill, and if people want adapt
taps, who am I to tell them they shouldn't have them? I don't like
most blindness accommodations in sports, so I choose not to use them.
I don't see that they shouldn't use them merely because I don't. I
would find myself didactic for telling them so.

On the other hand, I maintain that I explore the possible categorical
imperative here as it's offered. If it doesn't do to over supply
accommodations in sports, we need to be looking at every single other
way in which we over accommodate, and make personal choices to not
accept that over accommodation. Like in many sighted guide situations,
if one chooses to believe a lot of sighted guide to be unnecessary.

If, however, we believe over accommodating something to be a
situational imperative, we can deffinitionally only make personal
choices to not commit ourselves to those things.

I enjoy the openness of this, and thank you for letting me put forth
my thoughts,
Justin

On 8/10/12, Justin.Williams2 <justin.williams2 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Yeah, just find a message what works for you.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: sportsandrec-bounces at nfbnet.org
> [mailto:sportsandrec-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Mike
> Sent: Friday, August 10, 2012 12:53 PM
> To: Sports and Recreation for the Blind Discussion List
> Subject: Re: [Sportsandrec] No AdapTap System Necessary
>
> Hi Peter,
> Yes I've been doing what you described all my life, which is why I realized
> that I needed something to tell me I am going straight so that I can
> actually go fast and count laps rather than strokes or jammed fingers.
> Mike S
>
> On 8/9/2012 7:06 PM, Peter Donahue wrote:
>> Hello Ashley and everyone,
>>
>>      Did you try what I described in my last message? If not please do
>> so and use what' works best for you.
>>
>> Peter Donahue
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Ashley Bramlett" <bookwormahb at earthlink.net>
>> To: "Sports and Recreation for the Blind Discussion List"
>> <sportsandrec at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Thursday, August 09, 2012 9:01 PM
>> Subject: Re: [Sportsandrec] No AdapTap System Necessary
>>
>>
>> Hi,
>> good for you. But some swimmers, particularly fast ones, may find such
>> a system useful.
>> There was a need for it, otherwise blind people wouldn't have tested
>> and wanted its invention.
>> If you don't need it, then just don't use it.
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Peter Donahue
>> Sent: Thursday, August 09, 2012 9:45 PM
>> To: Sports and Recreation for the Blind Discussion List
>> Subject: [Sportsandrec] No AdapTap System Necessary
>>
>> Good evening everyone,
>>
>>      When I was in school in the early 1970s ropes to separate the
>> lanes were strung from one end of the pool to the other. There were
>> also black strips on the bottom of the pool running the length of the
>> lane swimmers with low vision could use to keep themselves straight in
>> addition to the ropes. If someone swam their stroke correctly their
>> hands or feet would contact the wall to let you know that your event
>> was over or to turn around and swim another lap.
>>
>>      Long before this new-fangled technology to "Help the blind swim
>> straight and safely was ever invented there were blind persons doing
>> it successfully for many years. We participated in a number of swim
>> meets with blind and sighted swimmers and performed on equal terms.
>> And no. They didn't have ambulances lined up to take the blind
>> swimmers that fractured their skulls after hitting the wall with their
>> heads to the emergency room. None of this ever happened and I
>> participated in many swimming events while in school. It was a wet and
> wild time for all.
>>
>> Peter Donahue
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Lori" <Lori at asmodean.net>
>> To: "Sports and Recreation for the Blind Discussion List"
>> <sportsandrec at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Thursday, August 09, 2012 8:27 PM
>> Subject: Re: [Sportsandrec] adap tap system
>>
>>
>> Mike, I participated in the development and definitely liked having
>> more of the shorter rods placed through out the lane. Of course it was
>> my goal to learn how to swim straighter, but having the additional
>> rods made it so easy to make micro adjustments which kept me out of
>> the ropes and then I could focus on technique, etc. Some folks have
>> talked about the fasteners popping off the lanes and floating away and
>> I believe some people have bungied them to the lane so they don't
>> float off. Despite some challenges with issues like that, I found it
>> to be definitely worth it for me and my goals. Is it the solution for
>> everyone, perhaps not, but it does have value and sure beats having to
>> rely on a human tapper or deal with backing off at the end to
>> eliminate hitting the wall too hard. It possibly makes swimming one of
>> the
> easiest sports for blind people to train in.
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Mike" <underthetoaster at gmail.com>
>> To: "Sports and Recreation for the Blind Discussion List"
>> <sportsandrec at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Thursday, August 09, 2012 5:56 PM
>> Subject: [Sportsandrec] adap tap system
>>
>>
>>> Hi Guys,
>>> Does anyone else on here use the AdapTap thingies for swimming? I
>>> just got some to put at either end of the pool lanes and they are
>>> great but I think I need to get some more to put along the lane to
>>> keep me straight since I still crash into the lane separators. But I
>>> am looking forward to swim without being hesitant about hitting the end.
> And so far it is working.
>>> Thanks for any opinions on this device, Mike S
>>>
>>>
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>>
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-- 
Justin Louchart
JALOUCHART at GMAIL.COM

Inveniam Viam Aut Faciam