[nfbcs] The Future of Technology: A Journey
Jack Heim
john at johnheim.com
Mon Aug 13 17:49:01 UTC 2018
I gave one answer that focused on ethics but I thought I'd give one that
focuses on specific practical matters.
1. Get involved. I helped to start a group called The International
Association Of Visually Impaired Technologists. See www.iavit.org. But
you can also get involved in your local NFB chapter or in a mentoring
program.
2. Don't skip the small stuff. SEnd that $30 to support nvda
development. Vote for candidates who are strong on disability rights.
3. Contribute to open source projects. Even if you can't code,
practically every open source project is short on people who can write
documentation. And that mostly just takes hard wrok.
4. Don't be a snob. This somewhat overlaps the point of my other
message. Far too many successful nerds think they are God's gift to
humanity. Did you earn that high IQ? Did you pick your parents? If you
are smart and tough somebody helped you get that way. Take pride in how
you are, but don't look down upon people who didn't have your advantages.
On 08/12/2018 08:36 PM, Andy Borka via nfbcs wrote:
> Hi Jack,
>
> Where do you believe advocates and blind people need to focus their
> attention in order to solve this problem?
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nfbcs <nfbcs-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Jack Heim via nfbcs
> Sent: Sunday, August 12, 2018 8:39 PM
> To: NFB in Computer Science Mailing List <nfbcs at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Jack Heim <john at johnheim.com>
> Subject: Re: [nfbcs] The Future of Technology: A Journey
>
> Kevin, I'd like to know what your experience has been in the blind
> community. Because the more work I do, the less I think focusing on the man
> in the mirror is a meaningful message. In my experience, most blind people
> are already highly motivated. In fact, I'd say mostpeople who are not
> disabled have no idea how motivated the average disabled person is.
> I've seen examples of strength that would make a lot of guys in special
> forces blanche. For example, the last time I was at the guide dog school
> there was a woman there getting a dog. She was about 30 and she had multiple
> Sclerosis. Every morning, we would be at breakfast and she would be bubbling
> on about how excited she was about that day's training. We were going to do
> crowds, escalators, whatever. And every day, she would get off the bus,
> tears running down her cheeks because she hadn't done half of what she had
> planned and was totally eshausted.
> MS is a fi'in mean disease. But then the next morning, she would be right
> back at it. She would be sitting there all excited about that day's
> training.
>
> I've seen people get knocked down dozens of times and get right back up and
> just try harder. You get a rejection letter after a job interview
> -- their loss. From what I see, I just don't know where the strength comes
> from.
>
>
> It's all good to tell people to look at the man in the mirror but I gotta
> say, for most blind people, I think they could do that with pride.
>
>
>
>
>
> On 08/12/2018 11:54 AM, Kevin via nfbcs wrote:
> > It is not so broken that we get nowhere. It seems that you take a dim
> > view indeed. The system needs work but why not rise abuv it? Do you
> > feel it's hopeless to do so?
> >
> >
> >
> > On 8/12/2018 12:50 PM, Andy Borka via nfbcs wrote:
> >> The point is people will not get anywhere if the legal system is
> >> broken and discrimination is allowed to continue. Motivate all the
> >> blind people in the world to work and it will mostly fail if the
> >> broken system of rules and regulations + the wall of discrimination
> >> continues.
> >>
> >>
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: nfbcs <nfbcs-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Kevin via nfbcs
> >> Sent: Sunday, August 12, 2018 12:43 PM
> >> To: nfbcs at nfbnet.org
> >> Cc: Kevin <kevinsisco61784 at gmail.com>
> >> Subject: Re: [nfbcs] The Future of Technology: A Journey
> >>
> >> That is only one half of the equation. We must drive one another on.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> On 8/12/2018 12:37 PM, Andy Borka via nfbcs wrote:
> >>> No offense taken. However, with a broken system known as the ADA
> >>> (2008), the problem needs a more direct approach such as lobbying or
> >>> new/revised legislation.
> >>>
> >>> -----Original Message-----
> >>> From: nfbcs <nfbcs-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Kevin via nfbcs
> >>> Sent: Saturday, August 11, 2018 6:20 PM
> >>> To: nfbcs at nfbnet.org
> >>> Cc: Kevin <kevinsisco61784 at gmail.com>
> >>> Subject: Re: [nfbcs] The Future of Technology: A Journey
> >>>
> >>> I agree and I meant no offense by this. I was operating under the
> >>> theory that if we can empower the blind to get involved, we can in
> >>> turn empower the sighted to at least take some baby steps towards
> >>> hiring the blind.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> On 8/11/2018 5:42 PM, Andy Borka via nfbcs wrote:
> >>>> We don't need to convince blind people to get out and work. We need
> >>>> to convince employers to hire qualified blind people to do the work.
> >>>> More people are denied work because of disability, age, and other
> >>>> protected classes set out by the ADA and EEOC. With a blog to
> >>>> convince blind people to get out and contribute, more employers
> >>>> might think we are lazy and can't do much. Besides, performing
> >>>> research doesn't pay the bills.
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> -----Original Message-----
> >>>> From: nfbcs <nfbcs-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Kevin via nfbcs
> >>>> Sent: Saturday, August 11, 2018 1:55 PM
> >>>> To: 'NFB in Computer Science Mailing List' <nfbcs at nfbnet.org>
> >>>> Cc: Kevin <kevinsisco61784 at gmail.com>
> >>>> Subject: [nfbcs] The Future of Technology: A Journey
> >>>>
> >>>> I post this in the hopes that it inspires blind computer scientists
> >>>> to help the field as a whole advance. Let's Encourage blind
> >>>> researchers to get out there! I have created a blog of essays,
> >>>> algorithms, and anything related to computer science. The goal is
> >>>> to show the world that blind people can have a voice in computer
> >>>> science. The link is:
> >>>>
> >>>> http://tfotaj.blogspot.com
> >>>>
> >>>> Enjoy! P.S. contributors are welcome.
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> ---
> >>>> This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
> >>>> https://www.avast.com/antivirus
> >>>>
> >>>>
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> >>>
> >>
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> >>
> >
> >
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