[blindlaw] National Federation of the BlindCommentsonFederal Court Ruling on U.S. Currency

[Steve Jacobson]

There are a number of circumstances with this issue that might make positions more complex.  However for the sake of 
my understanding, are you both saying that society, or the law, as a responsibility to eliminate any extra steps that we 
must take because of our blindness.  Please note I am not trying to pick a fight but get some rational, non-emotional 
discussion of this issue.  If that is the case, what is too small an inconvenience to be worth requesting some sort of legal 
remedy or change in society.  Clearly this issue has more importance to some than others.  For me, having identifiable 
money would be useful, but it really would not have an impact on my life.  If I were a student, more automatic provision 
of electronic texts would ave me substantial time and probably some money.  While I accept that there are other 
opinions on this subject and that we all have a different point of view, I truly do not understand elevating this issue to 
this level.  I also am troubled by the argument that we are basically owed anything that is an extra inconvenience 
because of blindness.  I do believe that some inconveniences are beneficial to us and to society to remove because the 
elimination of certain barriers allow us to contribute.  I'm also sure I'm not completely consistent, either.  <smile>

On Thu, 30 Nov 2006 18:40:47 -0600, Michael O. Hanson wrote:

>I couldn't have said it better if I tried.


>----- Original Message ----- 
>From: "Sarah Clark" <goldflash9 at sbcglobal.net>
>To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" <blindlaw at nfbnet.org>
>Sent: Thursday, November 30, 2006 5:52 PM
>Subject: Re: [blindlaw] National Federation of the BlindCommentsonFederal 
>Court Ruling on U.S. Currency


>And who would want to individually scan each bill they receive?  Sighted
>people don't do this, all it takes from them is a glance through to verify
>the bills.  And if they were told they'd have to separate and individually
>scan each bill to determine what it is, they'd say you were crazy.  Why
>should blind people need to do it?  Personally I think the fact that blind
>people are willing to accept having to do that says a lot about how deprived
>we really are.  Blind people accept conditions that no other person in any
>developed country would find acceptable, and we do it purely for the sake of
>"independence."  I'm sorry, but this level of independence I prefer to call
>"stubbornness." I was sighted up until a few years ago, so maybe that's why
>I'm not as willing to accept these ridiculous deprivations.  I won't set
>myself back for the sake of "independence."

>Sarah



>----- Original Message ----- 
>From: "albert griffith" <albertpgriffith at hotmail.com>
>To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" <blindlaw at nfbnet.org>
>Sent: Wednesday, November 29, 2006 8:39 PM
>Subject: Re: [blindlaw] National Federation of the Blind CommentsonFederal
>Court Ruling on U.S. Currency


>While we have to prioritize our demands, this one was just met by the court?
>As I've earned more money, my need to read bills has diminished in
>importance.  When I wasn't working, I could have secured jobs which required
>money accessibility.  I feel the NFB. is exhibiting some class prejudice
>when they discount the need for people to identify their own currency.  Just
>ask the next ten sighted people you meet how they'd feel tomorrow, if they
>couldn't read the bills they exchange.  Throw in that you'll provide them
>with a machine which will do the job and see if they like it any better?
>----- Original Message ----- 
>From: "Steve Jacobson" <steve.jacobson at visi.com>
>To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" <blindlaw at nfbnet.org>
>Sent: Wednesday, November 29, 2006 10:47 PM
>Subject: Re: [blindlaw] National Federation of the Blind Comments onFederal
>Court Ruling on U.S. Currency


>Where some of us come from on this issue is that after all of the money to
>change the currency is spent, how much will it
>truly change our lives?  I have to read the decision yet, but if all my
>bills were completely identifiable, it would have had
>very little effect on my life today or this week.  It has much less of an
>effect on me than does computer software that
>doesn't work right, public transportation that could be better, and many
>other things.  This does not deal with the legal
>aspect, but I feel sometimes that there is a segment of our community that
>feels anything that we don't have because
>we are blind is owed us by society.  I think we have to prioritize what we
>request from society.

>On Wed, 29 Nov 2006 18:31:37 -0500, Will Miller wrote:

>>For what it's worth coming from a blind non-NFB member, I think this is a
>>ridiculous, counterproductive, short-sighted  position for the NFB to take.
>>It frustrates me that the article says that this is coming from the "voice
>>of the blind". I haven't read, nor can I imagine, anything that would
>>remotely justify an organization that advocates for the blind taking this
>>position.

>>----- Original Message ----- 
>>From: "David Andrews" <dandrews at visi.com>
>>To: <dtb-talk at nfbnet.org>; <dandrews at visi.com>; <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>;
>><promotion-technology at nfbnet.org>; "" nabs-l"@nfbnet.org"
>><"=?iso-8859-1?Q?=A0nabs-l?="@nfbnet.org>; "" nfbcs"@nfbnet.org"
>><"=?iso-8859-1?Q?=A0nfbcs?="@nfbnet.org>; <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>;
>><nfb-announce at nfbnet.org>; "" nfbmo"@nfbnet.org"
>><"=?iso-8859-1?Q?=A0nfbmo?="@nfbnet.org>; <nfb-science at nfbnet.org>; ""
>>journalists"@nfbnet.org" <"=?iso-8859-1?Q?=A0journalists?="@nfbnet.org>;
>><gui-talk at nfbnet.org>; <blindkid at nfbnet.org>; <napub at nfbnet.org>;
>><nabop at nfbnet.org>; <blparent at nfbnet.org>; <cabs-talk at nfbnet.org>; ""
>>nfb-reno-l"@nfbnet.org" <"=?iso-8859-1?Q?=A0nfb-reno-l?="@nfbnet.org>;
>><nfb-river-city at nfbnet.org>; "" nfb-sf"@nfbnet.org"
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>>electronics-talk"@nfbnet.org"
>><"=?iso-8859-1?Q?=A0electronics-talk?="@nfbnet.org>; <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>;
>>"" tops-2005"@nfbnet.org" <"=?iso-8859-1?Q?=A0tops-2005?="@nfbnet.org>; ""
>>rocketon"@nfbnet.org" <"=?iso-8859-1?Q?=A0rocketon?="@nfbnet.org>;
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>><"=?iso-8859-1?Q?=A0cabs?="@nfbnet.org>; <colorado-talk at nfbnet.org>; ""
>>nfbaz-talk"@nfbnet.org" <"=?iso-8859-1?Q?=A0nfbaz-talk?="@nfbnet.org>;
>><mabs at nfbnet.org>; <oabs at nfbnet.org>; <greater-baltimore at nfbnet.org>; ""
>>nfbf-l"@nfbnet.org" <"=?iso-8859-1?Q?=A0nfbf-l?="@nfbnet.org>;
>><4alabama at nfbnet.org>; "" vabs"@nfbnet.org"
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>><"=?iso-8859-1?Q?=A0mn-abs?="@nfbnet.org>; <nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>; ""
>>mi-abs"@nfbnet.org" <"=?iso-8859-1?Q?=A0mi-abs?="@nfbnet.org>;
>><il-talk at nfbnet.org>; <iabs-talk at nfbnet.org>; ""
>>nebraska-students"@nfbnet.org"
>><"=?iso-8859-1?Q?=A0nebraska-students?="@nfbnet.org>; ""
>>tn-talk"@nfbnet.org" <"=?iso-8859-1?Q?=A0tn-talk?="@nfbnet.org>;
>><vendtalk at nfbnet.org>; "" nagdu"@nfbnet.org"
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>><"=?iso-8859-1?Q?=A0ag-eq?="@nfbnet.org>; <arizona-students at nfbnet.org>; ""
>>nfb-kzoo"@nfbnet.org" <"=?iso-8859-1?Q?=A0nfb-kzoo?="@nfbnet.org>; ""
>>reader-users"@nfbnet.org" <"=?iso-8859-1?Q?=A0reader-users?="@nfbnet.org>;
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>><"=?iso-8859-1?Q?=A0nfb-db?="@nfbnet.org>; <nfb-fundraising at nfbnet.org>; ""
>>faith-talk"@nfbnet.org" <"=?iso-8859-1?Q?=A0faith-talk?="@nfbnet.org>; ""
>>lions-ed"@nfbnet.org" <"=?iso-8859-1?Q?=A0lions-ed?="@nfbnet.org>;
>><nfb-lions at nfbnet.org>; "" ncme-mentoring"@nfbnet.org"
>><"=?iso-8859-1?Q?=A0ncme-mentoring?="@nfbnet.org>; ""
>>nfbwv-talk"@nfbnet.org" <"=?iso-8859-1?Q?=A0nfbwv-talk?="@nfbnet.org>;
>><blindlaw at nfbnet.org>; <nfb-editors at nfbnet.org>; "" humanser"@nfbnet.org"
>><"=?iso-8859-1?Q?=A0humanser?="@nfbnet.org>; <rehab at nfbnet.org>;
>><nfbpnotk at nfbnet.org>; "" musictlk"@nfbnet.org"
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>><"=?iso-8859-1?Q?=A0nosb?="@nfbnet.org>; <stylist at nfbnet.org>; ""
>>sportsandrec"@nfbnet.org" <"=?iso-8859-1?Q?=A0sportsandrec?="@nfbnet.org>;
>>"" nobe-l"@nfbnet.org" <"=?iso-8859-1?Q?=A0nobe-l?="@nfbnet.org>;
>><travelandtourism at nfbnet.org>; "" teachvib"@nfbnet.org"
>><"=?iso-8859-1?Q?=A0teachvib?="@nfbnet.org>; "" nfb-web"@nfbnet.org"
>><"=?iso-8859-1?Q?=A0nfb-web?="@nfbnet.org>; <ccb-alumni at nfbnet.org>; ""
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>><"=?iso-8859-1?Q?=A0nfbkpbc?="@nfbnet.org>; <nfbofncp at nfbnet.org>; ""
>>tabs"@nfbnet.org" <"=?iso-8859-1?Q?=A0tabs?="@nfbnet.org>;
>><dtb-talk at nfbnet.org>
>>Sent: Wednesday, November 29, 2006 4:53 PM
>>Subject: [blindlaw] National Federation of the Blind Comments on Federal
>>Court Ruling on U.S. Currency


>>         National Federation of the Blind Comments


>>on Federal Court Ruling on U.S. Currency




>>Views Effort as Dangerously Misguided



>>Baltimore, Maryland (November 29, 2006): The
>>National Federation of the Blind, the largest
>>organization of blind persons in America and
>>known as the voice of the nation's blind,
>>criticized as dangerously misguided a federal
>>court ruling saying that the design of U.S.
>>currency discriminates against the blind.



>>Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National
>>Federation of the Blind, said: "The blind need
>>jobs and real opportunities to earn money, not
>>feel-good gimmicks that misinform the public
>>about our capabilities.  Blind people transact
>>business with paper money every day.  This ruling
>>puts a roadblock in the way of solving the real
>>problem, which is the seventy percent
>>unemployment rate among working-age blind
>>Americans that severely limits our access to
>>cash.  The ruling will do nothing to alleviate
>>that situation; in fact, it seriously endangers
>>the ability of the blind to get jobs and
>>participate fully in society.  It argues that the
>>blind cannot handle currency or documents in the
>>workplace and that virtually everything must be
>>modified for the use of the blind.  An employer
>>who believes that every piece of printed material
>>in the workplace must be specially designed so
>>that the blind can read it will have a strong
>>incentive not to hire a blind person."



>>Maurer went on to enumerate the real needs for
>>access to information by the blind and made a
>>distinction between those needs and the issue of
>>identifying currency.  "Access to information of
>>all kinds, such as that contained on Internet Web
>>sites and in the press, is certainly critical to
>>the ability of the blind to become productive
>>members of society.  Blind students need
>>educational materials in Braille and other
>>alternative formats so that they can prepare for
>>employment and ultimately earn an income for
>>themselves and their families.  Given the urgent
>>need for access to the kind of information that
>>is required for success in America's information
>>economy, the matter of identifying the
>>denominations of paper bills is of relatively little concern."



>>Blind people traditionally identify paper
>>currency by folding bills of different
>>denominations in different ways.  "In reality,
>>blind people do not routinely find that we have
>>been short-changed," Maurer commented.  Machines
>>are readily available to identify paper money for
>>blind people who run businesses or handle large
>>amounts of cash.  "Essentially, the United States
>>Treasury has been ordered by the courts to come
>>up with a solution for a nonexistent problem," Maurer said.



>>The National Federation of the Blind believes
>>that with training and opportunity, blind people
>>can compete in the world with only minor
>>modifications.  The American Council of the
>>Blind, which brought the lawsuit against the
>>United States Treasury, promotes the view that
>>the blind are unable to compete unless the world
>>is modified dramatically and specifically for
>>blind people, and that the blind must be made
>>objects of care and pity rather than equal participants in society.



>>John G. Paré Jr.
>>Director of Public Relations
>>NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
>>1800 Johnson Street
>>Baltimore, Maryland  21230
>>Telephone:  (410) 659-9314, ext. 2371
>>Cell phone:  (410) 913-3912
>>Fax:  (410) 685-5653
>>Email:  jpare at nfb.org




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