[gui-talk] NFB on accessible money

Wed Dec 6 14:25:22 CST 2006

But, John,  if your figures are correct about the number of visually
impaired persons in the U. S. , and let's, for the sake of argument, say
that the NFB has 50,000 members, even though I think that this figure is
very much overstated, this would mean that at best, the NFB represents
somewhere between 0.5% and 2.5% of the blind and visually impaired
population.  This hardly constitutes a majority, or even a significant
minority.  How many members the ACB has is irrelevent to this
discussion, because the ACB is not implying that they speak for all
blind persons.   The truth is that the vast majority of blind persons
consider themselves to be independent thinkers and do not feel that
belonging to a membership organization of blind persons is worth their
time and money, and doesn't really matter in the greater scheme of
things.

Andy

-----Original Message-----
From: gui-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:gui-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org]
On Behalf Of John Brown
Sent: Wednesday, December 06, 2006 11:30 AM
To: NFBnet GUI Talk Mailing List
Subject: Re: [gui-talk] NFB on accessible money

I am getting a bit frustrated with people spouting off who simply don't
know what they are talking about.  The legally blind population is
approximately
2 million and the number of those who have a visual problem that affects
their daily lives is approximately ten million.  One measure of NFB ACB
representation and support is that a national NFB convention is
approximately 3 times the size of an ACB convention.  Check these facts
out for yourself if you do not believe me.  I would much rather have a
job than feelable money, wouldn't you?  Our biggest problem I think is
that too many blind folk want and expect something for nothing.  Please,
lets get back to talking about technology.
John Brown
Nashville Tennessee
----- Original Message -----
From: "Baracco, Andrew W" <Andrew.Baracco at va.gov>
To: "NFBnet GUI Talk Mailing List" <gui-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, November 30, 2006 1:57 PM
Subject: Re: [gui-talk] NFB on accessible money

> The AFB recently estimated the number of blind persons living in the
U.
> S. as 10 million.  For at least the last 30 years, the NFB has stated 
> that they have 50,000 members.  Assuming this to be true, and not an 
> overstatement, as it probably is, the NFB represents, at most, only 
> one half of one percent of the blind population.  This hardly 
> constitutes a majority, or even a significant minority.  Even if the 
> blind population was overestimated, and is more like 2 million, which 
> is also an estimate I have seen, and again assuming that 50,000 figure

> for NFB membership, this only constitutes 2.5 per cent.  Still nothing

> like a majority or significant number.  This hardly constitutes the 
> voice of the nation's blind.  And I do not think that equating the NFB

> to the government of the United States is an analogy that holds water
either.
>
> Andy
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: gui-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:gui-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org]
> On Behalf Of Seville Allen
> Sent: Thursday, November 30, 2006 11:39 AM
> To: 'NFBnet GUI Talk Mailing List'
> Subject: Re: [gui-talk] NFB on accessible money
>
> While you didn't appoint, or better possibly say you didn't elect, any

> blind organization to speak for you, you are spoken for just by the 
> fact that, collectively, blind people are heard through a choir of 
> voices or an elected representative of a blind organization speaking.

> This is the same for an American citizen who doesn't vote.  He may not

> have voted for our current American administration, but whether or not

> he did, the fact is that the "elected leadership" speaks for the whole

> organization of citizens.
> So whether or not we join a blindness organization or an American 
> political party, we will be spoken for by someone who is known as the 
> leader by the system's definition.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: gui-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:gui-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org]
> On Behalf Of Hoffman, Allen
> Sent: Thursday, November 30, 2006 10:18 AM
> To: gui-talk at nfbnet.org
> Subject: [gui-talk] NFB on accessible money
>
>>From the previous post:
> "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."
>
> I tend to generally agree with this, however, I for one never 
> appointed any organization or one "my voice", and while an 
> organization of the blind certainly has all rights to voice opinions, 
> saying that this isn't a problem for blind people is overstepping 
> their perspective.  This is just like the whole tactile tiles for 
> identifying edges, audible traffic signals, etc.  Just because some 
> don't "need" or "want" this kind of solution doesn't mean it isn't 
> "needed" or "wanted" by others.  An analysis of traffic lights to me 
> seems like if traffic signals that are observable by people are 
> important for everyone else, then people who can't see the signal 
> should have a mechanism too, or why have the signal at all?  People 
> who are blind should not be provided less as a general rule, not the 
> other way around in hopes of fostering some superman independent 
> image.  I myself am not superman, but can be pretty independent.  I 
> can live without money changes, audible traffic signals, or tactile 
> edges, however, I can live without Braille books, audio tapes, or
screen readers too but why the heck should I?
>
> I get the feeling if ACB had filed for making the sky blue that the 
> NFB would file to change it.  This kind of bickering just presents an 
> image of a bunch of people who can't ever be satisfied.
>
>
>
>
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