[Mt-blind] What's More Important, Safety or Freedom?
James Aldrich
jkaldrich at qwest.net
Thu Apr 24 18:32:35 CDT 2008
Hello Jerry and list,
Yes! This is indeed a good bit of information but it only tells part of the
story! Do you by chance remember our discussion about the early days when
we the blind began to organize? Part of the problems we faced involved our
ability to travel independently without being unnecessarily restricted. In
those early days, one could not take their guide dogs into public places as
it can be done today! If dogs weren't allowed in various places normally,
they wouldn't be allowed in a restaurant as an example since dogs normally
aren't allowed in restaurants! So, the person with a dog usually had to
leave thus his or her right to travel with that dog was restricted! This
was also true with most public accommodations. Many blind persons in that
day were denied train or bus tickets if they didn't have a sighted person
traveling with them! If someone were injured or killed while crossing a
street or highway, the blind person in question was considered at fault for
simply attempting to cross the street or highway! I would say this is one
of the founding cornerstone issues which led to the organizing and formation
of the National Federation Of the Blind and the writing of the white cane
laws which evolved from the efforts of the Federation with its state
affiliates. These are the laws which are in place today! One of these is
our Montana White Cane Law! Dr. Jacobus TenBroek, the first President of
the NFB, wrote a Model White Cane bill in the late fifties, early sixties,
perhaps later! This model bill was used in many states for drafting
suitable White Cane Laws in each state! Many of the provisions written in
that model bill are in place in our own Montana White Cane Law! I
personally feel this writing is as fresh and pertinent today as it was
during the time it was written!
I wouldn't be surprised if it was referenced for much of the disability
legislation which is now on the books today! It truly is a Historical
Document for the NFB in my judgment! You can read it for yourself by going
to:
http://www.nfb.org/nfb/model_white_cane_bill.asp?SnID=4
There are at least two hundred or more references to this topic on NFB.org.
I think I'll always remember this as if it happened yesterday! I hadn't
thought of this for some while! I was sitting in for Delos Kelly who was
District Four Representative at that time. District Four included Billings,
Livingston and Bozeman. Mr. Kelly couldn't attend the meeting so he had
me attend in his place. This particular meeting was in Lewistown at the
Yogo Inn. Strangely enough, one of the agenda items to be discussed at
this particular board meeting was the need to rewrite the Montana White Cane
Law! Some questioned the need to do so! John Ford was President of the MAB
at this time! He and his wife Susan felt our law should be modeled after
the Model White Cane Bill I referenced earlier. I for one thought there
would be a stormy session about this with much debate and there would be
much electricity in the air about it! Yes! I thought it was going to
really be a hot button issue! Well! a strange thing happened! This of
course never would happen in Montana according to some people who were at
the meeting! How interesting some things are truly evident at the time of
consideration. We were about to have lunch in their restaurant! For
whatever reason, board member Manetta Tompkins was late! I hope I
remembered her name correctly! We decided to investigate! It turned out
the restaurant said she couldn't have her guide dog with her in their
restaurant! What to do? Bob Massie, who was a municipal judge in Lewistown
at that time and volunteered a great deal for the White Cane Chapter phoned
the sanitation Department and they in turn phoned the restaurant to say it
was okay for Manetta to have her dog in their restaurant! During the rest
of our time there, staff at the restaurant would slam bowls and plates as
well as silverware down! They were truly disgusted with the outcome of
events! One could easily tell by their manner they weren't pleased! Yes!
The entire MAB Board Of Directors at that time witnessed this as it
happened! We would say today this was a no brainer! We knew what we had to
do! After lunch, we went back into session, formed a committee which
helped draft what we now know as the Montana White Cane Law which used many
of the provisions of Doctor TenBroek's Model White Cane Bill.
----- I would say Freedom, Safety and Civil Rights go hand in hand! If we
didn't have the right to travel as we please, there wouldn't be the need to
concern ourselves with safety! Our freedom to travel and having safe travel
go hand in hand along with our right to travel! All of these are equally
important!
Thanks Jim for bringing this up! I'm pleased I could again tell this as I
personally witnessed it! Perhaps someone could go through back issues of
our Observer to double check names but I think I remembered these events
quite well!
Jim Aldrich
Original Message -----
From: "Jerry Hutch" <modrepro at mt.net>
To: <blind.grizzly at gmail.com>; "Montana Association for the Blind List"
<mt-blind at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, April 24, 2008 8:09 AM
Subject: Re: [Mt-blind] What's More Important, Safety or Freedom?
Throughout history, the cane, staff, and stick have existed as traveling
aids for the blind and visually impaired. Dating back to biblical times
records show that a shepherd's staff was used as a tool for solitary
travel. The blind used such tools to alert them to obstacles in their path.
For centuries, the "cane" was used merely as a tool for travel and it
was not until the twentieth century that the cane, as we know it today,
was promoted for use by the blind as a symbol to alert others to the
fact that an individual was blind.
This new role for the white cane had its origins in the decades between
the two World Wars, beginning in Europe and then spreading to North
America. James Biggs of Bristol, England, claimed to have invented the
white cane in 1921. After an accident claimed his sight, the artist had
to readjust to his environment. Feeling threatened by increased motor
vehicle traffic around his home, Biggs decided to paint his walking
stick white to make himself more visible to motorists.
Also in 1931, in France, Guilly d’Herbemont recognized the danger of
blind people in traffic and launched a national “white stick movement”
for blind people. She donated 5,000 white canes to people in Paris.
In the United States, the introduction of the White Cane is attributed
to Lion George A. Bonham (Peoria Lions Club). In 1930, he observed a
man who was blind attempting to cross the street with a black cane that
was barely visible to motorists against the dark pavement. The Lion
offered to paint the cane white to make it more visible. By 1931, the
Peoria Lions Club approved the project and white canes were made and
distributed. The Peoria City Council adopted an ordinance giving the
bearers the right-of-way to cross the street. The news of the club’s
activity spread to other Lions Clubs, and the white cane became known by
the blind and sighted alike as a means of identifying the safe mobility
needs of the visually impaired. In 1931, Lions Clubs International
began a program promoting the use of White Canes for people who are blind.
In the United States, laws vary from state to state, but in all cases,
those carrying white canes are afforded the right of way when crossing a
road and when in a public place
For further information about white can and O&M;
http://www.aerbvi.org/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=44
<http://www.aerbvi.org/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=44>
Now, Jim, please explain to me and to the list, just how the white cane
is a matter of civil rights and not about safety. The beginning history
of the white cane in Europe and the United States did not start and
never was a civil rights issue, it started about safety. And it
continues to be about safety! Safety for the blind or low vision
individual who has the right to use the sidewalks and to cross
roadways. Every state in the United States mandates that drivers, all
drivers, are to yield to persons carrying a white cane and to all
pedestrians who wish to cross a street or roadway. Check the law!
The problem is that we make the laws but we can not get drivers to be
courteous, attentive drivers who will take the time and yield to those
pedestrians who by law have the right of way. Drivers continue to kill
and injure pedestrians around the state and throughout the country
because the drivers are not obeying the law. And the laws are not being
enforced!
And by the way, this issue is not just about the blind and those with
low vision, it is a matter of safety for all pedestrians, sighted or
vision impaired, young and old alike.
Only by strong and active enforcement of the laws that are currently on
the books against poor judgment in driving practices by those who have
no respect for others and do not pay attention to situations around them
while they drive, can we who use white canes feel safe when we travel.
Again, how is this a civil rights issue?
Jerry Hutch
Jim Marks wrote:
>Things have been slow on the list, so I thought I would bring up a topic
>from last fall's MAB Convention. During the Chapter President's meeting,
>we
>discussed chapter projects that promote safety for blind Montanans. At
>least part of the discussion focused on white cane laws. Jerry Hutch told
>us about the Helena Chapter's efforts on improving safety. I tried to
>correct Jerry's misunderstanding about white cane laws. He said he thinks
>of the laws as primarily safety laws. Actually, white cane laws did not
>come about due to safety. On the contrary, they were civil rights oriented
>laws that did away with a major prejudice. Before white cane laws, society
>assumed that accidents involving blind pedestrians and vehicles were caused
>by the blind person. Most people believed that blind people could not
>function, and so they had to be at fault in pedestrian-vehicle accidents.
>White cane laws forced a change in this thinking. These civil rights laws
>put blind people on equal footing with the sighted so that authorities
>would
>look at accidents involving blind pedestrians and vehicles on a factual
>rather than a prejudicial level. In other words, sometimes an accident may
>be the blind person's fault. Sometimes it's the driver's fault.
>
>I believe there is a very real danger in getting overzealous about safety.
>If we go too far, we need up taking away freedoms. Safety is very, very
>important. It starts with personal responsibility, uses lots of common
>sense, and holds all parties accountable. Safety should never, never rob
>people of their freedoms, though. If we go safety goofy about white cane
>laws and such, we put blind people in a dependent role. We could expect
>society to watch out for us so much that we end up bringing back to life
>the
>very prejudices that brought about white cane laws. All that's necessary
>is
>to strike a balance. Blind people should not expect others to watch out
>for
>us. We should watch out for ourselves. At the same time, we should expect
>others to hold up their end of the bargain. Negligence should not be
>tolerated no matter whether it comes from a vehicle driver or a blind
>pedestrian.
>
>I mention all this because the MAB really needs to watch out for extremist
>approaches to safety issues.
>
>What do you think?
>
>
>
>
>-------
>Jim Marks
>blind.grizzly at gmail.com
>
>
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>
>
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