[nfb-talk] Open Letter to Marc Maurer

[Steve Jacobson]

Robin,

While I respect the fact that people will have different viewpoints, I think it is important that we understand as much as 
we can about the facts.  Several of your comments address points I have tried to raise, or at least meant to raise.

First, I am not aware of anybody saying that we don't need accommodations.  Of course we do.  I do not think that 
anyone has even said here that identifiable currency would be of no help.  

What I have said, and others have also said, is that making money identifiable would not have a major impact on our 
lives.  For me, it would have nowhere the impact on me as does a screen reader, or the ability to read materials.  In 
short, the issue is that because something might help does not automatically mean it is worth the cost of achieving.  I 
would even go so far as to say that the relative importance or value of identifiable currency has not even been 
discussed by those favoring it.  The only argument I seem to read is that "I shouldn't have to depend upon someone to 
identify my money."  What I think many of us are trying to say is that we can't evaluate something we request simply as a 
yes or no question, yes it helps, no it doesn't.  We have to look at its relative importance.  We may well disagree just as 
much on the importance of identifiable currency, but at least we would then be arguing the relevant question.

Regarding lawsuits such as AOL, some people do not realize that often the situation is not simply one of moving forward.  
Often there are gains in winning and backward steps when loosing.  In some cases, to attempt to win a suit and to lose 
results in a negative precedence being set.  When settling a legal action without a win, many issues have to be 
considered.  Are we gaining what we set out to gain by settling?  Would what we win gain s more?  What is the liklihood 
of a clear win.  What would the effects be of loosing.  Believing one's position is right is not enough.  Sometime settling 
without a legal decision is the best course, as it was felt with AOL.  

I would personally like to see less "bad blood" between the NFB and the ACB.  That would be better for all of us.  
However, the same can be said about Republicans and Democrats.  This is not to say that efforts shouldn't be made, 
and frankly, there is more cooperation among various factions now than there was thirty years ago.  But there also has 
to be some recognition that there are some honest differences that are going to be evident sometimes.  The idea that 
we should or should not take into account what the public thinks of a given request is, for example, a pretty major 
difference and plays a significant role in how one decides which issues to pursue.  Being concerned with the impact of 
what we expect of society is a good deal different than trying to be the perfect blind person.  I believe, for example, that 
it is not responsible for us to ask society to spend a few thousand dollars per intersection to simply satisfy someone's 
notion that since the public can see a light we need to hear it when there are other reliable means available.  This 
position recognizes that there are intersections where an accessible signal may be justified.  We are also trying to 
address the problem of quiet cars and just held a conference on that subject.

Being aware of the fact that each of us plays a role in representing the entire group seems to me to be a matter of fact, 
not opinion.  Each of us has to determine how we deal with that, but I don't think it makes sense to pretend that it 
doesn't exist, or to be saddened by people who attempt not to reflect badly on you through their actions.  This does not 
mean that one has to be perfect as you imply, though.  It means that one simply does the best one can do, and this will 
be different for each of us.  However, by encouraging one another to be independent and to do more, we achieve more 
than we would have achieved without encouragement and expectations, which to me is a worthy objective.

On Sun, 3 Dec 2006 23:17:19 -0600, MARSHA R WALLEN wrote:

>David I have been in both NFB and ACB and I have made my choice becuase
>of those philosphies you speak of.  I however think both organizations
>have good an bad points.   NFB is certainly stronger in its convictions
>and  more willing to take on controversy than ACB is no matter how
>misguided they may be.   ACB tends to stand back and I for one am happy
>to see ACB take a stand on this issue.  It is a welcome stand from
>sitting back and letting the world pass us by.  NFB has been very good in
>getting some positive legislation passed but over the years is becoming
>more of a money making organization.  This bothers me.  I was equal
>disturbed when NFB so quickly dropped the AOL lawsuit and with NFBs
>partnerships with private industrie for new devices in order to make a
>profit.  If you say we do not need accomodations then franks do we need
>the KNFB reader?  After all a lot of material is available on the web and
>we have screen readers.  Do we need screen readers will training alone
>make us able to compete?  Ok I am going overboard but you get the gist.  

>as for ths APS signal who knows maybe the tone or announcement made a
>difference in the case but do we know for sure.  You say you can listen
>for traffic patterns but surely you have noticed cars are quieter and
>quieter.  Trust me I have friends who have cars you would never hear. 
>APS signals are not a replacement for good mobility skills but just add
>information the same information that is accessable to our sighted peers.

>I do not think ACB thinks we have to have the world fully accomodated in
>order to function on an equal footing but we do believe that these
>accomodations can make us more independant and help us to function even
>better.  Some of us may need them more than others.

>Your posts saddens me in that you are so concerned about how the sighted
>world sees you.  How sad to be so miserable that you feel you have to be
>perfect every moment in order not to reflect badly on the blindness
>community.  Have you ever met a perfect sighted person who never makes a
>mistake?  There are no perfect blind people nor any perfect sighted
>people.  I am not putting you down I feel truly saddened by anyone who is
>so concerned they must be a perfect example of blindness it is a heavy
>cross to bear and one that will over time wear you down.

>I remember in my younger days feeling so volunerable and so deteremined
>to show the world I could be just like everyone else and I remember
>worrying about what everyone was thinking but then I had a revalation and
>realized that the majority of the sighted world are far less concerned
>about how I do things than I was.  They simply have more things to do in
>their lives that are far more important then worrying about that poor
>pitiful blind girl.  As for the people who commented on blind money this
>is a sign of ignorance on that persons part.  Anyone who would even make
>those comments is obviously rude and ignorant in the first place.

>You were luck this time with your money but it does not always happen
>that way.  However when you first got that $20 bill did it tell you what
>it was so you could fold it or did you depend on the bank teller or a
>note identifier?

>I am an ACB member and proud of it and have been ever since I left NFB. 
>I still have friends in NFB and we agree to disagree on some issues but I
>believe both groups have good points.  I am an ACB member who works in a
>mainstream job and with only sighted coworkers yet they do not pity me or
>look down on me.  I use my software and I compete on the same level.  I
>took Call A Ride to work for years until a coworker and I got the same
>shift.  I have APS signals in my area I fought for and I am glad they are
>here although they do not replace my mobility skills but give me the same
>information as the sighted world has.  I believe education and employment
>are top priorities for both groups but I believe that accessable money
>may just help make us more employable.  The cost of changing vending and
>change machines is not a big deal they have been changed a lot in the
>last few years with all the new bills so the blindness issue wont enhance
>the cost any more.

>These are just my views an feel free to have your own.

>Robyn
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