[nfb-talk] The JFK Battleship Incident

Thu Mar 8 06:32:12 CST 2007

As I said before, wheelchairs should have more trouble getting around
holes and the like.  We have our canes.  How do they think we find
stairs.  It is not to often that you hear of a blind person falling down
a flight of stairs.  It happens more with the elderly.  So as I said
before, why should the less able go on when the more moble are
uncualified to go on.  
This is discrimination.  If a wheelchair person feals he can handle the
craft, he should be allowed on and the same is true for all other
handicapps.  We all know what our abilities are.  
Ex.  I have epelepsi so I know it is not healthy for me to go on things
like roler coasters.

Terry Powers

-----Original Message-----
From: T. Joseph Carter [mailto:tjcarter at bluecherry.net] 
Sent: Wednesday, March 07, 2007 6:32 PM
To: NFB Talk Mailing List
Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] The JFK Battleship Incident

I think the biggest concern they're going to have is that we'll wang our
heads on some pipes or bulkhead openings or something.  Or maybe they
figure something might be open and we'd fall into it--though this latter
point is trivially disprovable.  The former does seem to be a problem
for
those whose travel training isn't the best (but also for sighted people
who just aren't paying attention.)

Proving that we can find low-hanging pipes and the like before we run
into
them might dispel some of the legitimate concerns, but having to prove
this same issue again and again just in my own life has grown tedious.

On Tue, Mar 06, 2007 at 03:15:49PM -0500, Powers, Terry (NIH/OD/DEAS)
[E] wrote:
> I was afraid of that.  When we were in Louisville 2 years ago, we went
> on a river boat.  If the blind can navigate a river boat, why can't
they
> navigat a Navy ship.  I was on that river boat and got attact by
> insects.  I wonder what they would say to that question, accept that
the
> river boat is smaller.  They have no other way to defend themselves.
> The blind are more capable of getting around opsticles on a boat than
a
> person in a wheel chair, and they exclude the more able!
> Terry Powers
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: kaye zimpher [mailto:kayezimpher at bellsouth.net] 
> Sent: Tuesday, March 06, 2007 3:07 PM
> To: NFB Talk Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] The JFK Battleship Incident
> 
> That would be neat although Atlanta is about 4 and half hours from the
> water 
> depending on who is driving. The closest water that is not man made is
> the 
> coastline of Savannah.
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Powers, Terry (NIH/OD/DEAS) [E]" <powerst at dcpcepn.nci.nih.gov>
> To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, March 06, 2007 2:07 PM
> Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] The JFK Battleship Incident
> 
> 
> > This may sound kind of crazy, but how close is Atlanta to the water.
> If
> > it is close, we could schedule a tour of a Navy boat and prove that
we
> > are capable blind people and are equal.
> > Just a thought.
> > Terry Powers
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Brian Miller [mailto:brian-r-miller at uiowa.edu]
> > Sent: Tuesday, March 06, 2007 1:46 PM
> > To: NFB Talk Mailing List; Beth Wright
> > Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] The JFK Battleship Incident
> >
> > This incident is definitely frustrating and disturbing, though not
> > surprising in the least.
> >
> > I wonder what our options are here -- Can we really sue the U. S.
Navy
> > as so
> > many of these articles say we intend to do?  I have my doubts that
> this
> > is
> > possible, given sovereign imunity protections, and the unique ways
in
> > which
> > military facilities protect themselves from laws of accessibility.
> >
> > Brian MIller
> > ----- Original Message ----- 
> > From: "David Evans" <drevans at bellsouth.net>
> > To: "Beth Wright" <beth.wright at mindspring.com>; "NFB Talk Mailing
> List"
> > <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
> > Sent: Tuesday, March 06, 2007 9:36 AM
> > Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] The JFK Battleship Incident
> >
> >
> >>
> >> Dear All,
> >>
> >> This is the same battle we have been fighting with the cruise lines
> > for
> >> years.
> >> It does not seem to matter how many times we tell them that there
is
> > nothing
> >> on a ship such as bulkhead doors, ladders, stairs and the like,
that
> > are
> > not
> >> present in any large building.
> >> Stepping over a bulkhead hatchway is the same as stepping over a
> > parking
> > lot
> >> bumper.  Ladders and stairs are the same as those found in any
common
> >> building.  Anyone ever had to climb up in a attic? or down into a
> > basement.
> >> As a NAVY brat and blind since the age of 16, I have been aboard
many
> >> warships including submarines, and everything else up to both
> aircraft
> >> carriers and two IOWA class battleships.
> >>   In fact one of the last warships I was on was the USS Yorktown
> > before it
> >> was decommissioned.  I still have my hat with it's name on it that
I
> > bought
> >> when on board.
> >> This was ridiculous for them to turn him away.
> >> AS we who are Blind well know, there are good blind travelers and
bad
> > blind
> >> travelers.
> >> The good ones don't need anyone to go with them because they have
> good
> >> skills.  The bad blind travelers never go anywhere without someone
to
> > help
> >> them.
> >> As someone who has always been proud of being associated with the
U.
> > S.
> >> NAVY, I must say that the NAVY is all wet on this one.
> >> I think that we must fight for this to be changed once and for all
or
> > others
> >> may use it to deny us access in other places.
> >> This, in my opinion, is a black eye for the NAVY in which my father
> > served
> >> for almost 40 years seeing action in World War 2, Korea and two
tours
> > in
> >> Viet Nam before his retirement.
> >> My father did not raise me to be a quitter or to take second place.
> >> Even with my blindness at age 16, I finished high school, have 2
> > college
> >> degrees, was on one US Olympic Team, NCAA National championship
team
> > and
> > Pan
> >> American Team in Track, worked as a Nuclear/Aerospace materials
> > Engineer,
> >> built the Lunar Rovers that sit on the Moon and several noted
> aircraft
> >> including the F-117-A Stealth Fighter
> >> Today I work for a national transit company and serve on several
> board
> > that
> >> oversee transit services where I work to improve access to Public
> >> Transportation to Para-transit, fixed route services and commuter
> > rail.
> >> I know the next time there is Fleet Week here in South Florida I am
> > going
> > to
> >> be there and the Marines and Shore patrol are going to have there
> > hands
> > full
> >> with all of the Blind People I am going to bring them to tour the
> > ships.
> >>
> >> David Evans, NFBF
> >> .
> >> ----- Original Message ----- 
> >> From: "Beth Wright" <beth.wright at mindspring.com>
> >> To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
> >> Sent: Tuesday, March 06, 2007 11:42 AM
> >> Subject: [nfb-talk] The JFK Battleship Incident
> >>
> >>
> >> > Hi, folks.
> >> >
> >> > In case you haven't checked our website, there's been a follow-up
> to
> > last
> >> > weekend's incident with the battleship.  Not only did the Navy
not
> > back
> >> > down, but they said that, had the blind guy been accompanied by a
> > sighted
> >> > person, they would gladly have let him tour the ship.  How long
> have
> > we
> >> > got
> >> > to keep fighting these battles until they finally get it?  It's
the
> > same
> >> > old
> >> > thing.  Shut up.  Be reasonable, be grateful, and don't cause any
> > trouble.
> >> > Look at all those other blind people.  They're not making a fuss.
> >> >
> >> > Well, what they don't realize is that the same blind people who
> > appear
> >> > docile and grateful in public are the first ones to turn to the
NFB
> > when
> >> > they encounter discrimination and they can't get the sighted to
> take
> > them
> >> > seriously.  Let's keep up the fight!
> >> >
> >> > Beth Wright
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > _______________________________________________
> >> > nfb-talk mailing list
> >> > nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
> >> > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-talk
> >> >
> >>
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