[nfb-talk] Accessible currency in the best interest ofthe blind?
Mike Freeman
k7uij at panix.com
Wed May 14 21:07:43 CDT 2008
Joe:
I'm not sure it has helped all that much except insofar asas it enabled
more people in wheelchairs to be visible and, since there are more of
them than there are of us (the blind), it allowed a few more
opportunities to gain understanding.
I truly do not believe that accessible currency will materially afect
how many blind persons get out and about -- better mobility training and
a better understanding of blindness is the only real way to do that. So
I consider your comparison of curb cuts with accessible currency to be
in error.
Mike Freeman
... "It is human nature to think wisely and act foolishly." -- Anatole
France
----- Original Message -----
From: T. Joseph Carter
To: NFB Talk Mailing List
Sent: Wednesday, May 14, 2008 11:36 AM
Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Accessible currency in the best interest ofthe
blind?
Alan,
Only inasmuch as curb cuts changed the perception that people in
wheelchairs can actually get from one place to another. Those things
didn't really change overall perceptions of people in wheelchairs,
just
the idea that they now could go from one place to another.
Prior to it, wheelchair users tell me they were constantly faced with
employers who couldn't figure out how they'd get to work, so wouldn't
hire
them. This despite the obvious: They had shown up for their
interview, so
they managed somehow, obviously! In the short term, it didn't really
change other attitudes at all. In the long term, it really hasn't
done
much to remediate major ignorance and prejudice. It has helped a lot
of
people grasp the notion that a person in a wheelchair is just a person
who
can't walk.
Arguably, the perception that we can now identify our own currency
isn't
going to have as big an effect as the perception that wheelchair users
are
somehow magically able to get to work now that they have curb cuts.
By
itself, it's not eye-opening enough to have quite that much effect.
The
effect is not small, and it's billions upon billions of dollars
cheaper
than putting curb cuts on every intersection!
As to the size of the effect.. For months after the introduction of
the
new bills, over the course of several years as each new denomination
is
released, a sighted person looking at the new money is going to have
the
opportunity to think something like: It's a little shorter so blind
people can tell it's a $10. All it took for someone who can't see to
know
what this is is to be a little shorter than a $20.
This of course keeping in mind that I only favor a currency change
following the rollout schedule already in place where our currency is
updated every 10-15 years, one bill every several years. Doing
otherwise
makes the cost prohibitive. Doing it this way we get it almost for
free.
I say almost because the money will be spent and the currency
refreshed
whether we get a more blind-friendly currency out of it or not.
I assume there will be some added costs for accelerating the printing
schedule somewhat so that the old bills can be taken out of
circulation
sooner, and there may be additional costs in the design phase. Most
of
those costs are spread out over the better part of two decades, so
they
don't amount to anything significant per-year based on my best
figuring.
Of course, I favor a tax subsidy for vending machine owners over
several
years as well to cover 80% of the cost of updating their machines,
because
I also believe the dollar must be included in the revision. But then,
the
dollar should be done last, which allows business owners time to use
the
tax breaks to financial advantage to make up the remaining 20% if they
can, and time enough to actually get their machines updated for the
new
bills.
The particular adaptation I support is the one that maintains the
current
size of the $100 bill and gradually shortens the bills. The dollar
would
be a little less than two-thirds its current size when the transition
were
finished. No new cash drawers needed, though after the transition is
complete the internal divider structure of new cash drawers may change
in
time.
I've been thinking about this for years now. I'm a nerd, what can I
say?
Joseph
On Wed, May 14, 2008 at 05:26:51AM -0500, Alan Wheeler wrote:
> Joseph,
> I can see your point, but I have my own reservations. Will
accessible currency *REALLY* change perceptions of the sighted that
much?
>
> I only ask because I've seen people who, no matter what technology
or other aspects of life as a blind person they are educated about,
still walk away with all their misperceptions and misconceptions intact.
To a degree, accessible currency might be nothing more than a band-aid
on a broken leg.
>
> Alan
>
>
> Hell was full, so I came back !
> ~~~
> Alan D Wheeler
> awheeler at neb.rr.com
> IM me at: awheeler1965 at sbcglobal.net
> Skype: redwheel1
> Don't be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing
of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good, well-pleasing, and
perfect will of God.
> Romans 12:2
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "T. Joseph Carter" <tjosephcarter at gmail.com>
> To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, May 14, 2008 12:51 AM
> Subject: [nfb-talk] Accessible currency in the best interest of the
blind?
>
>
> > Alan,
> >
> > I'll refer you to my own messages wherein I describe the impact on
the
> > perception of sighted people that we blind folk can handle money
without
> > getting ourselves ripped off. Regardless of the fact that we have
some
> > ways to do it now, even if there's some technology dependency
involved,
> > sighted people still sometimes ask me how it can be done.
> >
> > In a job interview, they may not ask. They may just assume you
can't,
> > particularly if it's not a job as a cashier necessarily, but where
> > handling money might come up once in awhile. I'd rather them have
an
> > over-simplistic view of how it would be no problem for me to do it
than an
> > over-simplistic view of how they think I can't.
> >
> > I had a couple of other thoughts on it as well, but I think they
don't
> > need to be repeated again. I do think an opinion on the issue
without the
> > associated NFB-bashing is warranted, however.
> >
> > Joseph
> >
> > On Tue, May 13, 2008 at 07:07:00PM -0500, Alan Wheeler wrote:
> >> John,
> >> I may not have facts, but since the blind have survived, quite
nicely without accessible currency, how can you back up the claim that
accessible currency is in the "best interest" of the blind? I'm not
arguing the point. I am merely asking you to back up your own
statements. You ask me and others for facts, show us yours, we'll show
you ours.
> >>
> >> Alan
> >>
> >> I tried sniffing Coke once, but the ice cubes got stuck in my
nose
> >> ~~~
> >> Alan D Wheeler
> >> awheeler at neb.rr.com
> >> IM me at: awheeler1965 at sbcglobal.net
> >> Skype: redwheel1
> >> Don't be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good,
well-pleasing, and perfect will of God.
> >> Romans 12:2
> >>
> >> ----- Original Message -----
> >> From: "John G. Heim" <jheim at math.wisc.edu>
> >> To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
> >> Sent: Tuesday, May 13, 2008 6:56 PM
> >> Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] To Be or Not to Be, Irritated
> >>
> >>
> >> > Alan, I have all my outgoing messages in the outbox in my mail
program. Do
> >> > you want me to repost them? Basically, the logic goes like
this:
> >> >
> >> > 1. As the leading advocacy group for the blind, the NFB
represents me
> >> > whether I like it or not.
> >> > 2. Yetthe the NFB has done things that apparently are not in
the best
> >> > interest of blind people, myself included. The primary example
is coming out
> >> > against accessible money.
> >> > 3. When an organization that is supposed to be an advocacy
group does things
> >> > against the best interest of those whom they represent, it is
unethical.
> >> >
> >> > Now, which part of that are you going to dispute
> >> >
> >> > We've spent the last month thrashing out point #2. I've been
begging for
> >> > cold hard facts that might dispute it. None have been
forthcoming. If you
> >> > have any, I'm still interested.
> >> >
> >> > ----- Original Message -----
> >> > From: "Alan Wheeler" <awheeler1965 at gmail.com>
> >> > To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
> >> > Sent: Tuesday, May 13, 2008 5:45 PM
> >> > Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] To Be or Not to Be, Irritated
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >> Can you back up your claim that the NFB is unethical? I think
that is
> >> >> mere opinion and baseless in fact.
> >> >>
> >> >
> >> > _______________________________________________
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