[nfbwatlk] Fw: NFB Article by Dr. Maurer in today's New YorkTimes

[Mackenstadt, Gary]

It is truly a great article.  I believe that our position on this issue is really on the money--no pun intended.  We need to let Dr. Maurer know that we really support this position.  I believe that our position really reflects the organizational integrity.  I also believe that a lot of blind people, who may not belong to the NFB, support our position because the Federal court decision does not make sense.  The lawyers can talk about legal standards all they want.  However, as a blind person, I am concerned about my role in society.  As independent blind individuals, we need few modifications to participate fully in the community.  Modifying money is not necessary for first-class citizenship.  For the most part, blind people are economically poor.  Blind individuals need access to money, not accessible money.

-----Original Message-----
From: nfbwatlk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfbwatlk-bounces at nfbnet.org]On
Behalf Of Judy Jones
Sent: Tuesday, December 19, 2006 8:22 PM
To: NFB of Washington Talk Mailing List
Subject: Re: [nfbwatlk] Fw: NFB Article by Dr. Maurer in today's New
YorkTimes


Hello to all,

This is such a great article!!!

Money can be such a great equilizer.  Has anyone ever told you all, "Sorry, 
I can't take your money, you're blind."  Or, "Don't worry about paying those 
bills or that mortgage; we don't accept money from blind people."

We have a hard time with gainful employment to earn money, but to my 
knowledge, no one has ever stopped us as a body from spending it!
(grin)

Judy

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mike Freeman" <k7uij at panix.com>
To: "NFB of Washington Talk" <nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, December 18, 2006 5:26 PM
Subject: [nfbwatlk] Fw: NFB Article by Dr. Maurer in today's New York Times


> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Pare, John" <JPare at NFB.ORG>
> To: "Pare, John" <JPare at NFB.ORG>
> Sent: Monday, December 18, 2006 7:52 AM
> Subject: NFB Article by Dr. Maurer in today's New York Times
>
>
>
>
> The Midas Touch
> By Marc Maurer
> The New York Times
> December 18, 2006
>
>
> IN a ruling in a lawsuit last month, Judge James Robertson of Federal
> District Court said that United States currency discriminates against
> blind people because bills are all the same size and cannot be
> distinguished by touch. His decision was applauded by some advocates for
> the blind, including the American Council of the Blind, which brought
> the lawsuit. But as president of the National Federation of the Blind,
> the nation's oldest and largest organization of the blind, I believe
> that Judge Robertson's ruling is wrong.
>
> Discrimination occurs when the blind are barred from enjoying benefits,
> goods or services. This definition of discrimination is what most people
> understand the word to mean. If a landlord refuses to rent an apartment
> to someone because of race, color, creed or disability, then
> discrimination occurs. Sometimes people with disabilities are barred
> from certain facilities or services because of the way they are
> designed. A person in a wheelchair cannot climb the steps of a public
> building; if the building does not have a wheelchair ramp, that person
> is prevented from entering it. In another example, my group is suing the
> Target Corporation because the company's Web site doesn't accommodate
> the special text-reading software that the blind use to surf the
> Internet. In both cases, a person with a disability is kept out of a
> public place or denied use of a service, just as African-Americans were
> not welcome at whites-only lunch counters.
>
> But while blind people cannot identify paper currency by touch, that
> does not prevent us from spending money. When we hand merchants our
> money, they take it and provide us with the goods or services we have
> paid for, no questions asked. People with whom we transact business
> provide us with correct change if needed, and we then organize the money
> in a manner that allows us to identify it in the future. We transact
> business in this way every day.
>
> There is no evidence that the blind are shortchanged more often than the
> sighted; if a question does arise about a particular transaction, it is
> the responsibility of the blind person to sort out the matter.
> Identifying money by feel, as the blind are often able to do in many
> other countries, may be more convenient, but inconvenience is not the
> same thing as discrimination.
>
> While it is crucial that minorities have a voice in society, it is also
> the responsibility of every minority group to use that voice wisely and
> not to cry ''discrimination'' when no discrimination has occurred. The
> blind of America will fight discrimination wherever we find it, but we
> achieve nothing by falsely portraying ourselves as victims and engaging
> in frivolous litigation.
>
> Marc Maurer is the president of the National Federation of the Blind.
>
>
>


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