[nfbwatlk] Talking Signs

[Mackenstadt, Gary]

I have read with interest all of the comments about talking signs.  Quite frankly, they do not impress me.  Recognizing that I am being extremely conservative on blindness issues once again, I still cannot help but thinking that we spend a lot of time trying to address the loss of sight.  Until blind persons are independent travelers in the world, using either long white canes or dogs, it seems to me that a lot of this stuff concerning travel and technology is nonsense.  Blind persons have travelled very compidently for a long time, provided that they had had the necessary training, experience and confidence.  In my judgement, technology like audible street signals have been more of a hindrance than a help.  Of course, technology has provided blind persons with a lot of opportunity, particularly in school and on the job.  Also technology available to the general public has created barriers to the blind--the list is endless.  Of course, I carry a cell phone all the time and have used it a couple of time when lost; so who knows what might be next.  Talking signs do nothing for me.  Maybe, I'm just narrow-minded.
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Talking Signs
I have read with interest all of the comments about talking signs.  Quite frankly, they do not impress me.  Recognizing that I am being extremely conservative on blindness issues once again, I still cannot help but thinking that we spend a lot of time trying to address the loss of sight.  Until blind persons are independent travelers in the world, using either long white canes or dogs, it seems to me that a lot of this stuff concerning travel and technology is nonsense.  Blind persons have travelled very compidently for a long time, provided that they had had the necessary training, experience and confidence.  In my judgement, technology like audible street signals have been more of a hindrance than a help.  Of course, technology has provided blind persons with a lot of opportunity, particularly in school and on the job.  Also technology available to the general public has created barriers to the blind--the list is endless.  Of course, I carry a cell phone all the time and have used it a couple of time when lost; so who knows what might be next.  Talking signs do nothing for me.  Maybe, I'm just narrow-minded.