I am writing you this letter so as to go on record as strongly supporting The Accessibility Board cause of installing or the improvement of pedestrian signals and or detectible warning systems. Before stating my position on this matter, let me give you my name, address, phone number and e-mail address so that my position on this very serious matter will count!! You may also use this information to further contact me to provide me with updates in working toward your goals, or for me to write additional letters of support etc.

M. Daniel Germano [address]

I am, at this time, 68 years old, but have been blind since a child. Since the age of 16 I have traveled independently for 39 years with a cane and the following 13 years, to the present with a guide dog. Even now at this age I walk on average 1.5 miles per day, both in residential and urban areas, areas with heavy traffic and a goodly number of traffic lights with no audible signals.

In the last few years of high school, and onward to college, including graduate school, in Philadelphia PA then to professional positions in three different states and in Washington DC. and in another eight different communities. I have always traveled independently.

Over the years vehicular traffic has multiplied and traffic patterns have significantly become more complex and traveling alone has increasingly become extremely dangerous and unwise especially when crossing certain streets and or islands etc. with only visual traffic signals available!!!! There are many places in New Bedford, Boston and Cambridge Mass. where I currently travel, that I am truly fearful of and unwilling to travel or cross certain “crossings” alone.

Thus, at this time, to a very large extent, the right to travel independently has been taken away from me and as a human being and tax payer, I strongly believe that certain rights have been taking away from, not only me, but all other visually impaired and blind persons!! Certainly, many many tax dollars have been spent to assist persons driving cars, trucks buses etc., and making driving much safer for those persons!! I certainly do not object to the spending of tax dollars in this manner, but, I do seriously ask, why can’t tax dollars be spent to allow visually and blind persons to also travel far more safely.

Cordially Yours
Daniel Germano