Lynette Y. Romero

October 28, 2002

To the Access Board:

I am writing to enthusiastically show my support of the Draft Guidelines for Accessible Public Rights of Way, published in the Federal Register, June 17, 2002. This proposal covers the needs of all pedestrians, whether they are sighted or blind, regardless of their ability or disability. Therefore, I recommend that the Access Board put into operation these guidelines as soon as possible. Failure of national, regional, and local governments to implement the proposed guidelines would be unjustified. Please do not wait for another person to be needlessly injured and I request that the board to take action before another life is lost. I have been legally blind since 1984. I am a partially sighted woman and I take pride in my excellent mobility skills. I plan to be getting a guide dog in the near future, so that I can continue to travel independently. I want to take advantage of every opportunity for me to be a part of society, yet there are times that I need assistance especially in loud traffic areas where I cannot use the sound of traffic to navigate a safe crossing. Therefore, I also want state that I support the positions of the American Council of the Blind (ACB) and the Washington Council of the Blind (WCB) and the majority of the blind individuals in our nation and in the state of Washington who want to travel independently. Audio Pedestrian Signals, tactile warning systems, and wayfinding systems would be most helpful in allowing me to be more independent.

I am having a hard time understanding why another consumer blind organization would want to put my life in jeopardy. I have been reading the comments posted and I attended Access Board Hearing that was held in Portland on October 8, 2002. Quite frankly I am surprised by the Federation of the Blind's (NFB) remarks when I know for a fact that many of them need assistance navigating challenging intersections, too. I know of an individual who proclaimed his support in a letter to the board for the NFB's position that he felt is no need for Audio Pedestrian Signal (APS). This same individual threatened the city of Puyallup, Washington with a lawsuit if they did not provide an audio signal at a crossing that he found challenging. I find this confusing and what I am trying to get across to the Access Board is the remarks made by NFB are self-serving and exaggerated. As a matter of fact I have assisted many members of the NFB get to where they needed to go, basically eliminating the illusion that they can all travel independently.

The ACB and WCB position is that we are not asking the board to put APS at every intersection in the country as the NFB are trying to make you believe. What we are asking is that all individuals with disabilities be put on equal ground with the rest of the citizens in our communities, by giving people with disabilities, especially individuals who cannot see an opportunity to travel independently. Sighed individuals have been given the right to cross the street safety, and they do so with the help of many visual clues that allows them the opportunity to cross that street independently. All I am asking is that the Access Board look carefully at all the testimonies given and I am confident that they will overlook NFB's exaggerated remarks and concentrate on the welfare and safety of all citizens in an approach that recognizes the needs of many and not the needs of a few. Failure of adopting these guidelines would have a tragic impact on the lives of all Americans who are disabled.

Thank you for considering my comments,
Lynette Y. Romero
WCB Board Member
WCB Environmental Access Committee Chairperson
President of the Lower Columbia Council of the Blind