Sam Gleese
October 25, 2002

     
I appreciate the fact that the federal government is interested in making traveling safe for blind and visually impaired persons. I have lived as a blind person all of my life. For the first 33 years I was legally blind. During that time in my life I functioned safely in traveling in small towns as well as large cities without any incidents of endangering my life while crossing busy intersections. At age 33 I became totally blind. I recieved training, orientation, and mobility. This training gave me the skills to travel as a blind person with the use of a white can. This treaing included traveling in my neighborhood as well as downtown. I have had the opportunity to cross at intersections that provided for vehicles to turn right on red. Even in those cases I was able to cross safely. There are only a couple of intersections in my city that would qualify as dangerous enough to qualify for some type of audible traffic device. The federalfunds used to install these signals could be more effectively used by investing in other institutions that would give blind and visually impaired more skills and adaptive office equipment that would assist them in becoming gainfully employed. This would put more funds in the national treasury rather than take funds out. As for detectable warnings they could pose more of a safety hazard than providing for safety in crossing streets. The streets in my city and other cities that I have visited provide adequate indicators approching the end of a sidewalk and entering the path of moving vehicles. These detetable warnings would do more to hinder independent travel than to enhance it. I strongly recommend more time for study and evaluation. In the meantime, blind and visually impaired persons will continue to travel safely on our streets as they have in the past.

Thanks,
Sam Gleese
NFB of Mississippi President
 

left arrow index    left arrow previous comment   bullet   next comment right arrow