Jan Gawith

October 15, 2002

AS A TRAINED, TOTALLY BLIND INDIVIDUAL, I HAVE BEEN TRAVELING THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY FOR MORE THAN FORTY YEARS. ON OCCASION I HAVE COME ACROSS ONE TYPE OF AUDIBLE SIGNAL OR ANOTHER. FOR THE MOST PART I HAVE FOUND THEM OFFENSIVE, CONFUSING AND DEFINITELY A NOISE POLLUTANT.
WHOLESALE USE OF SUCH SIGNALS WOULD MAKE ALL OF US LOOK INCOMPETENT AND PROBABLY SEVERELY CURTAIL OUR ABILITY TO OBTAIN EMPLOYMENT.
UNEMPLOYMENT AMONG THE WORKING-AGE BLIND IS ALREADY DISGRACEFULLY HIGH.

THERE ARE DOUBTLESS SOME UNUSUAL AND/OR EXTREMELY DANGEROUS INTERSECTIONS WHICH IT MIGHT BE BENEFICIAL TO EQUIP WITH AN AUDIBLE OR VIBRATING SIGNAL. CONSULTATION WITH THE ORGANIZED BLIND (THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND BEING BY FAR THE LARGEST OF THESE) SHOULD BE A PART OF THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS TO PUT IN APPROPRIATE ADAPTIVE EQUIPMENT; THE DEAF-BLIND SHOULD BE CONSIDERED, MAKING THE VIBRATING SIGNAL MORE EFFECTIVE.

YOUR BOARD STAFF SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED A T-V NEWS VIDEO TAPE MADE HERE IN BOISE ON THE SPUR OF THE MOMENT RECENTLY. I SIMPLY DROPPED WHAT I WAS DOING AT WORK, WENT OUT AND DID THE INTERVIEW AND CROSSED THE INTERSECTION A COUPLE OF TIMES. AT THAT TIME I HAD AN EAR INFECTION WHICH GREATLY IMPAIRED MY HEARING IN ONE EAR; STILL, THE USUAL TRAFFIC WAS QUITE SUFFICIENT TO GIVE ME THE INFORMATION I NEEDED TO SUCCESSFULLY CROSS THAT BUSY INTERSECTION NEAR THE CAPITOL BUILDING, WITHOUT AN AUDIBLE ASSIST.

AT THE HEARING IN PORTLAND SOMEONE INFERRED THAT THE TWO ORGANIZATIONS OF THE BLIND HAD ABOUT EQUAL NUMBERS. THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND HAS OVER FIFTY THOUSAND MEMBERS WITH AFFILIATES IN ALL OF THE FIFTY STATES, WASHINGTON, D. C. AND PUERTO RICO. WE HAVE DIFFICULTY FINDING HOTELS LARGE ENOUGH TO HOLD OUR CONVENTIONS, SOMETIMES USING TWO, THREE AND EVEN FOUR. WE OFTEN HAVE NEAR TO OR MORE THAN THREE THOUSAND PERSONS AT OUR NATIONAL CONVENTIONS.

IT WOULD MAKE MUCH MORE SENSE TO USE MOST OF THIS MONEY FOR MORE BUSES AND BETTER STREETS AND PROVIDE MORE EXCELLENT TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR THE BLIND.

MRS. JAN GAWITH