Eugene Barton

September 9, 2002

 

I am a blind person who has traveled independently since the 1950s  using a white cane and doing it well. I have worked full time until retiring and raised a family. When my children were growing up it was my responsibility to get them to places they needed to go and do that safely as a blind cane traveler. I suppose I could deduct from this that tactile warnings and audible traffic signs are not necessary. Well, that is just untrue and totally irresponsible thinking.
 

I have to ask myself, (why do sighted pedestrians need walk signs, back up beepers on vehicles, flashing lights at dangerous crossing and on and on) And yet we as blind people are expected to be that highly trained perceptive super person who can that can do all of this great stuff with just one white cane.

It is just not reasonable.
 

Our communities and particularly road ways have become much more complex in the past thirty years and intersections are much more complicated and traffic patterns vary from intersection to intersection. I suspect that is the reason that safety minded people thought that walk and don't walk signs would be helpful to pedestrians. Well, why is it so unreasonable to want the same degree of safety as a blind traveler?
 

I am sure that these arguments have been advanced many times, but as a blind citizen, I believe that I  have as much rights as any one else to be able to travel and use public services that are provided to  make streets and public facilities accessible and safe for me to use.

I really hope that after all the years of talking and working that the PROWAC report will be accepted.

Thank you for your help in accomplishing this.

 

Eugene Barton