Ruth Sheeley

October 15, 2002

I am a person who is not blind, but am hard of seeing. I am therefore interested in issues about blindness. I am Virginia Ruth Sheeley, [ ...].

I know several blind people. They travel with people and without people, with dogs or canes, in daylight and dark, in every city I know. I do not know any blind person who has ever been hit by an automobile as they travel around this nation. I understand that the Access Board, without research support, has decided that blind people cannot travel safely without audible traffic signals or detectable warnings.

Who thunk up this dumb bunny idea? The presumption is false! Please immediately cease to advocate such a bad idea and find a more practical way to spend our taxpayer dollars.

Ruth Sheeley

October 28, 2002

A pity and sympathy signal? That is what the audible traffic or pedestrian signal is. You have no data which supports the danger to blind pedestrians. In fact, the data will lean the other way. Blind pedestrians can be and have demonstrated great independence and safety. What is the record in Des Moines, IA, for example? Or in my town of Springfield, MO or St. Louis MO? [ ... ]

Please get objective data before foisting off on us, the taxpayer, the totally impractical policy of the APS.

I am forwarding this to you by permission because I don't even have a computer.

Sincerely,

V. Ruth Sheeley