Blind people protest street safety plan

the Register Guard ^ | 10 Oct 02 | AP

[Glutton]

PORTLAND, Or - Blind people rallied in downtown Portland against a federal proposal that would make traffic crossing safer for them by adding beepers or other audible signals.

The rally was conducted Tuesday outside the Hilton Portland during the nation's only scheduled public hearing on the issue. It highlighted a split between at least two national support groups for the blind.

Inside the hotel, officials said the American Council of the Blind supports a proposed draft of federal guidelines requiring that crossings be outfitted with ``audible traffic signals'' and ``detectable warnings'' that a blind person could feel and hear.

Meanwhile, outside, several dozen members of the National Federation of the Blind picketed the proposal.

Carla McQuillan, president of the National Federation of the Blind of Oregon and a member of the national board of directors, said members think the proposal would cost more than $70 million to outfit Portland intersections alone.

She said the federal proposal would play to contractors in line to make money, undercut a blind person's abilities in the eyes of others, and ultimately be disorienting and unsafe for blind people and everyone else as automated traffic signals spoke, clicked, chirped or beeped.

Gary Burdett, a church pastor representing the Washington Council of the Blind, said the full American Council of the Blind strongly backs the federal draft proposal.

He said not everyone has the same level of sight loss or mobility, nor is every intersection the same. He said the proposal would help increase safety for everyone.

[Glutton]

I know the same equipment in Salt Lake drove me nuts whenever I was there. Though it was a surprise to see it was the sight impaired people here who are upset by this.

[MetalMorph]

I'm just curious how they're going to hear the signals over all the other ambient racket that is to be expected in an urban setting. Those beepers would have to be pretty dang loud to make a difference.

[TXBubba]

Guess my question is how will the beep let them know which way is okay to cross? I mean, will the beep say it is okay to cross the street on your left or your right? I don't think giving a directional like North or South would help. What if two blind people are trying to cross intersecting streets at the same time? Which beep should they listen to? Not being blind I can see how all the beeps could drive me mad over time. My car drives me insane half the time because it continues it's alarms even after I put on the seatbelt.

[Cicero]

The main intersection in Montpelier, Vermont, makes a chirping bird noise when the walk signals go on. This article makes me realize it must have been designed for blind people. I thought it was just some kind of typical Vermont eccentricity.

[Glutton]

Nah, the Salt Lake Ciy signals chirp too. Hardly anyone jaywalks there too. I felt strange having people I didn't know admonish me for doing it constantly.

I have a couple of tickets (unpaid of course) for doing this as reminders to my days of fun visiting there.

[Vidalia]

Honk, honk!, tires a skiddin', then the awful thumpety thump thump..."Gee, what was that?" "It was the brother and sister protesters you just let off... you put the truck in Reverse..."

[Maximum Leader]

>undercut a blind person's abilities in the eyes of others

Ahh this is the crux of the problem. This is the same argument that "differently abled" activists use to argue against deaf children getting cochlar implants. Anything that helps disabled people out is seen as weakening the group (and naturally the group's self-appointed "leaders").

Frankly, its the same mentality that civil rights welfare hustlers have when conservatives offer solutions to get welfare mothers off the dole and into a job.

[monkeyshine]

Those intersection beeps are annoying! Like the self-check out counter in the grocery store keeps saying "scan your item" over and over, and then "place the item in the bag" over and over -- it's like... OK, I get it now!!!

Here's a novel approach. How about the blind listen for the traffic? When the cars stop moving, they can cross.