Hi Andy,
I haven't been a Federationist since 1997! Even if I were, I'm not the type
of person to just spout off someone or some organization's line... I call
'em exactly how I see 'em...
----- Original Message -----
From: "Andy Baracco" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, June 28, 2004 9:19 PM
Subject: Re: New Handi-Ham Paperwork
> i thought you were a Federationist. Has the Federation finally seen the
> light, so to speak?
>
> Andy
>
> At 08:48 PM 6/28/04 -0700, you wrote:
> >Hi Tom,
> >
> >Just one important point. The sighted don't need any special treatment.
> >They're sighted. They don't need reasonable accomodations because
they're
> >the norm and everything is already accessible to them. They don't need
> >accessibility because, again, it is already inaccessible for them. I'm
> >blind; not sighted. In order to be certainly able to participate, I need
> >the same material in an accessible format. Period. Readers are fine,
but I
> >think we're in a different age than in the not-too-distant past. It is
> >harder to find readers now. It is hard enough to find people who are
really
> >sufficiently educated to read, let alone find people who really want to
do
> >it even for a reasonable amount of money.
> >
> >I'm definitely going to be contraversial when I say this, but, you know
> >what? I'm blind. I'm not, in fact, equal to my sighted peers in all
> >respects. I'm somewhat equal, but not completely so. In the areas where
> >the inequalities are due to lack of accessibility or to some other
> >artificially imposed barrier to our participation, then it isn't too much
to
> >ask for enough reasonable special treatment to get around the barrier.
> >Times are changing; I think we need to insist on our accessibility now
> >before it becomes too late. More and more sighted people are writing us
off
> >every single day, this stuff could ultimately come down to our very
> >survival!
> >
> >
> >
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: <[log in to unmask]>
> >To: <[log in to unmask]>
> >Sent: Saturday, June 26, 2004 7:53 PM
> >Subject: Re: New Handi-Ham Paperwork
> >
> >
> >> I agree that we should be able to access the same materials as sighted
> >folks but
> >> that is a completely different kettle of fish from the Handi-Ham
> >paperwork. Our
> >> state libraries require documentation to become users and I don't see
> >people
> >> crying about that. The issues we're dealing with in getting access to
> >materials
> >> have to do with copyright laws and as they are now the only ones who
can
> >legally
> >> get around copyright restrictions are those organizations producing
them
> >in
> >> special formats. The state library system does have a few very
outdated
> >books
> >> and I believe that RFB has a few but then again you have to provide
> >information
> >> to them. The same is true of Vacaville or any of the other special
groups
> >out
> >> there. Since you can now get online and get the questions and a great
> >deal of
> >> study material I don't really understand what the problem is especially
> >since,
> >> as has been incorrectly claimed, Handi-Hams is not "the only game in
town"
> >and
> >> there is accessible material out there. If nothing else, get a friend
to
> >read
> >> it. Some of us actually did undergraduate and graduate degrees with no
> >> computers or access other than readers. As to the federal government
> >providing
> >> the blind with access because the test is federally controlled or
> >whatever, they
> >> don't provide it to sighted folks so why should we get special
treatment?
> >> Question pools are available out there an that's what are provided to
> >sighted
> >> folks. The rest is icing on the cake. The Extra is more difficult
than
> >the
> >> other exams but as tests go its not bad. I've had far more difficult
in
> >college
> >> freshman level math courses.
> >>
> >> Tom
> >>
> >>
> >> Tom Brennan KD5VIJ, CCC-A/SLP
> >> web page http://titan.sfasu.edu/~g_brennantg/sonicpage.html
> >
> >
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