Here's what I told the WordNet staff, just to put in my two cents. This
definition of a blind person enraged me. And I agree with the lister who
mentioned the lack of accessibility of the WordNet site as an equally
distressing problem. I wrote:
It came to my attention today that the WordNet definition of "blind person"
is "A
man or woman with a visual handicap so severe as to render him/her
unemployable."
Surely Princeton staff and students realize that this is a pathetically
out-of-date
definition. I have been totally blind all my life. I am now 23 years old,
received
my undergraduate degree from Yale, and am currently completing a 60-credit
masters
program at the University of pittsburgh. I am a full-time student, and I
also work
20 hours per week as a research associate. In addition, I serve on the board
of directors
for Pittsburgh's public transit system (Port Authority Transit), give
trumpet concerts
and recitals in the community, and live independently. There are many many
others
like me who are also totally blind and never for a moment let their
blindness stop
them from doing anything they chose. I am sure you will receive e-mails from
some
of them. Please please correct your WordNet definition to say something like
the
following: "Blind person: A man or woman with a visual impairment that
significantly
limits his/her ability to see, so that he or she may be unable to drive, fly
an airplane,
or do other activities that demand good eye sight." Please contact me to
inform me
that you have changed your definition to something more appropriate. Thank
you very
much.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Terri Hedgpeth" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, January 10, 2004 11:43 PM
Subject: FW: Your choice of definition of "blind person"
> This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
>
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> -----Original Message-----
> From: Terri Hedgpeth=20
> Sent: Saturday, January 10, 2004 8:05 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]; [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Your choice of definition of "blind person"
> =20
> Hello Dr. George Miller,
> The definition you have chosen for "blind person" is inaccurate and
> offensive. While the rate of unemployment among blind persons is higher
> then the general working age population, persons who are blind are
> certainly not unemployable. This definition reflects perhaps your own
> prejudice and stereo type of blindness. There numerous individuals who
> are blind that are college professors, Engineers in companies (like
> Intel, Motorola, Microsoft, Oracle, Sisco, etc) , Psychologists, Social
> workers, Lawyers, IT professionals, customer representatives (for
> companies like Discover, Sears, Chase, etc) and hundreds of other
> professional and blue collar jobs. One expects our universities to be
> the leading thinkers and knowledgeable researchers in the nation, so it
> is rather donting to see an institution of Princeton's caliber using
> federal dollars to perpetuate prejudice and to post something that one
> might expect from the uneducated not the learned. I hope you will soon
> rectify this oversight and put a more respectful and accurate
> definition. If your goal is something very basic, try "blind person - an
> individual with out sight or with very limited sight." There are also
> legal definitions that would be more suitable such as those found in the
> Americans with Disabilities act or American Foundation for the Blind
> www.afb.org <http://www.afb.org/> .
> =20
>
> --Boundary_(ID_VLhgsvLKlgwxdLXiTbTFoQ)
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>
> <p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DTahoma><span =
> style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
> font-family:Tahoma'>-----Original Message-----<br>
> <b><span style=3D'font-weight:bold'>From:</span></b> Terri Hedgpeth <br>
> <b><span style=3D'font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> =
> </span></font><st1:date
> Month=3D"1" Day=3D"10" Year=3D"2004"><font size=3D2 face=3DTahoma><span =
> style=3D'font-size:
> 10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>Saturday, January 10, =
> 2004</span></font></st1:date><font
> size=3D2 face=3DTahoma><span =
> style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'> </span></font><st1:time
> Hour=3D"20" Minute=3D"5"><font size=3D2 face=3DTahoma><span =
> style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
> font-family:Tahoma'>8:05 PM</span></font></st1:time><font size=3D2 =
> face=3DTahoma><span
> style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'><br>
> <b><span style=3D'font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> =
> [log in to unmask];
> [log in to unmask]<br>
> <b><span style=3D'font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> Your choice of =
> definition
> of "blind person"</span></font></p>
>
> <p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D3 face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
> style=3D'font-size:
> 12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
>
> <p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
> style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
> font-family:Arial'>Hello Dr. George Miller,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
>
> <p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
> style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
> font-family:Arial'>The definition you have chosen for “blind
> person” is inaccurate and offensive. While the rate of =
> unemployment among
> blind persons is higher then the general working age population, persons =
> who are
> blind are certainly not unemployable. This definition reflects perhaps =
> your own
> prejudice and stereo type of blindness. There numerous individuals who =
> are
> blind that are college professors, Engineers in companies (like Intel,
> Motorola, Microsoft, Oracle, Sisco, etc) , Psychologists, Social =
> workers,
> Lawyers, IT professionals, customer representatives (for companies like
> Discover, Sears, Chase, etc) and hundreds of other professional and blue =
> collar
> jobs. One expects our universities to be the leading thinkers and =
> knowledgeable
> researchers in the nation, so it is rather donting to see an institution =
> of
> Princeton’s caliber<span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> =
> </span>using
> federal dollars to perpetuate prejudice and to post something that one =
> might expect
> from the uneducated not the learned. I hope you will soon rectify this
> oversight and put a more respectful and accurate definition. If your =
> goal is
> something very basic, try “blind person – an individual with =
> out
> sight or with very limited sight.” There are also legal =
> definitions that
> would be more suitable such as those found in the Americans with =
> Disabilities
> act or American Foundation for the Blind <a =
> href=3D"http://www.afb.org/">www.afb.org</a><span
> style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
>
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>
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> =00=
>
> --Boundary_(ID_VLhgsvLKlgwxdLXiTbTFoQ)--
>
>
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>
>
VICUG-L is the Visually Impaired Computer User Group List.
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