I agree that the idea that this allows for blind people to get away from 
using guide dogs is utterly ridiculous.  Although I am a cane user, I have 
used a guide dog in the past.  How do they expect the blind person to get 
to the building to begin with if they are a dog guide user?

Secondly, the issue of interior maps is definitely an issue, but not as 
big an issue as some of you may believe.  Most major buildings now have 
detailed digital maps as part of their maintenance programs.  For example, 
all of the buildings at CMU have digital maps, and this has nothing to do 
with accessibility.  It has everything to do with the maintenance teams 
needing to know where cables are, even where the jacks are in a given 
room.  Not to mention where walls are and duct work and all that kind of 
good stuff.  It makes their jobs much easier when they have that 
information.

Now, granted, not all buildings have these digital maps.  Also, getting 
access to those maps as an individual may be difficult, there are certain 
security issues with giving out that information to just anybody.  But, it 
is possible, and I expect that if this is done correctly, it will have 
much wider application than just for the blind.

-- 
Blue skies.
Dan Rossi
Senior Oracle Database Administrator
Carnegie Mellon University.
E-Mail:	[log in to unmask]
Tel:	(412) 268-9081


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