Mika.Pyyhkala@p0.f460.n101.z1.fidonet.org (Mika Pyyhkala) (05/14/91)
Index Number: 15556
[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]
I wanted to bring to the attention of the echo readers
a story which appeared in the March, 1991 issue of the Braille Monitor.
The story concerned Valley Faire, which is an amusement park
located near the twin cities in Minnisota.
The park has an overtly discrminatory policy against
blind customers, a policy that is the most discrimininatory
out of any amusement park policy I have ever run into, or read about.
The policy states that a blind person must ride nearly all the rides
with a "responsbile adult." A responsible adult is defined
in the park's documentation as anyone over a certain height
limit, approximately 4 feet.
However, in practice it means anyone who is over this heigh
limit, and sighted.
In addition, the parks employees treat blind customers in a patronizing
manner. This includes talking to children of blind adults, about
the
capabilities of the adult, without asking the adult anything.
Furthermore, several members of NFB went to the park on at least
{one occasion to try to challenge the rule, and
while the park let them ride the rides they wanted, they were subjected
to
delays lasting for hours, and unnecessary explanations of rides, which
they did not request.
On one occasion, the members of NFB were accompanied by an
NPR reporter, who made several tape recordings of the incidents that
took place. In general, the public was supportive of the position of
the blind persons, and against the parks management's prejudicial,
backwards, and blatantly discriminatory policy of not letting blind
people ride the rides without a sighted companion.
I recently called Valley Fair, and was told that the practices were
bassed
on safety, and wer researched by biomedical engeneers,
rehabilitation therapists, and blind consumers. However, the park has
not provided any verifiable evidence to back its arbitray, illegal
actions.
I encourage all readers of the echo to read the Monitor article, and do
do some investigating on your own as I did.
Also, I encourage you to write to the park, and let them know about how
you feel about their policies. Finally, letters sent to the ACLU, civil
rights groups, and the media would probably help change this policy.
Several NFB members have filed discrimination lawsuits against the park,
and these are still pending.
When I called the park, I was advised that one such inquirty to the
Minnisota Human Rights Commission, was decided on the parks
behalf. However, the park advised me that lawsuits were still pending.
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Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!101!460.0!Mika.Pyyhkala
Internet: Mika.Pyyhkala@p0.f460.n101.z1.fidonet.orgDavid.Andrews@f89.n129.z1.fidonet.org (David Andrews) (05/16/91)
Index Number: 15661
[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]
GP> How do you guys do this? I mean, I've gone to amusement
GP> parks in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Ohio and never had
GP> such stuff happen.
Gary, Maybe I am reading to much into your question, but I suspect you are
saying, this stuff hasn't happened to me, so why does it seem to happen to you
guys, NFB members. There are those who have accused us in the past of going out
and looking for problems to confront. I certainly haven't and don't know of any
other Federationists who have! Enough stuff comes up in the course of life.
I have one of a couple explanations, take your choice. First, it could
completely be, and likely is just circumstantial. You happened to go to parks
where there weren't any people who would hassle you, at least at those times,
and on those rides that you were on. In some ways these kinds of problems are
worse then they were say 20 years ago. There is much more attention on the
disabled and the need for accomodations, so more people are aware of what they
should do, or what they think they should do. In some cases, this involves
protecting us from ourselves.
The second explanation is related to the first and relates to how an individual
or group considers and reacts to any given situation. You can see the
continuoum of reactions on this Echo. While some blind persons will go along
with whatever a sighted person suggests, "for their own good," others will fight
it to bring about change. Of course most of us fall somewhere in the middle
most of the time.
The third explanation could be that you traveled to these amusement parks with
sighted persons and the park people assumed that they were "responsible for
you." I believe that the Minnesota group was primarily, if not entirely made up
of blind persons.
... David Andrews
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Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!129!89!David.Andrews
Internet: David.Andrews@f89.n129.z1.fidonet.orgDavid.Andrews@f89.n129.z1.fidonet.org (David Andrews) (05/16/91)
Index Number: 15662
[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]
SB> What's the big deal about blind
SB> people sitting at exit doors on an airline? Personally, I have
SB> been an airline traveler for 20 years, and have never
SB> experienced problems while traveling. Honestly, I think those
SB> blind persons who encounter problems on the airlines, are those
SB> who are looking for problems, merely to bring attention to
SB> themselves.
I know a number of persons personally who have been involved in airline
incidents and have talked to them about it extensively. Your assertion that
they are looking for trouble to draw attention to themselves is ridiculous.
These are people who are trying to travel just like you and I. The one
difference between them and most blind persons is that they did not knuckle
under when the airlines tryed pushing them around.
If you were seated in an exit row by an airline, then asked to move later,
because you were blind, would you move? Most blind people would, and this of
course is a decision each of must reach personally, at the time it happens. The
people who have had problems are those who chose not to move because they knew
that they were as capable of handling an emergency situation as anyone else, and
knew that they had as much right to be there.
... David Andrews
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Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!129!89!David.Andrews
Internet: David.Andrews@f89.n129.z1.fidonet.orgMika.Pyyhkala@f460.n101.z1.fidonet.org (Mika Pyyhkala) (06/18/91)
Index Number: 16179
[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]
In a recent post, I mentioned a Braille
Monitor article that discussed discrimination occuring against
blind visitors at ValleyFair, an amusement park.
I said that I would post their mailing address, so
that people could write letters to the park.
Finally, I am posting the address!
The Monitor article, as well as your own investigating
would be good background to study this problem.
The address is:
ValleyFair
1 Velleyfair Drive
Shakopee, MN 55379
Phone: 612-445-7600 (Administrative Offices)
The Monitor is available on a variety of the BBS's if
you do not, or did not receive the volume discussing this issue.
... Xpress Yourself!
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Internet: Mika.Pyyhkala@f460.n101.z1.fidonet.org