William.Wilson@p0.f89.n129.z1.fidonet.org (William Wilson) (07/27/90)
Index Number: 9536 [This is from the Blink Talk Conference] DV> uses the same Metro stations I do. I'm feeling pretty terrible DV> right now, and for the first time, blindness is frightening me! Donna, I really don't know what I can say to you that will alleviate your hurt or your fear, but my thoughts are with you, I assure you! I think both you and I are pretty tough cookies, but every now and then something happens that causes us to crumble just a bit. When I got the news about Sara A.'s accident I think I felt something like you do now. That is, despite the fact we do argue a bit here, and we are downright nasty to each other at times, I believe we really are a bunch of friends, and losing a friend like Sara or seeing another friend like you afraid hurts me as well. Please everybody, when you're out traveling, don't be too proud to be careful! I'm sure that Donna and I will not dwell in our fear of our blindness, and I doubt that anyone participating in this echo will either, but by the same token, think about how we heard about these incidents before crossing at that intersection or getting on that train. We all deserve to die of old age, and not of something that could have been avoided! Willie ... BlinkTalk, Dr. Deb and Silver in Pittsburgh! -- Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!129!89.0!William.Wilson Internet: William.Wilson@p0.f89.n129.z1.fidonet.org
Tzipporah.Benavraham@f608.n107.z1.fidonet.org (Tzipporah Benavraham) (08/09/90)
Index Number: 9635 [This is from the Blink Talk Conference] Donna, the blind of NYC had the same problem in 1983. Many blind people (18) fell between cars! We led a hue and cry about it.. had committee meetings and screamed at Mayor Koch.. even Picketted. we won! we got barriers between the cars so only the doors were possible to go through. One of my dearest friends, Esther Herz, dies at W 4th street that way .. and I was just getting mobility training then for the subways. I could still walk them (am in a wheelchair now). We also got an abrasive strip 12 inches from the edge of the platform on ALL stations so nobody could mistake it. The cane would feel it. Just an idea. The ACB fought hard for this.. It was really sad.. but we DID something about it. -- Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!107!608!Tzipporah.Benavraham Internet: Tzipporah.Benavraham@f608.n107.z1.fidonet.org