[misc.handicap] I Need Some Support

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!

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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.

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