I haven't travelled much since the Euro came in, but I have seen some of
the
coinage, and as a totally blind person I found it difficult to tell one
coin
from another. They were all about the same size, some with milled edges,
some not, but not very easy to distinguish. Clearly someone wasn't
politically correct enough to consult visually impaired people and make
the
coins easily understood.
I am amazed to hear about the American NFB's attitude about accessible
currency. However, years ago an American friend did tell me that over
there
you don't get nearly as much help as we do here. He was talking in terms
of
getting around, strangers kindly assisting if you looked lost, etc. He
said
that even hailing a taxi was very problematical, as many of them wouldn't
stop if they didn't want to take you. Apparently the American attitude
was
that you just had to get on with life as best you could and not expect
help.
I felt very glad to be living in Britain when I heard this. We moan, and
rightly so, when service is bad, but in many parts of the world service is
non-existent or very basic.
I think it's ok to discuss this on this list. After all, accessibility
doesn't just mean gadgets that can talk or magnify screens. It covers
every
aspect of life where sight would be an enormous help if we had it, and
lack
of it is a perishing nuisance.
Wendy
-----Original Message-----
From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of
Ray's Home
Sent: 19 February 2008 11:13
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Political Correctness
Not sure which side of the political fenceDave Taylor is on in his
last post, but can I throw in a thought here, and its related to
access tech too!
I believe the US NFB is opposed to the Accessible currency campaign
that A C B is running - but aside from the long standing antippathy
between those organisations an interesting point emerges.
NFB seems to oppose accessible currency because I believe they think
that blind people should make the necessary adjustment, not the state.
Seems as American as Bluebury Pieto me, and wrong. the common sense
notion that currency should be readily and quickly identifiable by
those who cannot see seems a very good idea. Maybe the American Feds
idea is you buy the KNFB reader to do the job, or one or two other
gismos that the American Fed may or may not have a financial stake in.
Now, there's a good idea! One that pays too! Even if blind people
are substantially the poorer for it, in money terms.
All that aside, I think you will find the diversity/equality industry
is blithely unaware and uninterested in disability as an equality
issue if it goes against their rather pathetic and ill-thought out
notions of equality. Indeed some are more equal than others. You
should see the money the favoured groups get locally and the money
local VI campaigners don't get.
I support Race equality , but too many in the B M E industry are
strongly antithetical and crassly ignorant of disability equality
issues and don't have the same notion of justice being done across the
board.
Cheers,
From Ray
I can be contacted off-list at:
mailto:ray-48@xxxxxxxx
-----Original Message-----
Dave Taylor
Sent: 19 February 2008 10:26AM
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [access-uk] Political Correctness
Hi, taking that to its logical conclusion, let's scrap all equality
legislation, including the DDA, stop expecting anything to be made
accessible, and all have specialist gadgets, specialist jobs and
special
educational courses! Not as bad an idea as we might have thought even
a year
or two ago!
Cheers
Dave
--------------------------------------------------
From: "jim o'brien" <jim.taggart@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, February 19, 2008 10:23 AM
To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Bt total broadband - was ISP providers
my opinion only.
political correctness is a form of brain washing and we should fight
it at
every turn.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jackie Cairns" <cairnsplace@xxxxxxx>
To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, February 19, 2008 9:16 AM
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Bt total broadband - was ISP providers
All I would say is it's PC or, as I call it, Political Cuckoo, gone
...
well ... cuckoo!
I would have done the same in your shoes Roger. I take exception
to
being called a racist by anybody. I have some good friends from
overseas, and indeed family members.
But what initiated this thread was Dave saying he didn't like the
BT Call
Centre, and I have to agree with that. They do read from scripts,
whether they come from Ireland or India. Broadband is also a very
technical language, and I sympathise with even well-versed English
speakers in the terminology they need to understand.
There isn't any need for anybody to take offence. As I say, it's
PC gone
cuckoo.
Jackie
Email: cairnsplace@xxxxxxx
Skype Name: Cairnsplace
----- Original Message -----
From: "Roger South" <roger.south@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, February 19, 2008 9:05 AM
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Bt total broadband - was ISP providers
Around the middle of last year I had occasion to phone my local
council's hackney carriage office to complain of a taxi driver who
refused to take my guide dog. In conversation I said that
immigrants to
this country should be made aware that they will be expected to
obey the
laws of this country That when in Rome do as Romans. The woman
went mad
calling me the worse kind of racist and was going to report me
then
slamming the phone down. A while later I received, unannounced, a
visit
from the council department concerned with that sort of thing.
They said
they were investigation to decide whether to prosecute me. They
than
gave a list of the things I'd said which were twisted versions of
what I
actually did say. I waited until they'd finished and simply asked
if
they'd listened to the tape that was said about at the start of
the
conversation on the phone. They admitted no so I told them to do
so and
stop wasting my time. I didn't hear any more so I contacted them
and was
told no further action was planned. I demanded an apology in
writing or
I would start proceedings against them. I got it. So some people
do jump
off the deep end without taking care to get their facts correct
first.
So many people are so very over sensitive in finding reasons to be
offended.
Roger
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ray's Home" <rays-home@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, February 18, 2008 6:53 PM
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Bt total broadband - was ISP providers
Not sure Dave if it wouldn't have been better to refer to
language
barriers, perhaps? Maybe more a subject for Vi-gen, but I do get
very
anoyed when having to deal with people, whereever they might be
from,
who's grasp of English leaves much to be desired, e.g. in a pub
being
expected to point to what I want, rather than simply ask for it.
Mind you much of the problem is also down to the mass-market
habit of
selling things and not providing propper support to keep prices
artificially low, hence use of call centres with no knowledge or
comitment to anything they are providing support for.
As I say, a subject more for vi-gen I think.
Cheers,
From Ray
I can be contacted off-list at:
mailto:ray-48@xxxxxxxx
-----Original Message-----
Ankers, Dave (UK)
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Bt total broadband - was ISP providers
Kirsty,
It's interesting, I used the word "Brainless" because the person
on
the
other end of the phone was unable to leave the script they have
been
programmed with and have a conversation based on information
given.
Is
that Racist?
I also stated that misunderstandings due to language differences,
meaning constantly having to repeat oneself was infuriating.
Does
that
make me a racist? oh no I used the "C" word!! yes coloured!
Jackie
stop
laughing!
It's interesting, whenever you use the word "Coloured" you must
be a
racist. If I was a racist, I wouldn't spend so much money in
their
restaurants!
Sure there are some I don't like, just imagine I lived in between
two
neighbours, who both played agga bloody do at full volume, I
would
want
to shoot the pair of them, but one is Caucasian and the other
coloured!
yes you know what I'm going to be called after shooting the
coloured
one
don't you!
Kirsty, you said you didn't want to start a new conversation on
the
subject, and it's not access related, but to someone who attended
a
school which was 75% coloured, and I know who is the most racist!
ever
heard of the cast system?
it's the proverbial red rag!
Dave
Dave,
I'm of the opinion that your choice of words leaves a lot to be
desired,
and goes no way to support your statement that you are not
xenophobic -
your defining people by their skin colour and claiming that they
don't
have a brain because they don't understand you being two examples
thereof.
I find this list a useful and productive platform for sharing
ideas
and
information, and think it would be unfortunate if it became a
place
where such discriminatory comments were unchallenged.
I have no interest in opening up a new discussion on the subject,
but
wanted to make the point that at least one person here found the
racist
comments about Indian call centres offensive. Yes, I have had my
own
frustrating experiences with a number of call centres, but I
believe
there's a difference in being dissatisfied with a service and
writing
so
discourteously about a whole people group.
Kirsty
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