“Two things are infinite: the universe and stupidity, and I’m not sure about the former.” Albert Einstein.
Well, I've gotta say, that I'm not sure about the univers either, but as far as stupidity goes I don't have any doubts what so ever.
I'm sure I can't be the only one who would like to be able to turn on the tv and find something other than an exceedingly stupid reality show on every single channel. And yes, in my opinion all reality shows are stupid! Why? Because the media is doing a fine job of designing shows for morons. You can be absolutely cirtain, that if they don't have a humiliating consept, such as in "the biggest loser", they'll make sure that the people participating barely score 85 on the IQ-test, such as with the girls who get pregnant just so they can try to get accepted to "Teen mom." And this dear reader, is why I quit watching tv several years ago, with the exception of an occasional documentary.
I know, I know. Just because you watch it, doesn’t mean you’ll act that way, or believe that the stupid shows hold the ticket to real success for that matter. But seriously, does watching something like that require any kind of thinking at all? Can you learn anything from it? Or does it just give you the chance to sit back and enjoy the fact that even though you may need to lose some wheight, at least you're not as fat as that nasty girl there on the screen? If so, what kind of standards does that set for us and our children?
If all we need to strive for is not being worse than that mess of a teenager who grew up in the wrong neighbourhood, chose the wrong friends, quit school to work as a stripper to support the child that she had when she was 15 and, who of course doesn't have a father on the birth certificate, for the simple reason that all the candidates are in prison for pocession of illegal drugs and intent to sell. Well people, then we cirtainly don't learn to use our potential to the fullest.
The latest reality show being recorded for swedish tv, "Beyond boundaries", or "Against all ods" as they want to call it this time, is something we capchered from the brits and, it is some what different than the crap we've imported from American tv. I'll give them that, but that is all I'll give them however.
Basically a bunch of people with different Physical disabilities are gonna have to survive several adventures in the african wilderness. I'm not sure what they'll have to do in the swedish version, but in the british show They've had to cross the two oldest deserts in the world, avoid lions and rhinos, and ride the world’s most dangerous rapids.
I guess the goal is that they'll have to help each other out to accomplish cirtain tasks and let one disability compansate for the other, so that they can show the world that a lot of things are possible no matter what physical limitations you're up against. It's not a bad thing in itself, but I'm gonna ask you to think one step further.
With the atitudes mentioned above I'm afraid that all they'll be able to accomplish is a freakshow, that enables folks to watch flabbergasted from the comfort of their home and exclaim every time those "poor disabled ones" do something that they didn't think them capable of. All while they rather get their prejudice confirmed than eliminated and, grow more ignorat by the second.
What gives you the right to show a group of disabled people and put an equals sign between all of the individuals? - Lets put the blind, the deaf and the dumb guys over there with the ones in the weelchairs and, see how good they all get along, while we normal people hang out and watch from over here...
Honestly, what do you think's gonna happen when the blind guy has to work with the deaf guy to carry the guy with no legs across a river? Isn't there a high risk of it becoming a laughing matter instead of something that awakens admiration?
Oh and I'm sure we'll get a love story in there as well, so that people can keep thinking how good it is that the disabled ones get to meet other disabled people, where it's actually quite common that you're in a relationship with someone who doesn't have any disabilities at all.
My next issue is who they're gonna choose to represent the different groups, considering medias tendency to pick the least suitable for the job when it comes to other reality shows. I know blind people who can't take their own trash out, because they claim they don't know where to put it, where as other blind people travel the world and enjoy doing it. But which picture will they choose to present to the public?
If they're genuinely interested in letting the world know that we can do anything a person without any form of disabilities can do, then perhaps the media should start giving space to all the sports organizations and the like, which do a wonderful job when it comes to giving people opportunities and confidence whether they have physical disabilities or not.
And if it has to be a reality show,the only solution is to let people with disabilities on to the regular reality shows along with the so called "normal" people. Preferably "Survivor" or it's swedish answer "Expedition Robinson" or something like that, which actually requiers that the participants have a brain . Oops, I guess I forgot that people only want to watch morons these days, so that show probably doesn't exist anymore...
Actually, keeping the format they have right now wouldn't be a bad idea, as long as having a physical disabilaty is removed from the requirements.
Please join the facebook page to stop tv from broadcasting the freakshow now!
Showing posts with label Blindness issues. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blindness issues. Show all posts
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
the Blind Driver Challenge
Ever heard of a project called "the Blind Driver Challenge"?
It's being done by the NFB, National Federation of the Blind in the U.S.
the blind driver challenge is a project between the NFB, and Virginia Tech to come up with a car that the blind could drive safely. Not a car that just drives the person around on autopilot mind you.
The project Emphasises that the blind individuals themselves will be able to drive the car, actively making the driving decisions based on input they get from various scensors etc.
you can read more about it here
On the surface, this looks like an awesome project! And in a way, it is. I can't think of a blind person who doesn't dream of being able to drive. I know I do!
Even in cities with the best of public transit, Taking the bus or subway is often a major inconvenience when compared with jumping in your car and driving somewhere. Getting from one place to another takes an age, not to mention trying to run a whole variety of errands in one afternoon. The only real easy way to do that is if the places you need to go to are all within walking distance of one another.
If we have no dreamers, no inventors, no one who is adventurous and dares to try, we'd never get anywhere as a society.
Driving would of course be an incredible leap forward for us, a thing that neither the sighted public, nor the blind community, ever thought possible and, it would be an amazing feat of technological advancement as well.
To those who say this project is impossible, I say, wait and see. It may take years, but just wait and see...
Lets not for get the issues though!
And now to my issues with this project. C'mon, you knew I'd get to that eventually. I rarely feel the need to write about something unless I have some kind of issue with it.
Firstable, there are bigger fish to fry!
I think there are far more important things that not just the NFB, but all the blindness organizations of the world should be focusing on right now.
Did you know that the unemployment rate for blind people in the U.S. is around 70 percent. This is not in any way unusual. Here in Sweden it's around 50 % and, I have similar issues with the blindness organization over here. They're simply not doing enough to change the situation for the better.
Most blind people I know are unemployed and, most blind people I know who are lucky enough to have a job are vastly overqualified for it.
Second, did you know that with advances in technology, many blind children are not being taught to read Braille?
This of course means that they never learn to read at all, cause it has now become so important to save money, that being able to listen to the information is considered to be good enough.
But what does that leave us with? Ah yeh, a bunch of illiterate children and adults...
But So what if the education for blind children is deteriorating? As long as the fact that they're actually illiterate is hidden behind the fact that they all got to go to school.
I think all blindness organizations needs to set their priorities on employment and education of the blind themselves, as well as a better education of society in general, as to inlighten the sighted community of the true capabilities of the blind.
Third, the blind driver challenge has become a total PR stunt on part of the NFB.
The PR may not be all bad, and there is a good reason for it. Society doesn't give a damn about the statistics like the unemployment rate for blind or otherwise disabled individuals. They pay attention to things that make a splash, and this certainly does. Thus far I agree, But I still don't like the aproach NFB is taking.
I learned from Alicia, that They recently put out a press release talking about how everybody got the chance to drive a prototype of the car at the Daytona Speedway and, how this was an achievement for and by all blind people. But in reality only one of the organizations national leaders drove the car and, unfortunately the blind folks in attendance to witness this were not allowed to examine the car in any way. In fact, they could not even touch the car at all.
Apparently NFB has put out a question to its lists, asking for people to submit stories of how the blind driver challenge project has profoundly effected their lives. But how can it effect the lives of anyone, when the members seem to be excluded from the project, except, of course, in propaganda?
And last, but not least: The car being used for this whole thing is a Ford Escape Hybrid.
Yes you read it right; Hybrid!!
This means that they're using the very kind of car they lobby against, without the adaptations they are lobbying for. And, that part is cirtainly held back in all of the press releases about this.
You see This is a "quiet car." It doesn't even have any of the additional auditory mechanisms that the NFB has lobbied auto-makers to put into these cars to make them less dangerous to the blind.
Can we say hypocrites?
It's being done by the NFB, National Federation of the Blind in the U.S.
the blind driver challenge is a project between the NFB, and Virginia Tech to come up with a car that the blind could drive safely. Not a car that just drives the person around on autopilot mind you.
The project Emphasises that the blind individuals themselves will be able to drive the car, actively making the driving decisions based on input they get from various scensors etc.
you can read more about it here
On the surface, this looks like an awesome project! And in a way, it is. I can't think of a blind person who doesn't dream of being able to drive. I know I do!
Even in cities with the best of public transit, Taking the bus or subway is often a major inconvenience when compared with jumping in your car and driving somewhere. Getting from one place to another takes an age, not to mention trying to run a whole variety of errands in one afternoon. The only real easy way to do that is if the places you need to go to are all within walking distance of one another.
If we have no dreamers, no inventors, no one who is adventurous and dares to try, we'd never get anywhere as a society.
Driving would of course be an incredible leap forward for us, a thing that neither the sighted public, nor the blind community, ever thought possible and, it would be an amazing feat of technological advancement as well.
To those who say this project is impossible, I say, wait and see. It may take years, but just wait and see...
Lets not for get the issues though!
And now to my issues with this project. C'mon, you knew I'd get to that eventually. I rarely feel the need to write about something unless I have some kind of issue with it.
Firstable, there are bigger fish to fry!
I think there are far more important things that not just the NFB, but all the blindness organizations of the world should be focusing on right now.
Did you know that the unemployment rate for blind people in the U.S. is around 70 percent. This is not in any way unusual. Here in Sweden it's around 50 % and, I have similar issues with the blindness organization over here. They're simply not doing enough to change the situation for the better.
Most blind people I know are unemployed and, most blind people I know who are lucky enough to have a job are vastly overqualified for it.
Second, did you know that with advances in technology, many blind children are not being taught to read Braille?
This of course means that they never learn to read at all, cause it has now become so important to save money, that being able to listen to the information is considered to be good enough.
But what does that leave us with? Ah yeh, a bunch of illiterate children and adults...
But So what if the education for blind children is deteriorating? As long as the fact that they're actually illiterate is hidden behind the fact that they all got to go to school.
I think all blindness organizations needs to set their priorities on employment and education of the blind themselves, as well as a better education of society in general, as to inlighten the sighted community of the true capabilities of the blind.
Third, the blind driver challenge has become a total PR stunt on part of the NFB.
The PR may not be all bad, and there is a good reason for it. Society doesn't give a damn about the statistics like the unemployment rate for blind or otherwise disabled individuals. They pay attention to things that make a splash, and this certainly does. Thus far I agree, But I still don't like the aproach NFB is taking.
I learned from Alicia, that They recently put out a press release talking about how everybody got the chance to drive a prototype of the car at the Daytona Speedway and, how this was an achievement for and by all blind people. But in reality only one of the organizations national leaders drove the car and, unfortunately the blind folks in attendance to witness this were not allowed to examine the car in any way. In fact, they could not even touch the car at all.
Apparently NFB has put out a question to its lists, asking for people to submit stories of how the blind driver challenge project has profoundly effected their lives. But how can it effect the lives of anyone, when the members seem to be excluded from the project, except, of course, in propaganda?
And last, but not least: The car being used for this whole thing is a Ford Escape Hybrid.
Yes you read it right; Hybrid!!
This means that they're using the very kind of car they lobby against, without the adaptations they are lobbying for. And, that part is cirtainly held back in all of the press releases about this.
You see This is a "quiet car." It doesn't even have any of the additional auditory mechanisms that the NFB has lobbied auto-makers to put into these cars to make them less dangerous to the blind.
Can we say hypocrites?
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
A victory in the war against inaccessibility
Remember the software that I mentioned in:
A ray of hope
for accessibility?
It works! It is now possible to comment on blogs and forums, and register an account at all the inaccesible sites where they don't have a funcional audio option for the security capchas. This means that there'll be a lot less frustration in my day to day life! It may not seem that important to you. But to me, everything that prevents me from doing what I want to do, just because I'm blind, is highly irritating. Especially when it would be so easy to fix if people could get it into their heads, that what is necessary for some, is good enough for everybody.
It's not very complicated at all to add the audio as an option, and it should be pretty obvious, that when the audio version's already in place,it's just as important to see to that it works as it is to make sure that you don't have any other broken links on your site.
The capchas have been an every day problem for me ever since I started blogging, and I know that they cause problems for the visually impaired all over the world.
According to WHO, the world health organization, about 314 million people are visually impaired worldwide today, and 45 million of them are totally blind. I realise of course that not all of them own a computer, but there's definitely enough of us to where it stands to reason that accessibility should be taken under consideration by everybody out there who has any chance of facilitating matters for us. Especially if you take into account that the number of people with low vission is expected to have doubled by the year 2020.
If you know of anyone who could be helped by a service that translates the capchas and sends the information to your clipboard with in just a few seconds, please tell them to visit:
Webvisum.com
A ray of hope
for accessibility?
It works! It is now possible to comment on blogs and forums, and register an account at all the inaccesible sites where they don't have a funcional audio option for the security capchas. This means that there'll be a lot less frustration in my day to day life! It may not seem that important to you. But to me, everything that prevents me from doing what I want to do, just because I'm blind, is highly irritating. Especially when it would be so easy to fix if people could get it into their heads, that what is necessary for some, is good enough for everybody.
It's not very complicated at all to add the audio as an option, and it should be pretty obvious, that when the audio version's already in place,it's just as important to see to that it works as it is to make sure that you don't have any other broken links on your site.
The capchas have been an every day problem for me ever since I started blogging, and I know that they cause problems for the visually impaired all over the world.
According to WHO, the world health organization, about 314 million people are visually impaired worldwide today, and 45 million of them are totally blind. I realise of course that not all of them own a computer, but there's definitely enough of us to where it stands to reason that accessibility should be taken under consideration by everybody out there who has any chance of facilitating matters for us. Especially if you take into account that the number of people with low vission is expected to have doubled by the year 2020.
If you know of anyone who could be helped by a service that translates the capchas and sends the information to your clipboard with in just a few seconds, please tell them to visit:
Webvisum.com
Saturday, October 30, 2010
a ray of hope for accessibility
I still haven't been able to solve my issue with the audio option for the word verification on here, which means that I still can't post comments on most of your blogs. Personally I deactivated that option, since I figure that as long as I have comment moderation, no spam is gonna get through anyway. Besides, if a visually impaired person by any chance should find my blog, it would be rediculous for me to have it activated when I'm aware of that it rarely works. I don't understand how blogger can be so negligent when it comes to accessibility! They obviously haven't heard that 2010 is the year of accessibility. Though that could actually be something that is unique for Sweden. I'm not sure to tell you the truth. But if it is; it's definitely time for the rest of the world to catch up!
Anyway, I didn't name the post "a ray of hope for accessibility" to keep complaining. But actually to let you know that there's a site called:
Webvisum.com, which is suppose to have a software that can help the visually impaired to solve the problem with capchas. It only works with firefox, so I guess I'll have to change my browser as well, but it'll be worth it a million times over, if I can get rid of this dayly frustration with neither being able to post comments nor follow blogs. Or at least not unless my son is in the mood to read the visual capcha. He is actually really nice about it, but I don't wanna ask him too often. How many 13-year-olds do you know who wants to sit around and read stupid word verifications all day long, so that their moms can post comments on a bunch of blogs that is of no relevance when you're 13? We have yet to see how good it'll work, since I need an invitation code to be able to download the software, but I'm hopeful at least, and that's a good feeling.
Oh and there's another thing on the bright side of accessibility as well. I almost forgot about that. But Bodog finally wrote us back, and they'll be looking into the matter with making their site accessible. I know we're not even half way there, but at least now there's a ray of hope for our:
Accessible Poker Project
Anyway, I didn't name the post "a ray of hope for accessibility" to keep complaining. But actually to let you know that there's a site called:
Webvisum.com, which is suppose to have a software that can help the visually impaired to solve the problem with capchas. It only works with firefox, so I guess I'll have to change my browser as well, but it'll be worth it a million times over, if I can get rid of this dayly frustration with neither being able to post comments nor follow blogs. Or at least not unless my son is in the mood to read the visual capcha. He is actually really nice about it, but I don't wanna ask him too often. How many 13-year-olds do you know who wants to sit around and read stupid word verifications all day long, so that their moms can post comments on a bunch of blogs that is of no relevance when you're 13? We have yet to see how good it'll work, since I need an invitation code to be able to download the software, but I'm hopeful at least, and that's a good feeling.
Oh and there's another thing on the bright side of accessibility as well. I almost forgot about that. But Bodog finally wrote us back, and they'll be looking into the matter with making their site accessible. I know we're not even half way there, but at least now there's a ray of hope for our:
Accessible Poker Project
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