Hello listers,
This link takes you to a survey on the ethics of Medical Marijuana. It is
not specific to blindness, although one of the scenarios involves a blind
person.
This survey is being conducted through the Commission on Rehabilitation
Counselor Certification (CRCC), but I found it interesting given national
trends.
<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__uark.qualtrics.com_SE_-
3FSID-3DSV-5FbscsFp1mKEXL7et&d=BQMFaQ&c=JL-fUnQvtjNLb7dA39cQUcqmjBVITE8MbOdX
7Lx6ge8&r=dbS3ibBaeMl9YKvmEUQ0YA&m=7cBN9t3Pw3h-EXu40RSe4cJx2R-JC6wxhr3LN5Ho7
oU&s=O8xnJFP1BODcdQS7q06g3MsiqqoUIdTBxG8ZVWh3YOE&e=>
http://uark.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_bscsFp1mKEXL7et
Edward C. Bell, Ph.D., CRC, NOMC
Director, Professional Development and Research
Institute on Blindness
Louisiana Tech University
210 Woodard Hall
PO Box 3158
Ruston LA 71272
Office: 318.257.4554 Fax: 318.257.2259 (Fax)
Skype: edwardbell2010
<mailto:ebell at latech.edu> ebell at latech.edu
<http://www.pdrib.com> www.pdrib.com
**************************************************************
"I am somehow less interested in the weight and convolutions of Einstein's
brain than in the near certainty that people of equal talent have lived and
died in cotton fields and sweatshops."
-- Stephen Jay Gould
Dr. Suneeta Kercood, of Butler University, in collaboration with Dr. Edward
Bell, of the Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness,
are conducting a research project on Health and Physical activity of
Individuals with Visual Impairments.
The purpose of this research is to help medical and education professionals
understand how to best address the health needs of people with visual
impairments and to provide positive examples to others with visual
challenges.
This survey asks questions to understand the following items.
. What is easy and difficult for you in having a healthy lifestyle including
physical and other health-related activities.
. The kinds of foods you eat and exercise you do and participate in.
. Experiences with doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals
. How you perceive yourself, your health, and all your achievements.
Please use the following link to access the survey.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HAPAOIWVI
For your participation, you may choose to enter a raffle for a chance to win
a $25 gift card.
If you choose to participate in the research, your responses to the
questions in this survey, and any future studies related to this project,
will be kept confidential. All responses are reported in aggregate. Your
name will not be associated with your responses or comments.
Please feel free to pass this survey link to others who might like to share
their opinions.
Please feel free to contact Dr. Kercood if you have any questions about this
project.
The research team sincerely appreciates your participation.
Dr. Suneeta Kercood
skercood at butler.edu <mailto:skercood at butler.edu>
Butler University,
4600 Sunset Avenue, Indianapolis, IN
Edward C. Bell, Ph.D., CRC, NOMC
Director, Professional Development and Research
Institute on Blindness
Louisiana Tech University
210 Woodard Hall
PO Box 3158
Ruston LA 71272
Office: 318.257.4554 Fax: 318.257.2259 (Fax)
Skype: edwardbell2010
<mailto:ebell at latech.edu> ebell at latech.edu
<http://www.pdrib.com> www.pdrib.com
**************************************************************
"I am somehow less interested in the weight and convolutions of Einstein's
brain than in the near certainty that people of equal talent have lived and
died in cotton fields and sweatshops."
-- Stephen Jay Gould
From: Gary Wunder [mailto:gwunder at earthlink.net]
Sent: Thursday, January 21, 2016 12:49 PM
To: garywunder at earthlink.net
Subject: Please help if you can
Dear family, friends, and colleagues:
I don't usually write to everyone in my address book, but I have an urgent
issue I would like you to think about supporting. Today, true access to
society means access to the internet, and although many of us think that the
Americans With Disabilities Act has leveled the playing field for blind
people, it was passed before the Internet was a factor. Although it speaks
clearly to public access, it is mostly talking about physical structures.
There is no question that a store has to let blind people in to shop. There
is no question that a restaurant must allow someone with a cane or a guide
dog into their establishment and must serve them. But the question that must
be resolved is whether public places means physical locations or any
location where the public is invited and encouraged to spend money. I
contend that the internet is just such a place and that Amazon's online
presence is no different from Barnes & Noble's store.
Although the courts have issued conflicting opinions on this, most rulings
have said that the Americans With Disabilities Act would most certainly have
included the internet had it been passed only three years later. The Justice
Department agrees, and so does the Congress. The problem is that the Justice
Department has not implemented the amendments to the Americans With
Disabilities Act that was passed by the Congress by issuing regulations
necessary for its enforcement. The Obama administration now says that it
plans to wait until 2018 to issue such regulations. Of course, there will be
no Obama administration in 2018, and every delay makes it easier for the
next president to authorize another delay.
If you believe that it is important for me to be able to check in at an
airport and to check out at a grocery store given that these both are
requiring interaction with electronic devices, please look at the petition
that I am including here, and if you feel as I do, please sign it. Some
barriers that I face simply cannot be removed. I cannot enjoy seeing the
stars in the sky or appreciate the beautiful colors that emerge in spring,
but with technology that we have readily available today, there is no reason
that I can't use a computer to read about these. The technological barriers
I face are not so much due to blindness as they are the unwillingness of
people to realize that there should be nonvisual ways of accessing much of
what the world has to offer. Thank you for helping me if you feel as I do.
Here is the link:
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/direct-us-department-justice-promp
tly-release-ada-internet-regulations
Gary Wunder, President
National Federation of the Blind of Missouri
