[etni] [FWD: great text]

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> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject: great text
> From: "Avraham Roos Israel" <avrahamr@xxxxxxxxx>
> Date: Tue, October 26, 2004 9:45 am
> To: ask@xxxxxxxx
> 
> Hi,
> 
> 
> 
> While writing a text on the use of computers for visually impaired people, I 
> found this great text. I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I did.
> 
> Avraham Roos
> 
> (source: http://www.cabln.org/blindnes.htm)
> 
> SIGHTED ETTIQUETTE
> 
> WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU MEET A SIGHTED PERSON
> People who use their eyes to receive information about the world are called 
> sighted people or "people who are sighted." Legal "sight" means any visual 
> acuity greater than 20/200 in the better eye without correction or an angle 
> of vision wider than 20 degrees. sighted people enjoy rich full lives, 
> working, playing and raising families. They run businesses, hold public 
> office and teach YOUR children!
> 
> HOW DO SIGHTED PEOPLE GET AROUND? People who are sighted may walk or ride 
> public transportation, but most choose to travel long distances by operating 
> their own motor vehicles. They have gone through many hours of training, at 
> great expense, to learn the "rules of the road" to further their 
> independence. Once that road to freedom has been mastered, sighted people 
> earn a legal classification and a "Driver's License" that allows them to 
> operate a private vehicle safely and independently. Sighted people cannot 
> function well in low lighting conditions and are generally completely 
> helpless in total darkness. Their homes are usually very brightly lit at 
> great expense, as are businesses that cater to the sighted consumer.
> 
> HOW CAN I BEST COMMUNICATE WITH SIGHTED PEOPLE? Sighted people are 
> accustomed to viewing the world in visual terms. This means that in many 
> situations, they will not be able to communicate orally and may resort to 
> pointing or other gesturing. They may also use subtle facial expressions to 
> convey feelings in social situations. Calmly alert the sighted person to his 
> or her surroundings by speaking slowly, in a normal tone of voice. There is 
> no need to raise your voice when addressing a sighted person. Questions 
> directed to the sighted person help them focus on verbal rather than visual 
> and gestural communication.
> 
> HOW CAN I ASSIST A SIGHTED PERSON? At times, sighted people may need help 
> finding things, especially when operating a motor vehicle. Your advance 
> knowledge of routes and landmarks, particularly bumps in the road, turns and 
> traffic lights, will assist the "driver" in finding the way quickly and 
> easily. Your knowledge of building layouts can also assist the sighted 
> person in navigating complex shopping malls and offices. Sighted people tend 
> to be very proud and will not ask directly for assistance. Be gentle, yet 
> firm.
> 
> HOW DO SIGHTED PEOPLE READ? Sighted people read through a system called 
> "Print." Print is a series of images drawn in a two dimensional plane. 
> Because the person who is sighted relies exclusively on visual information, 
> his or her attention span tends to fade quickly when reading long texts. 
> People who are sighted generally have a poorly developed sense of touch. 
> Braille is completely foreign to the sighted person and he or she will take 
> longer to learn the code and be severely limited by his or her existing 
> visual senses.
> 
> HOW DO SIGHTED PEOPLE USE COMPUTERS? Computer information is presented to 
> sighted people in a "Graphical User Interface" or GUI. Sighted people often 
> suffer from hand-eye coordination problems and poor memories. To accommodate 
> these difficulties, people who are sighted use a "mouse," a handy device 
> that slides along the desk top to save confusing keystrokes. With one 
> button, the sighted person can move around his or her computer screen 
> quickly and easily. People who are sighted are not accustomed to synthetic 
> speech and may have great difficulty understanding even the clearest 
> synthesizer. Be patient and prepared to explain many times how YOUR computer 
> equipment works.
> 
> HOW CAN I SUPPORT A SIGHTED PERSON? People who are sighted do not want your 
> charity. They want to live, work and play along with you. The best thing you 
> can do to support sighted people in your community is to open yourself to 
> their world. These citizens are vital, contributing members of society. Take 
> a sighted person to lunch today!!!

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