[Tektalkdiscussion] Fw: ABC SHOW ConductsSocial ExperimentbyHaving Store Clerk Shortchange Blind Person
Mark Blier
mblier at cox.net
Wed Jan 28 14:37:04 CST 2009
Waiting for 30 seconds to see what something is? How stupid is that?
Mark
----------
----- Original Message -----
From: Jim Ruby
To: 'Welcome to the Tek Talk Discussion list!'
Sent: Wednesday, January 28, 2009 1:33 PM
Subject: Re: [Tektalkdiscussion] Fw: ABC SHOW ConductsSocial ExperimentbyHaving Store Clerk Shortchange Blind Person
Yes, nice, but yet another device we must carry around. Build with the
technology we have now days, there is no reason a phone could not do this
for us. If it was software based and ported to several platforms, it could
be on its own hardware solution or in other devices such as mobile phones.
The knfb reader will do this, but it takes about 30 seconds or so to
identify the money and you have to sit there clicking pictures.
Maybe the ideal solution is to have the phone start taking a video and you
wave the money in front of the lens and hopefully it will get and read the
denomination correctly.
-----Original Message-----
From: tektalkdiscussion-bounces at accessibleworld.org
[mailto:tektalkdiscussion-bounces at accessibleworld.org] On Behalf Of Bob
Acosta
Sent: Wednesday, January 28, 2009 10:45 AM
To: Welcome to the Tek Talk Discussion list!
Subject: Re: [Tektalkdiscussion] Fw: ABC SHOW Conducts Social
ExperimentbyHaving Store Clerk Shortchange Blind Person
How much would this device cost? My Money Identifier cost 300 dollars. Bob
----- Original Message -----
From: Mark Blier <mailto:mblier at cox.net>
To: Welcome to the Tek Talk Discussion list!
<mailto:tektalkdiscussion at accessibleworld.org>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2009 11:33 PM
Subject: Re: [Tektalkdiscussion] Fw: ABC SHOW Conducts Social
ExperimentbyHaving Store Clerk Shortchange Blind Person
Hi, All,
I still say that the answer here is a portable programmable talking
money identifier. This way, the currency-handling infrastructure would not
need re-engineering at considerable expense.
Mark Blier
----------
----- Original Message -----
From: Bob Acosta <mailto:boacosta at pacbell.net>
To: tektalk discussion
<mailto:tektalkdiscussion at accessibleworld.org>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2009 5:23 PM
Subject: [Tektalkdiscussion] Fw: ABC SHOW Conducts Social
Experiment byHaving Store Clerk Shortchange Blind Person
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ardis Bazyn" <abazyn at bazyncommunications.com>
To: <CCB-L at googlegroups.com>; "blind students of California"
<California-BlindStudents at googlegroups.com>;
<rsva-l at acb.org>;
<rsva-board at acb.org>; <ivie at acb.org>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2009 1:56 PM
Subject: ABC SHOW Conducts Social Experiment by Having Store
Clerk
Shortchange Blind Person
> Tonight on ABC's long running show "What Would You Do?" a
segment has been
> devoted to how people react to a cashier in a bakery
shortchanging people
> who are blind.
>
> This show engineers a variety of different situations with
actors in order
> to reveal how or if general bystanders will react.
>
> ACB has consulted on this segment as we were contacted by
a producer of
> the
> show shortly after the Federal Court of Appeals decision
in May of last
> year. While we have not viewed the segment and therefore
can't endorse it,
> it is our understanding that the court case and the need
for accessible
> currency are mentioned during the peace. Below is a
description of the
> segment that is available at abc.com. It is important to
note that these
> individuals are blind actors and not sighted individuals
pretending to be
> blind. .
>
> One of the other segments on this evening's show deals
with individuals
> steeling while at an open house to see if people will
speak up or look the
> other way.
>
> The show will run this evening at 10:00 Eastern on ABC.
>
> Eric
>
> Store Clerk Shortchanges Blind Person
>
> ABC News Customers Speak Up When Clerk Shortchanges Blind
Person
>
> When a Person Who Can't See Is Handed Incorrect Change,
What Do You Do?
>
> By AUSTIN MILLS and ANN SORKOWITZ
>
> Jan. 27, 2009-
>
> It's easy to tell the difference between a $1, $5, $10 or
even $50 bill --
> that is, if you can see. But, if you're blind like more
than 1 million
> Americans,
>
> a simple shopping trip becomes a game of blind trust.
>
> Because U.S. bills are not distinguishable by size, shape
or texture,
>
> visually impaired people can't distinguish dollar amounts
>
> without assistance.
>
> They frequently have to rely on salesclerks or nearby
strangers.
>
> But what if the clerk or stranger is dishonest? ABC News
wanted to find
> out
> how people would respond if they noticed a cashier
shortchanging a blind
> customer.
>
> Watch the story tonight on ABC's "
>
> What Would You Do?"
>
> With the cooperation of Gencarelli's, a bakery in
Bloomfield, N.J., ABC
> News
> rigged the store with hidden cameras and hired two blind
actors to pose as
>
> customers and another actor to portray the unscrupulous
salesclerk.
>
> 'What Am I, the Heritage for the Blind?'
>
> It began as Pamela, the blind actress, waited in line and
other patrons
> started to overhear some demeaning dialogue from the
salesclerk.
>
> "Would Helen Keller step up to the front, please?"
>
> Pamela brushed the comment aside and proceeded to order a
cheesecake. She
> paid for the $16 cake with a $50 bill. After receiving her
change, she
> asked
> for
>
> assistance in deciphering the bills and was met with even
more harsh
> words.
>
> "What? I have to count this. What am I, the heritage for
the blind or
> something?"
>
> If this wasn't bad enough, the clerk also cheated her. He
handed her what
> he
> said were a $20 and a $10, but they were actually singles.
Would anyone
> step
>
> up to help the blind woman?
>
> The first group of customers to walk into the bakery sat
back and listened
> as the clerk's tirade went on for several minutes. Other
customers clearly
> noticed
>
> the cheating but seemed hesitant to take on the clerk. But
not Beth
> Carnicella, who stepped forward in defiance and told him,
"I don't think
> it's nice
>
> what you're doing."
>
> The clerk protested, saying that Pamela had received
correct change but
> Carnicella didn't buy it. Almost immediately, she changed
tactics and
> looked
> for
>
> someone else to clear this up.
>
> "Where's your boss? Where's your boss?" she demanded.
>
> After a minute of arguing, she was about to give up and
take her business
> elsewhere but couldn't bear to leave. That's when ABC News
let Carnicella
> in
> on
>
> the experiment and asked why she'd stepped up. Her answer:
"I guess that
> is
> how I was brought up."
>
> Group Rallies to Defend Pamela
>
> Later in the day, Jessica Gonzales stepped up to help the
blind actor.
> From
> the back of the line, she rushed to Pamela's aid, calling
out, "They're
> all
>
> singles, these are all singles. What are you doing?"
>
> Other people, who had been passively watching the action
unfold, began
> chiming in that she had in fact paid with a $50, not a
$20, as the clerk
> was
> now
>
> claiming.
>
> Gonzales persisted. "You're acting like a total idiot in
front of her,
> she's
> not a handicap," she said in a loud, firm voice. "Just
give her change."
>
> Now an angry mob of people formed behind Pamela, standing
with their arms
> crossed, glaring at the clerk. Just like Carnicella, they
refused to leave
> without
>
> talking to the manager.
>
> Later, another group defended Pamela. After they succeeded
in getting her
> money back, they continued to hold what appeared to be a
group therapy
> session.
>
> Store patron Debra Lichter told the clerk, "I used to work
with people
> about
> how to deal with people with disabilities, and I know you
thought you were
>
> being cheerful but you were very condescending to this
woman."
>
> Bystander Matthew Lichten added, "And I have to say, I am
a
> psychotherapist
> and you are the one with the disability."
>
> When the Actor Is a Blind Man
>
> But ABC News wondered what would happen if the blind woman
was swapped for
> a
> blind man named Adam? During half of Adam's shopping
trips, no one
> intervened
>
> on his behalf.
>
> Most people didn't explain why, although customer Yvette
McNeil said she
> didn't get involved because the "the guy behind the
counter looked mean."
>
> When people did come forward for the blind man, it seemed
that they were
> not
> only infuriated by the cheating but by their inability to
stop it.
>
> Marcia Errar, having witnessed the scene unfold, angrily
yelled at the
> clerk, "You don't need to work in here. Let me tell you
that. You don't
> know
> how
>
> to treat customers."
>
> When the clerk denied having cheated the customer, Fran
Rosamilia was so
> frustrated she asked, "Can you talk? You said that was a
$20 and that was
> a
> $10,
>
> and in his hand those were two ones." In fact, she was so
frustrated, she
> left without buying her cake.
>
> 'You're Really Being Rude'
>
> Throughout the course of the experiment people never said
a word until
> they
> actually saw the clerk shortchange the blind actors. They
often
> disregarded
>
> the clerk's initial snide remarks. That is, except for one
man named Nick
> Mitola.
>
> The clerk began in his usual manner, insulting the blind
actress about her
> disability. Mitola spoke up immediately. "You're really
being rude, just
> stop
>
> talking, you're getting deeper and deeper," he said
firmly.
>
> The clerk asked the actor, "Are you deaf too? I told you
three times."
>
> Mitola had finally had enough and could no longer contain
his disgust.
> "Wow.
> Shut up, Shut up! Enough's enough! Just shut up!" he
yelled.
>
> Later, Mitola explained that he owns a steak house down
the street and
> that
> "if one of my people ever ... I'd have pulled him out of
the counter and
> killed
>
> him in front of the customers. I swear to God I would
have."
>
> While Pamela and Adam take great pride in their
independence, they
> appreciated the strangers who stood up for them on their
behalf. But even
> more empowering,
>
> they said, would be to have a currency that would allow
them to
> distinguish
> the different bills, so that they wouldn't have to rely on
the honesty of
> strangers
>
> every time they shopped.
>
> Indeed, a federal appeals court recently ruled in favor of
the American
> Council of the Blind, concluding that the Treasury
Department was being
> discriminatory
>
> by failing to provide such a currency, paving the way for
a future
> redesign.
>
> Copyright C 2009 ABC News Internet Ventures
>
> Eric Bridges
>
> Director of Advocacy and Governmental Affairs
>
> American Council of the Blind
>
> 2200 Wilson Blvd. Suite 650
>
> Arlington, VA 22201
>
> Phone: (202) 467-5081
>
> Fax: (703) 465-5085
>
>
> Ardis Bazyn
> For inspirational speaking, business coaching, or writing:
> www.bazyncommunications.com
>
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