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Hey everybody! I hope you're all well, and staying out of the cold if applicable. I'd like to start today's entry off with a bit of exciting news. I'm getting a new neighbor! I actually had the opportunity to meet him and he's a good guy. He is scheduled to move in within the next few months or so. I titled this entry "Independence Is?" and there's a reason for that, which in large part goes back to the accessible paper money issue. Before I proceed any further, I want to mention that unfortunately this issue is still being heavily debated. So with that in mind, just what is independence and how do people achieve it? This question might well be answered somewhat differently by different people. That is all cool with me, but there is a problem which in my humble opinion needs to be brought to the table. That problem is that certain people, mainly members and leaders of a certain blindness "advocacy" organization, tend to really get defensive and very nasty when presented with an opposite viewpoint. Please be aware that I am speaking from the viewpoint of an outsider, since I have never been a member. But I have read numerous works of literature, and I've listened to a few diatribes espoused by leadership of this group. My brother and I were at one time on an email list hosted by our state chapter of this organization, but not for long. Apparently the list moderators and many others on list were pissed off just because my brother and I stated our opinion on a certain issue which has ended up being rather controversial. Well, that opinion got us kicked off the list. I'm not kidding, my brother and I were booted off an email discussion list not because we said something mean, not because we used offensive language, but because the "majority" in that case did not like what my brother and I had to say about the issue of audio description. I will talk more about audio description in a future entry, but just for the record my brother and I support all forms of this means of conveying information to people who cannot see well or who cannot see at all. But back to the issue at hand. It is very disheartening to me that this group, the group which hosts the email list, finds it necessary to launch personal attacks on people who are well-meaning but have a different viewpoint than said group. Take the issue of accessible paper currency, which I just mentioned. There is one nagging question which in my mind deserves an answer. How can a visually-impaired person who wants to have the independence and freedom so rightly deserved by each of us, not be in favor of accessible paper currency? Those of us with visual impairments make transactions all the time, just as do people who have perfect vision. Some of us fold our bills differently in order to distinguish one from another, but what if a bill somehow comes unfolded? Or what if we have difficulty folding these bills in the first place? There are such things as talking money identifiers. But there are three reasons why these are not a viable solution for everyone. First of all, not every single blind or visually-impaired person can afford one of these devices. I don't think I can afford one right now. The second reason for these devices not being the "cure-all" is that as with all technology, the devices aren't always consistent. Finally, who wants to carry around one of these devices with them wherever they go, only to have to fumble for it whenever the person has to pay for a grocery item, or what have you. Did I mention that even before the bills are folded, we need to know which denominations they are? Despite the immense cost of altering bills, the right thing to do would be to make them all accessible so that if nobody who can see is around to help us we are certain of each bill's denomination.