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Blind and Visually Impaired Community

Full History - 2021 - 11 - 21 - ID#qyv6oa
16
Rooms for blind users in a library - concerns about their comfort (self.Blind)
submitted by LWSilverMoon
Disclaimer: I'm sighted, and english isn't my first language. I hope everything is intelligible.

I work in a library. We don't ask people to be vaccinated to come in, and obviously everyone needs to wear a mask. The only way to not wear one is to provide us with a certificate from your doctor.

This library has 5 little rooms our blind users can use. There's a lot of materials inside (a computer that zooms in, text-to-speech, braille display, etc.). To use these rooms, you need to phone us to book one in advance. Not a lot of people use them, so we generally don't have a problem finding a room for everyone at the schedule they want.

Recently, our higher-ups have entertained the idea of allowing access of these rooms to the people who can't wear masks, so they're not sitting among the rest of the users. My coworkers and I have multiple concerns, a bunch of them directly related to the blind users. I'm going to try to state a few things in an unbiased way:

* The rooms are soundproof, so they are very small. However, we clean them to the best of our ability between each users, especially with covid still around.
* There is nothing in the room specifically interesting for the sighted users. There's no reason for them to use or touch the material, but they might.
* There's little way for us to check if a certificate is real, so we've had people abuse the system.
* It's hard to tell in advance, but if too much people start asking for them, it would make it harder to find a room for our blind users when they want one.

So, I wanted to know what you guys would think of this? Would you be ok with sighted users using these rooms too? It feels unfair to me, but I don't know for sure.
JosephSeabourne 16 points 1y ago
So first these rooms actually sound like a really nice idea!
I also agree that sighted people shouldn't be allowed in because they don't use a mask. There should be another area for that purpose.
LWSilverMoon [OP] 9 points 1y ago
Thank you, glad it wasn't just me. I'll try to tell my higher-ups.
not_so_kawaii13 5 points 1y ago
Agreed. Don't cater to sighted people because they choose to be ignorant.
TwoSunsRise 15 points 1y ago
If you do that, I would dedicate one room to people without masks. Keep the other four for blind people and don't mix them for safety reasons.
FaerilyRowanwind 12 points 1y ago
The fact these rooms exist in a library is the most amazing thing ever. Good job on actually being accessible. The only reason you don’t have as much use is because this doesn’t exist everywhere and it’s very possible people don’t know it exists to use it it. It needs to be promoted. That said. It also needs to stay safe. Blind people touch everything. I can see unmasked people not caring and sneezing on everything
rumster 5 points 1y ago
A lot of work by people in light houses and friends
Wulflord104 11 points 1y ago
That is definitely not ok, that space is reserved for the Blind and visually impaired users people who are already at a disadvantage if people don't want to wear a mask try outdoor seating
Berenice101 9 points 1y ago
Xighted people shouldn’t be in these rooms especially if there’s nothing for them.
By the way the blind rooms are a cool idea.
Tarnagona 6 points 1y ago
Clear out one or two of the rooms, and make that the maskless people zone, while reserving the other rooms for blind people because 1) blind people need to touch a lot of thing, and letting the maskless people breath on everything the blind person has to touch to use is unfair to the blind person, and 2) that equipment is hecking expensive but random people off the street won’t realize that, or know how to use it, so are more likely to break things by fiddling with them.
astrolurus 6 points 1y ago
Hmmm i would not put it past some sighted people to break a $$$$-$ braille display or CCTV. Definitely move the equipment if you go for that plan.
LWSilverMoon [OP] 3 points 1y ago
We get a fair amount of assholes with anger issues, people who just want to "win" in some ways (by not abiding by the rules, in any way possible) or people with some mental issues, so that's totally possible
ukifrit 2 points 1y ago
What type of certificate gives you authorisation to not wear a mask? I’m sincerely curious.
I think if these people want not to use masks they should have an outdoors space for them. Putting them on the “blind rooms” will only make it more likely for something to get messed up
LWSilverMoon [OP] 1 points 1y ago
>What type of certificate gives you authorisation to not wear a mask?

Well... None, really. Their doctor can write them a note attesting of their medical situation and their difficulty wearing a mask, but I don't think it legally obligate us to allow them to enter.

If you ask me, I really don't like this. Them gambling their health is one thing, but they could still carry the virus.
ukifrit 1 points 1y ago
I know some conditions which actually might make it very uncomfortable / impossible to wear masks. They are extremely rare.
Tbh, using masks isn't that comfortable for me too. But it's like using a judogi, you just get used to it.
AllHarlowsEve 2 points 1y ago
I agree that it sounds like a bad idea. The people who want to go out and be in public, specifically maskless, aren't exactly the kind of people I would trust arund $5000+ pieces of technology.

If they insist to do this, I'd say to leave 3 rooms as is, and take the expensive, blind-specific tech out of the rooms that you're putting these people into.
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