Drivers' Manual in Braille

Why would anyone need the drivers' manual in Braille?

The driver's manual is a good example of a reference document containing valuable vocabulary, concise statements of state law or convention and many other kinds of valuable information. Because it is a reference document, it may be used by many kinds of people such as teachers, interpreters, people in a wide variety of professions who may or may not drive themselves.

As for the legally blind drivers and drivers' manual in braille issues, a couple comments:

--There are tests underway of various devices intended to allow blind people to drive. RantWoman has no opinion of this beyond her general point that her goal would be to reduce driving by everyone so why the heck would she invest anything in such devices?


--State practices vary widely. Some states will in some situations require doctor signoff or extra mirrors as well as glasses. RantWoman does not know without research much about how vision requirements are set for drivers' licenses, but would definitely not think they guarantee drivers see well.

--RantWoman for instance knows a couple blind interpreters who might indeed need to read the drivers' manual for instance as part of research or preparation for their job. Many states solve the problem of alternate formats by posting the drivers' manual online as a pdf document. Then the person using it deals with access issues.

(As an aside, RantWoman quite frequently gets asked whether Aunt Tillie or Grandpa should quit driving. RantWoman has already made her biases clear: Of Course. Look at RantMom. She moved to Seattle, took one look at a number of points and said "no thank you." Indeed, for an older person not driving at all can have a HUGE impact on life and social connections. Here too state regulations and practices: if you have the SLIGHTEST doubt about someone's fitness to drive, talk to them. RantWOman knows many seniors who drive limited routes limited hours. On the other hand, if talking to a person does not work, talk to his or her doctor; talk to the state licensing authority. In short, HOW the heck would RantWoman know but YOU can act on what you know.)

Lawyer-induced Disclaimer and Advisory: RantWoman is not a lawyer. This item is for educational purposes, not legal advice. Mention in RantWoman's blog does not imply exclusive endorsement or automatic suitability for any specific situation. Based on observations of others and on RantWoman's experience, lawyers' areas of specializations and levels of expertise vary widely. In addition, the fastest route to good workable solutions for ADA concerns may or may not be through lawyers.