Dennis McCormack: In His Own Words

Filed under: Themes, Blind Visionaries

If you’ve been following Irked this week, then you know that Dartmouth, Nova Scotia-based Dennis McCormack, founder and former editor of the Atlantic Braille Press, has been a tireless and vocal opponent of the Halifax Regional Municipality’s forthcoming bus pass policy change. Here are some samples from the myriad letters that Dennis has been writing to local newspapers, with additional clippings taken from an editorial Dennis wrote for the Chronicle-Herald titled “No winners in decision to cancel free transit passes” (published 2009-01-15):

>> They made their announcement at Christmas time, the season of good will to all.

>> It came as a shock to learn that on July 1st blind and visually impaired persons with ten percent vision or less will no longer be able to use their metro transit pass. Our transportation expenses will increase by [several] hundred dollars a year and we will experience a more segregated life style… This Christmas present from Mayor Kelly and management of transit serves to remind me that Scrooge is alive and well in our land, that the poor will always be with us, and that someone will always be needed to shoulder blame for our economic woes. Blind persons have become the villains…

>> I was puzzled to learn that transit removed our bus pass, in part, because they are afraid disabled groups will take legal action against them. I hope the following observation will be helpful: Your decision to take away our pass was motivated by good will. You are trying to avoid a greater evil by taking away the pass.

>> I wish to provide the following information to readers: I am deeply concerned about the financial hardship that will be experienced by blind and visually impaired persons if the pass is removed in June. I have asked transit management to restore the pass for visually impaired persons. This action would send a very positive message to all citizens of HRM and be well received by volunteers who drive visually impaired persons in their communities.

>> Legal sanctions in themselves cannot make us good citizens to one another. Laws do not make us good, good men make good laws.

>> I see the employees of transit as my friends. I am asking you to have courage, listen to your hearts and minds in this matter, and reverse your decision based on the truth revealed to you. This truth is in things, not ideas. It’s embedded in acts of goodness, not fear.

>> The money saved from this decision does nothing to solve transit’s financial woes, does nothing to assist persons with other physical disabilities who have given any thought to the matter at all, and serves to isolate and further impoverish the [hundreds of] persons with serious sight impairment now using transit. They are the losers and there are no winners in this strange manner of decision making… Transit can build a whole fleet of modern buses designed to assist seniors and physically disabled persons but this act does not change the fate of the losers—blind and visually impaired users of transit.

>> We were able to make friends and help our community be a better place to abide in. For fifty years metro transit was behind us, encouraging us, believing in us… Suddenly metro transit support, and common sense, vanished at Christmas Time… Management no longer cares about social integration. This puzzles me. They know that blind and visually impaired persons of working age have a seventy percent unemployment rate, a higher unemployment rate than other major disability groups. They know that the income of these persons is well under the national average and they have known this since the pass was given out to those with serious vision loss over fifty years ago.

>> …Real charity is too much to expect from an enlightened ruling class… Our leaders are turning back the clock. They seem to be saying, “If we are going to have a depression, let’s have a real bad one.” Surely the way to meet a depression is to help one another, including the weakest members of our society, find solutions in an atmosphere of justice rather than discrimination.

>> To the drivers of metro transit, and the CNIB, thank you for being so helpful for so many years. We welcome your support during this difficult time. You can promote freedom and fraternity. It happened to the south of us and can happen here.

>> Recently the CNIB attempted to get Metro Transit to reverse its decision to take away bus passes from blind patrons in HRM. Transit refused to reverse its decision. However I understand they will be reviewing matters with respect to all disabled persons.

>> I want to thank the CNIB for trying to get Metro Transit, an arm of the municipality of Halifax, to reverse its decision to take away bus passes from blind and visually impaired persons. The cnib did not succeed in getting metro transit and the disability committee to reverse their decision. The best we can now expect is a small reduction in fares, if that.

>> This reminds us of the famous argument that says if we allow blind persons to get the pass we must extend this privilege to all patrons. The facts are that the decision to take away our passes is an act of discrimination against blind persons in this case.

>> The decision by the municipality and transit sends the wrong message to the citizens of Halifax. The message is that our government leaders do not believe blind persons should get any assistance with transportation, thereby encouraging volunteers in every walk of life to adopt the same attitude toward blind persons. Blindness will no longer be every one’s concern. Blind and visually impaired persons have the right to work, be educated, and socialize in this city. This decision to take away our pass denies this reality.

>> I encourage the management of Metro Transit and the Mayor to reverse their decision.

>> Are blind persons losing their status as a group needing help at the municipal level of politics? I would however like to thank transit for their past support. I encourage management to reconsider their decision in an objective manner.

>> Transit already gives seniors a discount fare but does not extend this privilege to users of all ages. Transit knows that seniors are in special need. Blind patrons of transit are also in special need. We seek employment opportunities, education, socialization and communication with others. We experience plenty of isolation in this world. We do not welcome even more isolation.

To learn more about Dennis McCormack, and to purchase his absolutely beautiful music, visit http://www.dennismccormack.ca.

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