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Re: Blind Pro Triathlete filing suit against USAT [psychosyd] [ In reply to ]
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I chose to pursue the sport of triathlon as a way to engage in a healthy lifestyle, to set an example for my children about persevering in the face of adversity, and to model for others that one can still set ambitious goals in spite of life changing circumstances. I have been well received by fellow athletes at races and have been hugely inspired by those sighted guides who have committed to partnering with me for races and training purposes. Even though I’m not totally blind, I could not even dream of participating without guides. The fact of the matter is that most of us have great difficulty even finding training partners, and must rely on numerous training guides for the 3 prongs of the sport.
I network nationally in the visually impaired endurance community, encouraging and supporting visually impaired and blind athletes in both triathlon and marathon. To date, I only know one totally blind athlete in support of the blackout goggles rule. Aside from basic safety issues, the rule goes against the basic tenants of the American with Disabilities Act. The blackout goggles are not an accommodation (such as a tandem), and it actually creates an unreasonable restriction by further disabling a class of individuals. Almost as important is that we do this for fun, right? How many of you would want to participate in triathlon if you had to wear blackout goggles?
The way the rule is written now, all race directors should be enforcing the blackout goggles rule. The rules don’t even discriminate between domestic versus international competition. I’ve been told that the USAT Paratriathlon Committee is the one who recommended the rules to ITU, a committee with zero representation from the blind community. Now, USAT is taking shelter behind an organization which we can’t even approach.
Another thing that might interest some of you… Presently, there is no way for a visually impaired athlete to qualify for slots for world championships. VI triathletes cannot be folded into the age group mix due to the way we must participate. When you see a visually impaired athlete at a world championship event, it is because they received a lottery slot. So no, we can’t compete as age groupers, and no, we aren’t eligible for awards.
Aaron, along with others have been advocating for over a year to simply have representation on USAT committees governing disabled athletes and to add a 3 tier system for competition which is already being utilized nationally and internationally in other sports for the visually impaired:
Class B1
Possessing no light perception in either eye up to light perception, but inability to recognize the shape of a hand at any distance or in any direction.


Class B2
From ability to recognize the shape of a hand up to visual acuity of 20/600 and/or a visual field of less than five degrees in the best eye with the best practical eye correction.


Class B3
From visual acuity above 20/600 and up to visual acuity of 20/200 and/or a visual field of less than 20 degrees and more than five degrees in the best eye with the best practical eye correction.
Unfortunately, USAT does nothing in spite of public statements made against the blackout goggles rule. Aaron clearly has the most at stake, but I’ve spoken to him and he is a passionate advocate for all of us.
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Re: Blind Pro Triathlete filing suit against USAT [richhunter] [ In reply to ]
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Reading the various posts throughout the day, I find it interesting to see the polarity in opinion, personality, and understanding amoung the readers. As some have stated, you must truly walk a mile in someones shoes to be able to fully appreciate the position from which they are coming. Those of you who wish to have open debate and actually ask questions, i applaud you. For those who make statements with such certainty, I feel that this is unfortunate as you will surely be missing out on an opportunity to learn something about your fellow triathletes.
I personally have a unique view (no pun intended) on this subject and I hesitate to chime in, for fear of being ripped apart--but hey, what the heck, i've got thick skin.
My first 10 years of triathlon were under the guise of an age group athlete. Having been born with a degenerative eye condition I was able to compete alongside many of you at many Ironman races. However for the past three years i have been competing alongside Aaron and many other VI athletes.... I say "alongside" very loosely, as i consider myself ranked one of the faster VI athletes in North America, but rest assured Aaron is THE best.
The comments about "choosing" to be in the category and if i didn't want to wear the glasses, then i should just race age group; well those are pretty silly. TRUST ME! You do not want me racing solo on a course with you.
In fact in 2008 when my vision was "on the fence" with whether i should race solo or hang up the bike for good; i recieved many suggestions that i should not race age group as my vision was too poor.
For me to switch to para-triathlon in 2009 took a bit of my self esteem and dignity and threw it in the toilet. All the things i've accomplished as a solo triathlete seemed to be lost, when i hopped on the back of a tandem. Respect as an athlete was lost, when people called me a faker or a cheater. Again i say, YOU DON'T WANT ME TO RACE SOLO WITH YOU, as you would then be complaining "why did the stupid race director allow a blind guy to race with us? That is super dangerous"....
As my sight deteriorates, i must adapt on a daily basis, i can't run straight some days, i trip over everything, swimming even in a pool risks breaking a finger or smashing my head. For those that feel putting on the glasses just takes a bit of training, again i find this short sighted, ignorant, and just plain sad.
Aaron is not saying he wishes to race without glasses becasue he thinks he'll lose any advantage over totally blind athletes. Sure there is an advantage (in some regards) over a totally blind athlete, but what many people missing is the fact that the ITU and USAT just didn't want to do their homework. They wanted an easy fix, and thought they found that with the blackout rule.
There are seprate categories for blind athletes. Period!
There are plenty of diverse blind athletes capable of filling these 3 seperate categories. Period.

Aaron (along with many other VI athletes) are simply trying to be heard.
Like richhunter says, we are here to have fun.
I am here to enjoy the last bits of vision i have while i still have them, until i am totally blind in a few short years.

This is simply a case of safety, as even though i have 8-10% vision left, taking away even 1% would throw my world into a spin. It's not fun racing when you feel like you've drank all night and your world is spinning.

Let the VI individuals compete with the dignity and respect they deserve as athletes. We are not out there to cheat by riding tandems, we are not out there to "have our cake and eat it too"....
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Re: Blind Pro Triathlete filing suit against USAT [CanadaPC] [ In reply to ]
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I don't get it.

Arent there established standards for what constitutes a serious visual impairment? I do not know.

In other words, if a person cannot get a driver's license because they can't pass a vision test and are judged "legally blind", isn't that all it takes to compete as a "blind" competitor?

That seems like a reasonable standard since it is already in place with driving standards- if you can;t pass a driving vision test and are judged legally blind- then you qualify to race in the blind category.

Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com
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Re: Blind Pro Triathlete filing suit against USAT [CanadaPC] [ In reply to ]
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The issue is not tandems or dignity. You damn well better be allowed to race a tandem and run/swim with a guide in a non-draft race, perhaps in PC or in a tandem category. TTs often have tandem categories and no one blinks an eye (terrible pun there). This is not a discussion about someone that wants to have fun at a local race, the issue is ITU/USAT trying to establish the rules for elite level disabled competitors and competitions and the associated growing pains. The conversation will be most productive if it is kept inside those boundaries.

I'm not saying the goggles are the right way to go although they do offer one solution to the problem. The simple fact is that there cannot be 3 VI categories at the international level, but how do you make sure that the B/VI category is equal?
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Re: Blind Pro Triathlete filing suit against USAT [Tom Demerly] [ In reply to ]
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Tom,
Pretty much, i have never had a driver's license, but read richhunter's post above with the three classes, B1, B2, B3. These are established "levels of blindess" that exist in other sports and we are currently aware of a decent number of athletes that fit into each one. ITU/USAT want to make one giant BLIND CATEGORY that everyone will fit into (becasue they will all wear the blackout glasses).. However we are saying there is evidence to fulfill the 3 categories.

Think of an arm amputee, one may have 1-3 inches more of their arm remaining. Do they have an advantage in the swim? in controlling their bike?
According to ITU/USAT, by their logic, we should require a "leveler" in the playing field and make sure all apendages are equal. Wow would that be an interesting thread of that happened!

It is just a matter of people taking a bit of time to understand and ask intelligent questions, such as yours.. Thank you!
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Re: Blind Pro Triathlete filing suit against USAT [CanadaPC] [ In reply to ]
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I think the ITU and USAT have their heads so far up their collective a$$e$ on this one that they can lick their own colons like lollipops.

I think a 10 years could figure out this rule is unfair
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Re: Blind Pro Triathlete filing suit against USAT [thierry64] [ In reply to ]
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thierry64 wrote:
we make the life of big people easier, by having a clydesdale/athena division, perfectly knowing that a 6'5 200 pound is the same has a 5'6 140 pounds

my 2 cents

Can we leave the bullshit Clyde division out of this discussion? It never ceases to amaze me that an attribute that is an asset in most sports is treated as a special class in triathlon. I don't get much sympathy from 6'6" guys or play on a different court when I'm playing volleyball or basketball.
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Re: Blind Pro Triathlete filing suit against USAT [AaronT] [ In reply to ]
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AaronT wrote:
The issue is not tandems or dignity. You damn well better be allowed to race a tandem and run/swim with a guide in a non-draft race, perhaps in PC or in a tandem category. TTs often have tandem categories and no one blinks an eye (terrible pun there). This is not a discussion about someone that wants to have fun at a local race, the issue is ITU/USAT trying to establish the rules for elite level disabled competitors and competitions and the associated growing pains. The conversation will be most productive if it is kept inside those boundaries.

I'm not saying the goggles are the right way to go although they do offer one solution to the problem. The simple fact is that there cannot be 3 VI categories at the international level, but how do you make sure that the B/VI category is equal?

It has been kept inside those boundaries, however they got no where and so they decided to take the next step.
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Re: Blind Pro Triathlete filing suit against USAT [AaronT] [ In reply to ]
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Excuse my ignorance here, but why can not have 3 VI categories? ITU/USAT stated that it was not possible becasue the numbers were not there. AT NYC triathlon last year we had 30+ VI athletes.
Yes, not all were Aaron's level, but that number is only indicative of USA and Canadian athletes. There are plenty of VI athletes world wide.
Perhaps this is another thread topic, but i pose that question to you, in the utmost respect and with not sarcasm attatched. Why not 3 categories?
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Re: Blind Pro Triathlete filing suit against USAT [richhunter] [ In reply to ]
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I'm going to be a little off topic...but I'm originally from Michigan, and I find it entertaining that Richard Bernstein is representing him. The Bernstein commercials are hilarious with him because in them he is the only person facing the completely wrong way of the camera. As if his family didn't even care to correct him (as he is blind) in pointing him in the right direction TOWARD the camera.

Anyway...back on track...if US Triathlon changed the ruling, they would continue to sue for a quick buck.


< Quitting Isn't An Option >

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Re: Blind Pro Triathlete filing suit against USAT [Transgender] [ In reply to ]
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Transgender wrote:
Moudi wrote:
I'd like to step back for a second and get out of the emotional/personal comments in this discussion and ask the following "strategic" question:

The lawsuit is being filed in the US District Court. There is no monetary aspect to the suit...they just want USAT to change the rule. Now, based on what several people have mentioned, he wants to go to the paralympics (as do many other visually impaired athletes)...thus, the lawsuit to prompt a rule change.

Let's assume that this suit goes to court and they win. USAT changes the rule. He and everyone else that is visually impaired in the US can race without total black out glasses during the run. Now...the ITU doesn't change the rule. He's back to square one with plans for the paralympics.

The ITU is an international governing body. Even if you went to the Canadian courts where the ITU is housed/established and file a law suit, there are FIVE Federations (Africa, Asian, Panamerican, European and Oceania). You'll have to get concensus from all of the Federations. Even if they were to win in US courts, that certainly doesn't even guarantee adoption by the Panamerican Federation....

I can totally understand this "path" to bring about a discussion for a rule change but if ultimate goal is a change at the ITU level, a broader campaign and bigger picture strategy should be established.


They have to start somewhere.

If they win, I think it would be a hollow victory. So USAT lets him compete without blackout glasses, and then ITU invalidates the results because they didn't follow the international qualifying rules. Maybe they should just start at CAS.
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Re: Blind Pro Triathlete filing suit against USAT [richhunter] [ In reply to ]
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You lost me when you said "discrimination". That is a word that is used way too much. Frankly, I could not care less about the handicapped. Just look at any store parking lot. Handicapped spaces filled with the fat and lazy. I have become completely desensitized to their plight. Please excuse my rant!
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Re: Blind Pro Triathlete filing suit against USAT [jpaulson518] [ In reply to ]
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jpaulson518 wrote:
I've had a second thought on this.

In the Clydesdale division you do not make the competitors wear weights until they are all equal in weight to the heaviest competitor.

There is a cutoff and everyone above the cutoff is allowed in the division.

By the same logic,is it enough to say that everyone below a certain visibility is in the sight impaired wave regardless of how impaired they are?

My original post was not for sure one way or the other, my questions were really just questions,I'm pretty open to debate...I know it's weird to find that on the Internet huh?

I am the heaviest triathlete in every race ive been in (not something im proud of, just a fact). I bet if you made the guys just over the weight threshhold carry the extra weight difference i have over them, Id probably be very competitive in the clyde division. im used to it, they arent. Could they carry the weight in training? yeah, but it would still take a lot of time to adapt to that and my guess is no one would ever want to do it.

The paratriathlete division has a ton of different differently abled athletes in it. I have a friend with dwarfism, who just finished his first half-ironman on Saturday at the race I was in. Another gentleman in the race was visually impaired, and a 3rd was a below the knee amputee on a single leg. It's the biggest para wave Ive seen in a new england race.

If they were really going to balance it out, theyd have made John (the little person) and the single leg amputee wear blackout goggles, and the blind guy should have had to peddle and run on his knees.

Para is a threshold based sport, and realistically, the blackout goggles set a very tight threshold that doesnt fit with the rest of how society works with the blind. theres a minimum standard, not a maximum standard. I mean the guy who was the single leg amputee didnt have to have his other leg cut off to participate.

-------------------------------------
You don't have to like what I say but you should respect my right to say them and I'll do the same to you.
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Re: Blind Pro Triathlete filing suit against USAT [CJS25] [ In reply to ]
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They are not suing for money. They simply want the rule changed. Not everyone is in it for "a quick buck", although nowadays it seems to be more and more the case.

NCCP certified Comp coach
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Re: Blind Pro Triathlete filing suit against USAT [treadster] [ In reply to ]
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If you aren't trolling then you are a complete asshole. Most disabled people have no control over their disability, including my wife who suffers from full body RSD/CRPS and knows more pain than you can ever imagine to know. She is neither fat nor lazy, but you sir are an ass.
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Re: Blind Pro Triathlete filing suit against USAT [ssphone] [ In reply to ]
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ssphone wrote:
Then there was a trail run where the RD spray painted the trail with orange paint I couldn't see it and thus couldn't even follow the course.... I chalk it up to ignorance on the RD part.

I work in acquisition for the DOD. You will find that most general issue military equipment is not color coded for this very reason. Or if it is, ten the color coding is redundant and not necessary. It was something I had never considered until we were discussing having something color coded and someone else brought up that if we did that then we would have to change personnel rules that the operators could not be color blind.

Now I know of course, but it was just one of those things I was totally ignorant of.
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Re: Blind Pro Triathlete filing suit against USAT [Kevin in MD] [ In reply to ]
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Most people are ignorant of it and frankly I don't blame them. How can people fathom what a color blind person sees. Like anything it all starts with education, but as the all adage goes, "there is safety in numbers" and there just are not enough color blind people out there.
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Re: Blind Pro Triathlete filing suit against USAT [richhunter] [ In reply to ]
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Since a lot of comments are coming from people who have no clue to what 'visually impaired' means, I suggest some of you read Eye Envy written by Michael Stone of Boulder. Michael suffers from rod and cone dystrophy and has been competing in triathlon for decades. The book may give you some insight (yes, I did that on purpose) on what varied levels of VI affect people.

Kurt Luoni
US Sales Manager
Orca Wetsuits
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Re: Blind Pro Triathlete filing suit against USAT [CanadaPC] [ In reply to ]
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CanadaPC wrote:
Excuse my ignorance here, but why can not have 3 VI categories? ITU/USAT stated that it was not possible becasue the numbers were not there. AT NYC triathlon last year we had 30+ VI athletes.
Yes, not all were Aaron's level, but that number is only indicative of USA and Canadian athletes. There are plenty of VI athletes world wide.
Perhaps this is another thread topic, but i pose that question to you, in the utmost respect and with not sarcasm attatched. Why not 3 categories?

Medal quotas: The Paralympic Games serve as the basis for every decision made about international Para sports, and there has to be a limit of how many medals are awarded for each event. Combining similar, but not identical, disabilities strengthens the fields. It allows the very best athletes to compete at the games and keeps the competition strong. There are not multiple categories for other disabilities, someone with an arm amputated above the elbow is in the same category as someone missing a hand or someone with brachial plexus palsy. The goal is strong competition instead of universal inclusion which is what the Paralympics need in order to be taken as a serious sporting event as opposed to an inspirational sideshow.
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Re: Blind Pro Triathlete filing suit against USAT [AaronT] [ In reply to ]
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Putting black out goggles on someone makes it a sideshow. How embarrassed would you be running around with those on?

I agree that having everyone competing on a level playing field would be ideal. This is not the solution. There are other options. Like the handicapping I talked of earlier. Everybody races as normal, but people with different levels of visual impairment get different time penalties. Simple, and allows everyone to know where they stand.

The goggles are an illconcieved solution.

I think the whole situation started because the ITU was trying to get triathlon into the olympics and trying to appease the olympic committees concerns.

Does anyone know how the other sports deal with this issue? How about cross country skiing? I would think that would be an apt comparison.

NCCP certified Comp coach
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Re: Blind Pro Triathlete filing suit against USAT [treadster] [ In reply to ]
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treadster wrote:
You lost me when you said "discrimination". That is a word that is used way too much. Frankly, I could not care less about the handicapped. Just look at any store parking lot. Handicapped spaces filled with the fat and lazy. I have become completely desensitized to their plight. Please excuse my rant!

You are an ass.

My roommate was a marathon runner and is thin, fit and handicapped. If you see her getting out of the car you would think she in no way needs to park there. What you don't know is that after 5 minutes on her feet she is in agony and can barely walk, and in some cases confined to a wheel chair for the rest of the day.

So that fat and lazy person may very well be fat and lazy because they are incapable of exercise and therefore weight loss. It's insensitive, ignorant jackasses like you that make my roommate hate parking in her given spot. She would rather spend the day in agony in bed because she is afraid some jerkoff might say something.

Their is a special place in hell for you

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace." Jimi Hendrix
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Re: Blind Pro Triathlete filing suit against USAT [psychosyd] [ In reply to ]
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As I read these posts, I’m heartened to know that a number of those following this dialogue have a sincere interest in understanding the decision.

There are in fact other sports which require blackout goggles at the highest level of competition- alpine skiing and Nordic skiing both require blackout goggles. I must note, however, that the goggles are ONLY required by B1 competitors (those who are totally blind up to light perception only). Those with vision impairments (B2 and B3) do not wear blackened out goggles. The same is also true for swimming and track and field. In running events, blackout goggles are also only worn by B1 runners and are only required up to and including 1500 meters. Beyond 1500 meters, no visually impaired or blind athlete is required to wear blackout goggles. I’ve been told by a representative of the United States Olympic Committee that past practice has shown that when there are not enough competitors within a classification, and it is necessary to combine B1/2/3, everyone participates without equalizing restrictions, which means that the totally blind athletes are the ones at a disadvantage. There is NO precedent for USAT’s rule and is not consistent with blind sports history. They are making it up as they go with ZERO input from the visually impaired community. Again, I was told that USAT is the one who proposed the rule to ITU, so USAT needs to undo an injustice. Furthermore, I hope people understand that, although this rule was put into place with the Paralympics in mind, it is the rule of the land because it is in the USAT Bible. It impacts every single VI athlete in the country, not just Aaron, USAT representatives are showing up at races and ensuring that this rule is enforced at your backyard triathlon. In addition to everything mentioned against this rule thus far, it deters participation. I just hope these USAT henchman don’t try to force me to wear them at my Ironman this year. I can’t even imagine running a marathon with those things on. I can just hear it now, “Your and Ironman” and then I get dq’d for not wearing the glasses. It could happen, because those are the rules! If I listened to some of you, I should just suck it up and follow the rules. Well… some rules are ill conceived and need to be changed. USAT has made adjustments to rules as the sport has progressed. In this case, they are IGNORING the visually impaired community and are refusing to give us any spot on a committee which purports to represent disabled athletes.

When it comes to the blackout goggles rule, USAT does not discriminate between distances or type of event. NYC is a special case because they had to scramble at the last second to make adjustments due to similar pressures last year when droves of VI runners decided to descend upon NYC to show that there are more than just a few VI triathletes. Many more would have shown up if it weren’t for conflicts in their schedule, me being one of them since I was racing at the Vineman 70.3 the same day.

For those of you who believe this is unjust, please let USAT know. It does NOTHING for the sport at a time when the sport is taking off like wildfire. It only serves to discourage participation. We need your help. As the article states, the suit is only going to go forward if USAT continues to close their ears and eyes to this unjust/unsafe rule. Sometimes lawsuits are necessary, and it may be necessary. Aaron’s not even seeking monetary damages, just a rule change. If USAT is comprised of people who think like some of those who have posted on this topic, it will be a long haul.
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Re: Blind Pro Triathlete filing suit against USAT [Transgender] [ In reply to ]
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After thinking about my statement further, I know I was out of bounds in what I said and sounded insensitive so, I apologize for offending you and the other ST members. In fact, it's not the way I feel at all.

I think I need to qualify my statement about the handicapped. Years ago my wife worked for a successful businessman that was a quadaplegic. He had limited use of one hand. He could talk and dial a telephone with a callus on his wrist, and feed himself. He could not drive or get out of bed by himself. One day he went to the store and all the handicapped spaces were full. According to him, the spaces were occupied by, for the most part, vehicles driven by folks that he thought were not handicapped. In comparison to his disability they must have seemed fully capable to him.

My wife and I have donated about 2000 (2 thousand) hours of our time and several thousand dollars to various community charities over the past 6 years. I guess I just blew a gasket when I heard about someone suing someone else. I don't think it's discrimination to play by the rules. Maybe a more effective way to change the rules would be to get an advocate for the handicapped on the USAT board.
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Re: Blind Pro Triathlete filing suit against USAT [treadster] [ In reply to ]
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treadster wrote:
I don't think it's discrimination to play by the rules. Maybe a more effective way to change the rules would be to get an advocate for the handicapped on the USAT board.

I really wish people would read the whole thread sometimes... They have been trying to work with USAT since the rule has been adopted and trying to get it modified or removed but they have not done anything. I believe this has been approx a year or so. Since they believe they have enough support of a large number of blind athletes they decided to sue for ZERO financial gain only to get the rule changed.
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Re: Blind Pro Triathlete filing suit against USAT [richhunter] [ In reply to ]
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I think this lawsuit is completely justified and only hope it will set things in motion in favor of getting rid of this rediculous Black Out Glasses rule. It was only a matter of time before someone in the Visually Impaired/Blind community took action to this degree. As for me, I am a totally Blind with no light perception individual and I think the Black Out Glasses rule is a load of crap. Though I am all in favor of equaling the playing field between partially sighted and totally Blind individuals, this Black Out Glasses rule is not the way to do it. Not long after this rule was put into effect, a large number of the Visually Impaired and Blind community spoke out to USAT in favor of getting rid of this rule. Their was even an effort made to come up with an alternative which broke the Visually Impaired and Blind athletes into different categories however this solution seemed to fall on deaf ears at USAT. This Black Out Glasses rule is not safe for the Visually Impaired athlete, guide or other athletes competing at an event. This rule is about as dumb as the rule which states that your sighted guide is not allowed to lead you out during the race...or something like that. The point is that your guide is apparently not allowed to be in front of you during the Triathlon race. About a year ago at the 2010 New York Triathlon paranational championships, I brought an issue up concerning this rule in regards to the swim. I posed my question to a member of USAT at the pre race meeting for all para Triathletes and requested this rule be changed due to the fact that I prefer to swim behind my guide during the swim. I then followed up by explaining it's safer for me, my guide and other athletes around me to swim behind my guide rather than beside him. Being totally Blind, if I am swimming beside my guide, I tend to veer left and right and often run into my guide throughout the swim even though I have a bungee tether between us. This usually results one or both of us accidently punching or kicking each other which has had painful results in the past...especially in the mid section if you know what I mean. Secondly, if I'm beside my guide, other swimmers will often swim in between my guide and I, getting caught in the tether and this too can lead to dangerous results and collisions. The advantage of swimming behind my guide is that our bungee tether acts as a straight line from my guide to me and as long as I keep the bungee in between my arms during the swim, I know exactly where he is and how far in relation to me. As soon as he turns left or right I feel the bungee on my arms and can immediately react instead of it stretching to it's capacity before I know what's going on. From what mush of an answer I was able to understand at this meeting, USAT feels a Visually Impaired or Blind athlete who's swimming behind his or her guide has the advantage of being pulled through the water during the swim. I explained however, this is certainly not the case since I and most other Visually Impaired and Blind athletes who swim with a tether are using a cord that stretches like bungee or other ellastic. Even if an athlete were to get pulled by their guide, it would be like dragging a cinder block through the water. Now as far as drafting is concerned, this is a mute point since no one ever gets penalized for drafting weather your an age grouper or Physically Challenged athlete. So the end result, even after my obvious summary of well thought out points, was that the rule stays in place and all PC athletes must swim beside their guides. So can you guess what I did for the swim during the race? Yep, I swam behind my guide and disregarded this idiotic rule as I will forever continue to do throughout my competing in the sport. Personally, I could give a crap about that rule and welcome a penalty...which I've never received in my ten years racing and don't expect to....unless ofcourse a USAT oficial gets wind of this post and specifically looks for me or any other Visually Impaired or Blind athlete from this point on. In fact, I hope I don't jinx it for us Blinkys because there have been documented times that USAT oficials have specifically called race directors and told them to disqualify any Visually Impaired and Blind athletes who don't follow the rules such as the Black Out Glasses rule.
In summary, we all know change comes but sometimes a little slower than you'd like. I know personally, the Visually Impaired and Blind community stand together in favor of a solution that makes sense, is safe and non discriminatory. Members and spokesman of our community have already presented a viable solution to this issue and are working towards that fix...we just need USAT to be receptive and stand with us in changing this rule along with the ITU (International Triathlon Union) rule as well. Only then will the number of Visually Impaired and Blind athletes competing on the National and World Championship level begin to rise again.

Dave Bigoney
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