scanning a Braille Playboy

A note from another blind man:

My memory could certainly be playing tricks ... again.  On the other hand, I wouldn't be surprised to find "Playboy" has been targeted more than once by more than one interfering do-goober who thought the morals of the poor blind needed protection.  JH

 

All of this discussion brings back long buried memories.  I re-entered the University of Washington in 1966 at the age of 31, just one year after becoming totally blind.  The Department of Services for the Blind used its limited resources to put together some reading rooms for blind students and a VR Counselor to act as an on-campus advisor.  So they attempted to direct as many of the college bound students to the University.  There were over 30 of us roaming the campus.  I think I was the senior member but I got invited to just about every party thrown by members of the group.  It was at one of these festive occasions that someone pulled out a reel to reel tape that amounted to the equivalent of a "banned in Boston" book.  We all gathered around to listen to some sleazy, drooling fellow reading all the dirty words we were forbidden to hear, as blind people.  Everybody wanted a copy.  Since I had access to a duplicator I took the prize and made about 30 copies, handing them out like dope to desperate junkies. 

Later I mused over the absolute stupidity of "professionals" to believe that "protecting" blind people from hearing what every school child learned on the playfield was going to somehow keep us pure and chaste. 

Much later, I learned, as a professional myself, just what sort of fun and games and reading material many of these "Protectors" wallowed in. 

 

Curious Carl