Free Republic

PORTLAND, Or - Blind people rallied in downtown Portland against a federal proposal that would make traffic crossing safer for them by adding beepers or other audible signals. The rally was conducted Tuesday outside the Hilton Portland during the nation's only scheduled public hearing on the issue. It highlighted a split between at least two national support groups for the blind. Inside the hotel, officials said the American Council of the Blind supports a proposed draft of federal guidelines requiring that crossings be outfitted with ``audible traffic signals'' and ``detectable warnings'' that a blind person could feel and hear. Meanwhile,...