Political Correctness and the Writer

Subject: Political Correctness and the Writer
From: Dennis Hays <dhays -at- NOVALIS -dot- COM>
Date: Sat, 20 Sep 1997 11:02:28 -0400

Thanks to the TWers this past week on the interesting and thought provoking
dialog regarding Master/Slave and various permutations. It couldn't have
come at a better time. While editing some on-line help text for software, I
came across a field labeled *handicap accessible*. I checked the American
with Disabilities Act on the internet and made a quick, toll-free call to
the Department of Justice's help desk to clarify my feelings. The result
was I brought the matter up to the VP and some Directors, and that piece of
the software is being modified to use the stylized wheelchair symbol and
the word *accessible* and use the terminology *disabled*.

Obviously, we need to be sensitive to the current issues and to be willing
to speak up and allow changes in social interactions become changes in our
business, as well.

Dennis
Dennis Hays
The Burden Lake Group, Ltd.
On Contract at Novalis Corp.
518/862-3465 Telephone
mailto:dhays -at- novalis -dot- com

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