Hayden's bill is a threat to all low vision drivers.

Posted by Mike Williams on February 14, 1999 at 02:18:28 PM EST:

In Reply to: Senator Hayden penalizes blind pesons who acheive posted by Bioptic Bob on February 09, 1999 at 09:08:44 PM EST:

Hyden's bill definitely threatens the driving privileges of people with albinism. First of all, though the DMV has in general imposed a minimum requirement of 20/200 vision through the carrier lens and 20/40 through the BiOptic in order to be eligible for a driver’s license; none the less, even you could not pass the vision test it is still possible to get a driver’s license so long as you could demonstrate that you where an exceptional driver. Hyden’s will end all that by taking away the DMV’s discretionary power and replacing it with an arbitrary standard. In my opinion, if this bill passes then as many as one third to one half of all drivers with albinism could loose their driving privileges, simply because they cannot get past “the orthorator.” Therefore this is a serious threat to low vision drivers no matter what Hyden’s office says, and what is to stop him from moving beyond this point, why not just get rid BiOptics all together.

I myself have never passed the DMV “in house” vision tests, but yet I have had a license for eight years because I am a very good driver. But now I am about to loose my license not because I am a dangerous driver but because some politician wants to make a name for himself at our expense.

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