Music's Effect on Social/Physical Barriers

Gary Bishop's lecture on enabling technologies was nothing short of inspirational. His enthusiasm for the topic was unparalleled, making it easier for the audience to become engaged in his presentation. His statistic that there are over 10 million blind and visually impaired people in the U.S. was an eye-opener, yet the expenses these disabled individuals face for enabling technology were even more astounding. It would be difficult for the government to regulate the price points of such devices as Braille writers and other communicators for fear that it might have a chilling effect on the production of such devices by manufacturers, yet it is a fact that as a demographic, disabled individuals have less money than the non-disabled. This creates the question, "Should there be a way for the disabled to have easier/more affordable access to enabling technologies?" And if so, "How can this be made possible?" I think most of us agree that those with disabilities shouldn't have to pay such high prices, which makes us ask, "Who should make the sacrifices necessary to lower the prices of these devices?"

In my opinion, the most interesting part of Bishop's lecture was the integration of music into learning. Beethoven once said, "Music is the electrical soil in which the spirit lives, thinks and invents." Bishop's discussion of programs like "Hark the Sound," "Sonic Zoom," and "Move to the Music," seem to take this idea to heart, offering those with specific disabilities the chance to express themselves in ways similar to those who do not need assistance. Do you think "mainstreaming" those with disabilities with non-disabled people would be more effective through the integration of music programs? We have already discussed the issues and advantages of combining students of various ages, abilities, and intellect in a single learning environment. Rather than addressing this same issue, I'm presenting the idea that through music, this integration of peoples would be made more effectively. Music is such a powerful tool for self-expression that barriers of disability virtually dissipate, and it is perhaps easier for two people to relate. Do you agree that this is a good strategy to promote social interaction between the disabled and the non? If so, should it be implemented in some way through all types of classes in the public school system, or just those related to the arts?

Gary Bishop and Enabling Technologies for People with Disabilities

Gary Bishop’s lecture on Monday night was both informative and eye opening to me. His discussion about how children with disabilities are often left behind socially and academically while at school brought up an issue that not many of us have probably considered before. I also felt that his initiatives were forward looking and will continue to raise awareness for the issues children with disabilities face. We as a society must not forget these children, as they have redeeming qualities and can live great lives and help those around them.

I was particularly impressed with the technology that Bishop introduced to the class. Of particular note to me was the Braille twister to help the blind develop their upper body strength. I would never have considered that blind children do not use their upper bodies to crawl and that it is necessary to engage them to develop vital muscles. Can we think of any other games which would be interesting for those with disabilities to play while also helping them develop in areas otherwise neglected? The “Sonic Zoom” activity, where players step on certain arrows is great for developing coordination and also for having fun. The ability of players to bring their own music furthers the interaction of the player and heightens interest. Unfortunately, these types of activities are not available to the majority of those with disabilities due to their expense. What are some ways that we can think of to give greater access to new technologies to those with disabilities? Should the government assist schools in funding or should it be left to the private sector?

Another point Gary Bishop brought up was how people with disabilities are “mainstreamed” in schools, lumped in with all of the other children. Do you think that this is fair to them? Are teacher s able to devote enough attention and resources to their needs? Further, is this fair to the children who are not mentally or physically disabled? Does this allow them to develop as they should or bring them back to the middle? I argue that these two groups should be distinctly set apart. Forcing gifted children to wait for those who are disabled hinders their ability to thrive. It is for this reason that many parents opt for private schools where more individual attention is paid to each student. What are your thoughts?

Finally, I was impressed with the emphasis on music to develop the minds of disabled children. It often said that those who at young ages play a musical instrument perform better in school down the road. Bishop’s focus on music as an avenue for helping children learn, coupled with the interactive nature of technology giving the user several choices, was a reinforcement of this idea. What do you think about music’s ability to help develop analytical skills and do you have any relevant experience with this idea?

Computers and Privacy

This week’s topics brought forth intriguing and provocative implications of how technology affects personal realms of privacy. Like James Moor has pointed out, one of the complicated issues with computer ethics is that there is no conceptual framework in which we can structure a policy for action against digital wrongdoings. Ideally, it would be prudent to establish an agreed-upon set of ground rules before implementing actions such as extensive workplace e-monitoring, released genetic information, and data mining. However, some of these activities often occur without an individual’s consent. What kind of policies would you suggest to protect one’s privacy rights against any of the practices that were discussed this week?

In the Jenning’s video, I considered some of the data mining programs as socially beneficial and some as dangerously intrusive. The NORA (or Non-Obvious Relationship Awareness) program mines data to detect relationships between potential customers and previous cheaters in casinos. I find NORA to be beneficial because it is merely a preemptive screening process to detect possible cheaters of the casino business. Some other data mining programs create a large collection of people’s personal information such as credit report, mortgages, and even personal interests without consent. These can potentially feed into a dangerous black market, in which people sell such information to others, resulting in identity theft. In general, would you consider data mining programs to be ethical or useful/necessary for society?

The genetics and privacy presentation brought up several concerns for me. As genetic testing becomes more accessible and popular, I foresee the media portraying one’s genetic history as the ultimate determinant for one’s actions. As this kind of technology becomes more accurate and refined, people may eventually abandon the “nurture” side of the nature v. nurture debate (that is, do genetics or experience determine behavior?). To reiterate what someone said in class, one of the potential risks of wide access to genetic testing is dehumanization. For example, genetically designing your baby is something that seems absurd right now but it is entirely possible, especially with the techniques of in vitro fertilization and amniocentesis testing. Who is to determine which qualities make up the “perfect” human being? What other concerns did you have in regards to genetics and privacy?

RFIDs

In the reading for class on Monday, a device called RFID or radio frequency identification was mentioned.  It works like a bar code but is able to store more information. Originally they were used for tagging cattle and tracking railroad cars, but as the technology has gotten less expensive, more uses have become available.  They have the potential to replace bar codes entirely, as well as being used in electronic passports or tracking of people and animals.  A chip embedded in a pet can help people reclaim a lost animal, or one implanted in a person can contain your entire medical history, which helps doctors to identify any allergies or pre-existing conditions.

While these make things like scanning products for inventory much easier (you don't have to be right next to every item to catalog it), it brings up issues of privacy.  Critics call them "spychips" because the RFID remains active even after you buy the object and take it home.  Since people don't necessarily know when one of these chips is in their purchases, they can be tracked without their knowledge.  As of now, the readers for these chips can at best (for active chips and long range readers) is 100 yards, but as technology improves, who knows how accurate or what kind of range these readers could reach.  It is one issue to think that people can track where you go based on the pair of jeans you're wearing, but it is another entirely to think that electronic passports could be read at a distance to attack highly concentrated areas.

The Cost of Enabling (Assistive) Technology

Gary Bishop brought up a very valid point in Monday night's recitation that the cost of assistive technology (that is, technology that helps mitigate a disability) is outrageous. Some of the devices a disabled person might use include computer screen reading software ($800-$1200), a Braille writer ($700-$1100), Braille computer keyboard ($1800+), and scan and speech machines ($2500+). These prices go along with the fact that most disabled people often come from a poor background and often have to rely on the generosity of others to obtain such equipment.

Should the price of this equipment really be so high? Some of the most influential people in the world have had disabilities. Most people are familiar with names such as Stephen Hawking (Lou Gehrig's Disease), Helen Keller (blind, deaf and mute) and Beethoven (deaf). However, there are many more people that have recovered from disabilities to become incredibly influential people. Thomas Edison could not read until he was twelve years old, Franklin D. Roosevelt had polio, and Woodrow Wilson was severly dyslexic. My point is that the high cost of assistive technology could in fact be disabling the next great mind of the world. Do you think the government should regulate the pricing of assistive technology, and if not, what do you think their role should be?

However, while the argument above is very compelling, there is also a counterargument. The cost of teaching and training a disabled person is obviously much higher than teaching someone without a disability. Furthermore, we must remember that many great people have not had disabilities. The chances of training the next Bill Gates or Albert Einstein are greater for someone without a disability than they are someone with a disability. Therefore, should the cost of assistive technology be as high as it is because of the cost it takes to train and teach disabled people? What are your thoughts?

Privacy Act of 1974 and Today

On Monday, we discussed what privacy entails and the ever changing environment in privacy issues. Privacy is not guaranteed as a human right. Here in the US, we have “zones of privacy” as can be noted in the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 9th, and 14th amendments as mentioned in class. What interested me in class was the Privacy Act of 1974 followed by the film.

The government has the role of regulating personally identifiable information. There should be no secret records and when errors found, they can be fixed. In a perfect world this sounds great. But in a bureaucratically heavy state, files and information are fragmented. We have the NSA, CIA, Dept. of Homeland Security, DIA, FBI and the military branches all with intelligence, all with our information. Furthermore, information isn’t just limited to intelligence, but the IRS and treasury dept. All departments and agencies have information. Citizens have little access to reach them, see their information, and correct it if need be.

The film in class brought up issues of concern with me. I found it extraordinarily interesting on the issue of fragmented information and the general problem of too much information. All of the programs like MATRIX and NORA seemed really interesting, possibly unethical, but definitely with their merits. Yet, they cannot discriminate between good information and bad information. What can we expect as an output when there are poor inputs?

I believe information is necessary. Although it concerns me how much of it is sold and traded for marketing purposes. Yet, I see the need for having an organized intelligence system. It was intriguing how NORA managed to find multiple hijackers after the fact and connect 13 of the 19 in unexpected ways. How do you feel about information being so open and unregulated? Technically 1974 suggests that it be better guarded. Where is it appropriate and inappropriate? What should we think of the idea that when telemarketers call, they may know more about you than your neighbor? But shouldn’t we also see the big picture and national security? Where should the line be drawn?

Online Sex Offender Registries and CIPA

One of the presentations today featured the somewhat recent controversy of Online Sex Offender Registries. The four presenters, Morgan, Mandy, Olivia, and Ellison did a wonderful job explaining the debate on whether or not information on sex offenders should be online (and thus accessed so easily). In my opinion, I agree 100% with online registries to learn about possible sex offenders in your area. The fact that most sex crimes are committed close to your house is enough grounds for the minimum of 15 years (Tier 1) on the Sex Offenders registry. I think legislation like this only helps the safety of one’s community by keeping the constituents aware and the children protected. Regardless, there is much debate as to whether this system is too invasive, unfair punishment for the conviction, or even a medium to facilitate increased identity theft. Please feel free to post your opinions on the presentation and the controversy in general!
The Online Sex Offender Registry debate somewhat feeds into our reading from Quinn’s Ethics for the Information Age on the Child Internet Protection Act. CIPA was the governmental effort that weighed the question of whether the government can require libraries to install a web filter for anti-pornographic and other obscenities on the internet in return for federal funds that granted internet access. Web filters are popular systems used mostly by parents to protect their children from the possibility of opening inappropriate websites. For the most part, parents who use filters pay for it out of their own pocket to be installed on their personal computers. However, CIPA opens an entirely new ethical question that is necessary for the government to consider. If libraries are funded by tax-payer money, the constituents paying taxes should be allowed to voice their opinion on whether they want web filters on public property or not.
The strongest argument for CIPA is that libraries should not be obligated to offer access to pornography when they are not obliged to rent out pornographic movies or magazines. The counter argument is that these web filters would unnecessarily block thousands of inoffensive sites. In addition, the act of seeking out a librarian and asking to turn off the filter is disruptive and presumably embarrassing.
What is your opinion on the ethical dilemma of CIPA?
- Do you side with the Kantian evaluation (aka the counter-argument) that CIPA does not in fact protect children from the dangerous exposure to pornography because the web filters are unable to target all the harmful sites and end up blocking sites completely appropriate for children? Kant would reason that the ends do not justify the means- how would u reason this statement? How could it be broken down?
-Or do you agree with several points of the Act Utilitarian evaluations? First, the act of passing legislation such as CIPA will most likely lessen the amount of children exposed to indecent websites. In addition, tax-payers money should be allocated to systems that are advantageous to society as a whole, and if sheltering children from indecencies is a means to benefit the youth, then it should be enacted.
Taking the example of CIPA and the exploitation aspects of today’s presentation on Online Sex Offenders Registry, can we come up with ethical reasoning as to why or why not certain images and information broadcasted so publically on the internet can be considered innately is right or wrong?