Author Topic: Here's a WoF hypothetical for you... (Read 4052 times)

Kevin Prather · « **on:** February 06, 2008, 01:18:33 AM »

Eddie Timanus appeared on Jeopardy and became a 5-day champ, despite his handicap of being blind. He was accommodated with a braille card with a list of the categories on them, and for the clues, he relied on Alex's reading. As for the timing, I can't remember if he got a bell or if he just went by feel.

Anyway, my hypothetical question to you is this... Suppose a blind person wanted to go on Wheel of Fortune. Would there be a way to accommodate that? Obviously being able to convey the puzzle board to that contestant would be a monumental task, but is there a way to do it? Moreover, can the contestant coordinators rightfully turn away a contestant just for being blind?

I know at first glance, this seems like a silly notion, but I think it could develop in to some interesting discussion. So here you go. Discuss.

TLEberle · « **Reply #1 on:** February 06, 2008, 01:34:43 AM »

[quote name=\'whoserman\' post=\'177250\' date=\'Feb 5 2008, 10:18 PM\']Eddie Timanus appeared on Jeopardy and became a 5-day champ, despite his handicap of being blind. He was accommodated with a braille card with a list of the categories on them, and for the clues, he relied on Alex's reading. As for the timing, I can't remember if he got a bell or if he just went by feel.[/quote]In his original stretch, there was no tone, he was using his leet Jedi powers to signal. For the UToC, there was a beep that was the equivalent of the Go Lights.

Quote

Anyway, my hypothetical question to you is this... Suppose a blind person wanted to go on Wheel of Fortune. Would there be a way to accommodate that? Obviously being able to convey the puzzle board to that contestant would be a monumental task, but is there a way to do it?

I suppose you could have a small box with inserts for the Braille letters as they're revealed, but you'd need to have someone there to make sure that the letters are in the right spot. It seems like a lot of work for not much upside.

Quote

Moreover, can the contestant coordinators rightfully turn away a contestant just for being blind?

Being on a game show is not a God-given right, it is a privilege, and being able to play the game competently is a requirement. You wouldn't give a paraplegic a spot on American Gladiators, would you?

Kevin Prather · « **Reply #2 on:** February 06, 2008, 01:36:25 AM »

[quote name=\'TLEberle\' post=\'177251\' date=\'Feb 5 2008, 10:34 PM\']

Quote

Moreover, can the contestant coordinators rightfully turn away a contestant just for being blind?

Being on a game show is not a God-given right, it is a privilege, and being able to play the game competently is a requirement. You wouldn't give a paraplegic a spot on American Gladiators, would you?
[/quote]
True enough. I was thinking turning someone away just because they are blind would be discrimination, but if their disability affects their competence at the game, then there's the justification.

TLEberle · « **Reply #3 on:** February 06, 2008, 02:01:50 AM »

[quote name=\'whoserman\' post=\'177252\' date=\'Feb 5 2008, 10:36 PM\']True enough. I was thinking turning someone away just because they are blind would be discrimination, [/quote]There's the rub, though. The coordinators discriminate based on a whole matrix of attributes. It's their job to pick the players that will make the best show, handicap or no.

If any blind person could play Wheel of Fortune, I'd put Eddie at the top of the list, but being able to see the board is a huge part of the game.

Terry K · « **Reply #4 on:** February 06, 2008, 02:02:07 AM »

This brings up an interesting question...

How would Password or Pyramid have handled this?

TLEberle · « **Reply #5 on:** February 06, 2008, 02:03:21 AM »

[quote name=\'Terry K\' post=\'177255\' date=\'Feb 5 2008, 11:02 PM\']This brings up an interesting question...

How would Password or Pyramid have handled this?[/quote]The player who can read the clue screen always gives the clues, just like $25,000 Pyramid did when they had blind players on for a week.

Kevin Prather · « **Reply #6 on:** February 06, 2008, 02:04:39 AM »

[quote name=\'TLEberle\' post=\'177256\' date=\'Feb 5 2008, 11:03 PM\']
[quote name=\'Terry K\' post=\'177255\' date=\'Feb 5 2008, 11:02 PM\']This brings up an interesting question...

How would Password or Pyramid have handled this?[/quote]The player who can read the clue screen always gives the clues, just like $25,000 Pyramid did when they had blind players on for a week.
[/quote]
And more leniency was granted in the WC, allowing the cluegiver to say "You're getting close" since nodding would be futile.

Casey Buck · « **Reply #7 on:** February 06, 2008, 02:07:24 AM »

Regarding TPiR, there are several pricing games that would be difficult, if not downright impossible for someone who was blind (Switcheroo, Bonkers, Hole in One, and Race Game, just to name a few)

The only disability that TPiR is able to accommodate is someone in a wheelchair, and then, they still have to make some modifications, like making sure said contestant is only called down after running or physical skill games are played.

clemon79 · « **Reply #8 on:** February 06, 2008, 03:04:50 AM »

[quote name=\'whoserman\' post=\'177252\' date=\'Feb 5 2008, 10:36 PM\']
True enough. I was thinking turning someone away just because they are blind would be discrimination, but if their disability affects their competence at the game, then there's the justification.
[/quote]
"Being on a game show" is not an activity subject to discrimination laws.

If they want to go All-Whitey, All The Time, that is entirely within their right. Doubtless someone would go crying to Inside Edition or some such and it would ultimately lead to some bad pub, but they would be doing nothing illegal.

clemon79 · « **Reply #9 on:** February 06, 2008, 03:12:09 AM »

[quote name=\'TLEberle\' post=\'177254\' date=\'Feb 5 2008, 11:01 PM\']
If any blind person could play Wheel of Fortune, I'd put Eddie at the top of the list, but being able to see the board is a huge part of the game.
[/quote]
If they REALLY wanted to accommodate, though, it would be simple to do. Those braille readers that allow the sight-impared to use computers. Boom. Problem solved. Bet you wouldn't even have to give him the used-letter board, just pop the letters into the puzzle as the game progresses.

One late night when I was in college we got into the whole "if you had to lose one sense, which sense would that be?" question. And I said sight, reasoning that it would greatly hamper my desired career as a sports broadcaster if I couldn't, ya know, see the game.

In fairly short order we figured out some ways, using existing technology, to give blind people enough information to handle play-by-play hockey or basketball. It involved players wearing sensors and such, not unlike the sensor that Fox stuck in the puck when they had the NHL deal, but there was no reason we could think of that, given enough practice and enough desire, it couldn't be done.

Craig Karlberg · « **Reply #10 on:** February 06, 2008, 03:47:27 AM »

Having a blind person on WoF can be a tricky proposition. First off, they would have to accomodate it in such a way that it would not completely alter the look of trhe set. Then there's the issue with monitors & such. Of course, they have that big monitor on set so it's possible for someone like me to use that as a tool. If they want to install a monitor in front of me, I'd need a helper to spin the wheel so that I can focus on the puzzleboard & the used letters. At least this was a hypothetical situation that to me is very expensive & very tricky to work around.

J.R. · « **Reply #11 on:** February 06, 2008, 05:35:53 AM »

[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'177260\' date=\'Feb 6 2008, 02:04 AM\']"Being on a game show" is not an activity subject to discrimination laws.[/quote]
Really? I thought all this time that not getting on a game show was a human rights violation?

Jay Temple · « **Reply #12 on:** February 07, 2008, 07:19:45 PM »

[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'177260\' date=\'Feb 6 2008, 02:04 AM\']
[quote name=\'whoserman\' post=\'177252\' date=\'Feb 5 2008, 10:36 PM\']
True enough. I was thinking turning someone away just because they are blind would be discrimination, but if their disability affects their competence at the game, then there's the justification.
[/quote]
"Being on a game show" is not an activity subject to discrimination laws.[/quote]
I would have thought the same about golf. I was wrong.

clemon79 · « **Reply #13 on:** February 07, 2008, 08:14:28 PM »

[quote name=\'Jay Temple\' post=\'177366\' date=\'Feb 7 2008, 04:19 PM\']
I would have thought the same about golf. I was wrong.
[/quote]
One is a profession. The other is not, unless your name is Jack Campion.

/don't get me started on the Martin case

TLEberle · « **Reply #14 on:** February 07, 2008, 09:10:04 PM »

[quote name=\'Jay Temple\' post=\'177366\' date=\'Feb 7 2008, 04:19 PM\'][quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'177260\' date=\'Feb 6 2008, 02:04 AM\'][quote name=\'whoserman\' post=\'177252\' date=\'Feb 5 2008, 10:36 PM\']
True enough. I was thinking turning someone away just because they are blind would be discrimination, but if their disability affects their competence at the game, then there's the justification.
[/quote]"Being on a game show" is not an activity subject to discrimination laws.[/quote]
I would have thought the same about golf. I was wrong.
[/quote]A Supreme Court Justice invoked the story Harrison Bergeron in a dissenting opinion that advocated for retention of rights. How awesome is that?

Put that man in a room with Matt Ottinger and the joint would explode in a supernova of niftiness and Cheesy Poofs.