[Year 12 IT Apps] For 2016 - Gender inclusivity

Mon May 25 15:19:22 AEST 2015

Thanks Laurie

I laugh at the spelling mistakes on building and toilet doors, I can read the bumps on lift well buttons and on the top of the fast food coffee cups .. only in the day light as I am reading this by sight! I learned this when I needed a distraction whilst doing my Dip Ed. I failed miserably as a braille reader but I have oodles of respect for how our brains work and the challenges faced by students with a visual disability.

What many don’t realise is braille isnt just a 26 x letters for dot conversion, this is called uncontracted braille (or I think of it as uncompressed). To speed things up there are symbols for letter combinations and words or contracted brail .. six full dots represents the word FOR. Cool data compression!) Not bad for a two by three grid of six dots. http://braillebug.afb.org/braille_deciphering.asp <http://braillebug.afb.org/braille_deciphering.asp>

I guess that builders often ask an apprentice to do the sign construction under the toilet pictograph . The apprentice groans, looks it upon his mobile, hits the wikipedia page and types in the uncompressed code when setting up his engraving machine for room signs etc	. Nobody checks this work until the first visually impaired user runs their hand over the toilet door and chuckles.

Great to share with students, I use it to explain what it means to compress data to increase the transmission rate.

—
Roland GESTHUIZEN
http://about.me/rgesthuizen

> On 25 May 2015, at 1:29 pm, Laurie Savage <08327998 at pvgc.vic.edu.au> wrote:
> 
> Sight reading braille! I'm always amused (I'm sorry, this is very non-PC) by the Braille on the toilet doors of my local Cinema.
> 
> Laurie Savage
> https://sites.google.com/a/pvgc.vic.edu.au/mr-savage/home <https://sites.google.com/a/pvgc.vic.edu.au/mr-savage/home>
> 
> On 25 May 2015 at 13:01, Roland Gesthuizen <rgesthuizen at gmail.com <mailto:rgesthuizen at gmail.com>> wrote:
> Left hand icon for the lads is missing a sporran ;-)
> 
> Actually, there is a quite a community around uni-sex pictograms. (one of my rusty talents is sight-reading braille) 
> 	http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unisex_public_toilet <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unisex_public_toilet>
> 
> When we get past the obvious giggles and political bias, there is a great learning opportunity for our subject and an chance to have a powerful discussion.
> 
> It is easy build a library database using a simple Boolean option of male and female, a simple binary choice 
> 
> .. after leading students towards this trap.
> 
> Consider the cultural arrogance if the default entry was “male". 
> 
> Why is it better to call this category “Gender” instead of “Sex” (I teach biology 
> 
> How would a transgender individual feel about only being able to choose M or F?
> 
> Was a binary choice the best option? Australian passports now cater for other genders
> 	https://www.passports.gov.au/web/sexgenderapplicants.aspx <https://www.passports.gov.au/web/sexgenderapplicants.aspx>
> 
> And lastly. Seriously, why are we collecting this information and how will we intend to use it?
> 
> All this is a great example of how database design can transmit cultural information, reinforce ignorance and bias.
> 
> Lassie, only use this power for good and do no evil. 
> 
> —
> Roland GESTHUIZEN
> http://about.me/rgesthuizen <http://about.me/rgesthuizen>
> 
>> On 25 May 2015, at 9:47 am, Laurie Savage <08327998 at pvgc.vic.edu.au <mailto:08327998 at pvgc.vic.edu.au>> wrote:
>> 
>> Damn those scots!
>> 
>> <scottishRestrooms.png>
>> 
>> 
>> Laurie Savage
>> https://sites.google.com/a/pvgc.vic.edu.au/mr-savage/home <https://sites.google.com/a/pvgc.vic.edu.au/mr-savage/home>
>> 
>> On 23 May 2015 at 17:43, ken price <kenjprice at gmail.com <mailto:kenjprice at gmail.com>> wrote:
>> You may have noticed many new toilets marked RH and LH. 
>> 
>> Eg http://www.bronsonsafety.com.au/media/catalog/product/cache/1/thumbnail/500x/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/u/n/unisex-toilet-rh-shower.png <http://www.bronsonsafety.com.au/media/catalog/product/cache/1/thumbnail/500x/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/u/n/unisex-toilet-rh-shower.png>
>> And
>> 
>> http://www.bronsonsafety.com.au/media/catalog/product/cache/1/thumbnail/500x/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/u/n/unisex-toilet-lh.png <http://www.bronsonsafety.com.au/media/catalog/product/cache/1/thumbnail/500x/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/u/n/unisex-toilet-lh.png>
>> 
>> Conveniently these can be misinterpreted as being for right and left handed people.
>> 
>> It is surprising how gullible some students and staff can be about this, especially if there are more RH than LH, because you can direct right-handers to "their" toilet and they notice nothing irregular.
>> 
>> I leave this as an exercise for the reader.
>> 
>> Ken.
>> 
>> On Saturday, May 23, 2015, Robert Hind <robert at yinnar.com <>> wrote:
>> Sorry to tell you Mark that those toilet identifiers are still sexist. Perhaps we should work towards toilets that are just toilets rather than being for men or for women - just like at home or on the aeroplane.
>>  
>> Robert Hind
>> Retired
>> Ex Traralgon and Ashwood
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: Mark <>
>> To: Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List <>
>> Sent: Saturday, May 23, 2015 11:29 AM
>> Subject: [Year 12 IT Apps] For 2016 - Gender inclusivity
>> 
>> Hi, toilet-door admirers.
>> 
>> Part of 2016 KK is gender inclusivity. 
>> This article tells of the cunning plans for designing non-sexist toilet identifiers.
>> 
>> http://www.wired.com/2015/05/redesigned-ladies-restroom-icon-cleverly-skirts-skirt/ <http://www.wired.com/2015/05/redesigned-ladies-restroom-icon-cleverly-skirts-skirt/>
>> 
>> -- 
>> 
>> "The more I learn about people, the more I like my dog." Mark Twain
>> 
>> Mark Kelly
>> mark AT vceit DOT com
>> http://vceit.com <http://vceit.com/>
>> 
>> 
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>> -- 
>> -- 
>> Dr Ken Price MACS CP ACCE Professional Associate.
>> President, TASITE http://www.tasite.tas.edu.au <http://www.tasite.tas.edu.au/>
>> 
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> 
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> http://www.vitta.org.au <http://www.vitta.org.au/>  - VITTA Victorian Information Technology Teachers Association Inc <br>
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