From: "Murray Bodin" (ConcernedGrandpa@AOL.com)
To: "Norman Y. Mineta (USDOT)" (dot.comments@ost.dot.gov)
Cc: "Execsecretariat Fhwa" (Exersecretariat.Fhwa@fhwa.dot.gov); "(various copies)" (VariousCopies@DCandH.org)
Sent: Thursday, May 01, 2003:2:28 PM
Subject: About a year ago I discovered I am dyslexic

MURRAY BODIN, DYSLEXIC
CONCERNED GRANDPARENTS
ConcernedGrandpa@AOL.com
DEWEY, CHEETEM AND HOWE CONSULTANTS
101 JOYCE ROAD, HARTSDALE, NY 10530
914 693-6355 MURRAY@DCANDH.ORG

May 1, 2003

Norman Y. Mineta
Secretary of Transportation
U.S. Department of Transportation
400 7th Street, S.W,
Washington, D.C. 20590

Dear Secretary Mineta,

About a year ago I discovered I am dyslexic. Learning how to cope with it, at age 70, proved to be an i nteresting challenge. From teaching my 6 year old grandson to get on a bike from the left side, to revising the STOP sign you see on many corners, proved to be the most interesting challenge of my life!

I know that a secretary reads your mail first, so what I say is directed to the reader, who, if she/he approves, will pass the enclosed sign up the chain. In fact, unless someone in your office thinks this sign is as good as 90% of the people I have asked, and I have asked over 100 people so far, I really goofed. But I don't think I did.

It would be really exciting if a few people from your office took the sign home with them and asked their family and friends to compare the two designs. They could hang the revised sign under the one on the corner (use an open "S" hook). Ask what people see as different. Then ask which they think works better.

Around here they have taken to putting a red reflector on the post that holds the sign. They say "to make it more noticeable." Which means, as now used, the sign isn't "working" correctly.

Some of the things I considered when I revised this sign:

The word STOP as now used is sort of tall, and is really a picture of the word "STOP". Some people do not understand pictures well. In fact, all ICONS (pictures used on signs) should have the words underneath the icon. Some do, some don't. Why the sign makers think we can read their minds when they think up a "picture" is beyond me.

The border is wider, so you make better use of the reflective white both against a darker background (like green trees) and at night. Colorblind people have trouble with the red, so making the eight sided shape easier to see, should help.

The spacing of the letters was adjusted to make a more visually correct sign. People who do calligraphy do this all the time. I just can't find a FHWA font that does it automatically an a computer- So if your staff has found these points interesting, you will get to see the sign. I will send a sign to Mrs. Laura Bush because she is active in LD circles. I sent one to John Chambers, CEO Cisco Systems, because he is openly dyslexic and I hope he will call you. people like the new better that I have to keep writing emails to find someone who can get this I keep looking for people to talk to. Most take the time to look at the new and old versions. So many changed.

I write this as an email so I can send copies to all those people who support this project.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
/s/
Murray Bodin

Enclosed: 30" STOP sign, made by a local highway sign shop
[Image shows a standard STOP sign and proposed new version. (See pdf version to view images.)]