It appears to me that there should be some system devised so that when a few extra symbols are accepted into an already established area that those characters can be implemented in a proper manner much more quickly than at present.
No. The process we have works.
I am rather concerned that the name HANDICAPPED SIGN is being used without any justification or discussion of the name of the character.
The Name Police approved. ;-)
I am rather concerned about the Orwellian nightmare possibilities of this and believe that vigilance is a necessary activity to protect freedom.
Oh, spare us.
For example, would DISABILITY LOGO be a better name?
No. It isn't a logo. Other names for the symbol are WHEELCHAIR SYMBOL (1790 Google hits), DISABLED SYMBOL (652 hits), HANDICAPPED SYMBOL (619 hits), HANDICAPPED SIGN (565 hits),DISABLED SYMBOL (276 hits), WHEELCHAIR SIGN (253 hits).
Regarding the last, one may note with some alarm http://www.spiralnature.com/entertain/wheelchair.html
Likely WHEELCHAIR SYMBOL is a more accurate name.
Yet I feel that some discussion about the implications of encoding this logo need to take place, particularly as the N2586R document suggests as seemingly obvious the potential for use in databases. For example, could the sign be made as not to be interchanged?
Yes. Between the databases. For instance. Look, William, I' was saying that for instance, an Arizona number plate might be 643-KWH or it might be &-577E where the & stands for the wheelchair. I suggested that the Arizona Department of Motor Vehicles might wish to include this character in computer databases. It seemed to me that the use of the hyphen in the example was proof that the symbol could be used in text.
There is a DISABILITY SYMBOL http://www.mdx.ac.uk/awards/disable.htm which is different; it's called the TWO TICKS SYMBOL as well.
An Orwellian nightmare scenario of just encoding the symbols and "leaving it to" people who use Unicode as to how they use the symbols is not attractive.
Rein in those hares, William, please. -- Michael Everson * * Everson Typography * * http://www.evertype.com
