You might need to describe the integrated clip
head and the pin shaft and how they were attached.'
He stared at me, and his eyes widened in wonder at the boundless vistas
I had just opened. He was far beyond safety pins.
'If you're interested in technical writing,' I continued, 'keep in mind that
collecting data and understanding it precedes the mechanics of writing.'
I paused. 'And when you do write, whatever you're writing about-a
safety pin or a space rocket, do it with such precision that what you come
up with can form the image you want in the mind of someone who has
been both blind since birth and incapable of feeling anything with his or
her hands. That's the test.'
The look of discovery was replaced by skepticism. 'Aw, c'mon, man, that
can't be the real world for technical writers,' he said. 'People who use
tools learn by doing, or they follow a book. They see what they're
working' on and feel things with their hands.'
'Let's think about that,' I said. 'Millions of people who see poorly, or not
at all, or who have other sensory problems, use precision tools all the
time.
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