8 Clichés About Blind People

8 Clichés About Blind People

8 Clichés About Blind People

 

Maybe it’s because sight is the sense most used by humans or maybe it is because of our deep-rooted fear of the dark, but blindness provokes both dread and curiosity. There are many preconceived ideas about blind people. Here are some that we will now debunk.

1. Blind people have a sixth sense

False. Blind people have one fewer sense, not an extra one.

The word blind simply means unable to see. Over the course of history, blind people have sometimes elicited irrational fears and inordinate admiration at other times, and almost always some form of fascination. Why is a sixth sense often attributed to them? If they sometimes give the impression that they have perceived some preternatural sign, it is only because being deprived of the primary sense used by humans obliges them to use their other senses to a far greater extent than those with sight generally do.

2. Blind people hear better

False. Blind people hear neither better nor worse than the rest of the population.

However, hearing is the principal sense they use to compensate for their lack of sight. With the same auditory acuity, a blind person can capture more sound information than a sighted person. It is first of all a matter of attention to the soundscape and its interpretation. After all, they rely on accessible pedestrian signals to know when they can safely cross the street. So, you should not be surprised if a blind person hears something that you completely missed. Quite simply, your concentration was on something else, probably what was in front of your eyes.

3. All blind people can read braille

Again false. Only about 10% of blind people can read braille. Far from all of them!

In the majority of cases, blindness occurs after the age of learning to read. This disability affects a large majority of people over 60. So, it is rare that such people would have access to learning braille. Furthermore, the sense of touch can be altered through manual work, an illness or medical treatment. Even when learned early on, braille requires regular practice or it can be lost. It’s not easy to find access to documents in braille on a daily basis.
For the blind people who have mastered it, braille is, nevertheless, a key tool for social and professional inclusion.

4. Braille is a type of foreign language—very difficult to learn

False. Braille is just an alphabet, a code for transcribing letters.

It is a touch-based writing system, where each character comprises a combination of embossed dots. Its 64 different dot combinations are enough to transcribe all letters of the alphabet, including accented letters, figures and punctuation. While mastering braille requires a honed sense of touch, it is, on the other hand, very easy to decode a braille text by sight using an alphabet and some basic rules.

Everything You Have Always Wanted to Know on Braille Mysterious Writing

5. Blind people have no concept of colors

It all depends on the age the person became blind.

Obviously, those who have never seen colors will have difficulty imagining them. But the majority of blind people were not always blind. They maintain their visual reference throughout their lives. In any case, even people who were born blind are able understanding the codes connected to colors: red or green light, blue sky or water, green leaves turning red in the fall… There is no need to see to understand the underlying meaning of colors.

6. Blind people don’t dream

False. They do, like everyone else!

Dreams are made up of impressions captured during the day. Sight is the dominant sense among humans, so dreams are mostly composed of a stream of images. For those who have never seen, they do not dream in images. For people who were born blind, their dreams contain impressions originating from other senses: hearing, touch, smell and even taste. For those who could see earlier in life, their dreams can also retain clear images as before or images altered due to the degeneration of their sight.

7. Blind people cannot use a computer

False. Of course they can. Fortunately, there are many adaptations to computers allowing blind people to use a computer.

Screen readers are software programs that read aloud all that appears on a computer screen through a voice synthesis: entered text, web pages, menus, dialog boxes, etc. These programs include keyboard shortcuts allowing the blind user to move from one element to another as a sighted person can do visually. They can also be connected to a braille display, a sort of tablet that creates embossed dots representing the different letters during reading.

These tools, however, are expensive and require intensive training to be able to use effectively. Their effectiveness also relies heavily on how much the software developers and webmasters incorporated digital accessibility into their design.

Artificial Intelligence and Accessibility: Examples of a Technology that Serves People with Disabilities

8.      Blind people cannot use a smartphone

False. This may be more surprising than the fact that they can use a computer.

With their completely smooth screen and near absence of buttons, it is not readily obvious that blind people would be able to use smartphones. But smartphone manufacturers have considered this issue in depth and today offer apps like VoiceOver for iOS and TalkBack for Android. These apps vocalize all actions made on the screen and allow interaction through adapted gestures.

The Smartphone: a Revolution for the Blind and Visually Impaired!

Want to learn more about the everyday lives of people with a visual impairment? Check out these articles:

How Do the Blind Safely Cross the Road?

6 Tips to Communicate with a Blind or Visually Impaired Person

Updated on January 19th, 2022/Published on May 10th, 2019

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For disabled people, disruptions to their means of transportation can cause plenty of stress and added difficulties. That’s why such situations need to be anticipated, more so than for other travelers.

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Lise Wagner

Lise Wagner

Accessibility Expert

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The Ultimate Guide to Accessible Pedestrian Signals

The Ultimate Guide to Accessible Pedestrian Signals

The Ultimate Guide to Accessible Pedestrian Signals  Table of contents What are accessible pedestrian signals?Why do cities have accessible pedestrian signals?Who are APS for?How do audible traffic signals work exactly?What is pedestrian detection?Why are...

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For more than 25 years, we have been developing architectural access solutions for buildings and streets. Everyday, we rethink today’s cities to transform them in smart cities accessible to everyone.

By creating solutions ever more tailored to the needs of people with disabilities, we push the limits, constantly improve the urban life and make the cities more enjoyable for the growing majority.

Making Public Transport Information Accessible to Disabled People?

Making Public Transport Information Accessible to Disabled People?

Making Public Transport Information Accessible to Disabled People

 

Planifier son trajet, connaître les temps d’attente aux arrêts de bus, savoir où descendre, réagir en cas de perturbation : utiliser les transports en commun nécessite d’avoir accès à l’information à chaque étape. La tâche est bien sûr beaucoup plus complexe pour les personnes en situation de handicap, qu’il soit moteur, sensoriel ou intellectuel. Cet article propose une liste de solutions permettant de fournir des informations accessibles sur les transports en commun à tous les types de voyageurs.

Les besoins des passagers handicapés en matière d’information sur les transports publics accessibles

L’information voyageurs englobe toutes les informations transmises aux voyageurs des réseaux de transport à chaque étape de leur voyage. Ces informations peuvent être fournies sous différents formats papier ou numériques et peuvent être consultées à distance, aux gares et aux arrêts, voire à bord des véhicules. Si ces informations s’adressent à tous les voyageurs, leur diffusion aux personnes en situation de handicap est beaucoup plus complexe.


Les voyageurs handicapés doivent recevoir les informations en temps réel et dans un format approprié afin de :

⊗ Préparer leur itinéraire en fonction de leur mobilité (localisation des arrêts, accessibilité du réseau de transport) ;

⊗ Connaître en temps réel l’état de fonctionnement des équipements adaptés (ascenseurs, escaliers mécaniques, etc.) ;

⊗ Être informé de la prochaine étape de leur parcours (checklist) ;

⊗ Sachez quoi faire en cas d’interruption de service.

Leurs besoins spécifiques se complexifient lors d’événements exceptionnels (pannes, grèves, détours, arrêts non desservis, etc.). Les personnes malentendantes peuvent rarement obtenir des informations sur les perturbations, celles-ci étant généralement annoncées oralement. Les personnes malvoyantes perdent leurs repères et peinent à trouver un itinéraire alternatif. Les personnes en situation de handicap moteur peuvent se retrouver dans l’impossibilité d’emprunter un autre moyen de transport en raison d’obstacles physiques.

Enfin, les personnes présentant une déficience intellectuelle éprouveront également des difficultés à comprendre l’information, à prendre une décision et à trouver de nouveaux repères. Autre aspect important : le stress causé par les perturbations est bien plus lourd pour tous les voyageurs, en raison de leurs difficultés particulières et de leur sensibilité parfois accrue (handicap psychique, autisme).

Préparation de voyage avec des planificateurs de voyage faciles à utiliser

Pour une personne en situation de handicap, la préparation est essentielle à la réussite d’un voyage. Il y a quelques années, la planification d’un voyage reposait sur des cartes et des horaires notés sur papier, et ceux-ci restent essentiels pour certains. Mais les alternatives numériques actuelles ont rendu la planification beaucoup plus efficace. Les opérateurs de transport proposent généralement un proposé de voyage sur leur site web, complété par une application mobile.

Cependant, ces restrictions de voyage doivent remplir les conditions suivantes pour être utilisables par une personne handicapée et répondre à ses besoins :

⊗ L’interface web ou téléphonique doit être conforme aux normes d’accessibilité numérique (utilisable avec un lecteur d’écran, adaptable aux paramètres d’affichage de l’utilisateur, etc.).

⊗ Les options du prévu de voyage doivent inclure des critères d’accessibilité : ascenseurs, escaliers mécaniques, accès de plain-pied, etc.

⊗ Les stations et arrêts doivent pouvoir être localisés sur une carte et par leur adresse réelle, qui doit être entièrement écrite (pour ceux qui ne peuvent pas lire la carte et afin qu’elle puisse être saisie dans un GPS).

Pour faciliter la mobilité de tous, toutes les informations sur les réseaux de transport devraient être rendues publiques afin de pouvoir être intégrées aux prédéfinis d’itinéraires multimodaux . En effet, l’utilisation d’applications ou de définition d’itinéraires spécifiques à une ville donnée constitue souvent un obstacle.

Matériel écrit ou audio conçu pour différents handicaps

Malgré le développement des technologies numériques, les supports physiques peuvent encore s’avérer très utiles à de nombreux usagers des transports. C’est pourquoi il est important de mettre à disposition des usagers des plans simples ou des horaires en gros caractères. Londres, par exemple, propose une grande variété de plans de métro ; ils sont proposés en couleurs contrastées et en format audio. Certains plans ne montrent que le réseau aérien pour les personnes souffrant de claustrophobie. Toulouse (France) propose également une audiodescription de ses stations de métro .

Points d’information visuelle et audio pour les voyageurs

Départs, correspondances et arrivées : chaque étape d’un voyage à son arrêt. À chaque arrêt, des informations accessibles sur les transports en commun sont nécessaires.


Les bornes d’information voyageurs sont des panneaux lumineux installés aux arrêts de bus, de tramway ou de métro. Ces panneaux informent les passagers du temps d’attente et des éventuelles perturbations sur la ligne desservant l’arrêt.
Mais à quoi servent-ils pour une personne malvoyante ? Ces bornes doivent être audio, éventuellement via une télécommande ou un smartphone. Cette fonctionnalité présente deux avantages. Premièrement, l’audio à la demande fournit aux personnes illettrées les mêmes informations que tout le monde. Deuxièmement, l’activation du panneau à distance permet également aux personnes malvoyantes de localiser précisément l’arrêt et de confirmer qu’elles sont bien à l’endroit souhaité.


Cette solution a déjà été déployée dans de nombreuses villes à travers le monde, comme San Francisco, Auckland, Toulouse, Lyon ou Prague.

Lisez notre article : Obstacles dans les transports en commun : quelles solutions pour le handicap physique ?

Annonces de perturbations en audio et par écrit

En cas de perturbations (pannes, grèves, déviations de lignes ou simple changement de quai), l’information est généralement diffusée aux voyageurs par un système de sonorisation installé dans les véhicules ou à l’arrêt. Les personnes sourdes remarquent le changement d’attitude des voyageurs autour d’elles sans en comprendre la raison. La situation devient d’autant plus pénible pour elles lorsqu’elles se rendent rapidement compte d’un problème, sans avoir eu connaissance de la solution proposée. Il est donc essentiel que ces informations soient également diffusées sur des écrans installés à cet effet.

Alertes SMS en cas de perturbations : accessibilité universelle

Pour les personnes handicapées, les perturbations de leurs moyens de transport peuvent être source de stress et de difficultés supplémentaires. C’est pourquoi il est essentiel d’anticiper ces situations, plus que pour les autres voyageurs.
Des alertes SMS sont déjà disponibles sur de nombreux réseaux de transports urbains, informant en temps réel des perturbations affectant l’ensemble du réseau ou uniquement les lignes sélectionnées au préalable par l’usager en fonction de son itinéraire habituel.
Ce système s’adresse à tous les usagers des transports. Pour qu’une personne en situation de handicap puisse également bénéficier de cette technologie, il est essentiel de s’assurer que l’abonnement au service ne constitue pas un obstacle. Le respect des normes d’accessibilité numérique et une procédure simple restent essentiels.
Il est important de noter que ce système d’alertes SMS ne doit pas remplacer les autres méthodes d’information sur les perturbations. En effet, les personnes sans téléphone portable ou non inscrites au service resteraient dans l’ignorance.

Annonce visuelle et audio du prochain arrêt

Dans tous les transports en commun, l’annonce de l’arrêt suivant est une information essentielle pour les passagers, d’autant plus s’ils ne connaissent pas le trajet. Cette information est souvent affichée sur un panneau lumineux. Mais elle doit aussi être donnée oralement. Ceci s’adresse évidemment aux personnes malvoyantes, mais plus généralement à toute personne ne sachant pas lire, que ce soit en raison de l’illettrisme ou simplement de son emplacement.

Certaines applications pour smartphone alertent les utilisateurs du moment où ils doivent demander leur arrêt.

Applications innovantes pour smartphones permettant aux passagers de se connecter

L’utilisation des smartphones s’est généralisée et a ouvert de nouvelles possibilités de déplacements individuels. Certaines applications proposent de mettre en relation une personne handicapée avec des bénévoles ponctuels, pour une minute, une heure ou plus. BeMyEyes
en est un bon exemple  : elle permet aux personnes aveugles ou malvoyantes d’obtenir une assistance visuelle via une conversation vidéo avec l’un des nombreux bénévoles prêts à prêter leurs yeux pendant quelques minutes. Côté, Faciligo est une plateforme française de compagnons de voyage permettant aux personnes à mobilité réduite de trouver un accompagnateur pour tout type de trajet en transports en commun. L’idée est de mettre en relation les voyageurs à mobilité réduite ou en situation de handicap, et même les personnes âgées, avec les personnes valides, améliorant ainsi l’accès aux transports pour les personnes ne pouvant pas voyager seules. En contrepartie de cette aide, l’accompagnateur bénéficie d’une réduction sur le prix de son billet.

Ateliers sur les réseaux de transport pour les usagers les plus vulnérables

L’aide d’une tierce personne est parfois indispensable pour préparer un déplacement et permettre à une personne handicapée de se déplacer en toute autonomie dans les transports en commun. Certains opérateurs de transport proposent des ateliers ou des formations permettant aux personnes handicapées de se rencontrer avec le réseau.


À Paris, la RATP organise des Ateliers Mobilité . Initialement destinés aux voyageurs en situation de handicap intellectuel, ces ateliers ont rapidement été étendus aux écoles et ont été très appréciés des participants.

Voici d’excellents exemples d’informations sur les transports publics accessibles que vous pouvez également mettre en œuvre dans votre réseau pour aider vos utilisateurs.

L’ajout d’informations audio aux informations visuelles et inversement, la mise en place de services numériques accessibles, l’utilisation d’applications mobiles et l’accompagnement communautaire à la demande ne sont que quelques-unes des nombreuses initiatives locales qui ont vu le jour pour ouvrir l’accès à l’information à tous les voyageurs. L’enjeu principal aujourd’hui reste la standardisation des différentes sources et la diffusion de l’information auprès de tous afin que chacun puisse en tirer profit.

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For disabled people, disruptions to their means of transportation can cause plenty of stress and added difficulties. That’s why such situations need to be anticipated, more so than for other travelers.

writer

Lise Wagner

Lise Wagner

Accessibility Expert

stay updated

Get the latest news about accessibility and the Smart City.

other articles for you

share our article!

more articles

The Ultimate Guide to Accessible Pedestrian Signals

The Ultimate Guide to Accessible Pedestrian Signals

The Ultimate Guide to Accessible Pedestrian Signals  Table of contents What are accessible pedestrian signals?Why do cities have accessible pedestrian signals?Who are APS for?How do audible traffic signals work exactly?What is pedestrian detection?Why are...

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The French leading company

on the accessibility market.

For more than 25 years, we have been developing architectural access solutions for buildings and streets. Everyday, we rethink today’s cities to transform them in smart cities accessible to everyone.

By creating solutions ever more tailored to the needs of people with disabilities, we push the limits, constantly improve the urban life and make the cities more enjoyable for the growing majority.

How Can a Smart City Make Life Easier for People with Disabilities?

How Can a Smart City Make Life Easier for People with Disabilities?

How Can a Smart City Make Life Easier for People with Disabilities?

 

In recent years, digital technology has contributed to undeniable advances that have made life easier for everyone. At a time when this technology is at the heart of building new smart cities, what can be done to ensure that the situation of disabled people is alleviated and not aggravated? How can everyone’s specific needs be taken into consideration? In essence, how can a smart city be made inclusive?

We offer a reflection on this hugely strategic topic for the future!

What Is a Smart City?

A smart city is one that fully uses information and communications technology (ICT) to create an environment that can sustainably develop. This concept originates from the idea that digital technology can be used to improve the life of human beings. On a practical side, a smart city is basically based on a sensor network, connected objects and data management systems, which constantly collect and transmit information on the weather, air pollution, traffic flows, energy use and other factors. This data is then analyzed in real time, allowing local governments, businesses and even citizens to make informed decisions.

Many of the world’s cities and metropolises have taken steps in transitioning to becoming smarter, connected cities. Their approach is centered on areas such as air quality, traffic circulation, energy savings, full use of public spaces, ease of travel and active transport.

The creation of a smart city is simply a new way of conceiving the city. The use of digital technology is incorporated into the physical infrastructure so that residents and users receive the best service.

Disability as an Innovation Driver for the Smart City

New York City is even testing a more connected accessible pedestrian signal with aBeacon. Blind and visually impaired pedestrians can activate it with a remote control or a smartphone. They don’t have to press the pushbutton. This on demand and remote activation enables them to better locate the beginning of the crossing.

Plus, aBeacon can collect information regarding the number of users with visual impairments who have been activating it. This can be quite useful for all smart cities.

The first user testimonies are quite positive which makes this augmented accessible pedestrian signal a true innovation. 

The ultimate guide to accessible pedestrian signals. I want it!

Singapore: the most intelligent city

Singapore is considered to be the most intelligent city and thus, the most accomplished example of a smart city in the world. Why? Thanks to the digitalization of the public services of the city-state, Singapore provides its citizens with a superior quality of life. Its goal? Smoothen everything to make their everyday lives easier.

But it goes beyond that by making its citizens actively participate in the creation and the improvement of the city’s services. For example, Singapore gave them access to an online design tool to conceive what one of the airport areas will look like. But the city-state also used data analysis from the social media of its citizens to map its cultural activities.

Singapore has perfectly understood what a smart city should be: to meet the needs of its citizens and to fully suit them, the city needs to be moulded according to their image. Consequently, even if technology is at the centre of the smart city, it remains managed, modified and controlled by humans.

How Could Disabled People Benefit from the Advances of a Smart City?

The cities involved in this transition generally perceive a smart city as a path towards a more environmentally friendly and human place to live. Looking at the number of projects by students, engineers and start-ups proposing technological solutions for disabled people, there is an obvious drive towards the construction of an inclusive smart city. Yet, real-life examples of such a noble idea remain few and far between. The solutions put forward are either based on a promising technology that still neglects the real needs and uses of those to whom it is directed, or are based on actual needs and uses but the solution’s sustainability is jeopardized because it lacks a viable economic model.

The way to enable disabled people to benefit from the advances of a smart city is to consider their specific needs from the very start of the projects. Just like physical accessibility for roadways and buildings, the cost for digital accessibility is almost minuscule when integrated into the design brief at the very beginning. Project stakeholders just need to be aware of this!

Let’s use the example of Singapore one more time: its public space is one of the most accessible places in the world. The same holds true for its public transport, its cultural venues such as museums and even for its sporting facilities that are adapted to parasports. Accessibility isn’t taken slightly by the city-state and neither is inclusion!

Singapore created “Enabling village”: a concept of experimentation focused on disability, accessibility and inclusion for people with disabilities. Based on universal design, this inclusive village strives to train and employ people with disabilities.

Overcoming Barriers to an Inclusive Smart City

According to a 2016 survey by Smart Cities for All, experts from around the world identified the lack of awareness about disability and accessibility in design and innovation as one of the main impediments to the “Smart City for All.”

On the other hand, the time users need to learn new technologies also represents a barrier. Elderly people, who often have a disability, are those who have the greatest trouble in adapting to new tools. Moreover, the free flow of data sometimes generates irrational fears. Therefore, education on these different solutions is an important matter.

As for the perspective of decision-makers, making way for innovation is not always possible. Large swathes of urban land are governed by specific rules and regulations. Meanwhile, the appropriation of public funds to experiment with new technology is generally seen as too risky. Such a decision can only arise from strong political will.

Finally, building an accessible or inclusive city needs to respect the continuity in the travel chain. For an inclusive smart city, we must also guarantee continuity in the information chain. The management of urban spaces is shared among many and varied public and private entities: municipalities, inter-municipalities, county, region, transportation operators, business, individuals, etc. A person in a wheelchair can’t enter an accessible building if the sidewalk doesn’t slope to the entrance: movement is impossible if the chain of information is broken.

The new services for the inhabitants and users of tomorrow will all be created from the same raw material: data. Far from being an exhaustible supply, as in the case of fossil fuels, the amount of data increases exponentially at 40% per year. The issue today is to make the data homogeneous, public and open, thereby allowing the creation of new services. Otherwise, such a colossal reserve cannot be tapped. Another issue directly linked to data relates to its life cycle. Data has to be made available in real time, and the data that becomes obsolete must be removed as soon as possible so the message doesn’t get distorted. Several technical committees focused on smart cities have already established different national and international standardization bodies.

Interested to know how New York City is turning into a Smart City? Read our article!

Keeping the Human Being at the Heart of the Initiative

If data represents the fuel and the smart city the vehicle, the destination is nothing more than facilitating the lives of people in all their diversity. To reach the goal of an inclusive smart city, it is essential to analyze the specific needs and uses of the inhabitants. Information should be provided in a way that is adapted to each person’s physical abilities and limitations. The selection of information must also correspond to these criteria and take into account the person’s situation.

When we think “smart,” we think “digital.” Yet, our towns and cities are real, impregnated with their own history, geography and ways of life. Connecting the digital world to the physical world, a concept known as “phygital,” is a key element in building smart cities that are truly inclusive. As it is today, the communication of information relating to the physical accessibility of places is cruelly lacking. Accessibility to information should go hand in hand with accessibility to places so that everyone has proper access to services. The decision-makers of cities should look at questions of physical accessibility simultaneously with digital accessibility.

The above shows that a smart city can be a marvelous opportunity to make society more inclusive. However, services need to be developed not just for the masses but also with due regard for the specific needs of minorities. Political will, financial resources, a desire for technological innovation and, most of all, experiments and feedback on usage are the essential ingredients for an inclusive smart city.

Are you already looking towards the future? Then, these articles are made for you:

Artificial Intelligence and Accessibility: Examples of a Technology that Serves People with Disabilities

Creating an Accessible and Barrier-Free Society Through Inclusive Design: a Constant Renewal

Updated on July 5th, 2022

media

If data represents the fuel and the smart city the vehicle, the destination is nothing more than facilitating the lives of people in all their diversity.

writer

Lise Wagner

Lise Wagner

Accessibility Expert

stay updated

Get the latest news about accessibility and the Smart City.

other articles for you

share our article!

more articles

The Ultimate Guide to Accessible Pedestrian Signals

The Ultimate Guide to Accessible Pedestrian Signals

The Ultimate Guide to Accessible Pedestrian Signals  Table of contents What are accessible pedestrian signals?Why do cities have accessible pedestrian signals?Who are APS for?How do audible traffic signals work exactly?What is pedestrian detection?Why are...

NEVER miss the latest news about the Smart City.

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Unsubscribe in one click. The information collected is confidential and kept safe.

powered by okeenea

The French leading company

on the accessibility market.

For more than 25 years, we have been developing architectural access solutions for buildings and streets. Everyday, we rethink today’s cities to transform them in smart cities accessible to everyone.

By creating solutions ever more tailored to the needs of people with disabilities, we push the limits, constantly improve the urban life and make the cities more enjoyable for the growing majority.

How Do the Blind Safely Cross the Road?

How Do the Blind Safely Cross the Road?

How Do the Blind Safely Cross the Road?

 

Find a crosswalk, wait for the right moment, get to the opposite sidewalk by walking straight across. It is quite common for the average pedestrian. But for a person who has lost their sight, every step is complicated. This is especially true in today’s urban environments where more and more types of transportation methods coexist. Blind and visually impaired people can do nothing but trust their other working senses such as hearing and touch. Yet, they still need to rely on some clear indicators. This is where adherence to road and public space accessibility regulations makes sense.

Visual and Tactile Clues for Locating a Crosswalk

For people with impaired eyesight who can still make out differences in brightness, the white lines marking crosswalks are an essential aspect. They are also an excellent marker for guide-dogs, which are given the order “find the lines.” It is thus a reliable clue that must be used as much as possible.
Blind people who use a cane to get around, on the other hand, have further difficulties. They first find the general location of crosswalks based on the noise of traffic. Then, they search for tactile paving on the ground. The paving should have an obvious contrast in feeling from the rest of the sidewalk. Its visual contrast is also an aid for the visually impaired because its color generally lasts longer than the paint on the rest of the pavement.

Listening for the Right Moment and Staying the Course

Knowing the moment when the street is free to cross safely is perhaps one of the most distressing tasks for a person who is blind or visually impaired. Hearing is the main sense relied on at this stage.

However, keeping an ear out is not enough! Knowing how to analyze the traffic flow is a necessary skill. How many lanes are there to cross? What vehicles are using the street (cars, bikes, tram, etc.)? Are there traffic lights? Who has right of way? Street crossing skills are acquired through courses on Orientation and Mobility (O&M) for the blind. An O&M specialist is a professional who teaches those with poor eyesight how to orient themselves and walk in safety. It is also through these courses that a blind or visually impaired person knows how to maintain their direction during the crossing.

Limits to the Aids

The white stripes of crosswalks, the tactile paving, Orientation and Mobility training… none of that ever crossed your mind, did it? You are probably saying to yourself that it is great that all that exists, and you would be right! Unfortunately, it is not enough and many factors compromise these aids.

1. Crosswalks disappear due to time and the constant traffic. They are not always repainted to maintain the visual contrast. Furthermore, many pedestrian crossings are not marked out by white or yellow strips but by more subtle elements such as studs or cobblestones.

2. Tactile strips are not always placed in a way that serves as an effective point of reference. They are easy to notice when the sidewalk dips so that the change in gradient acts as an indicator. However, urban improvements placing the sidewalk at the same level as the road has become more common in an effort to help the movement of people with reduced mobility. This causes a loss of reference points for visually impaired people and makes it more difficult to find tactile paving. We should not forget either that under dead leaves or snow, the embossed paving can no longer be felt.

3. The number of vehicles using the street complicates the analysis of traffic by ear. In addition to the number, another complication is the almost silent nature of some vehicles such as bikes or electric cars that share the road with other extremely noisy vehicles like machinery and street cleaners. Furthermore, the absence of different levels or tactile points of references between different streets makes their identification impossible.

4. Finally, those with impaired vision who have had access to Orientation and Mobility training are very much a minority. O&M specialists are rare and not easily found outside large cities. Meanwhile, the quick changes to the urban environment require continuous refresher courses, which is far from possible today.

 

Are your pedestrian crossings safe for blind people to cross? This article will answer all your questions!

 

Accessible Pedestrian Signals (APS): a Vital Solution

Considering all this information, the use of a sound system on pedestrian signals or on other types of street furniture is essential nowadays. Of course, blind and visually impaired pedestrians need some training on the use of acoustic traffic signals. But such traffic signals solve a large number of difficulties, which is the reason why they have been mandated by accessibility regulations in many countries.

1. Acoustic traffic signals make it easier to find a crosswalk. When they can be activated from a distance by a remote or smartphone, such signals allow visually impaired people to easily locate a pedestrian crossing. They just need to follow the source of the sound.

2. These types of signals also indicate the best time to start crossing. Even though listening to the traffic remains indispensable in order to avoid accidents with a vehicle running a red light, lights with audio signals greatly facilitate decision-making. The beeps, tweets, bells or voice messages from the lights clearly indicate the moment to cross.

The customized message with the street name allows a person with impaired vision to distinguish the street they want to cross perpendicular to.

3. Acoustic signals allow a person to maintain a straight trajectory during the entire crossing.

The ultimate guide to accessible pedestrian signals. I want it!

Again, thanks to the sound, visually impaired people can orient themselves more easily during the crossing by listening to the sound emanating from the other side. Accordingly, it is essential that acoustic traffic signals are properly installed, as close as possible to the center of the crosswalk.

Even when pedestrian signals have been removed, for example, to improve traffic flow, it is possible to install audio beacons on buildings or integrate them into street furniture so that essential audible indications can still be provided to the visually impaired.

It should now be clear that crossing the road is an enormous challenge for the blind and visually impaired and not only because they have to deal with cars. Finding the edge of the street and crosswalks and staying on course during the crossing are all just as important tasks. All these issues must be taken into account when developing an accessible roadway.

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The use of a sound system on pedestrian signals or on other types of street furniture is essential nowadays.

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Lise Wagner

Lise Wagner

Accessibility Expert

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The Ultimate Guide to Accessible Pedestrian Signals

The Ultimate Guide to Accessible Pedestrian Signals

The Ultimate Guide to Accessible Pedestrian Signals  Table of contents What are accessible pedestrian signals?Why do cities have accessible pedestrian signals?Who are APS for?How do audible traffic signals work exactly?What is pedestrian detection?Why are...

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powered by okeenea

The French leading company

on the accessibility market.

For more than 25 years, we have been developing architectural access solutions for buildings and streets. Everyday, we rethink today’s cities to transform them in smart cities accessible to everyone.

By creating solutions ever more tailored to the needs of people with disabilities, we push the limits, constantly improve the urban life and make the cities more enjoyable for the growing majority.

7 Clichés About Psychiatric Disability

7 Clichés About Psychiatric Disability

7 Clichés About Psychiatric Disability

 

Psychiatric disability, or mental illness, has long been associated with insanity. It very often (and wrongly) prompts an irrational fear in us. Like all other disabilities, it has many forms and a person can lead an active life with appropriate support.

1. Psychiatric disability does not affect me

Unfortunately, no family is safe from mental health issues, whether depression, anxiety, addiction, schizophrenia, anorexia or other. The WHO estimates that these disorders affect one in four people and that mental illness now represents the most common disability in the world.

2. Intellectual disability and psychiatric disability are the same thing

Even though the results of these two types of disabilities sometimes resemble each other, it is important to distinguish between them.
Intellectual disability is the result of a cognitive impairment that affects a person’s ability to learn, think and conceptualize. Psychiatric disability is the result of disabling psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, major depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders and personality disorders. It is also often called “mental illness” but this can increase confusion between the two disabilities. In any case, psychiatric disability does not affect a person’s intellect. It simply makes it more difficult for them to use their intellectual abilities in certain circumstances or in a particular emotional state.

8 Clichés About Intellectual Disability

3. People who live with a psychiatric disability are unable to work

One of the main difficulties facing people affected by a psychiatric disability is keeping their job. The unemployment rate among people recognized as disabled workers is twice that of the general population. Nevertheless, with personalized support (rearrangement of work schedule and environment), they are more than capable of working and contributing their skills. A job can even act as an effective way of preventing their disorder from worsening.

4. A mental illness is for life, it cannot be cured

Studies show that the majority of people with mental health problems improve or even recover completely. They can then participate fully once again in family life, society and work, even if some symptoms linger on.

5. The only way to treat a person with a psychiatric disability is to commit them or medicate them

The vast majority of psychiatric patients are treated as outpatients and are never hospitalized. Psychotherapy, physiotherapy, social rehabilitation courses and support groups are just some of today’s alternatives to medication and hospitalization.

6. Schizophrenics are violent and dangerous. They often kill people

The statistics speak for themselves: less than 1% of crimes are committed by people suffering a serious mental illness. There is no connection between a psychiatric disorder and the committing of a crime.

7. There are no effective measures for promoting accessibility among people who have a psychiatric disability

Since anxiety is one of the most common symptoms of a psychiatric disability, anything that helps create a reassuring atmosphere is welcome. We can also add:

⊗ Hiring patient, respectful staff who are trained in receiving people with disabilities;

⊗ Posting simplified, illustrated signs with easy-to-understand words, colors, symbols and icons;

⊗ Using visually different carpets or floor coverings, or tactile strips to point out the main pathways;

⊗ Comforting background sound with noise-dampening coverings;

Indoor navigation apps such as Evelity: it can suit every user’s profile and provides step-by-step instructions to serenely guide people within complex venues.

Updated on January 19th, 2022/Published on May 10th, 2019

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Less than 1% of crimes are committed by people suffering a serious mental illness. There is no connection between a psychiatric disorder and the committing of a crime.

writer

Lise Wagner

Lise Wagner

Accessibility Expert

stay updated

Get the latest news about accessibility and the Smart City.

other articles for you

share our article!

more articles

The Ultimate Guide to Accessible Pedestrian Signals

The Ultimate Guide to Accessible Pedestrian Signals

The Ultimate Guide to Accessible Pedestrian Signals  Table of contents What are accessible pedestrian signals?Why do cities have accessible pedestrian signals?Who are APS for?How do audible traffic signals work exactly?What is pedestrian detection?Why are...

NEVER miss the latest news about the Smart City.

Sign up now for our newsletter.

Unsubscribe in one click. The information collected is confidential and kept safe.

powered by okeenea

The French leading company

on the accessibility market.

For more than 25 years, we have been developing architectural access solutions for buildings and streets. Everyday, we rethink today’s cities to transform them in smart cities accessible to everyone.

By creating solutions ever more tailored to the needs of people with disabilities, we push the limits, constantly improve the urban life and make the cities more enjoyable for the growing majority.