I am opposed to the installation of beeping poles and truncated domes at
intersections to "aid" blind pedestrians. Not only are they ineffective, they
can be dangerous by overshadowing the sounds of traffic that blind travelers use
to know when street crossing is truly safe. With proper training, blind
individuals do not need superfluous guides to tell them when the street is
getting close, when to cross it, etc. It would be less expensive for taxpayers
to send all the blind individuals in a given city to a program that will teach
them skills to live (and cross streets) independently and confidently than it
would be to install beeping poles and truncated domes on each corner of that
same city. I believe that this would be a far better use of my money as a
taxpayer. The beeping poles and truncated domes are more of a hindrance and
impediment than a useful tool for blind pedestrians, not to mention the
increased noise polution and unnecessary construction in our neighborhoods.
Please remember that blind people are not helpless or bumbling, and do not need
the street to instruct them on crossings. I hope you will consider our plea to
discontinue the proposition of beeping poles and truncated domes. I thank you
sincerely for your time and consideration.
Michelle Bernstein
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