Ashley Bramlett

October 29, 2002

I am a visually impaired college student. I use a long white cane for the little independent travel I do. As a potential independent cane traveler in the near future as I plan to have a career, I am deeply concerned for my safety and the accessibility to the built environment.

First issue is the audience pedestrian signals. I think they should be inst-al-led at complex and dangerous intersections. Intersections with the “walk” signals might be useful with a beeping light, however, I think this should be a lower priority. Please use the resources to put them at less safe intersections first. If they receive training, visually impaired people use auditory cues to cross safely. When a Surge of parallel traffic starts the pedestrian crosses.

Installing these signals where appropriate will not only help blind and VI people but senior citizens and those loosing sight as well. Our opponents say good training will eliminate the need for beeping signals. However, many older people won’t seek training those who are loosing vision won’t have the skills yet. So what will they do in the meantime? Stay at home? I hope not.

As for the detectable warnings, I think they should be stalled at the edges of subway stations to warn everyone they are near the edge. This will help everyone, disabled or not. I know someone who fell in the tracks because there were no bumping strips to warn him of the edge. Too many people fall and are needlessly injured. Anything that will decrease the likelihood of death should be used! But I disagree with putting these strips on every street corner. We don’t need detectible warnings there because the environment can already tell us. A cane will detect the curb to tell one they are at the street. Guide dogs will stop at the Street as well. If one isn’t using an aid then they hopefully have enough vision to see the contrast or can detect it underfoot. Telling if I am in a street is no problem for me. It is a matter of listening to the cane. I am just the average traveler as well. No blind person I know has had a problem telling the sidewalk from the street. Detectible warnings should only be installed when the curb isn’t present to distinguish the the sidewalk but the street.

Please consider what you are doing for the blind of America as you make a decision. Also consider who could benefit from these features in the environment. Thanks for considering all comments.