Bill Powers

October 22, 2002

I'm very much FOR any and all audible pedestrian signals and hope to see these in widespread use in the very near future. As a partially sighted traveler I use these APS's as part of my cues to know when to cross, and note that many senior citizens who have more sight than I do, appreciate these devices as a means of cuing them when it's OK to cross. While nothing's perfect and while one should never count on only one source to know when and when not to cross, APS's are an absolute must as a good all-around indicator.

I especially appreciate the APS's that tell you what street you are on because I can't read street signs. The more of these around, the better off I am as a pedestrian.

I would like to point out that while there is one group who claims to be the voice of the blind, who opposes APS's, most of us who are legally blind and totally blind endorse them fully. The notion that APS's are only for the blind is absurd, and the selfish opposition of this one group of militant blind is not the voice of the majority of us.

Please, go forth and put up APS's everywhere to help not only the blind, but an aging public that can really benefit from these. Ignore the ignorant cry from the one militant blind group that would have you take them all out, and help us travel more safely.

Bill Powers