DeAnne Warner

October 22, 2002

I am writing in support of accessible pedestrian traffic signals. I, like so many other blind people, am learning mobility late in life. One of the things I've discovered is how much more choices being able to travel independently can offer me. However, when I approach an intersection where there is a lot of traffic, I am forced to question the choice of what feels like taking my life in my hands. All I would like is to have access to the same information available to my sighted counterparts. No sighted person would settle for standing on a corner, listening for whether cars are moving through the intersection or turning, whether the traffic is going with them or against them and risking life and limb with the gamble. Now, with the advent of electric and hybrid cars and busses, the gamble is even grater. The cost to cities for installing these audible signals is not that high, especially when compared with the costs of medical care and possible litigation from those who suffer injury because busy intersections are not made safe. It is my fervent hope that public officials will stop ignoring our rights to the same safety and freedom of choice provided to every citizen.

Sincerely,

DeAnne Warner