I am a blind person person who travels often, sometimes in unfamiliar cities. I often cross streets, having learned to do so using traffic. I am also a rehabilitation teacher of other blind people and have successfully taught them to do the same. It is very possible to teach blind people to cross all but the most complex intersections without audible pedestrian signals and I believe that these should be prohibited and, where they exist and some form of signaling device may be necessary, replaced with vibrotactile signals which can be activated when needed. I would like to emphasize that, for the most part, even these signals (the vibrotactile ones) are not necessary and will place an undue burden upon the taxpayer. For those signals deemed necessary, there should be an activation device placed uniformly on the affected poles.

What blind people really need is better public transportation so that we can be able to get to work. Money would be better spent in that area. And there would be some returns--people paying back in to the system.

I urge you not to place such signals anywhere without consulting the members of the National Federation of the Blind, the largest consumer group of blind people in the United States. We have affiliates in all 50 states and we stand willing to help you--we know what our needs are.
Thank you for your utmost consideration.

Chris McKenzie