Laurie and John Mattioli, Jr.
|
October 23, 2002 |
I am writing to request that efforts be made to implement the necessary
measures to require the installation of pedestrian crossing signals at
major/dangerous intersections to protect the safety of individuals who are blind
and visually impaired.
Both myself and my husband are visually impaired; and though I have a minimal
amount of usable vision, my husband has none. We live in a busy metropolitan
area where there is lots of public transportation allowing us to maintain an
active lifestyle. However, to access this transportation, we must walk to busses
and/or subways. There is a major intersection that we cross numerous times daily
which can be quite dangerous with speeding traffic, and cars turning "right on
red". When crossing this intersection, we often are carrying our young son who
is just 15 months old, so safety is of the utmost importance for us and our
precious little boy. This particular intersection has no audible crossing signal
so it can be quite difficult to navigate.
There are many factors which can make crossing streets quite difficult for
individuals who are blind; the amount of traffic flow, poor weather conditions
such as wind, rain and snow as all these factors can diminish one's ability to
hear clearly, thus making it difficult and dangerous to cross any street. I have
had the opportunity to use audible crossing signals and there is no question
that they dramatically improve one's ability to navigate the crossing with a
greater sense of confidence and safety.
I urge you to proceed in your work to ensure that more accessible audible
crossings signals be required to protect the lives of those who are blind and
their families.
Mr. & Mrs. John Mattioli Jr.