Denna Lambert

October 28, 2002

I am writing as a blind student who is opposed to the proposed regulations for Audible Pedestrian Signals. I think there are some merits to the mechanism, but I would hate for the promotion of APS' be made solely on the need of the blind as opposed to the general public. There needs to be further pedestrian safety factors in place across the country, whether it includes blind travelers or sighted ones.

You and I probably face many misconceptions concerning the abilities of blind people. I fear that the installation of such evident and visible aids would only handicap the blindness community, as the result of the general population assuming that because there's APS in place at certain locations, that's the only location the blind can go.

I think further research with a wider spectrum of blind travelers needs to be done to investigate the design and implementation of the APS. I would love to serve on such a committee.

With Warmest Regards

Denna Lambert