Debbie Grubb

October 20, 2002

The Americans with Disabilities Act has broken down many barriers. One barrier that still stands pretty firmly on its foundation is the barrier faced by individuals who are blind and visually impaired, the barrier known as Access to Information.

I am sure that you have received many letters proclaiming the glories of travel with the long white cane and of receiving rehabilitation services in certain enlightened rehabilitation centers that negate the necessity for tactile warnings at street curbs and accessible pedestrian signals at intersections. The issue of tactile warnings at curbs and accessible pedestrian signals at intersections is clearly and simply access to information. Many blind people have no concept of the multitude of signage that sighted people see and use every hour of the day. Now technology exists that grants us the assurance that we are at what well might be an undetectable curb. What is of supreme importance to individuals who use wheelchairs proved to be often frustrating and dangerous to people who are blind and visually impaired. This no longer has to be the case because signage now exists that lets us know that the entrance to the street is dead ahead. Now technology exists to let us know something that sighted people have been told for decades--the walk light is initialized. Crossing busy streets every day of my life and having known the joy and certainty of using accessible pedestrian signals, I can tell you that knowing of a certainty that the walk light is initialized takes a lot of the guess work out of crossing streets with the constant movement of traffic due to right turn on red and green turn arrows. No, these signals do not guarantee a safe crossing; but neither do walk lights guarantee that for sighted people. Accessible pedestrian signals simply give a vitally important piece of information that we are morally entitled to and entitled to by the spirit of the ADA.

Congratulations to the Access Board for your wise and forward thinking recommendations regarding tactile warnings at curbs and accessible pedestrian signals at intersections. You have my support.

Debbie Grubb