Mia Lipner

October 20, 2002

I'm writing in regard to the issue of audible pedestrian signals and detectable warnings. I am a blind pedestrian who travels quite a bit.  I've found that there are always times and situations where audible
pedestrian signals or detectable warnings could be useful -- complicated intersections with varying traffic patterns, for instance, or heavy traffic flow. My independent mobility skills are good, but just as
sighted pedestrians sometimes need more than just red and green lights to adequately judge their safety, blind travelers may also need extra clues as well.

Also, it should be noted that not all blind people have the same skill level, and with an aging population who may not have the well-honed skills as those have received independent travel training when they were younger. Audible (and vibrating) signals are also useful to the deaf-blind.

I hope that these thoughts will contribute to making a thoughtful decision regarding these matters that will benefit the greatest number of people of all visual acuities and mobility skill levels.