2. Access for Individuals who are visually impaired or blind Janet M. Barlow Accessible Design for the Blind 2015 Walking Summit October 29, 2015

3. What do we mean by visually impaired or blind? Accessible Design for the Blind, 10/29/2015, Slide2

4. Intersection as seen by someone with “normal” vision 3Accessible Design for the Blind, 10/29/2015, Slide

5. Central vision loss 4Accessible Design for the Blind, 10/29/2015, Slide

6. Peripheral Vision Loss 5Accessible Design for the Blind, 10/29/2015, Slide

7. Overall acuity loss 6Accessible Design for the Blind, 10/29/2015, Slide

8. Totally blind 7Accessible Design for the Blind, 10/29/2015, Slide

9. Pedestrians with low vision (many of our growing elderly population) May have difficulty with depth perception Problems in judging location of vehicles Problems in judging approach speed of vehicles May have reduced contrast sensitivity Difficulty reading signs and signals 8Accessible Design for the Blind, 10/29/2015, Slide

10. How do pedestrians who are blind or visually impaired get around? Accessible Design for the Blind, 10/29/2015, Slide9

11. Yes! people who are blind do travel independently to new places Travel to unfamiliar destinations for shopping, errands, visiting friends, children’s activities, work, or other purposes, just like those who are fully sighted May have to figure out intersections and intersection crossings when they arrive at them May be unaware of changes and may make dangerous decisions when familiar intersections have been changed Accessible Design for the Blind, 10/29/2015, Slide10

12. Techniques and aids used by individuals who are blind or visually impaired Sighted (human) guide White cane Dog guide Telescope or other low vision aids No aid Accessible Design for the Blind, 10/29/2015, Slide11

13. Aids and techniques for obstacle and curb detection Long white cane - used as a probe of the walking surface, identification 12Accessible Design for the Blind, 10/29/2015, Slide

14. Aids and techniques for obstacle and curb detection Dog guide Guides around obstacles Stops at curbs or drop- offs Low vision aid, such as telescope Used only for specific tasks, ie reading sign 13Accessible Design for the Blind, 10/29/2015, Slide

15. Orientation and alignment cues Slight slopes and changes in surface textures Specific textures that are detectable Sidewalk and/or grass line or building line Traffic – both parallel to travel path and perpendicular to travel path Accessible pedestrian signals Other pedestrians, sun, other cues Awareness of intersecting streets and general layout of area Accessible Design for the Blind, 10/29/2015, Slide14

16. Street crossing tasks Locate edge of the street Determine where to begin crossing (locate crosswalk) Establish crossing direction and alignment Determine traffic control and use pushbutton, if necessary Decide when to begin crossing Maintain alignment during crossing 15Accessible Design for the Blind, 10/29/2015, Slide

17. Traditional street crossing strategies Walk up to corner Maintain travel direction Listen through a signal cycle Cross with the surge of traffic traveling parallel to crosswalk Maintain direction by listening to vehicles and other cues Accessible Design for the Blind, 10/29/2015, Slide16

18. Designs that make travel safer Additional care is needed make streets and sidewalks accessible to individuals who are visually impaired Sidewalk design features Street crossings and access to information about signals Accessible Design for the Blind, 10/29/2015, Slide17

19. Sidewalks Accessible Design for the Blind, 10/29/2015, Slide18

20. Would this sidewalk design be a problem for someone who’s visually impaired? Accessible Design for the Blind, 10/29/2015, Slide19

21. How about this sidewalk for someone who’s blind? Accessible Design for the Blind, 10/29/2015, Slide20

22. Clear straight sidewalk path with grouping of furniture Accessible Design for the Blind, 10/29/2015, Slide21

23. Avoid obstacles (protruding objects) that cannot be detected by cane Accessible Design for the Blind, 10/29/2015, Slide22

24. Tree maintenance needs attention Accessible Design for the Blind, 10/29/2015, Slide23

25. Barrier where crossing is closed Accessible Design for the Blind, 10/29/2015, Slide24

26. Street crossings Accessible Design for the Blind, 10/29/2015, Slide25

27. Blended transitions – can’t tell where the plaza ends and the street begins Accessible Design for the Blind, 10/29/2015, Slide26

28. Add detectable warnings (truncated domes) to indicate location of street Accessible Design for the Blind, 10/29/2015, Slide27

29. NOT detectable warnings Accessible Design for the Blind, 10/29/2015, Slide28

30. Detectable warning = truncated domes 29Accessible Design for the Blind, 10/29/2015, Slide

31. Crosswalk offset from corner can be problematic 30Accessible Design for the Blind, 10/29/2015, Slide

32. Provide guidance to crosswalk Accessible Design for the Blind, 10/29/2015, Slide31

33. Crosswalk in line with sidewalk Accessible Design for the Blind, 10/29/2015, Slide32

34. Alignment of curb ramp and gutter affects crossing alignment of blind pedestrians Accessible Design for the Blind, 10/29/2015, Slide33

35. Potential treatments – wayfinding Design of sidewalk Tactile features or fences Sound cues from audible signals Accessible Design for the Blind, 10/29/2015, Slide34

36. Signal features intended to help pedestrians may not be usable without accessible pedestrian signals LPI Exclusive pedestrian phases, including at midblock crossings Protected left turns Pedestrian pushbuttons Accessible Design for the Blind, 10/29/2015, Slide35

37. Traffic cues may not be available or usable where there are: Low volumes of traffic parallel to crosswalk Crossing major street T intersections (crossing top of T) Exclusive pedestrian phases Leading pedestrian intervals Heavy turning traffic volumes Masking sounds Accessible Design for the Blind, 10/29/2015, Slide36

38. Pedestrian Pushbuttons Is there a pushbutton? Where is it? Have I found the pushbutton for the street I’m crossing? Accessible Design for the Blind, 10/29/2015, Slide37

39. Access may be provided by Accessible Pedestrian Signals (APS) Features of new APS Speakers at the pushbutton Pushbutton Locator tone Audible and Vibrotactile Walk indications Tactile arrow Automatic volume adjustment Specific location of devices Accessible Design for the Blind, 10/29/2015, Slide38

40. Pushbutton-integrated APS Pushbutton locator tone during FDW and DW Rapid tick WALK indication 39Accessible Design for the Blind, 10/29/2015, Slide

41. Pushbutton-integrated APS Pushbutton locator tone during FDW and DW Speech WALK indication 40Accessible Design for the Blind, 10/29/2015, Slide

42. APS Location is critical Provide information to the user through proximity to the departure point Signal can be quieter due to proximity Accessible Design for the Blind, 10/29/2015, SlideSlide 41

43. Installation recommendations Beside the landing of the curb ramp Separated by more than 10 feet from other APS on corner Nearest the crosswalk line furthest from the center of the intersection Accessible Design for the Blind, 10/29/2015, Slide42

44. Installation example - APS aligned with crosswalk lines Accessible Design for the Blind, 10/29/2015, SlideSlide 43 Reachable from level landing, within 10 ft of curb, within 5 feet of crosswalk lines

45. Modifications that make programs and facilities accessible to pedestrians who are blind or who have low vision are helpful to ALL pedestrians Accessible Design for the Blind, 10/29/2015, Slide44

46. Questions?? For more information, contact: Janet M. Barlow Accessible Design for the Blind 770-317-0611 jmbarlow@accessforblind.org