[nabs-l] Taxi Technology for Passengers who are Blind or Visually Impaired

Tue May 29 19:54:48 UTC 2012

I have no idea -- ask your cab company!

Dave

At 12:45 PM 5/29/2012, you wrote:
>Do you know how I can check to see when this system will be installed in
>cabs in my area?
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
>Of David Andrews
>Sent: Tuesday, May 29, 2012 12:51 PM
>To: david.andrews at nfbnet.org
>Subject: [nabs-l] Taxi Technology for Passengers who are Blind or Visually
>Impaired
>
>
> >
> >The following press release is forwarded to you by the Great Lakes ADA
> >  Center (
> ><http://www.adagreatlakes.org>www.adagreatlakes.org
> >) for your information:
> >Press Release:
> >Taxi Technology for Passengers who are Blind or Visually Impaired
> >Contact: Don Hoffman (Lighthouse), 212-981-5118
> >Partnership leads to accessibility improvements for blind and visually
> >  impaired taxi
> >riders in New York and around the nation
> >April 17, 2012, New York - In partnership with Creative Mobile
> >  Technologies (CMT)
> >and Lighthouse International, Council Member James Vacca, Chair of the
> >  Council Transportation
> >Committee, and former New York Governor David A. Paterson today announced
> >  groundbreaking
> >software enhancements designed to enable blind and visually impaired taxi
> >  riders
> >to independently access the credit card payment system and other
> >  technology features
> >in New York's yellow medallion taxicabs as well as taxi fleets around the
> >  nation.
> >CMT created adaptive software that will allow blind or visually impaired
> >  taxi passengers
> >to hear the fare changing in regular intervals during the trip and
> >  facilitate all
> >aspects of the credit card or cash payment functions upon reaching their
> >  destination,
> >including selection of payment options, verification of fare and selection
> >  of tip
> >percentages. CMT's audible touch screen system, which can be activated by
> >  a special
> >card or by simply asking the driver, will transform the screen into large,
> >  easy-to-navigate
> >sections that are operated by touch and prompted by step-by-step spoken
> >  instructions.
> >"I consistently hear that New York City is one of the most difficult
> >  places for blind
> >and visually impaired individuals to navigate," said Vacca. The payment
> >  system in
> >taxicabs has been a great improvement for passengers, and visually
> >  impaired riders
> >deserve to enjoy the same benefits of that system. This nationwide
> >  initiative to
> >make taxis more accessible for visually impaired riders is a major
> >  achievement, both
> >for the industry, and for this community. I want to commend CMT and
> >  Lighthouse for
> >making this a priority. This technology will make a real difference for
> >  people who
> >need it."
> >This software is critical to the blind and visually impaired community's
> >  ability
> >to independently pay taxi fares. Prior to implementation of this new
> >  software, blind
> >and visually impaired passengers who chose to use credit cards were forced
> >  to rely
> >on cab drivers to swipe their card and enter the correct amount, including
> >  tip. Not
> >only is this a violation of current TLC rules, but also it exposes the
> >  visually impaired
> >passenger to the potential for fraudulent transactions, including
> >  overpayment.
> >"As a blind New Yorker I am part of a community that until now did not
> >  benefit from
> >the convenience of being able to use a credit card in the city's cabs when
> >  the technology
> >was first mandated in 2008," said David A.Paterson, 55th Governor of the
> >  State of
> >New York. "I applaud CMT for extending electronic payment to an often
> >  underserved
> >community by making New York City taxis independently accessible for the
> >  vision impaired.
> >Council Member James Vacca and Lighthouse International also deserve a
> >  great deal
> >of gratitude for their undying stewardship of this significant issue."
> >In addition to its NYC rollout, CMT also plans to introduce software in
> >  4,500 credit
> >card and payment systems in taxis around the country including Chicago,
> >  Boston, San
> >Francisco, Philadelphia, Anaheim, Detroit, Kansas City, Columbus and
> >  Charlotte.
> >CMT and Lighthouse International will issue blind and visually impaired
> >  individuals
> >a card, compatible with any CMT taxi nationwide, that will activate the
> >  adaptive
> >software, though an activation card will not be required to engage the
> >  system.
> >"CMT is excited to work alongside Chairman Vacca and Lighthouse
> >  International to
> >produce these innovative software solutions that will revolutionize the
> >  taxi experience
> >for our blind and visually impaired customers," said Jesse H. Davis,
> >  President of
> >Creative Mobile Technologies. "We are very proud of the CMT team for
> >  developing
> >this innovative technology, and we praise the hard working advocates at
> >  Lighthouse
> >International who provided us with invaluable feedback in shaping its
> >  development
> >and to Chairman Vacca who has demonstrated great leadership on this issue.
> >  We look
> >forward to rolling out this feature in New York City and in CMT markets
> >  throughout
> >the nation."
> >"This is an excellent example of the private sector working with
> >  government leaders
> >and advocates to voluntarily change a system that has excluded the
> >  independent participation
> >of thousands of people who are blind or visually impaired for far too
> >  long," said
> >Mark G. Ackermann, President and CEO of Lighthouse International. "We are
> >  delighted
> >to have played a role in this nationwide initiative and will continue
> >  working to
> >ensure that every taxi in the nation is accessible to people with a visual
> >  impairment.
> >Many thanks to Council Member James Vacca for his continued leadership on
> >  behalf
> >of people who are blind and visually impaired and to Creative Mobile
> >  Technologies
> >for their willingness to make this a reality."
> >"Having a credit card system that talks will make riding in a taxi more
> >  accessible,
> >enabling me to pay by credit card independently. I applaud the efforts of
> >  Council
> >Member Vacca and Creative Mobile Technologies for making this possible,"
> >  said Ellen
> >Rubin, independent access consultant.
> >"We applaud this innovation, which we believe will enhance the ability of
> >  visually
> >impaired New Yorkers to more independently use taxis and to pay for their
> >  trips with
> >credit and debit cards," said Commissioner David Yassky, Chairman of the
> >  Taxi and
> >Limousine Commission. "This is another good example of leveraging
> >  technology to help
> >overcome barriers to accessibility, and we look forward to working with
> >  the tech
> >community to bring further innovation to taxis with the goal of making
> >  taxis more
> >accessible to everyone."
> >Lighthouse International estimates that the prevalence rate of vision loss
> >  in New
> >York City is 362,000. This number will only increase because of the aging
> >  population
> >and age-related causes of visual impairment and blindness, as well as
> >  blindness due
> >to uncontrolled diabetes.
> >This announcement is the latest in a string of pro-accessibility measures
> >  championed
> >by Vacca, whose own father was blind. On March 28, the New York City
> >  Council passed
> >three bills aimed at improving mobility for blind and low vision
> >  individuals navigating
> >the city. Vacca's bill, Introduction 745, requires the Department of
> >  Transportation
> >to post maps of major street redesigns on its website in a format
> >  accessible for
> >people with sight and hearing disabilities. Lighthouse International
> >  played a major
> >role in securing the passage of this legislation, which Mayor Bloomberg
> >  will sign
> >today at 5 p.m. in the Governor's Room at City Hall.
> >*About Lighthouse International:*
> >Founded in 1905, Lighthouse International is a leading non-profit
> >  organization dedicated
> >to fighting vision loss through prevention, treatment and empowerment. It
> >  achieves
> >this through clinical and rehabilitation services, education, research and
> >  advocacy.
> >For more information about vision loss and its causes, contact Lighthouse
> >  International
> >at 1-800-829-0500 or visit
> ><http://www.lighthouse.org>www.lighthouse.org
> >.
> >*About Creative Mobile Technologies (CMT):* Founded in New York City in
> >  2005 by taxi
> >industry leaders, Creative Mobile Technologies (CMT) provides more than
> >  20,000 taxicabs
> >in 60 cities and 35 states with a variety of taxi technologies and
> >  enhancements including
> >credit and debit card processing, media and advertising content, text
> >  messaging,
> >interactive passengers maps, GPS, electronic trip sheets and back-office
> >  fleet management
> >systems. CMT has more than 6,600 units in New York City alone. CMT's
> >  unique "for
> >the industry, by the industry" business model has empowered taxi fleets
> >  and individual
> >taxi operators throughout the country with customized solutions born out
> >  of the company's
> >deep roots in the taxi industry. CMT's FREEdom Solution integrates all of
> >  the technology
> >including dispatching, banking and media components that has helped to
> >  bring the
> >American taxi industry into a new era of efficiency and innovation.
> >Source:
> ><http://www.lighthouse.org/news/press-releases/vacca>http://www.lighthouse.
>org/news/press-releases/vacca