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

Tony Olivero anthony at olivero.us
Wed May 30 02:02:26 UTC 2012 

I'm excited to see this innovation. I ran into the same "I can't swipe
your card" attitude in Boston when I was traveling on business.
fortunately, a little prodding resolved the issue, but this is a great
step forward in accessible point of sale technology.

reinhard, as for when it might be installed in your area, the way I
read this is it is compatible with point of sale systems manufactured
by CMT only, so it may take a little longer if your company isn't
using one of these terminals. As Dave said, your best bet is to talk
with the company and advocate for such a system.

Tony

On 5/29/12, Arielle Silverman <arielle71 at gmail.com> wrote:
> I think this is a really awesome idea and probably the best example of
> new technology for the blind that I've heard about in a long time. My
> sister lives in Brooklyn and one time when I took a cab from the
> airport to her house, the cab driver refused to swipe my card because
> he said he wasn't allowed to. Since the machine was inaccessible my
> sister had to come downstairs and run my credit card for me. If I
> hadn't been going to meet up with someone sighted I wouldn't have been
> able to pay my fare without stopping at an ATM and running the meter
> even higher. The talking meters also sound really cool. Finally, I am
> excited to think about the kinds of accessible touch-screen devices
> that might be inspired by this invention, such as airport kiosks,
> checkouts at the grocery store where you have to enter your ATM PIN,
> DVD players, etc.
> Arielle
>
> On 5/29/12, David Andrews <dandrews at visi.com> wrote:
>> 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
>>
>>
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