[nagdu] Why good O&M training is so important

[Jewel]

If all signals were like the one shown in this video, i would advocate
for NO audible signals. THat tone would definitely get in the way of
my listening to traffic and I'd be afraid to cross that street because
I can't hear traffic.

Luckily, not all audible signal are like that, and i can listen to the
chirp tha tindicates it's my turn

On 11/2/11, Julie Phillipson <jbrew48 at verizon.net> wrote:
> Aaron there is a huge problem in New York City where they are changing how
> the lights at intersections work and it is causing lots of problems for
> blind people because, as I understand it,  it changes one or two lanes of
> traffic that stops traffic, giving pedestrians 30 seconds more time to cross
> before stopping the other lanes of traffic and there is no way for the blind
> person to know when they can start crossing.  They are changing something
> like 15,000  intersections to work like this.
> Therefore it is a case where NFb of New York is supporting the need for
> APS's.  There is a coalition of several disability groups that have been
> working on this.  This trend is spreading to other area's too.  although it
> may look like this guy doesn't have good mobility skills it isn't
> necessarily the case.  May be Cheryl E. can describe this better since she
> lives in the area.
> Julie Phillipson
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Aaron Cannon" <cannona at fireantproductions.com>
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, November 02, 2011 10:17 AM
> Subject: [nagdu] Why good O&M training is so important
>
>
>> This video posted on the Yahoo Accessibility blog seeks to demonstrate
>> the need for accessible crossing signals.  However, in my opinion it
>> manages to do just the opposite quite nicely.
>>
>> http://yaccessibilityblog.com/wp/blind-people-cross-street.html
>>
>> I find it troubling that he talks about needing the signal "to
>> indicate that it's safe for me to cross the street."  Even worse is
>> his comment "I don't have to listen for the traffic coming the other
>> way, I can just listen to the tone."
>>
>> He also calls crossing without a signal "daunting" and "scary".
>>
>> I can understand that such crossings can be quite daunting and scary
>> if you don't have good training or practice making such crossings, so
>> I don't really fault him for that.  However, I fear that people,
>> especially other blind people, watching this video will assume that
>> that's how it is for everyone.
>>
>> Finally, I do think that accessible signals can have their place, but
>> certainly not the type shown in this video, which seem like they could
>> actually interfere with listening to the traffic.
>>
>> Anyway, I just thought I'd share.
>>
>> Aaron Cannon
>>
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>
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