[Nfb-idaho] autable devicefor crossing streets with traffic lights.

Sat Nov 8 19:47:00 UTC 2008

Hi guys, this is Becky, most of you know me or my husband, Ty (speeled Tygh, but I'll just type it they way it sounds for this post), who is legally blind & physically challenged. He uses a wheelchair & a white cane when he travels, especailly when he is crossing a street.

Ty has read these posts, and I told him my thought & he agrees with everything I am about to comment about.

Thank you, Bill, for sharing your story and making that point.

Ty has has gone across that very same street himself many times. For those who don't know, 6th & Washington is right between the ICBVI building & downtown Boise. 
6th street is a one way street that goes from East to west. 7th street, the next street on the way from the comission to downtown, goes the opposite direction.
There have been several times that Ty was almost hit while crossing 6th street. I was witness to this a few of those times. At least two of those times Ty wasn't hit was because HE was the one who was aware, and stopped.... right in the middle of the intersection. Meanwhile, the car just kept on going, not even beginning to stop!
I myself, an able bodied sighted person, was almost hit last year crossing this very intersection. I had checked to make sure the street was clear, the nearest car was a full block down the street. apartenly that wasn't far enough away or something! I got halfway across the street, and that car almost hit me.

Bill, you are so very right! an audible device would do absolutley nothing for those types of situations or intersections! 

Here are some other thoughts or questions--

How would a person like Ty, who uses a wheelchair, be able to use it? Especailly since he drives his chair with one hand & uses his white cane in the other. 
And, another problem would be that at many intersections, there is only one wheelchair ramp, which are often pointed into the middle of the street, not towards the crosswalk. So, because of the way those ramps are set, a blind wheelchair user would be setting off the device, and  stopping all the traffic in all directions, just because it appeared as though this person were heading into the inersection, when they were more likely going to head back towards the crosswalk. Talk about uncomfortable, frustrating, and embarrassing. What is the point of a blind wheelchair user having any blindness training, if this device will cause all traffic to stop before S/he can even get to where S/he can even start to cross the street. Not to mention the feeling of independance that would take away. 

My other question: Am I right to understand that the device & the streetlights working depends on the streetlights working? What happens if, due to a power outage or accident, or something else, those streetlights aren't working? or the GPS isn't working for some reason? What good is the device then? 

Another thought, too bad the device couldn't tell you, while you're crossing at the crosswalk, if there is a car in the middle of the crosswalk. Or if there's a car coming to make a right or left turn and going to hit you! (I can't count how many times that has almost happened to either me or Ty!). If someone is going to create a device like this with someone in mind w/o asking that group if they even want/ need it first, and that device will just be a pain, it should at least have the capability of alerting us when a car is getting too close! 

In other words, Ty and I agree with Bill in that it would make things more confusing, and be a nuisance. And, what would be the point of the device if not all blind persons were able to use it?

Thank you
Becky and Ty Hales 

> From: k7uij at panix.com> To: nfb-idaho at nfbnet.org> Date: Fri, 7 Nov 2008 22:48:58 -0800> Subject: Re: [Nfb-idaho] autable devicefor crossing streets with traffic lights.> > Bill:> > Ya got a point there, Judge! (grin)> > Mike> > ----- Original Message -----> From: "Bill Morgan" <billmorgan124 at cableone.net>> To: "NFB OF Idaho Discussion List" <nfb-idaho at nfbnet.org>> Date: 2008/11/08 01:22:23> Subject: [Nfb-idaho] autable devicefor crossing streets with traffic lights.> > >> >> > Hello Mike and listers.> > Back in 85 I was struck by a car in a non lighted marked cross walk at the corner of 6th and Washington with my guide dog Hart.> > I had started crossing the street with several office workers headed for 9th and Washington.> > In this case my getting hit with or without traffic lights may not of mattered.> > As I was about halfway or a little more across a 69 Plymouth Fury struck me on my right side.> > I knocked my dog with my left side and that put him ahead of me even more where the car missed Hart.> > I was hit hard enough that I was thrown up and over the entire hood, up and over the drivers side windshield on to the drivers side roof.> > I then fell on the roof on to the pathment.> > They thought on scene that my neck, back, and right hip and right ankle were broken.> > It turned out that all my damage was mussels, ligaments, and soft tissue, and neck damage.> > I was in a wheelchair for 6 months, and in bed for 3 months.> > > > It was found that the person driving that hit me, didn't see me until I was coming across his hood.> > He was a 69 year old man that had had laser surgery on his eyes, and was coming home from the surgery.> > He was told not to drive by the doctor, but did anyway.> > > > Now after describing this accident where, and when would I had time to try and listen to a speech device beeping at me, or talking or whatever at me, while concentrating on getting across the street.> > As you can see this device would have been no help even if there had been a light.> > The man couldn't see as he should have, so maybe he also besides not seeing several others crossing, me nor my guide dog probably wouldn't see a green light turning red all at once.> > > > This is another one of great intentions, but not asking those the device is aimed for what a cross section of blind and visually impaired thought about it.> > > > I do believe there are certain lighted special confusing or really wide heavy trafficked intersections that audible signals are helpful.> > > > However, I do not see how anyone could especially using a cane have to think about line of travel, speed getting across, possible audible signal, traffic flows, and now having to listen for this handheld device waiting to see if its going to go off any second telling me I am out of bounds as it were.> > Way to much information!> > Overload!> > > > _______________________________________________> > Nfb-idaho mailing list> > Nfb-idaho at nfbnet.org> > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-idaho_nfbnet.org> > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for Nfb-idaho:> > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfb-idaho_nfbnet.org/k7uij%40panix.com> > _______________________________________________> Nfb-idaho mailing list> Nfb-idaho at nfbnet.org> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-idaho_nfbnet.org> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for Nfb-idaho:> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfb-idaho_nfbnet.org/mrwheelz63%40msn.com
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