[nfb-talk] Explanation of traffic lights and pedestrian signals

ckrugman at sbcglobal.net ckrugman at sbcglobal.net
Thu May 27 11:22:29 UTC 2010


I have found many intersections where the audible crossing signals such as 
chirping birds have been not only a distraction but a hazard and a nuisance 
because the signal was deflected by high winds. Having gone through mobility 
training long before the development of audible signals I much prefer and 
rely on the tried and true audible signal of the moving traffic flow that 
occurs each time a visible traffic light changes color and traffic is 
present at an intersection.
Chuck
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "John G. Heim" <jheim at math.wisc.edu>
To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, May 25, 2010 12:57 PM
Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Explanation of traffic lights and pedestrian signals


Yes, of course I need audible walk signals.

I hope you're not trying to imply that I shouldn't need audible walk
signals. By that logic, visible walk signals are also unnecessary. That
would imply that cities all over the globe have wasted millions of dollars
installing visible walk signals for sighted people.  If you don't believe
that visible walk signals help sighted people cross streets more safely, you
should contact the traffic engineers in your city and they will set you
straight. Just as visible signals help sighted people cross streets more
safely, audible signals help blind pedestrians cross streets more safely.

Here is a link to some information about audible walk signals helping blind
people cross streets more safely:
http://www.apsguide.org/appendix_c_research.cfm

If you have any reason to believe that audible signals do not help blind
pedestrians cross the street more safely, I would like to see it.  It
certainly seems counter-intuitive to say that audible signals would not make
blind pedestrians safer. If you're going to say that, you are obligated to
provide some evidence.  The NFB should not be organizing protests against
something that by all appearances would make blind pedestrians safer unless
they have some compelling reason to believe it doesn't work.

Otherwise, the NFB should stop playing games with the lives of blind
pedestrians.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dewey Bradley" <dewey.bradley at att.net>
To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, May 25, 2010 2:06 PM
Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Explanation of traffic lights and pedestrian signals


Why do you think the NFB  should change its stance?
Do you need them?

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "John G. Heim" <jheim at math.wisc.edu>
To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, May 25, 2010 9:51 AM
Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Explanation of traffic lights and pedestrian signals


As recently as 2003, the NFB organized protests against audible  walk
signals:
http://nfb.org/legacy/bm/bm03/bm0301/bm030103.htm

Personally, I feel there is no more important issue on which the NFB needs
to change its stance. This is about as wrong-headed as an organization can
be.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Sherri" <flmom2006 at gmail.com>
To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>; "Florida Association of
Guide Dog Users" <flagdu at nfbnet.org>; "NAGDU Mailing List,the National
Association of Guide Dog Users" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>; "NFB Florida"
<nfbf-l at nfbnet.org>; "NFB of Florida parents" <fopbc at nfbnet.org>
Cc: "Dianne Ketts" <dianne at ketts.org>
Sent: Saturday, May 22, 2010 8:20 AM
Subject: [nfb-talk] Explanation of traffic lights and pedestrian signals


The FCB is streaming their convention and I am currently listening to a
speech by an O & M instructor, Dianne Ketts, who happens to work for the
Lighthouse of Central Florida. I know Dianne personally and find her to be a
very progressive-thinking O & M instructor. She is explaining the various
kinds of Pedestrian signals, traffic lights and the use of audible
pedestrian signals. She particularly emphasizes that you need proper O & M
techniques and training whether or not the audible indications exists,
saying that the audible signal only indicates that the walk signal is
showing, not that it is safe to cross the street. I find her outlook
refreshing and the lecture fascinating.  It is interesting to learn how the
various lights are actuated as well as how the audible pedestrian signals
work. I think it would be of great use to have an explanation of these
various signals and the technology regarding APS'S AT A FUTURE NFBF
CONVENTION AND EVEN POSSIBLY AT AN NFB national convention. I really believe
with traffic patterns changing, with more and more cars on our roadways,
this information is useful for us to know. She says, for example, that
whether there is an APS or not, there are some intersections where it is
imperative for people to find the push-button. Really interesting!

Sherri


Sherri Brun, NFBF Secretary and Newsline® Coordinator
E-mail:  flmom2006 at gmail.com
http://www.nfbnewslineonline.org
http://www.nfbflorida.org

"Don't give up something you want forever for something you want only for
now!"
_______________________________________________
nfb-talk mailing list
nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-talk_nfbnet.org

_______________________________________________
nfb-talk mailing list
nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-talk_nfbnet.org


_______________________________________________
nfb-talk mailing list
nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-talk_nfbnet.org



_______________________________________________
nfb-talk mailing list
nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-talk_nfbnet.org 





More information about the nFB-Talk mailing list