[NFBSea] FW: Seeking blind participants for Seattle research study on transit boarding islands

Fri Sep 5 21:50:05 UTC 2025

Passing on for your information 

From: A. Zivarts <annazivarts at gmail.com> 
Sent: Saturday, August 23, 2025 5:23 PM
To: A. Zivarts <annazivarts at gmail.com>; peggy at creativeinclusion.us
Subject: Fwd: Seeking blind participants for Seattle research study on transit boarding islands

Passing along this opportunity from Peggy -- I think this work around transit stop access and floating bus stops is so critical! Please respond directly to her with questions. 

Anna Zivarts

Author, When Driving Isn't An Option: Steering Away from Car Dependency <https://islandpress.org/books/when-driving-not-option>  (Island Press, 2024)

  <https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/mail-sig/AIorK4zFNahudlI_lvsIpN6bxKMsizWBJKyycRvTCIFGmtcVu6sYyWwVmOw6sHXt3757niaXDxV-SYA> 

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: <peggy at creativeinclusion.us <mailto:peggy at creativeinclusion.us> >
Date: Thu, Aug 21, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Subject: Seeking blind participants for Seattle research study on transit boarding islands
To: <annazivarts at gmail.com <mailto:annazivarts at gmail.com> >

Anna:

Thanks for helping spread the word about the upcoming study on transit boarding islands. The email with all the information is below. 

…

You can help us solve a new issue in taking the bus. Street designs continue to evolve resulting in new challenges for blind pedestrians.

Accessible Design for the Blind, working with Kittelson & Associates, is looking for volunteers who are blind to participate in a study on the accessibility of transit boarding islands in the Seattle area. The study will take place from Monday September 8 through Thursday September 11 during the day and early evenings and will take approximately two hours.  

We want to better understand the experience and challenges of people who have very little or no vision when getting on and off buses at transit boarding islands rather than from the sidewalk. Transit boarding islands are separated from the sidewalk by bicycle lanes that must be crossed to board the bus or to reach the sidewalk when exiting the bus. These islands can be of various designs, and they may have a sizeable area where one can wait for the bus, or they may have limited or no width, in which case passengers board the bus from the edge of the bike lane. 

These transit boarding islands let people riding bicycles use a bicycle lane and pass buses on the side away from the street, so they don't have to wait behind buses or go around them by moving into the traffic on the left side of the bus. Therefore, boarding islands reduce conflicts between bicyclists and buses and other traffic, but they introduce potential conflicts between bicyclists and pedestrians. These conflicts occur because the transit boarding islands require passengers to cross the bike lane when traveling to or from where you board the bus.

We are looking for experienced travelers who are comfortable using a long cane, who regularly travel independently outdoors, who use public buses independently at least occasionally, and who would be willing to participate in the research. If you decide to take part in the study, you will be asked to do several trials beginning on the sidewalk and traveling to the area where you should wait to board a bus, crossing a bike lane to a transit boarding island if needed, board the bus, ride to a predetermined stop, get off, and travel to the sidewalk. There will be a certified orientation and mobility (O&M) specialist with you as you travel. 

Compensation is $75 and travel costs to get to and from the study area will be reimbursed. 

If you are interested in participating, please call me, Peggy Martinez, at (707) 633-5588 or email me at peggy at creativeinclusion.us <mailto:peggy at creativeinclusion.us>  as soon as possible to get additional information and to determine your eligibility for the study. Again, the study dates are September 8-11 days and early evenings. 

Many thanks!

Peggy Martinez, ADAC

Principal, Creative Inclusion

707.633.5588

peggy at creativeinclusion.us <mailto:peggy at creativeinclusion.us> 

www.creativeinclusion.us <http://www.creativeinclusion.us/> 

Improving accessibility for people with disabilities in the areas of technology, 

wayfinding, transit, recreation, travel and entertainment.

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