[nfbwatlk] Read And Weep

[Lauren Merryfield]

Hi,
What a waste of money and how confusing for other people to be misled into 
thinking all that is necessary.
Thanks
Lauren
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mike Freeman" <k7uij at panix.com>
To: "NFB of Washington Talk Mailing List" <nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, March 25, 2010 6:03 PM
Subject: [nfbwatlk] Read And Weep


> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: Carl Jarvis
> To: wcb-l at wcbinfo.org
> Sent: Thursday, March 25, 2010 3:49 PM
> Subject: [Wcb-l] Press Release: Accessible Pedestrian Signal 
> ProgramReceivesStimulus Funds
>
>
> Subject: Press Release: Accessible Pedestrian Signal Program Receives 
> Stimulus Funds
>
>
> The following press release is forwarded to you by the DBTAC-Great Lakes 
> ADA Center (www.adagreatlakes.org) for your information:
> PRESS RELEASE
> Accessible Pedestrian Signal Program Receives Stimulus Funds
> San Francisco (March 24, 2010)-The San Francisco Municipal Transportation 
> Agency (SFMTA), which oversees all surface transportation in San Francisco 
> including the Municipal Railway (Muni), today announced that the City has 
> received federal stimulus funds that will equip five additional 
> intersections with Accessible Pedestrian Signals (APS).
>
> In the City 116 intersections have been equipped with the devices over the 
> past two and a half years, making San Francisco the national leader on 
> this important safety issue.
>
> "The SFMTA remains committed to increasing access and mobility across the 
> City," said Nathaniel P. Ford Sr., SFMTA Executive Director/CEO. "We will 
> continue to work with our partners to provide greater accessibility for 
> all San Franciscans."
>
> "San Francisco has a vibrant and diverse community of people with 
> disabilities who are able to live here independently," said Susan Mizner, 
> Executive Director, Mayor's Office on Disability. "Features such as the 
> APS expand the range of their independence, enriching their lives as well 
> as the culture of the City."
>
> San Francisco's APS program is the gold standard that other municipalities 
> are emulating. The success of the program is based in large part on the 
> unwavering commitment of the California Council of the Blind, the 
> LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, and the SFMTA. 
> Collaboration between these organizations has turned San Francisco into 
> one of the most visitable cities in the country for individuals who are 
> blind. - Jessie Lorenz, Associate Director of the Independent Living 
> Resource Center San Francisco
>
> The APS installed by the SFMTA meet new federal guidelines issued in 
> December. The state of the art signaling devices assist pedestrians with 
> visual impairments by emitting a rapid ticking sound in tandem with the 
> familiar WALK symbol displayed for sighted pedestrians. Other 
> accessibility features include locator tones to help those with visual 
> impairments find the devices, vibrating push buttons during the walk phase 
> and audible information such as street names when pedestrians press the 
> push buttons for one second or longer.
>
> "The audible and tactile information conveyed by the APS has helped 
> eliminate my fear of crossing intersections in San Francisco," said David 
> Jackson, a blind, 30-year resident of San Francisco and a Board member of 
> the California Council of the Blind.
>
> San Francisco's APS program also includes a detailed checklist for 
> prioritizing requests for APS and a carefully monitored maintenance 
> program. Members of the public can request that the signals be installed 
> by either visiting 311.org or calling 311.
>
> The SFMTA's successful APS program grew out of a cooperative effort 
> between blind advocates from the California Council of the Blind, the 
> LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired and the Independent Living 
> Resource Center San Francisco. The SFMTA and the California Council of the 
> Blind reached a landmark settlement on the issue in 2007. The SFMTA 
> continues to pursue opportunities to expand the APS program. The original 
> agreement included at least 80 intersections. Going forward the SFMTA will 
> continue to work with the community to expand the use of APS.
>
> ###
>
> Established by voter proposition in 1999, the SFMTA, a department of the 
> City and County of San Francisco, oversees the Municipal Railway (Muni), 
> parking and traffic and taxis. With five modes of transit, Muni has 
> approximately 700,000 passenger boardings each day. Over 35,000 extra 
> vehicles enter San Francisco on any given business day, and rely on the 
> SFMTA to keep the flow of cars, transit vehicles, taxis, delivery trucks, 
> pedestrians and bicycles moving smoothly through the streets.
>
> Media Contacts
> SFMTA Contact
> Judson True
> judson.true at sfmta.com
>
> Contact for blind community organizations
> Jessie Lorenz
> 510-388-3903
> jessie at ilrcsf.org
>
> Linda Porelle
> 1-415-431-1481
> lporelle at lighthouse-sf.org
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
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