[nfbwatlk] Read And Weep

[Nfbnorthwest at aol.com]

Ouch! Talk about painful. Yikes! 
 
Lisa Owen
 
 
In a message dated 3/25/2010 6:11:38 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time,  
k7uij at panix.com writes:

-----  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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