Webinar: Signals for Pedestrians Who Are Blind – Overview of Current Issues and Available Training

On July 20, 2011, TRB co-sponsored a web briefing or "webinar"  that explored information about a National Cooperative Highway Research Program project on Accessible Pedestrian Signals workshops.

Transportation professionals are making pedestrian safety enhancements at traffic signals and street crossings for persons who are blind and/or visually impaired. Some of the audible signals currently in use in the United States do not provide adequate information regarding crossing signals, do not provide adequate directional guidance where it is needed, and do not meet the needs of people with both visual and hearing impairments. TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) has completed a project to develop guidelines and training materials for implementation of accessible pedestrian signals (APS).

This webinar, co-sponsored by Easter Seals Project ACTION, provided an overview of APS, how they are used by blind pedestrians, and current standards governing their use. As a part of the project, panelists provided information about how to host a free APS workshop offered through NCHRP. The presenters provided an overview of the topic areas covered in the workshop and will highlight the need for addressing this topic given the release of the 2009 Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices and the impending release of the Public Rights-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines. The webinar featured a past workshop host and a past workshop participant, who talked about their experiences with the APS workshop.

For more information about the project, visit www.apsguide.org.

Presenters

Janet M. Barlow, Accessible Design for the Blind
Daniel Carter, University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center
Steve Jewell, DLZ