[tabi] Re: Braille signage-- demand and offer
- From: "Waterman, Brian" <Brian.Waterman@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "<tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>" <tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 17 Oct 2013 22:20:21 +0000
This is Brian from StarMetro. We are working with Microsoft and Bing maps right
now.
Sent from my iPhone
On Oct 17, 2013, at 6:17 PM, "Chip and Allie Orange"
<acorange@xxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:acorange@xxxxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
If I could offer suggestions on things that would help everyone as well as the
disabled (speaking up here as instructed):
Please ask StarMetro to consider placing their route data on the Google transit
system. There are many free apps (I am writing one right now) which can then
present the data from Google, as part of a complete set of instructions, as to
how a person might need to walk and make use of the transit system to get from
point A to point B. Their instructions tell you exactly which streets to walk
to; where the bus stop is located; what time the bus stops there and which one
you should take, and how many stops later you should disembark from the bus,
along with the remainder of your walking (or transfer) instructions. They are
amazingly clear and easy to use.
Over 100 cities already participate on Google transit, and Google does this
absolutely for free; and says they will help any city having a problem getting
their data in the correct format.
This makes use of the transit system by a blind person much easier, as users of
my app in other cities are already telling me. It completely replaces the
paper maps and the inaccessible route planner from StarMetro with something
accessible and maintained by someone else! We all win.
Thanks.
Chip
From: tabi-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:tabi-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
[mailto:tabi-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of blindwilly
Sent: Thursday, October 17, 2013 4:21 PM
To: tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>;
brian.waterman@xxxxxxxxxx<mailto:brian.waterman@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [tabi] Re: Braille signage-- demand and offer
Erica,
I have been in on this since the first, along with our TCB. One thing I
noticed is that for every one person that complained about the efforts, there
were three that were positive. We have a long way to go, but we have come a
long way and farther than the mass majority of America.
William
----- Original Message -----
From: Erica<mailto:ericamccaul@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> ;
brian.waterman@xxxxxxxxxx<mailto:brian.waterman@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, October 17, 2013 1:15 PM
Subject: [tabi] Braille signage-- demand and offer
I am going to make an offer and a demand for the folks subscribed to TABI.
There has been some hugh and cry regarding a perceived lack of information
about the process used to determine how/if Braille signage should be included
in Starmetro's attempts to improve our bus service.
Many venues for information are open to the general public, including-- perhaps
most obviously-- the City's Press Releases, which can be accessed through
Talgov.com<http://Talgov.com>. Lynn Evans has done a wonderful job of
faithfully and timely posting these to TABI... so there should be no excuses
here about not having access to that information in the past. (Lynn, I am in no
way obligating you to continue this service... but I certainly want to publicly
thank you for all you have done!)
IF, however, you still are uninformed, AND WISH TO BE, please email me off-line
and I will provide you with a list of information sources.
If you choose not to get involved--
do not make an effort to inform yourself,
cannot find it in your schedule to make your voice heard in a productive
manner--
THEN HERE IS MY DEMAND:
please remain silent about such issues.
Starmetro has done a wonderful job in their efforts to get Braille signage to
little ol' Tallahassee!
There have been a few snags, yes, but every pioneer has faced such challenges.
Startmetro DOES NOT NEED TO HEAR whining and crying at this point about
opportunities individuals missed to have their input heard, or about a "better
way" to do something they have already completed. That is no way to show our
gratitude for their efforts, not to mention the efforts of the citizens who
were involved. Starmetro NEEDS to hear "Thank you!"
IT IS DONE. IT HAS BEEN DONE AS WELL AS WE-- Starmetro staff and involved
citizens-- COULD POSSIBLY FORESEE AND PLAN.
And, NO, in case you are wondering, it was not just 3 or 4 local folks stabbing
in the dark; Department of Transportation and other national standards were
consulted. (Thank you to Lynda Jones!)
If you don't use the bus, then you will never have to worry about your hand
getting a cramp from reading sideways.
However, for those of us who do ride, this will be a HUGE help! I'm sure we are
smart enough to read Braille "sideways", just as sightlings adapt to signs
written vertically.
Let's move forward with positive comments only.
just like Thumper's father told him, "If you can't say anything nice, don't say
nothin' at all."
Erica
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