[access-uk] Re: Braille #Trails for Blind Brits
- From: Carol Pearson <carol.pearson29@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Mike Pearson <mike.pearson29@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 20 Sep 2013 22:40:37 +0100
This may be of interest to you
Carol P
Sent from my iPhone using MBraille
On 20 Sep 2013, at 03:17 pm, "Peter Beasley" <pjbeasley23@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I wonder what peoples opinions on this list are regarding what I am posting
below which I received from another list?
I am just beginning to realise how backward the UK is in access for
blind people. Whilst our streetscape designers are busy upgrading our
town centres so they are accessible only to people with reasonable
eyesight, ,many other countries are providing "Braille Trails" to assist
blind people to move quickly around their towns.
Although they are used in other countries Braille Trails seem to be
virtually unknown in the UK and consist basically of guidance grooves
running along footways just deep enough to accommodate the roller or tip
of a long cane, which can then guide long cane users along a clear path
which safely avoids obstacles.
I have found that some blind Brits do not like change, so I expect to be
told that this is an old idea that was thrown out years ago and that
long canes are not intended to be used in this way.
Nevertheless, below is a report from Dick Groves, a mnow blind ex Police
Indspector from Bromley who has sampled Braille Trails in America,
Australia, Asia and Europe, and JPG pictures are also available for
those who have some sight.
Dear David,
We spoke last week regarding the above subject. Thank you for your
papers, I found them most interesting. I noted your use of the term,
'No Go Area', as I have headed my local campaign, 'No Go Bromley'. I
won a round yesterday with the reinstatement of vcrossing cones and
audibles that had been removed by Transport For London, without
consultation. But it does take time and energy.
I have attached photographs of the Brisbane Braille Trail, a safe route
designed for vips using pedestrianised and shared space areas. These
photos were taken about five years ago and are still relevant. I
revisited Brisbane last year and have the latest information but my
earlier photos and paper explain the innovations sufficiently well.
Since that visit I have seen similar trails in Basle, Zurich, Dubai and
particularly extensive usage in Hong Kong. Friends tell me that Athens,
Tokyo and South Korea also have similar trails .
As I said when we talked, the key to change is to prosecute. I
specifically asked in Brisbane and San Francisco as to how vips managed
to convince the local authorities to take our needs seriously, the reply
was the same in both cities: a prosecution led to adverse publicity for
the authority. Both city councils then invoked the full process of
beurocracy and set up internal departments, grievance procedures etc.
Maybe a little heavy, but effective. I believe that we have the
equality legislation here but it is only used to chase up a few Chinese
restaurants. Hit a major service provider and our world would change.
Brisbane Shopping Mall Braille Trail
by Dick Groves
When in Brisbane recently I spent a morning with Doctor John McPherson,
the city's disabled access officer and his assistant Koda-Jo. You can
imagine how we got on when I discovered that she was originally from
Lewisham and had worked in Bromley. They showed me the safe route that
has been laid out in the city centre for the visually impaired. Imagine
a simple ribbed route set into the pavement, avoiding all obstacles.
The trail leads to the main shops and services such as the library, post
office, public transport and road crossings. All I had to do was to put
my white stick down and follow the trail. It has marked tactile
junctions and protected kerbs. There are contrasting colour signboards
in both Braille and raised lettering. The trail links with safe road
crossings that have a special homing bleep for blind users. The same
concern and attention to detail has been applied to public transport. A
bus pulled up directly alongside the tactile indicator for the bus stop
and the driver offered to lower the hydrolic platform that allows for
wheelchair access. Doctor John, my guide, is a wheelchair user. The
City Council really puts its equality employment policies into practice.
Elsewhere I saw escalators with contrasting coloured tactile markers
and was told that shopping malls are increasingly putting down these
Braille trails. In Sydney I saw blister pavement on a road crossing
that had a cat's eye effect at night and a machine gun like sound when I
ran my white stick over it.
Brisbane airport has a team of volunteer guides for disabled and other
special needs travelers and of course, the airport has its own tactile
Braille trail, leading from all parts to the terminal building.
Doctor McPherson has supplied me with reports on the development of the
trail, the national regulations respecting such matters and details of
expert consultants specializing in such innovations.
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