PEDESTRIAN NEEDS: INSIGHTS FROM A PILOT SURVEY OF BLIND AND DEAF INDIVIDUALS

INTERVIEWS WITH 94 PERSONS AFFLICTED BY VARYING DEGREES OF BLINDNESS OR DEAFNESS WERE CONDUCTED TO TEST THE ASSUMPTION THAT THESE PERSONS WOULD BE ACUTELY SENSITIVE TO PEDESTRIAN NEEDS AND TO ACQUIRE INFORMATION USEFUL IN THE DESIGN OF FACILITIES FOR THE LARGE NUMBER OF THE TOTAL POPULATION THAT IS SEVERLY DISABLED (20 MILLION DEAF, 8.5 MILLION BLIND). THE SUBJECTS' RESPONSES WERE TESTED AGAINST THOSE OF A CONTROL GROUP WITH NO DISCERNIBLE DISABILITY. AGES RANGED FROM 18 TO 62. MOST BLIND SUBJECTS WERE CANE USERS. SEEING-EYE DOGS REQUIRE A BRISK WALKING PACE AND, ALTHOUGH THEY CLEAR A PATH FOR THEIR OWNER, ESTABLISH A DEPENDENCE THAT LEAVES THE OWNER PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE WHEN THE DOG IS NOT AVAILABLE. ON THE OTHER HAND, MOST MOTORISTS HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF LAWS, ADOPTED IN ALL BUT A FEW STATES, REQUIRING DEFERENCE TO THE WHITE CANE. NOISE FROM VEHICLES HAMPERS INTEPRETATION OF AURAL CUES. THE SUBJECTS MADE MANY SUGGESTIONS ABOUT TRAFFIC CONTROL AND ABOUT DESIGN OF BOTH NORMAL AND SPECIAL SIDEWALK AND PAVEMENT ARTEFACTS. MUCH CAN BE DONE TO ORIENT THOSE WHOSE VISUAL IMPAIRMENT IS NOT TOTAL. APART FROM THOSE WITH A BALANCE PROBLEM, THE DEAF SUBJECTS EXPERIENCED LITTLE DISADVANTAGE IN THE PEDESTIAN ROLE AS A RESULT OF THEIR HANDICAP.

• Corporate Authors:

  Government Printing Office

  Superintendent of Documents
  Washington, DC  United States  20402-9325
• Authors:
  • Roberts, D C
• Publication Date: 1972-6

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 29-31
• Serial:
  • Volume: 37
  • Issue Number: 1

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Blindness; Deafness; Laws; Pedestrian safety; Pedestrians; Persons with disabilities
• Old TRIS Terms: Pedestrian protection
• Subject Areas: Highways; Law; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Safety and Human Factors; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00223891
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Dec 13 1972 12:00AM