Travel in Adverse Winter Weather Conditions by Blind Pedestrians

Winter weather creates many orientation and mobility (O&M) challenges for people who are visually impaired. Getting the cane tip stuck is one of the noticeable challenges when traveling in snow, particularly when the walking surface is covered in deep snow. The authors compared four different cane tips: 1) metal glide, 2) marshmallow roller, 3) roller ball, and 4) bundu bahser. There was a statistically significant difference in frequency of sticking among the different cane tips. Post hoc analyses revealed that the sticking frequency for the metal glide tip was significantly higher than that for the roller ball tip, for the bundu basher tip, and for the marshmallow roller tip. In addition, there was a statistically significant difference in sticking frequency between the marshmallow roller tip and the roller ball tip. Cane tip shape appears to have contributed to differences in sticking frequency. For example, the metal glide tip, being the smallest and more sharply angled among the four cane tips, tended to get stuck on snow more often than more rounded and larger cane tips. Differences in sticking frequency among the cane tips observed in this study appear to be large enough to be practically significant for cane users and practitioners.

• Record URL:
  http://www.wmich.edu/sites/default/files/attachments/u428/2015/TRCLC_RR_14_11.pdf
• 
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This research was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation, University Transportation Centers program.
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Center for Livable Communities

  Western Michigan University
  Kalamazoo, MI  United States  49009-5316

  Western Michigan University

  1903 W. Michigan Ave.
  Kalamazoo, Michigan  United States  49008-5241

  Department of Transportation

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology
  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Kim, Dae Shik
  • Emerson, Robert Wall
  • Guth, Dave
  • Long, Richard
• Publication Date: 2015-8-31

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Edition: Final Report
• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: 19p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Assistive technology; Blind persons; Pedestrians; Winter
• Subject Areas: Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01598005
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: TRCLC 14-11
• Contract Numbers: TRCLC 14-11
• Files: UTC, TRIS, RITA, ATRI
• Created Date: Apr 28 2016 2:46PM