Tactile maps increase independence and freedom for blind people, and this technology puts traffic maps at our fingertips. Should cities around the world install these accessible pedestrian signals?
Descriptive Transcript
I’m standing beside a yellow and navy plastic control box near a crosswalk.
Haben: A Swedish style of accessible pedestrian signals can now be found in lots of different places around the world. Here’s one in Sweden, and I want to highlight some really cool things about this. There is a tactile map on the control box.
Photo: The front of the control box showing a map.
Haben: An arrow points up to a vertical line going across the map, and that tells you the route you want to take. Cars are represented by rectangles, raised rectangles. There are two on the left side, two on the right side. That tells you it’s a four-lane street. And in the middle of the street is an oval. That means there’s an island.
Video returns to Haben speaking by the control box.
Haben: So when I approach this intersection, I’m getting lots of valuable information about what to expect: how long it’s going to take me to get across, if I reach an island I actually know it’s an island and not the other side of the street. So this is powerful. I have three more things to highlight here. On the top, there’s an arrow.
Photo: A close up of the top of the control box. The arrow is no more than a couple inches long and raised from the surface of the box.
Haben: Sometimes intersections are angled. So, the arrow is angled slightly to let you know how you should cross the street.
Her hand reads the arrow.
Haben: When you tap the top of the control box, you can increase the volume of the audio signal.
Photo: A collection of raised dots form a star on the dark-blue, plastic surface.
Haben: And on the bottom there’s a star, a tactile star, and it vibrates to tell you when it’s time to cross. Isn’t that cool? It’s a lot of information and it gives the pedestrian choices about: Do they want audio? Do they want tactile signals? Do they want it louder, quieter? And if you don’t want any of this info, you don’t have to use the control box. You can ignore it. So I’m going to hit the button.
She presses a flat non-apparent button at the front of the control box. A small, clear ring at the top of the box lights up, turning an orange-yellow color. The control box makes a quiet, high-pitched beep.
(Slow clicking from the control box)
Haben’s hand rests below the control box. A photo of the tactile star appears again on screen briefly before we return to Haben and Mylo waiting.
(Rapid clicking).
Haben: Mylo, forward.
Mylo and Haben walk into the street. a few other pedestrians pass to their right. A blue car makes a turn through the far side of the crosswalk as Haben and Mylo cross the island.
Haben (voiceover): My guide dog and I reach the other side of the street.
She reaches down to pet Mylo.
Haben: Good job!