Document Type

Working Paper

Publication Date

2001

Subject Area

Location - USA, Mobility - Vision Impairment, Transport accessibility - Access to Information

Abstract

To date, most attention and compliance to the ADA mandates for equal access to transportation has been focused on the non-ambulatory/wheelchair bound traveler. The blind and visually impaired in this country represent a significantly large group of disabled persons (almost three times the number of wheelchair users). The good news uncovered in the empirical analysis resulting from our survey, is that their needs do not seem to require anywhere near the massive financial outlays required by the adaptations for wheelchair users. The absence of visual cues such as bus stop signs, bus numbers, bus schedules and street signs are the main barriers to equal access to transportation reported in this study. This groups main need is better information. The single most important characteristic of public transit use for blind and vision impaired people is improving access to information.