A Pilot Study of Pedestrians with Visual Impairments Detecting Traffic Gaps and Surges Containing Hybrid Vehicles

The increasing number of hybrid and quiet internal combustion engine vehicles may impact the travel abilities of pedestrians who are blind. Pedestrians who rely on auditory cues for structuring their travel may face challenges in making crossing decisions in the presence of quiet vehicles. This article describes results of initial studies looking at the crossing decisions of pedestrians who are blind at an uncontrolled crossing (no traffic control) and a light controlled intersection. The presence of hybrid vehicles was a factor in each situation. At the uncontrolled crossing, Toyota hybrids were most difficult to detect but crossing decisions were made more often in small gaps ended by a Honda hybrid. These effects were seen only at speed under 20 mph. At the light controlled intersection, parallel surges of traffic were most difficult to detect when made up only of a Ford Escape hybrid. Results suggest that more controlled studies of vehicle characteristics impacting crossing decisions of pedestrians who are blind are warranted

14-04 Conditions that Influence Drivers\u27 Yielding Behavior at Uncontrolled Crossings and Intersections with Traffic Signal Controls

There is a dearth of studies on how pedestrian who are blind might positively influence driver yielding in different travel situations. This project assessed common pedestrian behaviors (head turning, holding a cane, taking a step, holding up a hand, exaggerated cane movement, standing without a cane) on yielding rate for right turning traffic at lighted intersections as well as at entry and exit lanes at roundabouts. Data replicated previous findings on yielding rates for displaying a cane (about 60%), holding up a hand (65% to 80%), or taking one step into the roadway (80% to 100%) and also showed that head and gaze related behaviors do not increase yielding. In some cases, adding a head turn or gaze behavior decreases yielding rates. At the roundabout, yielding rates at exit lanes were always lower than at the entry lanes or the light controlled intersection. The outcomes have implications for O&M instruction. O&M students who benefit from a forward-facing head position to align at a crossing, or to remain aligned during a crossing, do not need to be concerned that a lack of head movement and face gaze will cause drivers to yield less often. Other students who must turn their heads to visually monitor potential threats from turning vehicles, likewise, need not be apprehensive that their head movements or gazing will likely reduce the drivers’ yielding

14-11 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. We 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

Wearable Cane and App System for Improving Mobility in Toddlers/Pre-schoolers With Visual Impairment

Children with congenital severe visual impairment and blindness (SVI&B) are at greater risk of developing delays in motor and other developmental domains. This report describes a series of experiments conducted to evaluate a novel wearable cane and mobile application system prototype. The wearable cane and application system was tested on ability to (a) provide hands-free autonomous arc able to detect obstacles, level, and surface changes; (b) integrate into indoor/outdoor activities of a specialized pre-school for learners with SVI&B; and (c) be adopted by families, professionals and learners with SVI&B as a safe mobility solution. Sixteen stakeholders and 34 children under five with SVI&B evaluated the prototype system.Results: The project successfully created a hands-free wearable white cane that provided students with SVI&B under age five with next step warning when walking across a variety of terrain. Pre-school participants with SVI&B easily adopted the wearable cane into their activities with minimal to no prompting or instruction. The P20 prototype scored well across usability features, including maintaining consistent, hands-free, autonomous arc. The invention of a hands-free mobility tool was a significant outcome of this project. These data support that autonomous arc has the ability to provide developmentally appropriate safe mobility solution for toddlers with SVI&B

A Hosszú Bot Design Humán Tényező Analízise: Súly és Hosszúság

Adaptált digitalizált tankönyv. Az ELTE Fogyatékosügyi Központja a fogyatékossággal élő hallgatók megsegítése céljából tankönyveket adaptál. A tananyag akadálymentes, adaptált változata az arra jogosult (a fogyatékosügyi koordinátoroknál regisztrált) hallgatók számára érhető el. Az angol nyelvű mű forrása: Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 0145482X, Oct2005, Vol. 99, Issue 10

Location Aware Networks Optimizing Use of Transit Systems by Blind Travelers

As part of the smart city vision, the LookingBus Transit IDEA project improves public transportation services for riders with disabilities. Specifically, LookingBus addresses the challenges of riders with disabilities in boarding and disembarking (getting on/off) the bus. LookingBus developed sensors that are placed on bus-stops and work with mobile apps to alert drivers of riders with disabilities waiting at subsequent bus-stop, ensuring that the drivers can assist the riders board the correct bus. Likewise, the driver gets a notification when the rider needs to get off the bus. In this way, LookingBus is looking out for every rider – the technology allows the drivers to be aware, prepared, and cognizant of the needs of the rider. This approach has been proven to help both drivers, who have the time to clear priority seating and prepare for the upcoming riders, and the ADA (American with Disabilities Act) riders who now have the services they need along with the confidence that the drivers will be ready for them

Fostering Collaborations and Partnerships Through OSEP Grants

Presenters from three universities discussed how Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) grant projects have fostered interdisciplinary collaborations and school/community partnerships. This session discussed the powerful lessons that have emerged from those collaborations, which have involved related services personnel in schools (e.g., school psychology, school counseling, special education, speech and language pathology, and school social work), as well as community partners (e.g., transportation specialists, urban designers, and geographers)