The Trailblazers of College Accessibility in the United States

The Trailblazers of College Accessibility in the United States

by | 02 Oct, 2020

The Trailblazers of College Accessibility in the United States

 

The academic year has started! It’s time for students to go back to college and to fully build their own future! But some, like students with disabilities, can face obstacles during their studies. College accessibility is key to make sure these students can succeed, whether they have a visual or a hearing impairment or motor difficulties.

Around 20% of students with disabilities attend college in the United States. A percentage that keeps increasing every year due to the fact that colleges and universities put up more and more measures to make their premises and their curriculums accessible to all. They thus attract more and more students with disabilities who wish to have access to a higher education.

What do American colleges need to do to be accessible? How can they promote the inclusion of students with disabilities? Get ready to take some notes, we’re going to dissect everything! Retakes aren’t admissible!

Measures promoting college accessibility

Thanks to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1990 (IDEA), students with disabilities between the ages of 3 and 21 receive a public education that’s tailored to their profile. One of its most important goals is to help students have access to a higher education establishing transition services. These services work closely with students to guide them by helping them to find the right college and preparing them for their life on campus.

The same year the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) passed. It aims at protecting people with disabilities from any type of discrimination by implementing accessibility measures in public accommodations. Giving people with disabilities the same services and opportunities as any other citizens represents the true meaning of accessibility. Thus public academic institutions need to abide by it. 

Both acts demonstrate that it’s up to schools and colleges to adapt to the students’ different profiles in order to facilitate their inclusion and their success by first turning their premises accessible. For colleges, it concerns the whole campus: administrative services, lecture halls, cafeterias, libraries… A lot of measures that answer the needs of students with disabilities, regardless of their profile, are easy to implement:

⊗ Automatic doors;

⊗ Guide paths for orientation; 

⊗ Elevators and access ramps;

⊗ Visual contrasting non-slip stair nosings;

⊗ Audio beacons located at strategic points of interest (entrances, reception desk, assemble rooms…);

⊗ Universal pictograms; 

⊗ Braille signs;

⊗ Audio induction loops;

⊗ Accessible restrooms.

We thus have simple yet very efficient systems that enable students but also faculty members with disabilities to get their bearings in a huge and crowded place without needing to be accompanied by someone. Even technology can be useful like Evelity, an indoor wayfinding app specially designed to guide people with disabilities step by step. To use this innovative technology, users just need a smartphone, an essential tool that favors the autonomy of people with disabilities in their everyday lives.

In France, the medical university Rockefeller in Lyon has implemented this navigation system showing others that technology can also enhance college accessibility. For a campus that’s essentially composed of blind or visually impaired students, this solution works well with guide paths to guide users within the facility.

To make sure students with disabilities have equal access to programs, activities and courses but also accessible accommodations on campus, colleges all have disability services at their disposal. However, colleges don’t provide the same disability resources to their students. It’s up to them to carefully choose a college that perfectly answers their needs. They can research anything they need to know on disability and higher education on the National Center for College Students with Disabilities (NCCSD) website. Most services constitute in:

⊗ Note takers;

⊗ American sign language interpreters;

⊗ Assistive Listening Devices (ALDs);

⊗ Assistive technology (screen readers, alternate format materials, video magnifiers…); 

⊗ Exam adjustments;

⊗ Housing accomodations (wheelchair accessible for example).

Some institutions can afford to go further like world-class private university Harvard. Indeed, Harvard pays attention to ergonomics for its students as well as its faculty members with disabilities by providing furniture and office equipment that’s adapted to their type of disability. The university also puts at their disposal accessible shuttles and vans to facilitate their getting around. Everything is thought to make their lives on campus agreeable!

Another good example is Berkeley that provides all the necessary services listed above but also takes into consideration the needs of students on the autism spectrum. Different academic supports like executive function skills building and an emphasis on social engagement with a weekly discussion group enable students on the autism spectrum to succeed in their studies and to have a rich campus life. 

For sure, social activities have an impact towards college accessibility. As human beings, we need to connect to others, especially to others who aren’t or don’t think alike.

Easily accessible campuses  

Thanks to their accessibility, colleges and universities can bank on their attractivity to enroll new students. It’s a place where students spend several years learning, shaping their personalities and creating links with others. Consequently, for those who don’t already have an accommodation on the premises being able to easily go there is key to guarantee they have a good college experience.  

For students with reduced mobility, going to college by car can easily turn into a conundrum when it comes to finding a PRM parking space on campus. A college with accessible parking spaces strengthens even more their autonomy to get around. 

Using public transportation to go to college can also facilitate the lives of students as long as it’s accessible. Subway stations for instance need to be equipped with elevators and escalators. Students with disabilities living in Boston are lucky to use the MBTA since it has strongly improved its accessibility over the years. All buses have a retractable access ramp and dedicated spaces for people using wheelchairs, they remain a good means of transport for people with reduced mobility.

For places as huge as campuses, making accessible every possible route between all the different buildings: from the student center to the lecture halls, from the lecture halls to the library or from the library to the cafeteria… There are a lot of possible combinations that students do to successfully complete their studies and their lives on campus. As we previously saw, a simple and clear signage system enables all students to easily get their bearings in an autonomous way. Tactile guiding paths are the easiest way for visually impaired students to find their way to their chosen destination. They simply have to follow them. 

A lot of colleges and universities put an online map of their campus so that students can easily comprehend the premises. In addition to all the necessary information on the location of the buildings, the map of the University of Michigan also indicates where the accessible entrances are.

Understanding the issues of students with disabilities

Although a lot of apps exist to facilitate the communication of hearing impaired students with others, it’s always better when they face empathic people. Whether they are faculty members of fellow students, it’s important they put themselves in their position by following several tips to make them feel welcome. Being sensitive to the needs of students with disabilities favors their inclusion and offers them a comfortable environment for their studies. A well trained staff and faculty plays a major role in the success of these students. Colleges and universities that focus on disability awareness will attract more students with disabilities.

Seeing that the number of students with disabilities who decide to go to college keeps increasing, colleges and universities need to be able to answer their needs for a perfect inclusion and success. Setting up accessibility measures enables colleges to strengthen their positive image and reputation. We need more college accessibility to shape the minds of the future generations in a more open and tolerant way.

Updated on December 28th, 2021 / Published on October 2nd, 2020

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To make sure students with disabilities have equal access to programs, activities and courses, colleges all have disability services at their disposal.

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The Guidelines for Stadium Accessibility: Offering People with Disabilities a Good Experience

The Guidelines for Stadium Accessibility: Offering People with Disabilities a Good Experience

by | 28 Sep, 2020

The Guidelines for Stadium Accessibility: Offering People with Disabilities a Good Experience

 

Tous les fans de football américain seront d’accord : regarder un match à la télévision n’est rien comparé à aller au stade encourager son équipe favorite. Écouter The Boss chez soi n’atteindra jamais la sensation ressentie par ceux qui ont eu la chance de le voir jouer dans l’ancien Giants Stadium, devenu MetLife Stadium, pour sa tournée « Born in the USA », qui a fait de lui une légende du rock. On vient au stade pour profiter de l’ambiance, pour crier et chanter, pour se retrouver, pour partager un bon moment…

Pour les personnes en situation de handicap, se rendre au stade peut s’avérer un véritable défi en raison de l’accessibilité. Dans une enceinte pouvant accueillir plus de 100 000 visiteurs, quelle place leur est accordée ? Comment rendre accessibles des lieux aussi vastes et complexes que les stades ? Quelles mesures sont mises en œuvre pour accueillir et accompagner les personnes en situation de handicap ? Sont-elles adaptées à tous les types de handicap ? 

Est-ce un choix idéal pour les stades américains ? Examinons leur score global en matière d’accessibilité !

Mesures favorisant l’accessibilité des stades

Les stades sont des lieux tellement vastes, avec une foule constante et omniprésente, qu’il serait facile de penser que les rendre accessibles relève de l’utopie ! Pourtant, différentes mesures sont déjà mises en œuvre, ou sont en cours de mise en œuvre, pour permettre à tous les visiteurs d’être accueillis et de se sentir à l’aise, quel que soit leur profil. 

Conformément à l’ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) de 1990, qui interdit toute discrimination à l’égard des personnes handicapées dans tous les domaines de la vie publique, les lieux publics doivent garantir aux personnes handicapées le même accès et les mêmes services qu’à tout autre visiteur. Pour les stades, cela implique l’application de mesures visant à garantir et à promouvoir l’accessibilité pour tous, quel que soit le handicap, telles que :

⊗  Places de stationnement PMR ;

⊗  Comptoirs abaissés aux concessions et aux stands de marchandises ;

⊗  Zones d’assise pour fauteuils roulants ;

⊗  Accompagnateurs en fauteuil roulant;

⊗  Dispositifs d’écoute assistée pour les personnes malentendantes ;

⊗  Boucles d’induction audio ; 

⊗  Balises sonores situées à différents points d’intérêt stratégiques (entrées, sorties…) pour les personnes malvoyantes ;

⊗  Ascenseurs, escaliers mécaniques et rampes;

⊗  Nez de marche antidérapants à contraste visuel ;

⊗  Chemins de guidage ;

⊗  Pictogrammes universels pour les personnes ayant une déficience intellectuelle ;

⊗  Espaces dédiés aux animaux d’assistance ;

⊗  Sous-titrage pour les annonces spéciales et/ou les discours publics destinés aux malentendants ;

⊗  Description audio pour les malvoyants ;

⊗ Téléphones publics accessibles ;

⊗  Toilettes accessibles.

Plus d’informations sur les sièges accessibles tels qu’indiqués par l’ADA :

⊗ Au moins 1 % des sièges doivent être des places pour fauteuils roulants ;

⊗ Des sièges accessibles doivent être disponibles dans chaque catégorie de sièges et à différents prix de billets ;

⊗ Un siège d’accompagnement doit être situé à côté du siège du fauteuil roulant ;

⊗ Des sièges accessibles doivent être situés dans toutes les zones, y compris les loges et les zones spécialisées ;

⊗ Les sièges accessibles doivent se trouver sur un parcours accessible permettant l’accès depuis les zones de stationnement et de transport et reliant tous les services fournis (concessions, restaurants, toilettes…) ;

⊗ Tous les sièges pour fauteuils roulants doivent offrir une ligne de vue sur les spectateurs debout ;

⊗ 1 % de tous les sièges fixes doivent être des sièges côté couloir sans accoudoir ou avec un accoudoir amovible ou rabattable pour accueillir les personnes à mobilité réduite.

De nombreux stades proposent déjà ce type de mesures et de solutions faciles à mettre en œuvre, comme le Madison Square Garden . Le Garden, aussi connu comme l’arène la plus célèbre du monde, accueille aussi bien des événements sportifs que des concerts. Ce lieu illustre parfaitement ce que l’accessibilité peut et doit être. Le Garden va même plus loin en proposant des services d’interprétation aux visiteurs. Les personnes malentendantes peuvent ainsi comprendre parfaitement le déroulement du match grâce à un interprète en langue des signes. Les personnes sensibles aux stroboscopes ou aux lumières clignotantes pendant un spectacle peuvent être prévenues à l’avance, sur demande, afin d’être informées des difficultés potentielles. Être informées à l’avance leur permet de se sentir en sécurité et de garder le contrôle. Elles peuvent ainsi profiter du spectacle comme tout le monde.

Le Garden n’est pas le seul lieu à penser au bien-être de chacun, quel que soit son profil. En effet, l’ US Bank Stadium de Chicago, domicile des Vikings, a créé une salle sensorielle , un lieu calme et apaisant pour ceux qui ont besoin de silence lorsque les activités sportives deviennent trop bruyantes et intenses. Les personnes atteintes du syndrome de Down, du spectre autistique ou de démence peuvent ainsi y trouver un refuge. La salle est équipée de casques antibruit, de bouchons d’oreilles, de jouets sensoriels et d’un éclairage tamisé… Une initiative innovante qui favorise l’inclusion des personnes ayant des besoins sensoriels ! Un stade qui ouvre la voie à une meilleure accessibilité !

Le site web de l’US Bank Stadium propose des plans de l’extérieur et de l’intérieur du stade. Les visiteurs peuvent ainsi préparer leur excursion et obtenir toutes les informations nécessaires à l’avance pour éviter tout stress. Ils peuvent même télécharger les plans sur leur smartphone. Sachant que 84 % des personnes handicapées utilisent un smartphone pour gagner en autonomie au quotidien, il est logique que les smartphones deviennent de plus en plus indispensables. 

L’utilisation d’une application d’orientation intérieure comme Evelity qui guide les personnes handicapées étape par étape pourrait être extrêmement utile dans un lieu aussi complexe, car l’application peut non seulement aider les utilisateurs à trouver leurs repères, mais peut également localiser les entrées et les sorties et d’autres points de repère dans le lieu.

De plus, Evelity s’adapte au profil de l’utilisateur et à ses capacités pour mieux répondre à ses besoins. 

Comment l’accessibilité des stades peut-elle garantir une bonne expérience aux personnes handicapées ?

Comme nous l’avons vu, l’objectif d’un stade accessible est de permettre à tous ses visiteurs de partager la même expérience : accéder facilement à leur place, avoir une bonne visibilité du match… Mais aussi participer activement aux festivités : chanter l’hymne de l’équipe, crier sa joie lorsque son équipe favorite marque et ainsi profiter pleinement de l’ambiance que le stade a à offrir.

Il est essentiel que les personnes handicapées se sentent à l’aise dans un lieu fréquenté et bondé. Certaines préfèrent venir au stade avec un accompagnateur qui peut les aider si nécessaire. Celles qui viennent seules peuvent compter sur le personnel ou les accompagnateurs du stade pour les guider et les assister. L’accessibilité des stades va bien au-delà de la simple mise en place d’équipements accessibles.

Les accompagnateurs doivent être capables de répondre aux besoins des supporters, quel que soit leur handicap. Les accueillir avec le sourire, être disponible, savoir anticiper leurs besoins et leurs obstacles potentiels et faire preuve d’empathie sont autant de qualités essentielles. L’ensemble du personnel du stade (accompagnateurs, vendeurs, agents de sécurité), interne et externe, doit être bien formé à tous les aspects. Grâce à un partenariat avec Fraser Pediatric Therapy, deux spécialistes du comportement agréés prennent en charge les visiteurs dans la salle sensorielle de l’US Bank Stadium. Lors de chaque match à domicile, les personnes présentant un handicap sensoriel peuvent solliciter leur aide pour se détendre.

Le stade Bank of America de Charlotte, en Caroline du Nord, qui abrite les Panthers de Caroline, dispose de cabines de relations avec les clients situées à chaque entrée principale pour répondre à toutes les questions que les personnes handicapées peuvent avoir sur le stade ou les transports en commun et les aider en conséquence. 

Avoir un personnel bien formé permet aux visiteurs de se sentir en sécurité et à l’aise, leur assurant ainsi de profiter pleinement du jeu. Ils partagent la même expérience que tous les autres visiteurs.

 

Entrer et sortir du stade

Se rendre au stade n’est pas toujours facile en raison de l’affluence et des embouteillages qui en découlent. Est-il plus pratique de partir tôt pour trouver une place de parking ? L’Ohio Stadium de Colombus, dans l’Ohio, met à disposition un plan indiquant aux visiteurs comment rejoindre leur parking accessible depuis différentes directions, ainsi que le trajet des navettes accessibles entre le parking et les entrées du stade. D’autres stades permettent aux visiteurs de réserver leur place de parking à l’avance afin de ne pas avoir à se soucier de trouver une place à leur arrivée. Pour ceux qui ne disposent pas de véhicule, les transports en commun sont toujours une option, mais c’est plus simple avec un métro accessible .

La gare Penn Station mène directement au Madison Square Garden. C’est un carrefour majeur car il relie les trains interurbains et de banlieue de New York. Lorsqu’elles utilisent les transports en commun, les personnes handicapées doivent toujours faire attention à leur environnement. Parfois, même l’achat d’un billet peut s’avérer difficile. Être accompagnées peut soulager leur stress et les rassurer. C’est pourquoi un personnel efficace et bien formé est essentiel pour répondre à leurs questions. 

Un stade inclusif et accessible est possible grâce à différentes mesures faciles à mettre en œuvre, à l’intérieur comme à l’extérieur du stade. Tous les supporters, en situation de handicap ou non, peuvent profiter de leur expérience et partager un moment convivial. L’accessibilité des stades doit constamment évoluer pour répondre aux besoins des personnes en situation de handicap.

Mis à jour le 27 décembre 2021 / Publié le 28 septembre 2020

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The goal of having an accessible stadium is to enable all its visitors to share the same experience: easily accessing their seat, having a good visibility of the game…

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Carole Martinez

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The Ultimate Guide to Accessible Pedestrian Signals

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For more than 25 years, we have been developing architectural access solutions for buildings and streets. Everyday, we rethink today’s cities to transform them in smart cities accessible to everyone.

By creating solutions ever more tailored to the needs of people with disabilities, we push the limits, constantly improve the urban life and make the cities more enjoyable for the growing majority.

How Is Airport Accessibility Progressing for People with Disabilities?

How Is Airport Accessibility Progressing for People with Disabilities?

by | 18 Sep, 2020

How Is Airport Accessibility Progressing for People with Disabilities?

 

Checking-in, dropping off luggage, going through the security checkpoint, boarding…, the course of a traveler can often lead to stress and worry. A largely amplified phenomenon for travelers with disabilities who struggle to move around and find their bearings in such huge places. Millions of people pass through airports every year. How is accessibility deployed within airports? What measures can be implemented to enable the 61 million Americans with disabilities to safely travel?

Indeed, when we travel, a lot of us tend to be stressed because of all the steps to follow and things not to forget. This feeling can be increased for a person with disabilities who needs precise information and a personalized care according to their profile.

Let’s make a quick scan of the progress of airport accessibility in the United States!

 

How to safely travel?

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) aims at prohibiting discrimination towards people with disabilities and at implementing accessibility measures in public accommodations. Thus, every American airport has to follow rules and regulations to make sure that travelers with disabilities can easily have access to the same services and advantages as other travelers. Moreover, the Air Carrier Access Act of 1986 focuses on discrimination on airlines. They have to accomodate the needs of people with disabilities aboard aircraft. From any airport in the US, travelers with disabilities are provided with the same assistance services such as:

⊗ When purchasing their flight tickets, travelers can indicate if they need assistance;

⊗ The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) helpline helps travelers with disabilities to go through security checkpoints;

⊗ Pet relief areas for furry companions. Even they have their own private restrooms;

⊗ Airlines provide assistance throughout the whole trip (boarding, deplaning and making connections).

Even when travelers prepare their journey at home, they can easily know what type of assistance the airport provides since airports all have a dedicated page on assistance service on their website. Plus all airport websites have to be accessible to enable visually impaired people to easily get the necessary information. Such is the case with Denver International Airport (DEN) that lists all its accessibility services and details specific subjects (the location of its accessible parking spaces for example). A map of the airport and its terminals is available on the website but also on the airport app. Smartphones are indeed a vital tool for people with disabilities enabling them to gain more autonomy.

However, assistance services constitute a huge cost for airports. People with reduced mobility and people with disabilities more and more request these services that have difficulties to meet demand. Customer care representatives aren’t always available and some may not have received the appropriate training. If airports could focus on other accessibility measures, this could hugely relieve assistance services and provide more autonomy to travelers with disabilities. Indeed, they wouldn’t have to depend on assistance services as much. Plus there wouldn’t be as many complaints as there are now.

Following the ADA, travelers who didn’t have access to any services provided by airports can directly file a complaint online. Each airport website gives this opportunity to passengers, for example the Los Angeles Airport (LAX).

It’s to be noted that some people don’t want to use assistance services and prefer to travel by themselves or accompanied by a relative to help them through all the steps in their trip.

An efficient signage system is key to answer their needs and can easily be implemented to equip such a complex place like an airport:

⊗ Audio beacons that indicate to visually impaired people the location of different strategic points of interest (entrances, counters, restrooms…);

⊗ Braille signs;

⊗ Display screens with bigger letters and contrasting colors;

⊗ Pictograms with geometric shapes;

⊗ Guide paths for orientation;

⊗ An indoor wayfinding app like Evelity that guides from point A to point B people with disabilities (everything can be located: check-in counters and shops entrances).

Installing a clear and understandable signage system helps travelers with disabilities (blind or visually impaired people but also people with intellectual disabilities) to get their bearings, just like any traveler.

LAX already breaks ground thanks to the Aira app available on its site. It helps passengers to find their way on the premises. A lot of airports lean on technology to assist travelers. 

Easily accessing check-in counters and boarding gates makes our experience better. For travelers in wheelchairs, that means lowered counters, wide-access doors and security lanes. For them and other travelers with a lot of luggage, all airports have elevators, escalators and ramps. With wide ramps, one of the principles of universal design, people can easily and rapidly move around in the airport. Embracing universal design, airports create a better and more accessible environment to facilitate the trip of all their passengers. The restroom stalls of Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP) have doors that swing out and side grab rails. Plus some space for those who have a carry-on suitcase.

 

A trained and receptive staff

Since every American airport provides its passengers with disabilities with assistance services, a trained and open staff is key to make sure a trip is going according to plan. But this proves to be difficult to achieve seeing that airports are faced with a constant turnover, plaguing the efficiency of the services. Continually emphasizing the importance of an adequate training program is critical to ensure that travelers with disabilities are properly taken care of.

Greeting with a smile, being informative, available, having empathy and adapting to the persons according to their profile and their needs all are essential qualities that make a good customer care representative. A true accessibility service that’s focused on helping others.

For travelers with a hearing impairment, a visual paging system can help them to stay informed concerning their flight since they can’t rely on audio messages. The Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) uses both a visual and an audible paging system to convey real-time information to passengers. At check-in counters, hearing impaired travelers still can interact with the staff thanks to sound amplifying devices. Besides, several apps can also help travelers with an hearing impairment to communicate with staff. For example Ava which can be downloaded on both the traveler’s smartphone and the flight attendant’s in order to facilitate their conversation. Even shops can be equipped with sound amplifying devices, induction loops, or use Ava or any other app, providing a comprehensive and efficient service to all their clients. Thus airport accessibility happens at different levels.

 

How to go to the airport?

The first step is going to the airport. By car? By train? By bus? What’s the best way to go to the airport for people with disabilities? 

A person with reduced mobility who uses their personal vehicle can park at different areas since parking airports are all equipped with PRM spaces. A true asset to get more independence! The John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) even makes its passengers with reduced mobility who use PRM spaces profit from discounts.

The Chicago O’Hare International Airport (OHD) can be reached by public transportation in different ways. Indeed, from downtown, passengers can take the CTA Blue Line train. The station within the airport is equipped with an elevator making it easy for people with reduced mobility to go to or leave the platform. Although not all CTA stations are accessible, its buses and trains have: spaces designated for people in wheelchairs, buses with ramps or that can kneel to the curb. Thanks to a station directly connected to the airport, passengers can gain more autonomy. They don’t have to depend on a taxi or on a friend to drop them off. Using a reliable system that adapts to people with disabilities, regardless of their profile, helps travelers feel safe and more comfortable in their trip. In a previous article, we saw that people with disabilities needed to count on an accessible subway. Travel without feeling any unnecessary stress is quite the luxury. 

It’s obvious that airport accessibility is progressing. The implementation of the ADA ensuring travelers with disabilities have access to the same services as other travelers has permitted to move things forward. Even if nowadays it’s easier to travel, airports still have to continue to listen to all its passengers. Other measures can make people with disabilities have a better experience during their travels. A constant renewal is necessary to truly answer the needs of everybody.

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Millions of people pass through airports every year. How is accessibility deployed within airports?

writer

Carole Martinez

Carole Martinez

Content Manager

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The Ultimate Guide to Accessible Pedestrian Signals

The Ultimate Guide to Accessible Pedestrian Signals

The Ultimate Guide to Accessible Pedestrian Signals  Table of contents What are accessible pedestrian signals?Why do cities have accessible pedestrian signals?Who are APS for?How do audible traffic signals work exactly?What is pedestrian detection?Why are...

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For more than 25 years, we have been developing architectural access solutions for buildings and streets. Everyday, we rethink today’s cities to transform them in smart cities accessible to everyone.

By creating solutions ever more tailored to the needs of people with disabilities, we push the limits, constantly improve the urban life and make the cities more enjoyable for the growing majority.

MBTA: a Global Model of Accessible Public Transportation

MBTA: a Global Model of Accessible Public Transportation

by | 21 Aug, 2020

MBTA: a Global Model of Accessible Public Transportation

 

With 1,330,200 riders per day, including 30 to 40% who have disabilities or restricted mobility, the MBTA has long been committed to improving the accessibility of public transit in the Greater Boston. Over the last decade, 50 new station elevators and 1,000 accessible buses have been added. But access is still in motion. In May 2020, the Department of System-Wide Accessibility (SWA) released its latest roundup of current MBTA access initiatives. This report covers many topics ranging from infrastructure to vehicles, customer communication and employee training. Let’s review these projects that aim to make the MBTA transit system a global model of accessible public transportation.

Accessibility Improvements for Subway Stations

 Although most of the MBTA subway stations have been built before wheelchair access was a requirement under the American with Disabilities Act of 1990, many of them have been renovated to be made accessible: all stations on the Orange Line, all but one on the Blue Line and the Ashmont–Mattapan High-Speed Line. Since August 2019, when the renovated Wollaston Station reopened, the red line is now 100% accessible as well.

Most of the underground portion of the Green Line is accessible. However, many surface stations on this line will be made ADA compliant with:

⊗ Raised platforms

⊗ Detectable warnings,

⊗ Benches

⊗ Elevators

⊗ New escalators.

Improvements must also be made to the paths of travel leading to the platforms: repairing defects on sidewalks, ramps, stairways, etc. Everything needs to be taken into account when developing an accessible public transportation!

Other accessibility improvements in multiple locations across the system are planned for next years.

Wayfinding signage will be gradually replaced at the “Top 10” stations to make it clear and consistent and bring them into full compliance with ADA / MAAB regulations, LEP standards, and internal wayfinding requirements.

Automated door openers will be installed on at least one entrance to each subway station.

For customers who have difficulty reaching and interacting with the fare gates, the MBTA is working on a solution that enables them to pay their fare and open the fare gate without physically tapping their card.

Ongoing Projects for 100% Accessible Commuter Rail Stations

In 2020, 110 out of 142 MBTA Commuter Rail stations are accessible. 6 lines are fully accessible. Renovations, rebuilding projects and relocations are planned to reach a 100% accessibility.

According to the SWA report, 8 commuter rail stations are currently being renovated, repaired or upgraded to become ADA compliant with:

⊗ New compliant mini-highs,

⊗ New accessible routes,

⊗ New accessible parking,

⊗ High-level platforms,

⊗ Elevators and ramps,

⊗ Detectable warning panels.

The existing inaccessible Chelsea Commuter Rail Station will even be relocated to become accessible. Work is now under way and should be completed in fall 2022.

Many projects are running to standardize accessibility amenities such as bridge plates, mini-highs or detectable warning surfaces to the greatest extent feasible.

Upgrading Elevators and Escalators

Over the last decade, 50 new elevators have been installed. New constructions and replacements are underway or scheduled for next years. The MBTA will develop a system-wide elevator and escalator replacement plan to inventory existing units, adjust maintenance contracts, determine at what rate units must be replaced and remove barriers to replacing escalators and elevators quickly and efficiently.

The MBTA understands the importance of the cleanliness of elevators for a good customer experience. This aspect is essential for people with disabilities. The first step consisted in identifying key elements that have an impact on elevator cleanliness. Some decisions were made subsequently, such as implementing new cleaning contract, replacing flooring materials, assign Transit Ambassadors to inspect elevators and pilot new technology solutions like moisture identification devices.

Traveler information is an essential complement to physical accessibility. People with disabilities need to anticipate their travels and know in advance the obstacles they may encounter. That’s why the MBTA plans to install digital screens at elevators that provide real-time elevator information and alternative service options. Digital display screens will gradually replace printed flyers that are currently used.

Improvements and Reconstructions for Accessible Bus Stops

100% of MBTA buses themselves are accessible. In 2017, the MBTA surveyed all 7,690 bus stops for accessibility barriers. Bus stops were categorized as critical, high, medium, and low priority according to the accessibility level and numbers of barriers identified.

273 of them were identified as critical. These stops were so inaccessible that rollator and wheelchair users must get onboard and exit in the street, causing highly dangerous situations. The MBTA decided to close 170 of these “critical” bus stops and construct new ones. 70 have been completed to date and others are in construction or under design to be reconstructed in the next years.

844 bus stops were classified as “high priority” because of accessibility barriers such as a sloped landing pad, narrow sidewalk, lack of a curb, or unusable curb. Three design and engineering firms worked with the MBTA’s Service Planning Department to analyze situations and schedule access improvements. Roughly 100 “high priority” stops will be reconstructed by the end of 2020.

Regarding the update of bus shelters and amenities, the MBTA has launched a Request for Responses (RFR), the technical specifications of which were written in close coordination with the department of system-wide accessibility (SWA).

New Accessible Vehicles on the Subway

The MBTA is currently deploying new vehicles on Red, Orange and Green Lines. These vehicles feature accessibility improvements such as wider doors, seating areas for wheeled mobility device users, updated PA/VMS systems for better voice and text announcements. In addition, signage for priority seats is gradually being installed in the existing subway cars. The MBTA also pilots a new securement system in buses which allows wheelchair users to secure themselves independently.

Making Traveler Information both Audible and Visible

People who are blind or have low vision have difficulty accessing written information while people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing cannot understand audio information. In all cases, making information visible and audible benefits all users, whether or not they have a disability. The Customer Technology Department (CTD) and SWA will develop a policy that defines when, and by what means, digital signage must have an audible component as well as when information that is broadcast audibly must have a visual component.

As part of a digital display screen roll-out, the MBTA aims at developing an app for making the screens’ text-based information available audibly via a smartphone application. The development of the application was paused following discussions showing that blind and low-vision people were not ready to accept an application for that functionality alone. Further discussions are underway to add other useful functionalities. More generally, the MBTA is looking for ways that technology can help them make it easier for riders with disabilities to use the T.

Accessibility Training for Staff Members

Staff training is central in the department of system-wide accessibility strategy to ensure that travelers with disabilities have the best customer experience. SWA has developed a certification program which includes classroom and hands-on material, as well as videos documenting first-person perspectives from customers with disabilities. These programs are developed for bus and subway operations, but also for Transit Ambassadors, Transit Police Officers and Senior Leadership. Video productions have been delayed due to safety precautions related to COVID-19 but will resume as soon as possible.

New Interface for Customer Communication

Accessibility is always in progress and customers are in the best position to indicate accessibility barriers. The MBTA will finalize enhanced guidelines for tracking and resolving accessibility complaints. Additionally, a new module within the MBTA’s complaint database will be created to facilitate information-sharing and data analysis internally. The existing portal for accessibility complaints has already shown positive results. It facilitates collaboration and information sharing between departments and reduces the amount of time necessary to solve a complaint.

The MBTA also developed initiatives to notify customers of upcoming works. That’s the objective of the public engagement plan for seniors and people with disabilities.

The accessibility policy also involves information and awareness-raising of the general public. The MBTA plans marketing campaigns to spread the message that access benefits all customers – seniors, parents, students, commuters, tourists, and countless other customers who travel each day.

Developing an accessible public transportation represents a huge job for the city of Boston including infrastructure, vehicles and equipment. But all this would be small without staff training, traveler information and communication between departments. The MBTA maintains a massive data base on its website, which may be a source of inspiration for many transport authorities around the world.

Discover what other cities have been implemented to provide an accessible public transportation to all types of users: 

Subway Accessibility: London Goes Above and Beyond for its Users with Disabilities 

The Montreal Metro on the Way to Universal Accessibility

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In Boston, over the last decade, 50 new station elevators and 1,000 accessible buses have been added. But access is still in motion.

writer

Lise Wagner

Lise Wagner

Accessibility Expert

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The Ultimate Guide to Accessible Pedestrian Signals

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For more than 25 years, we have been developing architectural access solutions for buildings and streets. Everyday, we rethink today’s cities to transform them in smart cities accessible to everyone.

By creating solutions ever more tailored to the needs of people with disabilities, we push the limits, constantly improve the urban life and make the cities more enjoyable for the growing majority.

9 Must-Have Apps for People with Physical Disabilities

9 Must-Have Apps for People with Physical Disabilities

by | 14 Aug, 2020

9 Must-Have Apps for People with Physical Disabilities

 

For people with physical disabilities, getting around in their everyday lives can be extremely difficult. Indeed, for wheelchair users a lot of obstacles can turn their trip into a nightmare like curbs that aren’t lowered or buildings with narrow entrances. They need to find business places, parking spots or even restrooms that are easily accessible for them. In the United States, there are approximately 2.7 million people who use a wheelchair. How can they navigate their way in the city and fully enjoy it?

Luckily, smartphones and apps in particular have made their lives better as it’s the case for deaf and hard of hearing people. Several apps are available that help them be more autonomous and more serene in their trips. Some were even created especially for people with poor dexterity or with reduced use of their upper limbs so that they can use their phones without any struggle. 

Let’s take a look at 9 free apps for people with mobility impairments that are entirely at their service!

Google Maps

One of the most used apps for GPS navigation is without doubt Google Maps. It offers street maps, street views, aerial photography and satellite imagery to visualize any place. It also gives information on traffic and on public transportation and plans your route according to the mode of travel (by foot, driving).

Thanks to the street views, the users can zoom in every part of a street to see if the curbs are lowered, an essential point for people in wheelchairs who want to get around in the city.

The app can be extremely helpful for wheelchair users with several features especially designed for them since it can show the exact location of the elevators and ramps that are laid in the city. They just need to select the “wheelchair accessible” option when they’re planning their route. 

If they want to use public transportation, Google Maps can even inform them on which modes of transport would best suit them.

The very new “accessible places” feature provides all the information concerning the layout of the premises wheelchair users need to know: entrance, parking spots, restrooms, seating arrangements… Whether they want to shop or eat at a restaurant, people with mobility impairment can easily find places accessible for them.

Available on both Android and iOS

 

Wheelmap

Another app that focuses on finding all the accessible places is Wheelmap. Not only does it map all the accessible places (restaurants, cafés, boutiques…) all over the world but it’s supplied by users. People with physical disabilities collect all the data necessary and transmit it to Wheelmap: they can upload images and leave comments. Thus sharing their experience with others who go through the same obstacles, they are in control of their environment. 

Wheelmap even gathers a community and organizes events for fellow users to join.

Plus, the app can be set in 32 languages. 

Available on both Android and iOS

AccessNow

A similar app to Wheelmap, AccessNow maps and locates several types of accessible places all around the world: restaurants, hotels, shops… The users can add information that can be rated by all.

Available on both Android and iOS

WheelMate

Focusing on locating only parking spots and restrooms, WheelMate also depends on information given by its users whether by adding new places or by rating them. 

More than 35 000 locations are mapped across 45 countries.

Available on iOS

FuelService

Although this app can only be used in the United Kingdom, it’s extremely innovative and helpful for disabled drivers to find a gas station with attendants who can help refueling their car. Thanks to this app, drivers who use wheelchairs can contact attendants to tell them they’re on their way. Attendants are then notified once the drivers arrive. The app also tells the drivers how many minutes they need to wait before being served.

Thus a task that can be challenging for a driver in a wheelchair can easily be done thanks to fuelService.

Available on both Android and iOS

 

IFTTT

Even though this app wasn’t designed for people with physical disabilities in particular, it can apply to them since its goal is to simplify the tasks of our everyday lives by connecting your different apps together. It even works with social networks.

Over 600 apps can be connected to IFTTT creating various combinations called “applets”. Thus, different tasks that people with poor dexterity struggle with can be automatically done such as set the home thermostat at the ideal temperature, read an email aloud, control everything at home with voice and Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant…

Setting all the necessary applets enables people with reduced dexterity to control every single task. They’re the ones who control everything thus making the app apply to their lives. 

Available on both Android and iOS

Google Assistant 

As previously mentioned, Google Assistant is activated by voice. People with reduced dexterity can use it to control their phones and ask them to call or text someone, send an email, set up alarms… 

Available on both Android and iOS

Google Voice Access

This app even goes further since it was especially created for people with reduced dexterity who can struggle to manipulate their phones. 

This accessibility service enables users to ask basic commands such as sending a text and address commands that directly involve what’s on the screen. The user doesn’t need to touch his phone to click or to scroll. Every task can be hands-free and easily operated by voice commands.

Available on Android

AssistiveTouch

A feature that can be set to help users to use their phones without having to use their fingers to access functions on their phones. 

Depending on their dexterity capacity, users can set AssistiveTouch to customize their actions. They can choose to do a single tap, a double tap or a long press. It’s even possible to create new gestures thus adapting more precisely the feature to the dexterity capacity of the user. The feature can record any movement the user wants to perform.

Available on both Android and iOS

Thanks to these apps and features, people with physical disabilities gain more autonomy and independence. Today technology rimes with accessibility for all. Clearly, it leaves no one behind and moves forward to meet the needs of everybody.

Updated on December 28th, 2021 / Published on August 14th, 2020

Find out more on physical disabilities:

What Accessibility Solutions for Different Types of Physical Disabilities?

8 Tips to Welcome a Person with a Physical Disability

Obstacles in Public Transport: What Solutions for Physical Disability?

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Thanks to these apps and features, people with physical disabilities gain more autonomy and independence. Today technology rimes with accessibility for all.

writer

Carole Martinez

Carole Martinez

Content Manager

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more articles

The Ultimate Guide to Accessible Pedestrian Signals

The Ultimate Guide to Accessible Pedestrian Signals

The Ultimate Guide to Accessible Pedestrian Signals  Table of contents What are accessible pedestrian signals?Why do cities have accessible pedestrian signals?Who are APS for?How do audible traffic signals work exactly?What is pedestrian detection?Why are...

NEVER miss the latest news about the Smart City.

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Unsubscribe in one click. The information collected is confidential and kept safe.

powered by okeenea

The French leading company

on the accessibility market.

ABOUT US

For more than 25 years, we have been developing architectural access solutions for buildings and streets. Everyday, we rethink today’s cities to transform them in smart cities accessible to everyone.

By creating solutions ever more tailored to the needs of people with disabilities, we push the limits, constantly improve the urban life and make the cities more enjoyable for the growing majority.