Everything You Have Always Wanted to Know on Braille Mysterious Writing

Everything You Have Always Wanted to Know on Braille Mysterious Writing

by | 07 Aug, 2020

Everything You Have Always Wanted to Know on Braille Mysterious Writing

 

On elevators, medicine boxes, descriptions in museums or door signs…, you’ve probably noticed those small raised dots. You already know they’re for blind people but do you know how they work? Let us guide you through it!

Braille, the writing and reading tactile system with raised dots used by visually impaired people, exists since 1829. Its inventor, Louis Braille, a French blind man, created this tactile alphabet in order to be able to read and write, thus gaining access to education like everybody else. Braille represents an essential tool for a visually impaired person to learn and consequently be included in society. Even though braille has evolved, the 1829 system still constitutes the reading basis for blind and visually impaired people. Let’s go back in time to discover its creation and its use in today’s society!

Systems used before Braille

As soon as the 17th century, it has been understood that the sense of touch for blind and visually impaired people was to be exploited to teach them how to read. The idea of touching embossed paper came from Italian Jesuit Francesco Lana de Terzi with its eponymous system in 1670. The Lana system was composed of lines and raised dots on thick paper based on a three-by-three grid containing the alphabet letters. One just needed to learn the specificities of this grid to learn this writing system.

In the following century, French man of letters Valentin Haüy made education for blind and visually impaired people really possible. He had special embossed and movable characters made so that students could touch and read what was under their fingers. This raised letters method was put into practice at the Royal Institution of Blind Children, now called the National Institute for the Young Blind, a school opened by Valentin Haüy in Paris in 1785. The Valentin Haüy Association that also emerged still continues to promote Braille.

Although the two previous systems were specifically designed to meet the needs of blind and visually impaired people, 1808-1809 code by French Charles Barbier de la Serre was first created for army officers so that they could write and transmit messages in the dark. Called “night writing”, this system was based on sounds and consisted of raised dots on a grid. In 1819, Barbier perfected it to present it at the Royal Institution of Blind Children.

Louis Braille, at the time a student of the school, perceived the system potential but also its limits since it didn’t take into account the words spelling but only their pronunciation. He decided to improve Barbier system himself seeing that Barbier didn’t agree with his suggestions. He then created a code still used today and lent it his name: Braille.

What is Braille?

Louis Braille kept the basic principles of Barbier system, that is to say the encoding and the raised dots, but reviewed two elements:

⊗ The number of dots went from 12 to 6.

⊗ He opted for the coding of Latin typographic signs (letters, punctuation, musical notes).

Where a non-visually impaired person sees an indecipherable, crypted and almost extra-terrestrial language, a visually impaired person perceives a distinct language, a code they decipher and master to read and to learn. We tend to forget it but Braille is indeed a code! Continuing with an encoding enables to keep a system that’s easy to learn: each character is set in a cell composed of raised dots. In a cell, the six dots are divided into two columns. The numbering of dots allows to know their position. Thus, each character has a very precise combination.

Braille is a universal language since it’s used by other Latin languages for basic letters but there are still elements that can differ according to the languages such as accented letters, symbols and punctuation signs.

Despite being a code, it still needs to render the meaning of the language used: consequently the meaning of the symbols isn’t the same according to the language. That is why Japanese, Korean and Cyrillic brailles have different particularities that set them aside from French Braille.  

Code developments

Gradually, the code has evolved and impacted other areas such as mathematics and music thus enabling blind and visually impaired people to develop skills and/or hobbies. Nevertheless, there are limits to mathematics Braille. Mathematics formulas can indeed be very long once transcribed into Braille and therefore complex to comprehend.

Seeing that the standard Braille and its 6 dots only permits having 64 combinations, some characters such as numbers or capital letters have to be coded onto 2 characters. When Braille moved to IT, the Braille cell thus gained 2 dots. Thanks to this IT Braille encoded on 8 dots, 256 combinations are then possible, which enables to transcribe all the new symbols of the digital era such as the at symbol into just one character.

A system that looks to the future

Today, visually impaired people can easily be connected to the Web and thus to the entire world same as any Internet user. Technology has evolved and serves them. It’s not just smartphones that enable them to gain a real autonomy. Thanks to the advanced progress, blind and visually impaired people can:

⊗ Read any document on the net thanks to a Braille transcription software. The text is automatically transcribed into Braille and can even be printed in Braille thanks to a special printer called braille embosser.

⊗ Access scanned Braille documents thanks to the National Library Service (NLS) and other digital libraries. 

⊗ Use a refreshable Braille display (or Braille terminal) on which a Braille keyboard is embedded. The dots can raise or lower depending on the characters. The onscreen text can directly be translated unto the refreshable Braille display.

⊗ Set up a speech synthesizer that reads aloud the onscreen text.

 ⊗ Use a screen reader software that transforms the onscreen text into a Braille page or into a read aloud text.

Looking into the history of Braille and its evolution, it’s easy to realize that Louis Braille has truly changed millions of people lives giving them access to an education, a fundamental right. He literally gave them the keys, well the code, so that they can live in a more inclusive world with real autonomy. His code enables blind and visually impaired people to read, write and learn just like any citizen and is used today to comply with the demands of the digital world. From 1829 to 2020, just a few clicks are enough…

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Braille represents an essential tool for a visually impaired person to learn and consequently be included in society. Even though braille has evolved, the 1829 system still constitutes the reading basis for blind and visually impaired people.

writer

Carole Martinez

Carole Martinez

Content Manager

READ CAROLE'S BIO

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8 Clichés on Accessibility for Blind and Visually Impaired People

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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.

How Can Accessible Pedestrian Signals Become Responsive to COVID-19?

How Can Accessible Pedestrian Signals Become Responsive to COVID-19?

by | 24 Jul, 2020

How Can Accessible Pedestrian Signals Become Responsive to COVID-19?

 

In a world where COVID is still part of our lives, great cities face new challenges: maintaining services to citizens while limiting the spread of the pandemic. Among the population, blind and visually impaired persons are particularly vulnerable. More than other people, they need to touch things to find their bearings. They need to push the pedestrian button at traffic signals every day to know when to cross streets safely. And these surfaces are potentially contaminated. How to protect them? Contactless accessible pedestrian signals (APS) are perfectly COVID-19 responsive! We are going to review the solutions that already work in the world.

 

COVID-19 poses new challenges for the blind community

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, persons who are blind or have low vision face new risks and challenges. Visual impairment alone does not increase the risk to contract the disease. However, lifestyle requirements from being blind or visually impaired potentially increase exposure to the virus. 

First, they need to frequently touch surfaces to identify things, orient themselves and locate Controls for door openings, elevators, etc. Although they are essential for their safety, pushbuttons at accessible pedestrian signals also potentially transmit the disease. 

Because they cannot drive themselves, they frequently need to use public transportation which are crowded, or ride-sharing such as Uber or Lyft where sanitary practices are uncertain. While wearing a mask is okay for people with vision loss, other health measures are more difficult to follow, especially locating hand sanitizer stations in public venues or keeping physical distance from others. Moreover, they often need to be guided by holding someone’s elbow (elbows now used for sneezing and coughing).

It is important to mention that the biggest causes of blindness are old age, diabetes or other health conditions that make people at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19.

 

COVID-19 responsive solutions with contactless accessible pedestrian signals

As you can see, coronavirus poses serious threats to people who live with a visual impairment. If you work for a public road authority, you will certainly be interested in technologies that allow you to activate accessible pedestrian signals (APS) touchless from a distance, without potentially spreading infections like COVID-19: 

In some European countries, such as France, Austria or the Czech Republic, there are remote control activation systems for accessible pedestrian signals. They consist in a handheld pushbutton which emits a radiofrequency to control the audible tone. The first advantage of this device is that pedestrians who are blind or have low vision can trigger the audible signal as they approach the intersection, without having to travel to the pushbutton location. It is particularly advantageous in unfamiliar places when they don’t know where the pushbutton is. They don’t have to deviate from their travel path, reducing the risk to lose their bearings.

In a world still affectd by COVID, remote activation is even more interesting for cities. Radio frequency is the most widely used technology for this purpose today. However, it requires regulatory compliance certifications which vary from a country to another. Since it became popular in smartphones around the world, Bluetooth is now considered the best technology to activate accessible pedestrian signals. The use of Bluetooth allows companies to develop smartphone applications to replace or complement low-tech remote controls.

In Scotland, a former guide dog instructor created Neatebox as he realized how difficult it was for people with visual impairments to find and reach the pushbutton on the pole. It consists in a smartphone app that triggers the audible tone. A similar device begins to be tested in Canada with the company Key2Access.

But one of the most promising solutions come from the France-based company Okeenea. The manufacturer has more than 25 years of experience in accessible pedestrian systems with touchless on demand activation with the use of a remote control or the MyMoveo smartphone app. With their new connected Accessible Pedestrian Signal aBeacon, Okeenea was the winner of the New York City’s Transportation Department’s Call for Innovation in 2018. This new generation of APS is installed in New York City and in testing now.

The ultimate guide to accessible pedestrian signals. I want it!

Automation of traffic signals to prevent COVID-19

Several municipalities have already made temporary changes to the way their pedestrian crossings work, reducing the need to touch the push-to-walk button at traffic lights. In normal conditions, pedestrians need to push the pedestrian button at traffic signals to tell the signals they are waiting to cross the road. Pedestrian buttons have been deactivated to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The traffic signals at these intersections have been reprogrammed to make pedestrian signals automatic. These measures taken in an exceptional context could prove the uselessness of these pushbuttons. 

However, many of them remain essential as they emit audible information about the status of the pedestrian signal when pressed. Audible indications cannot be automated because of noise pollution. If remote activation made sense before the pandemic, it makes even more sense now, when touching surfaces has been proven to transmit the coronavirus. Like other countries, bet on contactless accessible pedestrian signals to make blind people safe!

Want to know more on audible pedestrian signals? These articles are made for you:

How Do the Blind Safely Cross the Road?

How Cities in North America Communicate Efficiently about Accessible Pedestrian Signals: Good Examples to Follow

media

Among the population, blind and visually impaired persons are particularly vulnerable. They need to push the pedestrian button at traffic signals every day to know when to cross streets safely. And these surfaces are potentially contaminated.

writer

Lise Wagner

Lise Wagner

Accessibility Expert

READ LISE'S BIO

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8 Clichés on Accessibility for Blind and Visually Impaired People

8 Clichés on Accessibility for Blind and Visually Impaired People

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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.

Smombies: the New Safety Challenge for Cities in the 21st Century

Smombies: the New Safety Challenge for Cities in the 21st Century

by | 17 Jul, 2020

Smombies: the New Safety Challenge for Cities in the 21st Century

 

Never heard of smombies before? And yet you see them every day. Blending smartphone and zombie, this word describes a person who’s watching their phone while walking in the streets. The field of attention of a smartphone user being estimated at only 5% of a regular pedestrian’s, it’s easy to comprehend its dangers: falls, collisions with other pedestrians or vehicles can lead to potentially fatal accidents. In a world where 3.5 billion people own a smartphone, finding innovative solutions to solve this century’s challenge is now a priority for cities all over the world. Let’s have a look at this new issue! 

Smombies: a worrying phenomenon for road safety

Although smartphones are seen as helpful and useful by a lot of people including people with disabilities thanks to apps specifically designed to help them find their way such as Evelity, they can also cause damage for others such as smombies. Combining smartphone with zombie gives the perfect analogy to explain what smombies are. In this case, smartphones drain users of all their abilities and intelligence to turn them into brainless and potential living dead. Instead of being obsessed with eating brains like a proper zombie, smombies are obsessed with their phones. The digital era has impacted all of us and anybody can turn into a smombie. Walking in slow motion like a zombie set to attack his prey, the smombie keeps his head down to focus only on his smartphone. Other pedestrians or fellow smombies, impatient drivers, cyclists who keep weaving in and out of the traffic, excited dogs on a leash… don’t exist anymore and are not even included in their peripheral vision. Smombies only acknowledge what their smartphones tell them to. 

It’s a new form of self destruction that takes place, one that sets smombies in their own digital world and leaves them on the sides of the road (for those who are lucky enough to have survived crossing the road). 

Accidents due to smombies have become so frequent that some cities have decided to fine the trespassers. The city of Honolulu in Hawaii has drawn a fine of 35$ for first offenders and of 99$ for repeat offenders. 

Saving smombies

Cities work hard to make sure that pedestrians have a good and safe experience of their city but they constantly need to reinvent themselves in order to meet any problematic situation. Following the Vision Zero approach that focuses on reducing to nil the number of accidents and fatalities on the road, cities are rethinking road safety.

The city of Yamato in Japan has taken the radical decision to ban smombies. Pedestrians are not allowed to use their phones while walking. Even though no penalty is put in place, the city encourages people to use their common sense and to stop walking when they need to use their phones. 

Fortunately, solutions exist that enable to save smombies from themselves and let them be addicted to their phones at the same time. A few cities have decided to change the urban landscape accordingly implementing visible measures:

⊗ Chongqing and Hong Kong in China and Antwerp in Belgium introduced a sidewalk dedicated to phone users. Smombies have now their own special lane that separates them from regular pedestrians.

⊗ Seoul in South Korea installed warning signs on the pavement at dangerous intersections to prevent accidents.

⊗ Ilsan in South Korea used laser beams and flickering lights at crossings to make people look up before crossing.

⊗ Augsburg, Bodegraven and Cologne in Germany set up ground-level traffic lights directly embedded in the pavement to be seen by any distracted pedestrian.

Digital solutions are also being exploited and new patents are being filed. Innovative apps can detect obstacles and warn smombies of an immediate danger thanks to different types of alerts:

⊗ A screen that turns transparent.

⊗ A colored border on the screen.

⊗ A pop-up message.

⊗ Vibration.

⊗ Sound.

The app AMY created by French group RATP (the public transport company responsible for the Parisian region) can be downloaded on both Google Play and the Apple Store: thanks to a box installed at a crossing, an ultrasound is emitted that’s recognized by AMY. The app then alerts the pedestrian of a dangerous situation through vibration, sound and visual notification. The goal of these alerts is to make the phone user look up when there’s a potential danger. However, vibration and sound can function whether the user is looking at his phone or not and can alert any distracted pedestrian. It turns out that the device that endangers smombies is also the one that can save them. An ironic situation. 

The city of Mantes-la-Jolie in France (located to the west of Paris) combines the connected device aBeacon, developed by Okeenea Tech, and the app AMY to warn careless pedestrians before they cross the street. A great approach of a city that guarantees the safety of all.

The ultimate guide to accessible pedestrian signals. I want it!

Smombies aren’t just for science fiction anymore

If smombies are now part of our century and our popular culture, there’s one person who has predicted their arrival as soon as the 1950s. Science fiction writer Ray Bradbury actually exploited the idea that technology could be misused in order to turn people into empty vessels and make them obedient  in his novel Fahrenheit 451.

Nowadays, the issue of smombies has become more and more important and pressing as it concerns every major city. Apps are currently being developed but will soon be used in smombies everyday lives. Whether cities implement solutions that change their urban landscape or invest in digital ones, smombies are now part of our society and our popular culture.

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The field of attention of a smartphone user being estimated at only 5% of a regular pedestrian’s, it’s easy to comprehend its dangers: falls, collisions with other pedestrians or vehicles can lead to potentially fatal accidents.

writer

Carole Martinez

Carole Martinez

Content Manager

READ CAROLE'S BIO

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8 Clichés on Accessibility for Blind and Visually Impaired People

8 Clichés on Accessibility for Blind and Visually Impaired People

8 Clichés on Accessibility for Blind and Visually Impaired People  What do people with a visual impairment need? Why are accessibility regulations so strict regarding visual and tactile contrasts, fall prevention and signage? You’ll discover in this article a few...

How to Foster Inclusive Mobility at Public Transit?

How to Foster Inclusive Mobility at Public Transit?

How to Foster Inclusive Mobility at Public Transit?Vous avez probablement entendu parler de mobilité inclusive, mais savez-vous ce que cela signifie concrètement ? Pour les transports publics du monde entier, cette notion prend de plus en plus d'importance et devient...

Invisible Disabilities: 80% of Disabled People Are Concerned!

Invisible Disabilities: 80% of Disabled People Are Concerned!

Invisible Disabilities: 80% of Disabled People Are Concerned! Having a disability = using a wheelchair. That’s one persisting cliché! Actually, only 2% of people with disabilities are wheelchair users but 80% have invisible disabilities! What we mean by “invisible...

NEVER miss the latest news about the Smart City.

Sign up now for our newsletter.

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.

How Can Shopping Malls Be Accessible to People with Disabilities?

How Can Shopping Malls Be Accessible to People with Disabilities?

by | 10 Jul, 2020

How Can Shopping Malls Be Accessible to People with Disabilities?

 

Over 116 000 shopping malls are spread in the United States of America and generate each year around 5 trillion dollars. Is accessibility for all just an utopia for shopping malls or a serious goal to focus on? 

Malls constitute the essence of shopping: there are a multitude of different shops in one place with cafés and restaurants too so that people can relax. Everybody can find what they need to at any budget. It’s the place you go to in a panic to buy the Christmas presents on Christmas Eve and where you spend hours with your friends to find the latest clothing trends, see a movie or grab a bite. In theory, every person who possesses a credit card is welcomed but there’s actually a clientele that’s not or barely exploited due to a lack of accessibility: people with disabilities. Representing around 20% of the population, they’re not a market that one should afford to discard. Consequently, all shopping malls should focus towards providing an accessibility for all in order to meet the needs of the totality of its potential customers. Customers with specific needs but who have the same value as any other. When a person has a disability, how can they easily and safely go to the mall? And find the shop where little Harry had found the perfect toy train set? How can a person with a disability calmly shop in a overheated, stuffed and oppressing mall? Depending on the handicap (physical, sensory, mental and psychological), the difficulties they can encounter are not the same so shopping malls need to adapt accordingly. 

Let’s see what accessibility at shopping malls should look like!

Going to the Mall 

People with disabilities first have to carefully choose the shopping mall where they want to go. It may be best at first to avoid the largest malls such as American Dream in the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey that has over 450 stores in 3 000 000 sq ft. For a valid person, going to the mall is the easiest thing to do. They either drive there or use public transportation and having several connections doesn’t bother them much apart from the fact that it may take a while. But people with disabilities need to prepare their route.

This means going online to do some research: do they need to take a cab that would accept a guide dog or one that’s adapted for wheelchairs? If they decide to use public transportation, is the subway station or the bus stop near the shopping mall? Of course, it’s best to ride a subway that’s accessible and has the appropriate signing system. The Fashion Centre at Pentagon City mall, for example, in Arlington, Virginia, contains more than 170 stores and restaurants and can easily be accessed by subway from Washington, D.C. It can even provide accomodations in case people need time for their shopping spree. If they struggle to get around once they’re inside the mall, they can use a complimentary wheelchair and keep shopping in all simplicity. By checking online the several entrances to the shopping mall beforehand, people with disabilities can easily plan which entrance to access according to the shops they want to go to. Some shopping malls are equipped with audio beacons that notify the visually impaired person where the points of interest are located (entrances, exits…) and give them some information such as opening hours. Some solutions exist that enable a person with disabilities to be autonomous and serene in their trips. 

Getting Around Inside the Mall

People with reduced mobility can easily get around shopping malls which are equipped with:

⊗ Elevators

⊗ Escalators

⊗ Secured stairs with handrails

⊗ Ramps

Some shopping malls were designed vertically so that shoppers can move upwards and downwards with centrally located elevators and escalators to connect all the stories. Thus, people with restricted mobility can reach them as quickly as possible.

Navigating inside a shopping mall for a person who is blind or low vision can be tiring and stressing, especially with so many obstacles on their way: moms with strollers who act like Godzilla, toddlers running everywhere and bumping into you, the people who hate shopping malls and are in a hurry to leave… In top of all that, people with disabilities have to stay calm and find the right shop. Thanks to the use of a GPS indoor on their smartphone, a visually impaired person can find their bearings. The Macy’s Herald Square store in New York has been one of the first retail stores to implement a digital assistance with its audio-based indoor navigation system. With this type of technology, all the stores, restaurants and other facilities of a shopping mall can be mapped and easily located. Anyone who uses it can even be redirected if they took the wrong path. 

As in the subway, a good signage system is key to enable disabled customers to safely navigate inside the mall such as:

⊗ Accessible information points

⊗ Pictograms with flashy color

⊗ Bigger font sizes for signs 

⊗ Guide paths 

Installing a practical and efficient signage system contributes to provide accessibility for all in an indoor labyrinth. 

A very good example of a mall accessible for people in wheelchairs is the Mall of America, the second largest mall in the States in terms of total floor area, located in Bloomington, Minnesota. People in wheelchairs can easily access any store, eating at a restaurant and enjoying the many attractions that the mall offers. Everything is thought to attract people in wheelchairs and make them feel welcome like any customer. Even their accommodations are accessible. 

Communicating with the Staff 

Shopkeepers and sales assistants focus on helping the customers in the best way they can. (At least, that’s what they all should do but we’ve all had bad experiences.) Whether a customer knows what they want to buy or need advice, a staff that’s trained to deal with people with disabilities will be precious and extremely helpful. A proper training and an improved awareness of the needs of people with disabilities would not only be beneficial on a human level but on an economic one as well as they could turn into regular customers. 

7 Tips to Welcome a Person with Disabilities

A hearing impaired person can be provided with an amplifier (FM systems) to fully understand the advice of the sales assistant. Plus, some apps exist such as Ava which transcribes in live the words of a group of people. The sales assistant and the hearing impaired customer just have to download the app on each of their phones. The microphones enable the conversation to be transcribed. Thus, the hearing impaired customer will receive the same service as any customer and will be more likely to come back if they had a patient and helpful sales assistant to assist them. 

The same applies for a person in a wheelchair who would need a suitable fitting room to try the clothes, lower checkout counters and removable digital payment terminals. All customers are supposed to leave the mall feeling like they’ve had a good experience. Committed sales assistants are a big part of the customer experience. Accessibility for all certainly needs to be taken into account for shopping malls developers.

Mixing with Other Shoppers 

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the crowd and by the constant noise and loud conversations. Some autistic people are particularly intolerant to noise and wear noise-cancelling headphones or ear defenders in order to protect themselves from exterior noises. 

Every situation can be stressing for a person with disabilities in a confined and busy place. Shopping with a patient friend who knows best how to assist a person with disabilities can be reassuring and can turn into a fun careless day.

Accessibility for all is still a work in progress but some shopping malls are already leading the way. They understood that they could be more welcoming and inclusive to meet the needs of any type of public and attract more shoppers once their malls turned accessible, meaning more profits for them and happy shoppers who will have a great time doing something easy that everybody does.

Want to know more about accessibility in complex venues? Check our articles:

How Is Airport Accessibility Progressing for People with Disabilities?

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

How to Make Museums More Accessible for People with Disabilities?

Published on July 10th, 2020 / Updated on December 13th 2021

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Navigating inside a shopping mall for a person who is blind or low vision can be tiring and stressing, especially with so many obstacles on their way. (…) Thanks to the use of a GPS indoor on their smartphone, a visually impaired person can find their bearings.

writer

Carole Martinez

Carole Martinez

Content Manager

READ CAROLE'S BIO

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8 Clichés on Accessibility for Blind and Visually Impaired People

8 Clichés on Accessibility for Blind and Visually Impaired People

8 Clichés on Accessibility for Blind and Visually Impaired People  What do people with a visual impairment need? Why are accessibility regulations so strict regarding visual and tactile contrasts, fall prevention and signage? You’ll discover in this article a few...

How to Foster Inclusive Mobility at Public Transit?

How to Foster Inclusive Mobility at Public Transit?

How to Foster Inclusive Mobility at Public Transit?Vous avez probablement entendu parler de mobilité inclusive, mais savez-vous ce que cela signifie concrètement ? Pour les transports publics du monde entier, cette notion prend de plus en plus d'importance et devient...

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.

How to Help People with Disabilities Get a Better Experience on the Subway?

How to Help People with Disabilities Get a Better Experience on the Subway?

by | 09 Mar, 2020

How to Help People with Disabilities Get a Better Experience on the Subway?

 

Douze villes américaines sont desservies par un métro : Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphie, San Francisco, San Juan et Washington, DC. Depuis l’ouverture de la première station à Boston en 1897, plus de 1 000 stations, pour un réseau d’environ 1 318 kilomètres au total, sont aujourd’hui en service aux États-Unis. Ces systèmes de transport ferroviaire, aériens et souterrains, représentent un vaste labyrinthe qui permet à des milliers de personnes de se déplacer chaque jour sans emprunter les rues souvent encombrées que nous connaissons tous trop bien. 

Si le métro est la solution de transport privilégiée pour la majeure partie de la population, il peut s’avérer être un véritable casse-tête pour les personnes handicapées.

Comment se sentir en sécurité dans un environnement encombré et confiné ? Comment s’orienter dans des stations complexes ? Comment atteindre les quais dans un environnement où les ascenseurs sont rares, voire inexistants ?

Nous allons passer en revue les difficultés rencontrées par les personnes handicapées et les bonnes pratiques à adopter tout au long des étapes d’un trajet en métro.

Bienvenue dans le métro !

Préparer votre voyage

Pour se rendre d’un point A à un point B en métro sans encombre, rien de tel que de bien préparer son itinéraire. Mais cela peut s’avérer difficile pour une personne handicapée.

Difficultés rencontréesBonnes pratiques
Comprendre le chemin à suivreSite web ou application avec un itinéraire adapté
Manque d’informations sur les perturbationsInformations en temps réel pendant les perturbations
Manque d’informations sur la présence et l’état des ascenseurs/escalatorsInformations en temps réel sur l’état de fonctionnement des ascenseurs et des escaliers mécaniques
Oublier l’itinéraireRappel de l’itinéraire

 

Trouver la station

Il n’est pas facile de trouver l’entrée du métro pour les personnes aveugles ou malvoyantes.

Il est essentiel de choisir une signalétique accessible, claire et homogène pour l’ensemble du réseau. L’accessibilité universelle nécessite un bon éclairage, un bon contraste visuel, des systèmes de navigation audio, des avertissements détectables et des parcours tactiles.

 

En descendant vers la gare

En raison des nombreuses marches qui séparent l’entrée de la gare et la gare elle-même, l’installation d’ascenseurs et d’escaliers mécaniques est indispensable pour les personnes à mobilité réduite.

La majeure partie du réseau ayant été construite avant 1990, de nombreuses stations ne sont accessibles que par des escaliers. En raison de l’Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) , qui interdit toute discrimination envers les personnes handicapées, les villes ont dû revoir leurs normes d’accessibilité. La ville de New York, par exemple, a déjà rénové 120 stations et ce nombre ne cesse de croître.

Un accès vertical au métro est essentiel pour les millions d’Américains et de touristes à mobilité réduite qui souhaitent se déplacer en ville. L’absence de telles mesures les contraint à utiliser un autre moyen de transport, voire à rester chez eux.

Informations complémentaires sur l’accessibilité des transports publics pour les personnes handicapées physiques

Acheter un billet

Il est impossible de passer les tourniquets sans acheter un ticket.

Plusieurs options s’offrent à vous : au guichet de la gare avec l’aide d’un membre du personnel, au distributeur automatique ou en ligne. Ces options doivent toutefois être accessibles.

Difficultés rencontréesBonnes pratiques
Localiser le guichet de la gare ou le distributeur de billetsSystème de guidage sonore, signalisation visuelle et chemins de guidage
Utilisation des boutons tactiles des distributeurs de billets boutons en relief
Manque d’informations sonoresPrise pour écouteurs
Hauteur du comptoirComptoir abaissé
Difficulté à comprendre l’offrePrésentation simplifiée des informations (pictogrammes)
Difficulté à lireVocabulaire en gros caractères et accessible (facile à lire)
Stress dû à l’impatience des autres utilisateursAcheter un billet en ligne, par SMS ou via une application
Communiquer avec le personnel Formation du personnel pour accueillir et accompagner les personnes handicapées

 

Passer les tourniquets

Passer les tourniquets peut être stressant. L’impatience des autres usagers, le manque de temps pour les franchir, la force des portes à la fermeture sont autant de facteurs d’anxiété, accentués par un handicap.

Comment les personnes malvoyantes trouvent-elles les tourniquets ? Comment les franchir rapidement sans se blesser ni blesser leur chien-guide ? Qu’en est-il des personnes souffrant d’un handicap mental aggravé par le stress ou de celles qui ont simplement besoin de plus de temps pour appréhender leur environnement et se déplacer ?

L’objectif principal des réseaux de transport est d’éviter la fraude, mais il est également important de permettre à chacun d’accéder aux quais en toute sécurité.

Difficultés rencontréesBonnes pratiques
Largeur de passage insuffisante pour un fauteuil roulant Sas dédié aux personnes à mobilité réduite permettant aux personnes avec poussettes, fauteuils roulants et personnes accompagnées d’accéder au quai
Contrôle de validité des billets trop élevéContrôle de validité des billets réduit pour les personnes de petite taille et les enfants
Difficulté à insérer votre ticketValidation sans contact
Distinction entre les portes d’entrée et de sortieContraste visuel, pictogrammes éclairés pour une meilleure visibilité (par exemple une flèche verte et une croix rouge), chemins de guidage
Mécanisme de fermeture rapideDétecteur de présence
Pas de détecteur pour les enfants, les personnes de petite taille ou les chiens guidesDétecteur de présence abaissé
Difficulté pour les personnes qui ne peuvent pas utiliser leur bras droit pour valider leur ticketPortillons avec accès à gauche pour validation, double validation à l’intérieur des sas PMR
Difficulté à trouver et à actionner le bouton d’ouverture des sas PMRUn bouton d’ouverture visuellement contrasté et facile d’accès

 

Trouver la plateforme

Dans certaines stations, trouver le bon quai peut se transformer en véritable jeu de piste. La complexité du quartier, le nombre de correspondances, le manque d’informations et le flux de passagers aux heures de pointe rendent l’orientation difficile.

Pour répondre aux difficultés rencontrées par les usagers les plus vulnérables, une signalisation visuelle et sonore claire est essentielle. Un système de navigation numérique peut les aider à être totalement autonomes et les rassurer pendant leurs déplacements.

Trouver une place à bord, que le wagon soit plein ou non, n’est pas toujours facile. Se frayer un chemin pour demander la place d’une autre personne requiert une certaine confiance et des capacités sensorielles que certains d’entre nous ne possèdent pas.

C’est pourquoi il est important de définir des espaces d’assise prioritaires et clairement identifiés. 

Descendre à la bonne station

Pour savoir quand descendre, un plan de la ligne entière à l’intérieur du wagon est indispensable. Une annonce visuelle et sonore avant chaque station et lors des éventuelles perturbations permet de pallier les déficiences mentales et sensorielles de certains usagers.

Pour en savoir plus, veuillez consulter notre article Accessibilité des informations sur les transports publics : 5 solutions pour les utilisateurs sourds et malentendants.

 

Des besoins différents

Les stations déjà accessibles aux personnes à mobilité réduite à New York disposent de :

⊗  Ascenseurs ou rampes

⊗  Mains courantes sur les rampes et les escaliers

⊗  Panneaux en gros caractères et en braille tactile

⊗  Systèmes d’information audio et visuelle, y compris les points d’aide ou les écrans d’information client de sonorisation

⊗  Fenêtres de cabine de gare accessibles avec appuis situés à moins de 36 pouces (91 cm) au-dessus du sol

⊗  Distributeur automatique de cartes MetroCard accessibles

⊗  Portails d’entrée de service accessibles

⊗  Bandes d’avertissement de bord de quai

⊗  Modifications de l’espacement des quais ou plaques de pont pour réduire ou éliminer l’espace entre les trains et les quais lorsqu’il est supérieur à 2 pouces (5,1 cm) verticalement ou 4 pouces (10 cm) horizontalement

⊗  Téléphones à hauteur accessible avec contrôle du volume et téléphones textuels (ATS)

⊗  Toilettes accessibles dans les stations équipées de toilettes, si des toilettes publiques ouvertes 24h/24 sont en service

Il appartient aux entreprises de transport de mettre en place des solutions adaptées pour mieux répondre aux besoins des personnes handicapées. Un dialogue entre les associations de personnes handicapées et les responsables du réseau permet de répondre au mieux aux besoins des personnes concernées.

Bien que l’ADA ait imposé aux sociétés de transport en commun de revoir leur planification depuis 1990, l’accessibilité reste un chantier en cours. Certaines stations illustrent parfaitement ce que devrait être l’accessibilité, mais la plupart doivent encore se conformer aux normes requises, obligeant les usagers à se déplacer par un autre moyen de transport.

De nombreuses solutions, connues ou innovantes, permettent d’atteindre les normes d’accessibilité fixées par la réglementation. Découvrez-en quelques-unes sur notre site web ! 

Lectures complémentaires sur l’accessibilité à New York

media

In response to the difficulties encountered by the most vulnerable users, a clear visual and audio signage is essential.

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Zoe Gervais

Zoe Gervais

Content Manager

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