Accessible Pedestrian Signals (APS) are Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) compliant signals that help the blind and visually impaired cross the street safely relying on audio cues. They provide valuable assistance at complex or noisy pedestrian crossings when only relying on the traffic flow can prove to be at risk.

Their installation is an integral part of accessibility policies of major American and Canadian cities. Ottawa is one of those cities that put people first.

In a city where around 50,000 blind people have difficulties getting around, Ottawa accessibility design standards have been developed to encourage diversity, remove physical barriers and provide solutions embracing the principles of “universal design”.

These standards require APS to be provided where new pedestrian signals are being installed or where pedestrian signals are being replaced. However a fair amount of locations still remain unequipped and the number of pedestrian injuries and fatalities highly dissuades blind people from crossing streets.

This infographic intents to highlight the importance of implementing more APS units in Ottawa.

For more information about Toronto APS policy, read this article:

How Do Blind People of Toronto Cross the Street Safely?