WBRC Staff Assist with BART Tactile-Audio Map Project

WBRC staff, Paula Wood and Summer Beasley-Hoffman,

participate in training to learn how to document

information for the project.

Several Orientation and Mobility Specialists from the WBRC joined with other volunteers to assist in the creation of accessible station maps for the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system stations through the LightHouse for the Blind Accessible BART Station Map project. The project supports development and publication of a set of booklets of tactile, large-print, and audio-enabled maps of BART stations to assist transit users with visual impairments in navigating the BART system. For a transit user with visual impairments, the information necessary to plan a trip extends well beyond the need for BART schedules and transfer stops. Prior knowledge of station layouts, landmarks, and important features within stations greatly enhance the efficiency and confidence with which people with visual impairments navigate through unfamiliar stations.

BART station features such as stairs and elevators

were documented on templates of each station level.

The maps, which will eventually be available through the Lighthouse for the Blind, will combine high contrast tactile symbols as well as ‘Smartpen’ audio technology. These tactile-audio maps, in booklet form for each station, will allow persons with visual impairments ‘explore’ the station layout at street level, concourse level, and platform level before ever stepping foot at the station. The tactile-audio maps will have representations at each of these levels which will provide information about layout including symbols noting the locations of ticket machines, stairwells, escalators, elevators, station agent booths, bus stops, taxi stands, etc. Persons that own a ‘Pulse Smartpen’ will also be able to use an application which will provide additional audio information when the pen is placed over various parts on each of these maps.

An example map with high contrast raised tactile symbols of BART station features.

Volunteers, consisting of Orientation and Mobility Specialists, Architects, and Interior Designers, convened at the LightHouse for the Blind in San Francisco on Saturday for training. Volunteers were split into teams of two, usually consisting of an Orientation and Mobility Specialist and an Architect or Designer. Supplied with the necessary tools and station templates, each team of two traveled to 2-3 assigned BART stations to locate and record the designated elements of the street, concourse, and platform levels on the provided templates. The information collected by volunteers will be incorporated into prototype maps and given to the developer for smart pen programming prior to publication. This is the first known audio-tacile mapping project to complete an entire public transit system in the world.

WBRC AND VTA HOST VETERAN IN-SERVICE ON PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

Image: A veteran participating in the WBRC power mobility program works

with his orientation and mobility instructor to practice

boarding the bus with his power mobility device.

Image: A veteran participating in the WBRC basic program works

with his orientation and mobility instructor on a VTA community

shuttle to increase his public transportation system knowledge.

Veterans who participated in the session worked one-on-one with their WBRC orientation and mobility instructors with drivers available to operate the doors, kneeling features, lifts, and ramps of the stationary vehicles. Veterans were able to become oriented to the vehicle layout while it was ‘out of service’, practice boarding and navigating inside the vehicles, talk to VTA drivers and staff, and learn more about public transportation. One veteran who participated in the session reported that he felt more at ease learning about the public transportation because he had plenty of time to learn the layout of the bus without feeling the pressure of working on a bus which was operating on a route.

 

WBRC is hoping to continue partnering with the VTA to arrange similar opportunities for veterans in the future. Celeste Oda, a VTA Accessible Services Representative, reported that VTA has free programs and training available to persons with disabilities who would like to learn how to access public transportation. She reported that many transit authorities have similar programs and that interested persons should contact their local transit authority for information about such training opportunities. More information about VTA programs can be found at the link below.

Click HERE for a link to the VTA Travel Training Web Page

Veterans participating in the WBRC orientation and mobility program had an opportunity to participate in a public transportation in-service through the Santa Clara Public Transit Authority (VTA). VTA dedicated one community shuttle and one city bus along with VTA drivers and VTA representatives to be present at the VA Palo Alto Veteran’s Hospital Campus for an afternoon in early June.