Later in this document (see Section 4.3 , Activity Participation, Trip Behavior, and Travel Times ) evidence is given to show that blind travelers often have very restricted travel and activity participation, but little is known about what specific areas cause the most problems and thereby limit travel and access to activity sites. To better understand specific problems when using transit as a vision-impaired person, a series of questions designed to identify problem areas was asked. Subjects were asked before (No RIAS) and after the experiment (with RIAS) to rate how difficult 26 specific tasks were, using a scale that went from “extremely difficult” (1) to “not at all difficult” (5). The data in this table are sorted from the hardest task to the easiest task, when using their regular methods.
Table 3. 1 Ratings of Transit Task Difficulty
“How difficult would the
following transit and modal transfer tasks be?”
Extremely difficult (1), Very difficult (2), Difficult (3), Somewhat difficult (4), Not at all difficult (5)
|
Q # |
Regular Method |
With RIAS |
|
|
1 |
Finding the proper boarding gate at a train station when there are many doors or gates to various platforms. |
2.0 |
4.8 |
|
2 |
Having the same access and ease of use of transit and public buildings as enjoyed by the general public is? |
2.3 |
4.6 |
|
3 |
Transferring buses at a busy terminal. |
2.3 |
4.6 |
|
4 |
Finding information or ticket windows, services and amenities such as phones and bathrooms in a new building or terminal. |
2.3 |
4.5 |
|
5 |
Finding a bus stop. |
2.3 |
4.7 |
|
6 |
Knowing which buses stop at a bus stop. |
2.3 |
5.0 |
|
7 |
Finding my way around an unfamiliar train or bus terminal. |
2.4 |
4.5 |
|
8 |
Finding out which Muni routes are served by a platform. |
2.5 |
5.0 |
|
9 |
Transferring from a train or bus terminal to another mode of transit (light rail or bus) one block away. |
2.5 |
4.6 |
|
10 |
Leaving a station and finding a taxi stand on the street. |
2.5 |
4.7 |
|
11 |
Getting enough suitable information about an unfamiliar transit terminal or building so that you could make an unaided trip. |
2.6 |
4.7 |
|
12 |
Finding the proper bus. |
2.6 |
4.9 |
|
13 |
Knowing what street corner I am at when in an unfamiliar area. |
2.7 |
5.0 |
|
14 |
Transferring to another bus on the line. |
2.8 |
4.7 |
|
15 |
Realizing I am lost while traveling and don't know which street corner I am at. |
2.8 |
4.9 |
|
16 |
Getting enough suitable information about transit boarding locations on an unfamiliar transit route so that you could make an unaided trip. |
2.9 |
4.7 |
|
17 |
Finding the entrance and the platform for a street level Muni platform. |
2.9 |
4.8 |
|
18 |
Finding which side of the platform to wait at for the proper train. |
2.9 |
4.9 |
|
19 |
Finding the door to a train at an unfamiliar platform. |
3.2 |
4.9 |
|
20 |
Crossing a busy street in an unfamiliar area. |
3.2 |
4.8 |
|
21 |
Getting enough suitable information about an unfamiliar transit route so that you could make an unaided trip. |
3.3 |
4.4 |
|
22 |
Keeping my mental map continually updated so that I know which block or crossing I am at while traveling. |
3.5 |
4.9 |
|
23 |
Determining the traffic flow and intersection type in order to safely cross at an unfamiliar street intersection. |
3.7 |
4.8 |
|
24 |
Preplanning and remembering instructions, directions and routes for an unfamiliar area so that you can make an unaided transit trip. |
3.9 |
4.7 |
|
25 |
Finding a bus door safely and quickly for easy boarding. |
4.0 |
5.0 |
|
26 |
Finding the door to a Muni train. |
4.1 |
4.9 |
|
Average Rating of Task Difficulty |
2.87 |
4.76 |
No matter what their original rating, degree of experience, or vision, all 30
subjects rated the overall difficulty of all these tasks as much less within
a RIAS environment. Many people changed their rating from “extremely
difficult” to “not at all” or “somewhat difficult”
after using the RIAS. Average ratings for the degree of difficulty for
each of these tasks with RIAS were between “somewhat difficult”
and “not at all difficult.” Only one task had a score that
leaned more toward the “somewhat difficult” rating with a 4.4 average
score, and that had to do with getting enough suitable information about an
unfamiliar transit route. Two tasks were midway between “somewhat
difficult” and “not at all difficult.” The other 23
tasks were rated closer to “not at all difficult” with ten tasks
(38%) rated 4.9 or 5.0. This type of support for additional cues and the
poor ratings using their current methods shows that there are many problems
with transit use by the blind, and that location-based audible signage does
a superb job in leveling the playing field for this population.
The second question demands closer scrutiny. It asked subjects how they felt about “having the same access and ease of use of transit and public buildings as enjoyed by the general public.” This is basically what the Americans with Disabilities Act mandates for public buildings and transit. In the preliminary interview, they rated this task at a rank of 2.3 (close to “very difficult.”), the second worst rating. After using the RIAS system for an hour or so, these same people said that, with the additional cues, they would rank the difficulty at 4.6, closest to the “not at all difficult” rating. All the data from these tests point to these conclusions, but here it is from the subjects themselves. They are not getting the accommodations needed for independent travel and access. Many other transit tasks were rated as becoming more than one or two categories easier when using RIAS. These data show many of the specific areas that affect travel for the blind and vision-impaired. Figure 3.12 displays the large magnitude in the reduction of difficulty perceived for these various tasks.
Figure 3. 12 Difficulty of Transit Tasks
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