I support making the manufacturers solve this problem. I know, I know... they don't get it and we are tired of explaining, but I want to know why we need to develop yet another device that we have to purchase to carry around to have equal access? I am a person who is always trying to find a way around challenges. Since the signal manufactures are the ones getting all the money to install supposed accessible signal poles, I think they should make them accessible. Grumble, grumble.. Betsy
At 11:34 AM 7/31/2008, you wrote: >bill, >Even as a cane user, I recognize this problem, especially as there is little >consistancy in where they put the stupid buttons. > >There is actually no "current" flowing in the button till you push it, only >a voltage present. > >the only devices I know of that will detect a voltage need to >be nearly against the wire before they find it. so by the time you get that >close you allready found it with your little blind haptors. > >Also, there are lots of other wires about with street lighting etc. >to confuse any gizmo. > >Of course some of the accessible light systems have the button beep >all the time so you know it's there, but that doesn't help >where there isn't an accessible signal. > >So, after going through all this restatement of the problem, I can't >think of a way to find the particular pole with button, except >some kind of camera/computer based device such as a >cell phone with modified software. Even then you'd have to scan the darned >thing every time you wondered if there might be a button. > >We actually have a group working on cell phone based software to >analyze/find weird cross walks, and try to figure out >unusual intersections, I'll put this problem in >there ear and see what they think. > >Don't hold your breath. > >P.S. I had fun once when talking to a traffic signal manufacturer >about accessible signals. He was calling those things >pedestrian aids. I said, no, they don't help me, they help the cars cause >when I don't push the button, the cars get more time. In a world that >wasn't biased against pedestrians, every body would get a fair shake all the >time without having to find a stupid button and ask for it. > >Stopped the signal manufacturer in his tracks, He had to agree I was >right. > >In conclusion, I don't see any way of finding the buttons with currently >available technology. > >Sorry >Tom Fowle > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
