Why not motion detectors that would detect when someone came up to the corner. This would eliminate the need to find the button all together without adding to the noise pollution or the amount of stuff we already have to carry.
Jennifer ----- Original Message ----- From: Lee A. Stone To: [email protected] Sent: Friday, August 01, 2008 8:05 AM Subject: Re: [BlindHandyMan] A possible mobility aid Betsey grumble if you like but behind or beside you many of us are cheering you on. I totally agree to make the manufactures , in this case the signal lights audibile . I have brought this up before but will again about disability issues. we talk about tools and signals or things which will help us, the blind community to live more of an Independent life. well also think about it from a different perspective. how about a person with a particular mental illness or developmental issues and for sure T B I issues" traumatic brain injuries. . so all I am saying is the talking access button and the talking street lamp / signal is helpfull to more than to us, the blind community. and I have no sponsors so I had to approve this message all by myself. Lee On Thu, Jul 31, 2008 at 03:30:25PM -1000, Betsy Whitney wrote: > 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] > -- He's just a politician trying to save both his faces... Come and chat with me at #quietzone on irc.newnet.net [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
