Audible Street Signals are Barriers to the Blind

Audible Street Signals are Barriers to the Blind

Future Reflections May/June 1983, Vol. 2 No. 3
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AUDIBLE STREET SIGNALS
ARE BARRIERS TO THE BLIND
by Gary Mackenstadt
The issue of audible street signals has been
plaguing blind persons for more years than one
cares to remember. Since the advent of public
awareness regarding physical accessibility for the
mobility-impaired, there have been countless
individuals, both in and out of the field of work
with the blind, who have attempted to make
physical accessibility an issue which is relevant to
the blind. Of course, those individuals who
understand blindness and who believe in the
capacity of blind persons to be independent, know
that physical accessibility is not an issue which
pertains to the blind. With the proper training in
the use of the long white cane or dog guide, a blind
person can travel safely and independently in the
world as it exists.
In recent years, well-meaning but misguided souls
have attempted to modify the world by removing
what they perceive to be physical barriers to the
blind. The installation of audible street signals has
been one of the projects which these individuals
have undertaken. For the reader who is unfamiliar
with the concept, an audible street signal is a
street signal which has a buzzer, bell or bird call,
the purpose of which is to let a blind person know
when to cross an intersection. The logic of this
position is that because mobility-impaired persons
need curb cuts to cross streets, it stands to reason
that blind persons need audible signals at
intersections. Of course, one might ask, what is
wrong with listening to the flow of traffic? What
happens if the audible street signal malfunctions?
What if a car doesn't stop for the red light?
The folly of audible street signals is obvious to
independent blind travellers and to those
individuals who believe in the capacity of blind
persons to travel independently. The National
Federation of the Blind, of course, has been in the
forefront fighting for the right of blind persons to
travel independently. We have been fighting for
good travel instruction. Our struggle with the
airlines over the right of blind persons to keep
their canes on airplanes is well known. We have
been in the forefront championing the rights of
dog guide users. Repeatedly, we have fought for
the right of blind persons to have free and equal
access to housing, restaurants and other public
facilities. Our struggle, however, has been against
discrimatory attitudes about blindness, for
negative attitudes and myths about blindness
have created the real barrier to blind persons
achieving first-class citizenship. Physical barriers
have never been a problem for blind persons.
Quite to the contrary, efforts to make physical
barriers an issue relevant to the blind result from
the aforementioned negative attitudes and myths
about blindness.
Audible street signals fall into this category. The
NFB made its position clear at our National
Convention in July of 1982 when we adopted
Resolution 82-19. It reads as follows:
National Federation of the Blind Resolution 82-19
Whereas, with proper training blind persons are
able to safely cross streets; and,
Whereas, the ability to cross safely is in large part
based on self-confidence and the ability to
accurately judge the movement of traffic; and,
Whereas, in recent years, many cities across the
nation have begun installing buzzers and bird calls
on traffic control signals in order to make blind pedestrians aware of the changing of the light;
and,
Whereas, these buzzers and bird calls do not
provide information which is not already available
to blind pedestrians; and,
Whereas, safety is not insured by a green light,
but rather through the blind person's awareness
of turning vehicles and alertness to motorists who
run red lights; and
Whereas, newly blinded persons who are learning
to travel in areas where buzzers and bird calls
have been installed may become dependent on
these devices believing that they would not be
able to cross safely without them, thus greatly
limiting the areas in which they believe that
independent travel is feasible; and
Whereas, these buzzers and bird calls hurt the
image of the blind by reinforcing the societal
attitude that blind travellers cannot be aware of
the changing of a traffic light without special
devices or assistance; Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the National Federation of the
Blind in Convention assembled this ninth day of
July, 1982, that this organization condemn and
deplore the use of buzzers and bird calls as a travel aid for the blind; and,
Be it further resolved that this organization instruct its national and state officers to contact
local municipalities so as to make them aware of
the disservice done to the blind through the use of
buzzers and bird calls on traffic control signals.
Audible street signals have been an issue in the
City of Tacoma. The issue has been raised by a
blind person and not by the City of Tacoma. The
National Federation of the Blind of Washington
has assisted officials of the City of Tacoma to
understand the issue, and I am pleased to report
that the City of Tacoma stands with the organized
blind in opposing audible street signals. Working
together, blind persons can destroy the myths
about blindness.