Orientation and mobility specialists from Vision Australia today guided a team of public transport planners from the Department of Transport and Main Roads, blindfolded across Brisbane.
Travelling on bus and train journeys regularly taken by commuters, the exercise aimed to improve the awareness of the challenges faced by the blind and low vision community when using public transport.
Vision Australia’s Advocacy Advisor Liz Jeffrey said that the organisation hoped the experience would contribute to creating a more-accessible public transport network, that supports the blind and low vision community to commute safely, and with confidence.
“I commend the department for taking up our challenge and putting themselves in the shoes of those who face difficulties using public transport,” said Liz.
“Commuting relies heavily on visual clues such as identifying the route number on an oncoming bus, locating where to stand on a train platform or knowing that you have reached your destination.
“Not having these visual clues to follow on a journey is intimidating. This situation can discourage the blind and low vision community from using public transport, and impacts on their level of independence.”
The Department of Transport and Main Roads Executive Director of Service Planning Sarah Capstick said as part of the planning team’s everyday business they strive to eliminate the social and physical barriers faced by people with disability.
“We are committed to providing a public transport system for everyone to use and this obviously includes providing transport that enables people with a disability to actively participate in community life,” said Ms Capstick.
“Putting our planners in the shoes of a person who is blind or has low vision is a challenging and salient reminder for us to be inclusive of the needs of every member of the public.”
Vision Australia provides specialist training on using public transport for those who are blind or have low vision. For more information call 1300 84 74 66.
Travelling on bus and train journeys regularly taken by commuters, the exercise aimed to improve the awareness of the challenges faced by the blind and low vision community when using public transport.Vision Australia’s Advocacy Advisor Liz Jeffrey said that the organisation hoped the experience would contribute to creating a more-accessible public transport network, that supports the blind and low vision community to commute safely, and with confidence.
“I commend the department for taking up our challenge and putting themselves in the shoes of those who face difficulties using public transport,” said Liz.
“Commuting relies heavily on visual clues such as identifying the route number on an oncoming bus, locating where to stand on a train platform or knowing that you have reached your destination.
“Not having these visual clues to follow on a journey is intimidating. This situation can discourage the blind and low vision community from using public transport, and impacts on their level of independence.”
The Department of Transport and Main Roads Executive Director of Service Planning Sarah Capstick said as part of the planning team’s everyday business they strive to eliminate the social and physical barriers faced by people with disability.
“We are committed to providing a public transport system for everyone to use and this obviously includes providing transport that enables people with a disability to actively participate in community life,” said Ms Capstick.
“Putting our planners in the shoes of a person who is blind or has low vision is a challenging and salient reminder for us to be inclusive of the needs of every member of the public.”
Vision Australia provides specialist training on using public transport for those who are blind or have low vision. For more information call 1300 84 74 66.