Discussion

Underground Transit Study

It is clear that persons having visual impairments are readily able to learn to use the Talking Signs system for the wayfinding information necessary for traveling routes in a transit station without assistance. Within the limits of the one hour test period, of 36 participants traveling routes with Talking Signs as their only aid, 35 successfully completed at least two easy routes, 23 successfully completed at least two (additional) medium routes, and 17 successfully completed at least two (additional) hard routes. It appears that training enabled participants who were more highly trained to complete more complex routes. This finding was not statistically significant, however. Even the minimal level of training in which participants received written instructions in their preferred medium, enabled many participants to successfully travel routes in a complex transit environment in which they were given no information other than that available from the Talking Signs, themselves. During the course of the one hour testing period, Talking Signs transmitters were used by subjects on a total of 500 occasions. Had Talking Signs transmitters been unavailable, subjects would have had to get some form of information or assistance, or to make their travel decisions on less definitive information 500 times.

Surface Transit Study

Eighteen blind participants located bus stops using the Talking Signs^R system or their mobility skills, but without asking for assistance. Participants were generally more successful in locating and identifying bus stops using the Talking Signs system than using tactile signs, particularly when the bus stop was identified only by a pole-mounted sign rather than a bus shelter. Participants using dog guides had particular difficulty in the absence of the Talking Signs system.

The comments of the participants in the focus group were even more telling regarding the perceived value of the technology for these applications. Both cane and guide dog users expressed strong preferences for infrared signage; the latter indicated that without Talking Signs it was very difficult to locate unfamiliar bus stops due to the dog being trained to avoid obstacles.

Intersection Study

The data shows that Talking Signs at intersections significantly improved safety, precision, and independence in street crossing, as well as knowledge of intersections, for good, frequent, independent blind travelers, using a long cane or dog guide, including those with mild to moderate hearing loss. Talking Signs also resulted in improved street crossing for persons who considered themselves relatively poor travelers, and who did not normally travel in unfamiliar areas.

Use of the Talking Signs system at intersections appears likely to decrease the probability of crashes between vehicles and pedestrians who are blind. When provided definitive information about the onset of the Walk interval, users can be confident that they know when they have the right of way at a cross walk. Attention can then be fully placed on other acoustic information for crossing, such as the location, speed and direction of turning vehicles. Both the fear of injury and the stress associated with the need to get assistance are decreased.

Orientation is improved by provision of unambiguous and definitive information about location and heading, so the anxiety associated with disorientation is also decreased.

Implications for Training

While there was no objective measure of spatial orientation used in any of the three projects, it was observed that, in general, participants who had the best spatial orientation and spatial problem-solving skills were more successful in using infrared signage as an aid in wayfinding. They were more likely to search systematically to pick up messages, to listen to entire messages, and to continually confirm that they were headed in the correct direction. It is clear that providing infrared signage does not substitute for spatial skills that are commonly included in orientation and mobility instruction. On the other hand, remote infrared signage increased wayfinding independence even with the minimal amount of training that was provided to one group of participants in the underground transit study.

Remote infrared signage appears to offer a particular benefit to dog guide users in locating some types of landmarks that dog guides typically avoid, such as poles.

Installations and Applications in Other Countries

Pilot programs using the Talking Signs RIAS technology exist in several non-US countries. The most extensive program of permanently installed units, however, is occurring in Japan where over 2000 transmitters are installed at street intersections in 17 cities. In addition, transmitters are projected to be installed in transit stations in many cities in the near future. Two museums in Japan currently have the more advanced Talking Signs system capable of presenting extended information to museum visitors in multiple languages.

Other Applications of Infrared Signage Technology

The examples described herein indicate that remotely readable infrared signage is adaptable to a wide variety of situations and problem areas for persons with disabilities. The capabilities of the technology go beyond the simple replacement of print signage, providing a flexible approach to marking the locations of any important objects or landmark in the environment. Enabling people to locate and identify these features satisfies the first prerequisite to making the environment and public facilities accessible to blind and visually impaired persons.

The flexibility of the technology lends itself to providing more complex information and longer messages if desired, or even giving auditory feedback allowing complex equipment like ATMs to be operated. A recently completed study has shown messages from infrared transmitters installed in emergency EXIT signs to be an efficient way for blind subjects to navigate to the closest exit. “Variable message” visual displays are being made accessible to visually impaired transit riders through real-time infrared message output. An example of this is a new product being installed in bus shelters which provide waiting transit passengers with “real time” prediction schedule information of the next arriving bus. Another application for converting the visual information in real-time “variable message” displays is currently deployed in a bus destination information system. In this application, infrared messages echo the visual display information indicating the bus route and destination information.

The merging of infrared signage technology with mainstream applications such as museum exhibit descriptions for the general population is a promising means of disseminating the system more widely and economically. Such an application now exists where extended narration is stored in the hand held receiver. A code is sent along with the wayfinding message so that once the person finds the label of interest, the appropriate extended information can automatically be “played” by an additional button press. Currently, development is underway to directly link the “point-out-ability” of Talking Signs to wireless, real-time, web-based information systems such as wireless LAN, Bluetooth, as well as i-mode and GPRS packet switching mobile telephone protocols.

Conclusion

Remotely readable infrared signage technology such as the Talking Signs system can be helpful to blind and visually impaired persons in a number of commonly encountered situations which normally pose major problems for them. The present studies confirm that the technology increases travel efficiency and independence at controlled street crossings, at bus stops, and in underground transit stations by providing confirmation of key features in the environment. In addition to the positive findings obtained in measures of subjects’ objective performance, subjects’ positive subjective ratings suggest that this system would be used routinely where available.

These three examples of special applications of infrared signage technology illustrate its flexibility in not only replacing the function of printed signs for those unable to read them, but providing the ability to access and operate a range of public facilities. In a seamless infrared signage environment, a visually impaired traveler could: walk safely across an intersection to an ATM or fare machine; from fare machine to bus stop; from bus stop to bus; from bus to building; from building to elevator; from elevator to office; from office to restroom, etc. Thus, provision of the Talking Signs system may result in increasing access and ease of travel to employment, and to social, recreational and cultural activities for persons who are visually impaired.