Everyone's effective mobility depends upon proper orientation; for mainstream society this is accomplished by printed signs. People who are print disabled, blind or have other visual impairments are at a disadvantage for the lack of labels and signs. Talking Signs®, the infrared remote signage system developed at Smith-Kettlewell, provides a solution to this need by labeling the environment for distant viewing - - this system tells people about their surroundings. The specific implementation of the technology evaluated in the present study updates pedestrians with real-time information about the pedestrian signal status.

It appears 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 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. It is apparent that persons with mild to moderate hearing loss are able to successfully use the information provided by the Talking Signs system to facilitate street crossing.

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