Talking Signs® reports available on this site:
Talking Signs® has been subjected to rigorous human factors testing in numerous settings. Listed below are reports resulting from these human factors studies, position papers and a bibliography of newspaper, newsletter and trade journal articles.
Proceedings: Smith-Kettlewell Talking Signs Symposium '95. Symposium on Consumer, User Agency, Researcher, and Commercial Experience with Talking Signs and Related Technologies. San Francisco, California, June 27, 1995.
Research Reports:
Research Paper: Speech Intelligibility of the Talking Signs [Brabyn and Brabyn, 1982]
Research Paper: An Evaluation of "Talking Signs" for the Blind [Brabyn and Brabyn, 1983]
Research Paper: The Effect of Receiver Beamwidth on the Detection Time of a Message from Talking Signs, an Auditory Orientation Aid for the Blind [Schenkman, 1986]
A research report on the relative efficacy of two wayfinding technologies, Audible Signage as a Wayfinding Aid: Comparison of "Verbal Landmarks®" and "Talking Signs®. [Bentzen and Mitchell, 1995]
A technical report for Project ACTION on the results of the wayfinding experiment using Talking Signs at Powell Station in San Francisco Transit Accessibility Improvement through Talking Signs® Infrared Remote Signage: A Demonstration and Evaluation. [Crandall, Bentzen, Myers, and Mitchell, 1995]
Research Report: Three studies for the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research evaluating the Effectiveness of Remote Infrared Audible Signs in Solving Current and Emerging Access Problems of People Who Have Print Reading Disabilities: street crossing information, transit facility accessibility for people with developmental disabilities, and emergency egress information in buildings. [Crandall, Bentzen, and Myers (1997, 1998, 1999)]
Research Report: New Orientation and Accessibility Option for Persons with Visual Impairments: Transportation Applications for Remote Infrared Audible Signage. [Clinical and Experimental Optometry. Crandall, Bentzen, Myers, and Brabyn, May 2001]
Position Papers:
Research Notes from JVIB Talking Lights. [Loughborough, 1979]
Presentation before the Pan Pacific Symposium, Vancouver, Canada, 1986 "TALKING SIGNS" -An Accessibiliy Solution for the Blind and Visually Impaired. [Loughborough, 1986]
Presentation at the Northridge Conference on Contemporary Applications of Technology, 1990 Orientation: The Missing Factor in O&M.[Loughborough, 1990]
A collection of four papers on The Philosophy of Remote Infrared Signage authored by Talking Signs® co-inventor, Bill Loughborough
Part 1 - Transportation;
Part 2 - The Disability-Industrial Complex;
Part 3 - The Accessible City;
Part 4 - The Accessible Planet
Remote Signage in reference to the Americans with Disabilities Act
Federal Agencies relevant to remote signage rules
1980 letter from Smith-Kettlewell's RERC to the US. Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (ATBCB) with remote signage overview attachment.
Smith-Kettlewell Presentation at the US. Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (ACBCB) hearing in Sacramento, CA January 21, 1991 [Gerrey and Crandall, 1991]
Position paper authored by Talking Signs® co-inventor, Bill Gerrey and submitted to the ACBCB hearing in Sacramento, CA. January 21, 1991, "Remote Information Accessibility by Infrared Signage." [Gerrey, 1991]
Appendix A to Gerrey paper: Talking Signs® Specifications
Appendix B to Gerrey paper: Photo Captions
Submission to SF Board of Supervisors on Accessible Traffic Signals, April 7, 1992 [Gerrey]
Resolutions of American Council of the Blind (July 6, 1990) and the SF Board of Supervisors (April 13, 1992)
A paper presented at the 1993 meeting of RESNA, "Remote Signage and its implications to print-handicapped travelers: Functional and technical specifications." [Crandall and Gerrey, 1993]
Smith-Kettlewell responses to questions raised by the Access Board in the Dec. 21, 1992 Federal Register and presented at the ATBCB hearing in Sacramento, CA. on Mar. 15, 1993 [Crandall and Gerrey, 1993]
Testimony before the Federal Access Board (February, 2000)
The following bibliography is newspaper and trade journal accounts of the Talking Signs®
project:
San Mateo Times, Nov. 19, 1979. Talking Lights Tell the Blind Where They Are, Instantly.
San Antonio Light, Aug. 10, 1980. Device Translates World for Blind.
San Francisco Examiner, June, 1990. New Aid for the Blind.
Marin Independent Journal, May 17, 1992. Clearing Way for Blind.
Manchester Evening News, Nov. 6, 1993. Bossess Help by Talking Shop!
Universal Design, Jan., 1994. Signs of a Different Type.
Identity, Mar/Apr, 1994. The Sound of Signage: Accessibility Beyond Braille and Tactile Signs.
The Urban Transportation Monitor, Sept. 30, 1994. "Talking Signs" Evaluated at San Francisco Transit Stations.
New Beacon (RNIB), Fall, 1994. Smart Signs.
Identity, Sept./Oct., 1994. A Light in the Darkness.
American Public Transit Association (APTA) "Passenger Transport," Oct. 17, 1994. 'Talking Signs' Point the Way.
Mass Transit, Nov./Dec., 1994. Talking Signs Aid Visually Impaired.
Metro, Nov./Dec., 1994. Talking Signs Tested.
Transit Connections, Dec., 1994. San Francisco Tests "Talking Signs."
Braille Forum, Feb., 1994. Speaking of Talking Signs.
Public Technology Incorporated "Prism," Winter, 1994/95. 'Talking' Signs Signal Transportation Future.
San Francisco Chronicle, June 28, 1995. Science Helps Visually Impaired.
Identity, July/Aug., 1995. Sound Advice: Audio Signs Guide Travelers Through a Transit Station.
Sensory Access Foundation "Technology Update," Smith-Kettlewell leads San Francisco into the Next Millennium.
The ADA in Practice (ADA compliance handbook published by R.S. Means Company, Inc.), Spring, 1995.
