Blind Assistance on our transit

Orange Juice 935

While on holiday in Italy, my girlfriend and I were in Italy for two weeks, the day we arrived it was raining heavily, so we decided to take the local metro to our hotel since it was right around the corner from the station Municipio.

As we walked to the platform my girlfriend brought my attention to a large angled board for the blind. On the table was a layout of the station with walls, stairs, lifts, etc all bumped up so you could feel them. It had Braille, presumably the Italian version. Every station had one.

When we got to Rome (via the high speed train) the metro had the same blind boards.
After a few days we went to Ostia Antica, Roman ruins, the train station also had these.

My question is why doesn't transit in Dublin and the rest of Ireland have these?

Stephen15

There is an app now for blind people which will guide them through London Underground stations

https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/media/press-releases/2015/march/young-vision-impaired-londoners-set-a-new-direction-for-tube-travel

I'm surprised Italy has a blind friendly as the country seems very disability unfriendly as streets in cities are generally quite narrow with a lot of cobblestones.

Victor

It might be possible, although most stations are fairly straight forward.

Dublin Bus do employ a limited number of staff to facilitate people with disabilities on their first few trips.

tabbey

Orange Juice 935 wrote: »

Italy, On the table was a layout of the station with walls, stairs, lifts, etc all bumped up so you could feel them. It had Braille, presumably the Italian version.

My question is why doesn't transit in Dublin and the rest of Ireland have these?

Unfortunately in Ireland we don't even do the basics.

Unless there is a statutory obligation, no bureaucrat will bother. But introduce a law and even the most absurd policy will be implemented; bilingual announcements, yellow lines on terminal platforms etc.

Victor

tabbey wrote: »

yellow lines on terminal platforms etc.

People use those platforms as well. And while there is a reduced risk compared to through platforms, there is a still a risk, e.g. a 'meeter & greeter' failing off the platform as the train arrives.

Stephen15

Victor wrote: »

People use those platforms as well. And while there is a reduced risk compared to through platforms, there is a still a risk, e.g. a 'meeter & greeter' failing off the platform as the train arrives.

Is the yellow line not just there to prevent people tripping, falling and then claiming

Victor

Stephen15 wrote: »

Is the yellow line not just there to prevent people tripping, falling and then claiming

It has several uses:
* It keeps people back from the edge. If they fall, they are less likely to fall beyond the platform. This reduces the number of incidents in the first place. Train drivers don't like seeing people go splat - it wrecks the nerves. Train companies don't like people going splat because it is bad for business. Stopping / reducing claims is well done the line of motivations.
* It lets drivers see better on curved platforms.
* It allows drivers to better gauge how far people are back from the platform edge. This means they can manage their approach better - if people are crowded on the edge, then arrival and departure has to be done very carefully.
* Most people will keep behind the line. The driver can then more easily spot the oblivious ones.