ITE Hosts Curb Ramp and Intersection Wayfinding Workshop
A two-day workshop at the ITE Headquarters in late October 2004 brought together US and international highway engineers, orientation and mobility professionals, accessibility specialists, regulators, and consumers to consider steps toward standardizing intersection design to optimize directional cuing for pedestrians who do not use visual cues in crossing streets. Attendees heard background presentations on wayfinding techniques of pedestrians who are blind or visually impaired, and on geometric design, and signaling issues that are key to resolving such issues as curb ramp orientation, curb radius, detectable warning placement, gutter counterslope, and pedestrian pushbutton type and placement and audible signal features.
The objectives of the Workshop were to begin to discuss answers to the following questions:
What are the real world wayfinding and orientation problems for pedestrians who are blind or visually impaired at intersections?
What are the usability issues at crossings for pedestrians who use wheelchairs and scooters?
How and to what extent can engineers provide comprehensive and cost effective solutions at intersections that will be benefit all intersection users? The standardization of curb ramp design and associated traffic operations was identified as the most important way that intersections can provide improved wayfinding cues for safe and independent non-visual travel.
