Where are the exit buttons, how to recognize a starting tram, what are the current changes in transport due to line closures? These are just a few of the difficulties faced by blind and visually impaired people, as well as those with hearing disabilities, when using public transport in Brno. Experts from the Department of Geography at the Faculty of Science, in cooperation with the Brno Transport Company (DPMB), have mapped the major barriers in public transport and have already started working to alleviate them.
The project, supported by a grant from the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic, continued earlier efforts by geographers to map barriers for people with disabilities in Brno. "We cooperated with the city hall, but it turned out to be very difficult to address the identified obstacles because the responsibility for resolving them lies with several different organizations. For further cooperation, we therefore chose only one institution, and we are glad that Brno Transport Company agreed," said the project’s principal investigator, social geographer Robert Osman.
"The Brno Transport Company, together with researchers, has selected twelve barriers or situations that they will try to remove or otherwise resolve this year."
Dozens of Barriers Exist in Public Transit
Brno is the first city in the country to have mapped situations in public transport that can cause problems for people with sensory disabilities. During the first phase of the project, a database of 178 suggestions for improving accessibility was created.
"Together we selected twelve barrier situations that we can remove this year. Others will be addressed in the coming years. We want to share our experience through the Association of Transport Companies with other carriers. What has been accomplished over the past year is unique, and we hope the result will make travel easier not only for the deaf and blind in Brno but also in other cities," praised the cooperation with Masaryk University experts, Miloš Havránek, the general director of DPMB.
Researchers from the Faculty of Science spent the first year speaking with nearly forty people with visual or hearing impairments to identify obstacles in public transport. The second year focused on discussions with DPMB representatives to find ways to eliminate or mitigate these barriers.
"We spoke with both the transport company's management and around twenty drivers. Out of nearly 180 suggestions regarding barriers for people with sensory disabilities, we had to discard about 50 because they are not feasible to solve," Osman noted. He emphasized the need to consider each situation from the perspective of all users, as sometimes their needs may conflict. "For example, people with visual impairments would benefit if lights over vehicle doors were not dimmed at night, but this would obstruct the driver’s view at the front doors," Osman explained, illustrating why seemingly simple solutions may not be implementable.
Where Is the Button?
Generally, people with sensory disabilities have the greatest difficulties with orientation. For the blind and visually impaired, the variety of tram types with different layouts complicates not only boarding and alighting but also finding seats or the stop request buttons.
"This is one of the barriers we are currently working to mitigate. We frequently visit the tram depot with metro cars since we are producing tactile/haptic models of the interiors of the most common tram types for the transport company. Blind people will be able to touch these models and learn the seat arrangement and other details. This should be coupled with adding information about the type of incoming vehicle to audio announcements that visually impaired people can access at stops using a special device," explained the social geographer. He added that they are currently working on two haptic models, and plan to meet with people with visual impairments in autumn to see if the models are functional and how they might be improved.
Is It Moving Yet?
Lack of information can sometimes be life- or health-threatening. For example, blind people face dangers at stops where they disembark directly into a roadway. Or where benches do not have the usual four legs, making them undetectable by a white cane, which can lead to injuries.
People with hearing impairments may face safety issues even more frequently. They lack visual signals showing the danger posed by approaching or starting vehicles at stops and major transport hubs. "Light strips like those at the Západní brána stop, which illuminate when a vehicle approaches, would help them," said Osman.
He added that many deaf people may also have difficulties reading written text and are often literally lost during various closures and transport changes because they cannot read or hear the information. "They would appreciate if important information were also available in Czech Sign Language."
This accessibility feature is one of DPMB’s top twelve priorities for eliminating identified barriers. This year, they plan to test translating press releases and other news into Czech Sign Language, making videos available on the transport company’s website and possibly sharing them with organizations for the deaf and hard of hearing.
Cooperation with organizations representing people with sensory disabilities was crucial for researchers. They worked with several non-profits because both groups include a variety of disabilities with logically different needs.
"Haptic models of trams are being produced, vehicles will have added announcements about exiting onto the roadway, and the transport company will cooperate more with organizations representing people with sensory impairments."
First Steps
From the database of suggestions, the DPMB and Masaryk University teams selected twelve barrier situations they will remove this year.
Besides the previously mentioned measures, for example, audio announcements will be made on fifteen stops where passengers disembark directly into the roadway. Audio output will also be added at ticket counters using a call ticket system to make it accessible for the blind.
DPMB will also modify its website to be accessible to all, including those with visual impairments. Ordering the Seniorbus service for hearing-impaired people, which is currently only possible by phone, will be made more accessible with text ordering options.
An important part of making public transport accessible to people with sensory disabilities is education. This will involve drivers, who should be aware that such passengers need more time to board and settle in, and for disembarking or automatic door opening. The education will also target other passengers, to know how they can assist, and will include people with disabilities themselves. DPMB plans to establish cooperation with organizations representing these people and regularly provide them with updates on transport news.
Standardization
Not everything can be solved quickly or all at once. Some suggestions must be implemented in the long term and in cooperation with other organizations. This applies, for example, to stops not directly managed by the transport company. However, DPMB wants to negotiate with their administrators to standardize the appearance of stops to help visually impaired travelers orient themselves better.