People who have visual impairments often make decisions about employment, housing, and their involvement in personal and community activities based on the availability of public transportation. The transit agencies across the country which provide this transportation are facing revenue shortfalls because state and local governments are strapped for cash. At the same time, the demand for public transit service is on the increase.
People with visual impairments also do a significant portion of their traveling as pedestrians. In recent years, pedestrian travel has become more difficult, as intersection design has become more complex, the number of drivers on city streets has risen, and cars have begun to travel at greater speeds. Traditionally, people who are blind rely on the sound created by traffic surges to determine when it is safe to cross a street. The advent of quiet cars has also reduced the ability of blind pedestrians to accurately evaluate traffic patterns. Many communities do not have sidewalks, and where they do exist, they are often littered with obstructions, which make it difficult for pedestrians to use them safely.
The Senate has passed a highway funding bill and the House is scheduled to take up highway funding legislation this month. It is imperative that both the House of Representatives and the Senate consider the impact these legislative proposals will have on people with disabilities.
The focus of ACB’s transportation initiatives this year is the reauthorization of the highway funding bill. Formerly known as TEA-21, this legislation is now called TEA-LU. TEA-LU stands for Transportation Equity Act: a Legacy for Users.
The House bill, HR3550, is particularly important because it includes provisions which will effectively address the needs of the disability community. The Senate has passed a bill (S1072) that is much weaker in addressing disability-related issues.
ACB supports the inclusion of the following provisions in the highway reauthorization bill, HR3550, Transportation Equity Act: a Legacy for Users (TEA-LU):
· ACB supports Section 3018 of TEA-LU. Section 3018 is the "New Freedom Program". This program encompasses the principles of the Bush Administration's New Freedom Initiative. The New Freedom Program in TEA-LU provides grants, which can be used for programs, projects and transportation alternatives that go beyond the minimal requirements of the ADA, and which specifically benefit people with disabilities. Such grants will provide an important source of funding for local projects such as installation of accessible pedestrian signals and detectable warnings.
· ACB also endorses amending TEA-LU to include the RIAS Model Accessibility Project (to be proposed as sec. 3045 of title III). This project is the Remote Infrared Audible Signage Model Accessibility Project. This project would establish the nation's first inter-modal transportation system linked by accessible signage, thereby creating the nation’s first transportation system that would be truly accessible to and independently usable by individuals with vision impairments. See the supporting documents for further information about this proposal.
· ACB supports HCONRES 56 (House Concurrent Resolution 56) and urges Congress to include its provisions in the highway reauthorization bill. This legislation, which was introduced by Rep. Lane Evans (D-IL) expresses the sense of Congress that states should require candidates for driver's licenses to demonstrate an awareness of the significance of a white cane, or a guide dog, and an ability to exercise increased caution when driving in the proximity of potentially visually impaired individuals, as a prerequisite to obtaining a driver's license.
· ACB recommends that funds be appropriated to the U.S. Access Board and the Federal Highway Administration for the purpose of conducting research to identify vehicle and road surface features that can generate audible indications of traffic movement. Additionally, guidelines should be developed that incorporate these features into the construction of vehicles and road surfaces.
For further information about these issues, please contact: Melanie Brunson, Acting Executive Director.