Technology will improve accessibility for visually impaired – The Prescott Daily Courier – Prescott, Arizona

The equipment would feature directional crossings arrows and would emit a beep to aide visually impaired pedestrians in locating a pushbutton on approach from an adjacent sidewalk. Once pushed, the button provides a pedestrian call and other audible messages to indicate when to wait and when to walk.

“I’d really like to see an overall plan developed so that we’re not always in a reactive mode,” Councilwoman Jean Wilcox told Traffic Engineer Ian Mattingly.

Wilcox maintained that the city should “think city-wide about pedestrian movement and making that safe for visually impaired, hearing impaired.”

Russ Willis, incoming president of the Prescott Alternative Transportation organization, agreed, suggesting the city look “more comprehensively” at accessibility issues.

Noting that “there are intersections all over town that present problems for people,” Willis urged the city “to be proactive and to think forward about what needs to be done to make the entire community more accessible to pedestrians and bicyclists” rather than “being reactive or responding only to particular requests.”

“We can’t just pay attention to one group,” Lamerson said. “If you provide access to one group of people, you need to provide access for other groups of people too. You can’t just limit your focus.”

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