CHAPTER THREE

LITERATURE REVIEW

     This chapter presents a variety of communication techniques and technologies available to transit agencies to better communicate with persons with sensory and cognitive disabilities, as documented in the literature. Each technology, technique, or method of communication is grouped with those that have similar functions into categories. Information is also presented on staff and passenger training and specific applications of various communication techniques currently in use.

TECHNIQUES FOR COMMUNICATING WITH PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

Traditionally, transit agencies have used a variety of methods to communicate with their passengers; however, some of these methods have limited and, at times, excluded access to persons with particular disabilities. Since the passage of the ADA in the United States in 1990 and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom in 1982, transit agencies have been studying ways to improve communication with persons with disabilities.

     The communication techniques and technologies represent a cross section of those being used within transit stations and terminals, on platforms, and on transit vehicles by transit staff and individuals.

     The techniques presented range from nonsophisticated methods of communication, such as the route card, where passengers write their desired travel route on a card and the bus operator for that route will pick them up, to more sophisticated technology, such as automatic vehicle location (AVL), where the specific location of a given vehicle equipped with the appropriate equipment can be identified instantly. This technology can be used by transit agencies to automatically announce stop locations along a route.

     The introduction and implementation for each technology or method of communication varies. However, all have been initiated within the past 20 years. A large portion of the audio technology and techniques presented in the research was introduced in the mid-1980s and early 1990s, whereas the AVL and Geographic Information System (GIS)-based technologies have only recently been implemented in several transit systems.

Non-Electronic Communication

Non-electronic communication refers to techniques to improve communication that do not require technical support and are person-driven.

Destination Card Programs

These programs are enhancements to fixed-route services that permit passengers to alert vehicle operators of their need for assistance. Destination card forms filled out by riders or persons assisting riders contain information about the person's specific disability as well as information about the passenger's desired destination. Upon boarding the vehicle, the rider hands the completed card to the driver, who then recognizes the person's need for assistance and provides appropriate written or verbal information to enable the rider to exit the vehicle at the correct stop.

American Sign Language

The majority of deaf people in the United States use this language (2). Some agencies provide staff members, such as drivers and ticket agents, with training in sign language. This improves communication between staff and hearing-impaired passengers. However, this technique is not as common among transit operators as the destination card program.

Route Cards

Route cards are a low-technology signaling device of large-lettered or numbered cards and are used primarily by visually impaired passengers. Passengers at bus stops display the card that identifies their desired route. The driver of an approaching bus traveling that route will stop for the passenger.

Orientation Cues

Orientation cues help persons with visual impairments to orient themselves and distinguish pathways. These cues may include changes in illumination levels, bright colors, unique patterns, and the location of special equipment or other architectural features (3).

Braille Writing

This is a system of writing that uses raised dots to represent the letters of the alphabet. The American Foundation for the Blind estimates that less than 15 percent of all persons with a significant vision loss can read braille (1). Growth in the availability of assistive communication technologies has continued to lessen the reliance on braille. Therefore, braille should be provided to complement other methods of communication, rather than as the primary method of communication for persons who are visually impaired.

Telephone Devices

Help Phones

Help phones can provide orientation and way-finding information by providing passengers with a verbal description of a building's major characteristics or by identifying where facilities are in relation to the passenger's current position (4). Help phones are generally placed inside terminal buildings and on platform areas.

Hearing Aid Compatible Telephones

These phones convert sound into magnetic energy when used with a compatible hearing aid and convert that energy back into sound through a flux coil located inside the telephone handset. This allows individuals using special hearing aids to make more effective use of the telephone, by allowing them to use a telephone that they otherwise would not have been able to use at all. Legislation in both the United States and Canada requires that flux coils be mandatory in all telephones (5).

     Adjustable volume telephones are designed primarily for use by persons who are hard of hearing, as well as for those who use hearing aids. The volume control on these phones can be adjusted to meet the requirements of those using hearing aids. Both hearing aid compatible and adjustable volume telephones are fairly common in the transit environment (i.e., at stations, platforms, terminals, or on vehicles) and in the surrounding communities, and universal access to such telephones should be relatively easy to achieve.

Text Telephone (TTY)

This is a device that allows messages to be sent over a telephone line by typing on a special keyboard connected to a telephone. Most TTY systems are portable and some models can be connected to a computer. TTY systems provide persons with hearing impairments access to critical travel data, such as route and schedule information.

     All telephones for use by persons who are deaf and persons that are hard of hearing should have a volume control, flux coil, push button controls, a nearby electrical outlet, and comply with CSA Standard CAN3-T515 (4). Section 1.0 of the ADA Accessibility Guideline for Buildings and Facilities indicates that TTY phones shall be provided in fixed transportation facilities and stations.

Automated Voice Message Systems

Many transit agencies use automated voice message systems to offer users pretrip information. The most basic systems are computerized databases that give customers information about services offered, such as routes, schedules, and fares, when they call the transit authority. The more advanced automated voice message systems allow callers to use touch-tone telephones to book trips.

     Interactive voice response (IVR) is an example of an automated voice message system that has been developed for paratransit use. By using a touch-tone telephone, users can automatically make, confirm, or cancel requests for service. The system also has automatic "dial-out" capabilities to notify callers of available trip times, changes in trip status, or any other message the authority would like sent. The IVR systems are designed to work with automated scheduling systems. IVR is being used extensively at New Jersey Transit, in Newark, New Jersey; the Dallas Area Rapid Transit, Dallas, Texas; and TransLink in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Fax Machines

Fax machines allow users to transmit hand-written information, and thus eliminate the need for typing, as required by the TTY system. Another advantage of the fax machine is that it allows for personal "in-home" use. Thus, passengers who are hearing impaired but have a fax machine could request transit information from home.

Converting Text to Speech and Speech to Text

Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) Systems

ASR systems convert speech to text by means of voice recognition software. The hearing person speaks into a microphone connected to the ASR computer and the computer converts the speech to text. ASR devices can be connected to TTYs, and thus are a potential means of disseminating transit information to a person who is hard of hearing. The ASR technology however has a drawback. The system currently works on a matching principle in which memory patterns represent sound. It is only after repeated use that a voice pattern can be recognized. As the ASR technology evolves, however, the rate at which the computer interprets speech will be closer to real-time speech recognition. This will allow the technology to be more widely used in the transportation industry to improve communication between the hard of hearing and transit operators (1).

Countertop Devices

Countertop devices and translation aids are currently used by the airline industry for facilitating dialogue between the hearing disabled and service representatives, and this technique may have some customer service applications in transit as well. This system consists of two touch screens, one for the passengers and one for the agent. A computer controls the program flow and transmits messages from one screen to the other (1). Such a system could be used at the customer service counter in a transit terminal and would be of immediate benefit to passengers who are hard of hearing and in need of travel information.

     Translation aids are portable translators used in transportation terminals that enable persons with speech or language impairments to communicate directly with an agent by keying questions and responses on a dual-screen terminal. Translaid, a device for passengers, uses audio, text, and symbol modes, and has the ability to comprehend 16 languages. This device could be adopted in the transit industry, particularly at information centers in transit terminals.

Tactile Technologies

Tactile Maps

Tactile maps consist of a combination of braille and large print that transform printed maps into useful tools for the visually impaired. An audio signal may be used to indicate the location of the tactile map, and different textures are used to identify various features of the environment. Tactile maps used in conjunction with other auditory tools can provide a better method of communication for visually impaired passengers (1). The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) are currently using tactile maps.

Tactile Signs

These signs contain raised letters or characters that can be read by persons who are visually impaired. The signs are typically located at bus stops, information kiosks, and customer information centers. Tactile signage using raised characters should conform to American National Standards Institute (ADAG 4030 or 1996 ANSI) standards. Incised letters should not be used (6).

Tactile Pathways and Detectable Warnings

Tactile pathways are textured and surface designed to be detectable by foot or cane and distinct from the surrounding surface area. Textured surfaces assist those with visual, orientation, and mobility impairments in a transit environment (6).

     A detectable warning is a standardized surface feature built in or applied to walking surfaces or other elements to warn the visually impaired of hazards on circulation paths (7). Detectable warnings differ from a tactile pathway in that they alert passengers to the presence of hazards in their path. In a transit environment, detectable warnings are used where passenger movements can conflict with traffic flows, such as on the edges of platforms and busways, where tracks cross a walking area, and on sidewalks or at curb ramps leading from a walkway or parking lot to a platform or a station. Because detectable warnings can be placed adjacent to tactile pathways, it is critical that the pattern used for the warning strip not be the same as that used for the tactile path. Serious problems may arise if these two patterns are confused (6).

Electronic Information Systems

Electronic information signs can convey information and announcements to all sighted passengers and are the best means of providing infrequent information that has traditionally been verbalized, such as notices about train delays. Some transit agencies use these signs to provide route information based on fixed schedules, whereas other more advanced systems provide real-time information by either telephone line or radio signal based on AVL (8). Electronic information can be provided inside and outside vehicles, in terminal buildings, and on platform areas. This section identifies and describes the various types of electronic display systems and methods currently available.

Light Emitting Diodes (LED)/Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)

LEDs and LCDs are readerboards using either single or multicolored lettering. They can provide a two-dimensional array of display letters, numbers, or symbols and allow some animation depending on the system capabilities. Information is viewed from LED/LCD display panels located at vehicle stops or on board vehicles (9). The LED systems have traditionally been used indoors and LCDs can be used both indoors and outdoors.

Video/Television Monitors

In a transit environment video/television monitors are the most effective means of providing detailed and continuous information regarding schedules, routes, etc. Monitors can be easily programmed and updated regularly from a centralized computer.

Captioning

Captioning translates the audio portion of a video or film program into visible subtitles or captions. All information shown regularly or that provides essential messages such as emergency information should be captioned. Captioning devices are generally found inside terminal buildings. There are two forms, closed and open. Closed captioning requires a decoder for display on a standard television receiver and can be switched on or off. Open captioning, which is present on the screen at all times, does not require special equipment, but cannot be switched off. Standards developed by the U.S. National Captioning Institute should be used.

Visual Alerting Devices

These devices convert sounds such as telephone rings and alarms to visual signals. Visual alarms should be used with audible alarms, especially in main concourses and washrooms of terminal buildings. These devices are very important for a person with a hearing impairment, because they provide a visual form of communicating emergencies.

     Electronic information systems are an important component of the communication system of a transit agency. They are helpful to the general public but are of added importance to passengers with disabilities, particularly those with hearing impairments. The display of a visual sign is possibly the only direct form of communication that passengers with hearing impairments have, particularly while on a transit vehicle. Therefore, transit agencies should ensure that signs are consistent and uniform in design, are placed in an accessible location, and use proper illumination, color, and brightness to avoid confusion (1).

Audio Techniques and Technologies

One significant issue facing transit operators is complaints about the inconsistency in announcing major stops, transfer points, and stop requests. This is in violation of the ADA, which requires that major stops and other related announcements be made on fixed-route systems. The American Council of the Blind estimated that the average compliance rate for fixed-route operators in calling out stops was not more than 10 to 15 percent in the United States (10). The failure to call out major stops and stop requests can present serious safety risks for individuals with visual impairments, a prime factor in rendering a fixed-route system inaccessible to those individuals.

     Calling out stops on transit vehicles can be achieved, for the most part, by the operator's use of a public address (PA) system, which amplifies auditory messages and distributes them by means of loudspeakers located on the vehicle. In addition, a variety of technological devices have been developed to assist the transit operator with stop announcements or to provide information to passengers independently.

Voice Enunciator Systems

These systems provide announcements in a human voice, and may be triggered by the approaching vehicle to notify passengers of the arrival of a bus or train. Some voice enunciator systems can be set to activate when the bus door opens to broadcast the route number and destination of the bus to passengers waiting at the stop. This is particularly useful for passengers who are visually impaired.

     Integrated communication information and security systems provide passengers with visual and auditory stop announcements and emergency information. Data are also provided through animated color graphics and continuous programming features, keeping passengers updated on current news, weather, sports, cultural events, and items of educational interest. Similarly, audio information is communicated by means of a digitized voice enunciator.

     The Visual Communications Network (VCN) system is a multimodal, multimedia passenger information system in use in the Montreal subway system and the shuttle bus terminal platform at the Kansas City, Missouri, international airport (9). Using high-definition color LED technology, it delivers easy-to-read real-time messages. Similar systems are used on the city of Laval's urban buses in Quebec and at Dallas/Fort Worth Airport in Texas.

Talking Signs

Talking signs provide an audio message that allows persons who are visually impaired to orient themselves in the same way as a sighted person looking at a sign. An infrared transmitter is built into the base of a talking sign and when a small, handheld receiver is aimed at the sign, it activates and transmits identifying messages. Messages may be programmed in any language and can contain information about what may be found in the immediate area, such as a reception desk, public telephones, elevators, or directional information routinely found on printed signs (11). Information may be provided on approaching buses, bus stop locations, ticket machines, and platform edges. At the touch of a button, boxes mounted at bus or train stops may provide route and timetable information to persons with visual impairments. Talking signs are useful for those with reading difficulties or learning disabilities, seniors, and those with visual impairments. Talking signs are currently in use on the San Francisco Municipal Railway (Muni), the Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART), and the Vancouver–Richmond Rapid BusLine.

     Another example of a talking sign technology is Electronic Speech Information Equipment (ELSIE), also referred to the "talking bus stop," developed by the British Department of the Transport Environment and Regions. ELSIE combines three technologies: (1) a component that uses digital speech, (2) a unit that reads the route numbers of approaching buses, and (3) a microcomputer that coordinates the first two components. ELSIE enables visually impaired travelers to locate a bus stop, activate audible route and schedule information, and be alerted to the arrival of bus (1). Talking bus stop technology is also being used by New Jersey Transit, Newark, New Jersey.

Talking Buses/Trains

These information systems use digital speech to announce destinations, stops, and intersections. The system can be programmed to automatically announce a message when the door opens, and is activated by pole transmitters located along the route or by other automatic vehicle location devices. Current technologies exist such that digital speech could interface with a visual display allowing for simultaneous broadcast (1).

The Talking Directory Display System

This system is a "talking kiosk" designed to aid persons with visual impairments. The kiosk is located by means of an audible beacon and provides voice orientation to individuals who are within 2 feet. It contains a tactile station map and telephone keypad with information on station layout and services (12).

Auditory Maps/Sound Maps

These maps, recorded on cassette tapes, provide step-by-step directions to guide a person through a particular environment. The tapes may describe specific pathways, general neighborhood features, and other information about the transit system. Auditory maps can be very helpful to passengers with visual impairments. The tapes can be made to provide the level of detail required by the traveler (6).

Auditory Pathways/Acoustical Finders

Auditory pathways and acoustical finders consist of a series of speakers positioned along a predetermined route, which can be electronically activated by depressing a button or by means of an object worn by a passenger that activates a sensor on the speakers. Once the speakers are activated, they will announce instructions that guide the person to their destination. Another form of auditory pathways found on transit vehicles provides instructions when travelers press a button located at the entrance of the vehicle (6).

Auditory Beacons or Signal

These signals are emitted from transmitters located directly over open doors. They are used to prevent people from stepping in the gaps between subway cars and station platforms (13). This is especially useful for passengers with visual impairments.

Sonic Guide Systems

The Blind Mobility Research Unit in Nottingham, England, developed a sonic guide system that uses an ultrasonic pulse–echo device mounted on eyeglass frames that indicates the presence of obstacles to the wearer by providing selected notes on the musical scale (a single note for each 1 foot range). The system can assist a pedestrian in walking parallel to a wall or hedge by repeating a note in the inner ear, indicating distance from the object.

Assistive Listening Systems

These systems provide amplified messages directly to the user's ear. This diminishes the effect of background noise, which is a major problem for people with hearing impairments (1). Such systems can be used either on buses or in transit facilities. The following are three categories of assistive listening devices:

• Induction Loop System--A wire looped around a room or specific area where the information is to be received. A microphone provides input to a transmitter that is attached to the wire. The transmitter generates a magnetic field that can be picked up by hearing aids that are t-switch equipped. A t-switch allows an individual to change the setting on a hearing aid to allow for the detection of an acoustic signal or electromagnetic field. The hearing aid converts the energy back to sound. A person without a t-switch-equipped hearing aid may carry a receiver to take in the transit information (1).
• FM Systems--Personal listening systems that transform an audio sound source into FM radio signals that can be picked up by a receiver. The message is sent by speaking into a microphone connected to a transmitter that sends out a signal. A person tuning into that frequency can pick up the signal. The FM transmitters can be either portable or stationary. Portable transmitters usually operate on batteries, whereas the stationary units operate on an electrical power supply. This system could be used in a transit environment, where the bus driver announces upcoming stops and a passenger picks up the information with a receiver. It is possible, however, for cross-signaling interference to occur because of the medium in which information is transmitted.
• Infrared Systems--These are similar to FM systems, but use infrared light rays instead of radio waves. The infrared system offers an advantage over the FM system in that the receiver only picks up signals that it can see. This is also a disadvantage in that signals cannot be transmitted through an object; therefore, if something is blocking the light path, the signal will not get through. Other disadvantages are its poor performance in natural light and its generally higher cost.

     An example of an assistive listening and learning system is a pocket-sized receiver and transmitter designed to keep travelers with visual impairments, cognitive impairments, reading disabilities, or a language barrier informed of their location and other information. When an individual wearing a receiver enters the field of transmission, data are transmitted through the receiver's speaker, providing information on building entrances and directories, elevators and stairways, restrooms, office entrances, mass transit vehicles, and public transit stops (8).

Audible Alarms

Audible alarms transmit an alarm sound during an emergency. "Where possible, the alarm should be placed immediately above an emergency exit door" (4).

Smart or Computerized Technologies

Smart Cards

Smart cards are plastic cards encoded with an integrated circuit. This circuit contains information that can be securely and accurately read by receptive terminals. Smart cards are able to store more information than magnetic stripe cards. Currently there are two types of smart cards, "contact cards," which require direct contact with the receptive terminal, and "contactless" or proximity cards, where activation occurs through a radio frequency inductive field. The combi-card is a recent innovation in smart card technology that combines the characteristics of both the contact and contactless cards.

     Smart cards provide the opportunity to make machines more user friendly. For persons with disabilities or seniors, a smart card can carry information that tells a terminal to:

• Allow the user more time. Many seniors and those with cognitive impairments do not like to be rushed ("timed out") by a machine; therefore, it is necessary that these people be allowed to use the terminal at their own pace;
• Simplify the choices, such as issuing a preset amount of money;
• Display larger characters for people with reduced vision; and
• Increase audio output of nonconfidential information (14).

Smart card technologies are currently being used by WMATA (Washington, D.C.), and The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (San Francisco Bay area, California).

Automated Information Kiosk

The automated information kiosk is a system being developed that enables travelers to retrieve information from both static and real-time databases. Information on local restaurants, hotels, and points of interest is derived from the static database. The real-time data for travel comes directly from a transit operations center. Users access the information through interactive computers and can obtain a hard copy of schedule information, if required.

     In Houston, Texas, automated information kiosks are situated in three downtown locations. Tourists are given a cartoon-style map of the city with the bus system superimposed. By touching their desired destination on the screen, they are shown which route to take. For their convenience, the information can also be printed (9).

     Automated information kiosks are also found in airport terminals. Pearson International Airport in Toronto, Ontario, and Dorval Airport in Montreal, Quebec, are airports that have this system (9). It provides information on flight arrivals and departures, and the location of facilities, ground transportation, and accessible hotels. Some kiosks have a color touch screen with simplified controls, and magnification and contrast adjustment for people with visual disabilities. The information is provided in large-text, audio, and symbol modes in English and French.

     The automated information kiosk can be used as a method of communication for people with some types of visual, speech, or hearing disabilities, as well as for the general public. These kiosks are also being used by the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority; the Department of Transportation, Seattle, Washington; and WMATA.

Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL)

AVL systems are computer-based vehicle tracking systems. This is made possible through GISs, which are a special type of computerized database management system in which geographic databases are related to one another by means of a common set of locational coordinates (12). In a transit application, this system gives transit agencies the ability to accurately respond in real-time to passenger inquiries regarding bus location and schedule information.

     The installation of on-board information display and annunciation technology is usually made possible through AVL systems. The availability of on-board information display and annunciation technology has the following advantages:

• Compliance with ADA provisions,
• Improved en-route information that allows the vehicle operator to concentrate on the task of driving and reduces driver distraction,
• Communication of public service information between bus stops,
• Vehicle destination sign changes that can be automated, and
• Passengers on vehicles can obtain confirmation on transfers to other transit services (12).

     Some transit agencies currently incorporating AVL in their service delivery are the New Jersey Transit Corporation; King County Department of Transportation/Metro Transit, Seattle, Washington; Ann Arbor Transportation Authority, Ann Arbor, Michigan; and Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation, Portland, Oregon.

     Seven transit agencies have integrated GISs with their Internet information systems. This allows passengers direct access to the system to obtain information on routes and schedules at their leisure. This feature also assists passengers in pretrip planning and could reduce their reliance on obtaining information from transit staff.

     The information provided on web sites should be in an accessible format or one that can be easily converted to an accessible format (15).

TRAINING

The literature emphasizes that training is an essential element in improving communication between transit operators and passengers with disabilities. Furthermore, to be in compliance with federal regulations such as ADA, transit agencies are required to ensure that their employees and contractors are properly trained to serve such passengers.

     Transit agencies should review federal regulations and guidelines and consult national and local organizations that provide services to persons with disabilities to assist in the development of an appropriate training program.

     This section reviews some of the training programs currently available for transit operators and passengers. See Appendix C for more detailed information on each of the training programs.

Transit Personnel

The goal of training programs for transit personnel should be to ensure that bus operators are more aware of and sensitive to the needs of customers with various types of disabilities. To increase sensitivity, training should involve one-on-one interaction and group discussion with a qualified facilitator and should extend to all transit personnel (1). Some of the training programs currently available to transit agencies that are designed to assist operators in better serving passengers with disabilities are described here.

Sensitivity Training

The sensitivity training program provided by the Canadian Urban Transit Association is designed to train as well as to screen people who want to be operators for paratransit services. The training program includes the following:

• The role of the operator;
• Methods for operators to recognize the range of abilities and assist persons with disabilities;
• Positive attitudes to employ in helping passengers;
• Teamwork, knowledge, and techniques; and
• A video, "Good Riding for Everyone."

Transit Ambassador Program

This program, provided by the Canadian Urban Transit Association, is a customer-service training package designed to give transit employees the skills and concepts needed to significantly improve customer relations and to assist management in developing a strong internal commitment to teamwork and customer service. There are custom versions in English and French for bus and rail services.

ADA Stop Announcement Program

The Easter Seals Project ACTION developed a stop announcement training program, which is documented in a 1998 American Council of the Blind report (16). The report identifies and describes the essential components for developing and carrying out an ADA stop announcement implementation, as well as a training program for operators and supervisors on calling out major stops.

Serving Passengers with Cognitive Disabilities

Easter Seals Project ACTION also developed a training program for fixed-route bus operators on serving passengers with cognitive disabilities (17). The report is designed for use in conducting in-service training with current bus operators or as part of the initial training for new operators, and is meant to help a transit system meet its ADA obligations.

Passenger Training

The goal of training programs for passengers of regular transit services is to achieve speed, maximum agility, and smoothness when using these services. New passengers with disabilities should be assisted one-on-one by a person with similar disabilities. Independent living centers and programs conducted by persons with disabilities provide the best training (1).

Training People with Disabilities

Easter Seals Project ACTION, in "Training People with Disabilities to Access Public Transportation," offers a five-step training curriculum as documented in reference 1. The steps are:

• Referral,
• Assessment,
• Program planning,
• Training, and
• Evaluation and follow-up.

The referral steps include a press release and brochure distributed to various agencies that provide services for persons with disabilities in the communities. In the second step, the potential user's cognitive abilities, general awareness, physical skills, interpersonal skills, and safety are assessed. From this checklist an individual program is planned (step three). The program plan identifies goals and objectives and is flexible so that either the trainer or the new user may revise the goals and objectives.

Orientation and Mobility Training

Measures to make a mass transit system accessible are not enough to ensure that the visually impaired will be able to use the system (18). Therefore, most passengers who are visually impaired or blind require training on how to safely and effectively use the transit system. Orientation and mobility training is provided by an orientation and mobility specialist. Orientation involves establishing one's position in relation to desired destinations and landmarks. Mobility is moving in a safe and dignified manner from one's current position to a desired location (1). Transit operators should also be trained on how to assist passengers who are visually impaired. They can work closely with organizations serving the visually impaired to locate and utilize appropriate training programs.

SELECTED EXAMPLES OF APPLICATION FROM THE LITERATURE

The following are applications of some of the communication methods currently being implemented by transit agencies in the United States and Canada.

Talking Directory Display: Long Island Railroad, New York

The Baruch College Computer Center for Visually Impaired People worked with the Long Island Railroad (LIRR) to develop a Talking Directory Display System (TTYS). This demonstration project was funded by Easter Seals Project ACTION. Baruch College staff was responsible for system design, software development, and maintenance, and the LIRR staff identified a suitable location for the unit and briefed personnel about the kiosk's existence and function.

     The TTYS, nicknamed the "Talking Kiosk," is specifically designed to assist persons who are visually impaired locate LIRR facilities throughout Penn Station in New York City. Users are able to initially find the system by following an audible beacon coupled with recorded voice directions. Once a user approaches within 2 feet of the TTYS, a proximity sensor activates more detailed voice directions that provide initial orientation to the kiosk.

     The TTYS consists of a tactile map of the station and a standard telephone keypad. One or both can be used to make it easier for persons who are visually impaired to navigate through the system in order to obtain information about the location of services within Penn Station, such as the ticket counter, information booth, platforms, or specific tracks. One important feature of the keypad component is the availability of a brief tutorial on using the map. Three different levels of detailed information are available and are accessed on the map by repeatedly touching a particular map feature, a characteristic that is explained during the audio tutorial.

     During a three-month demonstration period, the Talking Kiosk was used almost 13,000 times, approximately 99 percent of the time by persons with no visual impairment. A detailed evaluation of the system involving a series of trials by the visually impaired showed that TTYS was user friendly, more people use the keypad than the map, and 18 of 20 people who successfully completed the trial would use the TTYS again. Although the keypad was used more frequently, the evaluation found that users would also employ the map once they had become familiar with the general operations of the system. The majority of participants indicated they would like to have similar installations in other locations.

     The TTYS continues to operate, and Baruch College and the LIRR staff have discussed the possibility of physically integrating it with an installation that would also house a ticket vending machine (12).

Public Address/Customer Information Signs

New York City Transit has undertaken a major upgrade of its customer communication system, called Public Address/Customer Information Signs, throughout its subway network. A $49 million first phase of the system was installed, which integrated new customer information signs with new or upgraded PA systems in 140 stations (another 17 stations will receive information signs under separate station rehabilitation contracts). The next step was installing its subway train and traffic information systems, which use the existing block signal system to provide information to passengers on the platform by means of the signs and PA systems. The announcements will inform passengers how many stations away the next train is. This "semi real-time" information is the precursor to real-time information.

     A subsequent $78 million project will result in the installation of information signs in another 57 stations. The project is expected to be integrated with the simultaneous installation of automated train supervision on the Number 4 line running through Brooklyn, Manhattan, and the Bronx and is slated for completion in 2001. Data from automated train supervision will be fed into the signs and PA system to provide customers with real-time information. The information will include the arrival time of the next several trains, the length of the next train (to allow customers to position themselves properly on the platform for long or short trains), and advisories regarding planned service disruptions and detours (12).

Interactive Voice Response (IVR): Vancouver HandyLine and BusLine

BusLine, the IVR system used in Victoria, British Columbia, was originally developed by Oracle Communications, Inc. HandyLine, a similar system for paratransit services is used in Vancouver, British Columbia. BusLine permits automatic confirmation or cancellation of requests for service. Customers can communicate with both systems using touch-tone telephones. The Vancouver HandyLine system was first installed in 1991. By 1996, it had run for 5 years without interruption. A second generation of IVR systems has been developed by Oracle Communications for Victoria. These IVRs are designed to work with automated scheduling systems.

     In Calgary, Alberta, Calgary Transit's Handi-Bus has installed a new IVR system on it's Trapeze QV scheduler. This IVR, called HandyQ, will provide Handi-Bus customers with automatic trip confirmation and cancellation capability, as well as information of a general nature and urgent last-minute bulletins. The confirmation and cancellation capabilities are expected to provide an early payback to Handi-Bus by off-loading significant numbers of operator-handled calls to the automated system (9).

Trip Planning: Vancouver, British Columbia

BC Transit in the Greater Vancouver Area makes trip itinerary planning available to its customers by means of the telephone. A clerk answers the calls and inputs the origin, destination, and other required information into the system, which is linked to a GIS map display showing the roads, bus stops, rivers, bodies of water, significant points of interest, and parks. The system contains the schedules for all buses, light rail trains, SkyTrain commuter rail trains, SeaBuses, and heavy rail trains in the Greater Vancouver Transportation District, which encompasses Vancouver and the lower mainland of British Columbia. The trip planning software produces two or three optional itineraries based on the customer's origin, destination, and other specifications. The clerk informs the caller of the results. The system receives about 5,000 calls per day, or 175 calls per clerk per day. BC Transit is currently investigating interactive voice response and Internet options that would more than quadruple its ability to handle customer information requests (12).