Welcome to Our Forum
This is where we will post open discussions about what it is like to live with a disability as well as some scenarios that we would like reactions to. Please respond freely and openly.
Scenario #1:
When walking through the streets of Prague in Europe, my friends and I noticed that the street signs, walk/don't walk, are indicated through a clicking noise.
Slow clicking is made when it is necessary to stop and fast clicking when it is safe to walk. Do you feel that this is something that would be beneficial to many people with a visual impairment?
What benefits or disadvantages does it cause? Why do you think that more countries have not adpoted this same method?
Scenario #2:
Making life more accessible for those with visual impairments often means minor modification of those daily functional equipment and structural apparatus' we take for granted. Elevators, for example, are often easily accessible for those with physical limitations (ie. wheelchairs and walkers) but are not user friendly for those with visual impairments. Braille is often a means to which most people with visual impairments are able to distinguish number and/or read. Marking the floor buttons with numbers in braille would serve as a great benefit for those with visual impairments.
Scenario #3:
Assisting in restaurants or public functions could be a mere adaptation such as routine placement of table settings or condiments to make a dining experience more pleasurable for those with disabilities. Often those with visual impairments tend to frequent the same restaurants and/or public domains as they have acquired a customer friendly experience with particular places of business. As a person providing services it is essential to be respectful of maintaining a user friendly environment for those with disabilities and assisting or informing the individual when environmental changes have been made to create a more accessible environment.
Scenario #4:
The change to currency (particularly the five dollar bill) has made it easier for those with disabilities to make purchases without feeling they are being taken advantage of. The large bold purple "5" on the currency is a change that has been long overdue. Many other countries have been more sensitive to visual impairments in the creation of their currency and have already adapted various large bold prints and texture to aiding those with visual impairment in making purchases.
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