Elabora inventario de transferencia secundaria (FI-02-MPP-OA-100-05)

Understanding  the  needs  of  people  who  are  blind  or  partially  sighted  allowed  us  to  identify   solutions  with  the  potential  to  satisfy  those  needs.  However,  selecting  technologies  that  are  practical  to   implement  required  a  closer  look  at  the  current  accessibility  of  public  transportation  information  and   the  systems  that  support  it.  In  addition  to  considering  how  information  can  be  accessed,  we  investigated   solutions  that  have  been  previously  attempted  to  understand  why  different  types  of  solutions  were  not   effective.  

This  portion  of  our  research  aims  to  help  us  answer  these  questions:  

●   How  is  information  regarding  public  transit  schedules  reported  to  the  public?  

●   What  technologies  have  been  considered  or  implemented  to  improve  the  accessibility  of   information  in  public  transportation?  

●   If  some  technologies  have  been  used  in  the  past  to  improve  the  accessibility  of   information,  why  are  they  no  longer  used?  

●   What  other  factors  prevent  these  technologies  from  solving  the  problems  faced  by  the   blind  and  partially  sighted  community?  

We  performed  observations  to  understand  how  the  public  transportation  system  works.  We   completed  these  observations  to  see  where  the  system  was  lacking,  where  companies  could  make   improvements,  and  to  witness  some  of  the  challenges  that  the  blind  and  partially  sighted  commuters   face  while  traveling  via  public  transit.  Our  observations  did  have  some  limitations.  We  are  not  blind  or   partially  sighted  and  therefore  we  do  not  know  if  bus  drivers  would  pay  special  attention  after  seeing   someone  with  a  white  cane  or  a  guide  dog.  We  did  our  best  to  observe  stations  in  which  there  would  be   a  larger  presence  of  the  blind  and  partially  sighted  population,  but  even  so,  we  saw  very  few.  

3.3.1.  Infrastructure  Survey  of  Stations  

For  qualitative  evidence,  we  evaluated  current  accommodations  for  blind  and  partially  sighted   commuters  in  the  busiest  stations  in  the  Copenhagen  public  transit  system.  We  evaluated  Copenhagen   Central,  Nørreport,  and  Valby  stations.  We  created  a  detailed  protocol  to  evaluate  these  stations   properly  (Appendix  3.4).We  started  by  using  a  map  of  the  area.  We  plotted  where  we  stood  in  the   station,  which  can  be  seen  as  the  human  figure  on  the  maps  (Appendix  3.5).  Initially,  we  determined   whether  there  were  tactile  indicators  present  in  the  stations.  We  noted  where  the  bus  or  train  stopped,   whether  it  was  by  the  post  outside  for  buses,  or  whether  it  was  aligned  with  the  current  tactile  door   indicators.  These  qualitative  results  aided  us  in  determining  other  problems  the  blind  and  partially   sighted  may  face  in  the  stations,  and  which  stations  are  most  problematic.    

3.3.2.  Observation  in  Buses  and  Trains  

In  order  to  understand  the  amount  of  information  that  a  commuter  receives  on  a  bus  or  a  train   while  in  transit,  we  created  a  protocol  for  observing  buses  and  trains.  We  focused  on  the  presence  and   content  of  audio  announcements  inside  the  vehicles,  and  if  or  when  the  vehicles  announced  each  stop.   The  observation  protocol  for  the  inside  of  buses  and  trains  is  outlined  in  Appendix  3.6.  The  observation   protocol  specified  the  length  of  the  observation,  where  the  observer  should  sit,  and  which  data  to  note.   We  recorded  the  time  of  any  audio  announcement  and  the  time  at  which  the  bus  and  train  stopped,   including  stops  that  were  not  announced.  Our  main  goal  of  these  observations  was  to  keep  track  of  any   audio  announcement  inconsistencies.  Data  for  the  time  and  content  of  audio  announcements  relative  to   the  bus  or  train  route  were  recorded  on  data  sheets.  An  example  can  be  found  in  Appendix  3.7.    

3.3.3.  Observation  of  Announcements  on  Train  Platforms  

In  order  to  evaluate  the  quality  of  audio  announcements  inside  stations,  we  first  outlined  an   observation  protocol  to  ensure  we  collected  the  data  in  a  consistent,  organized  manner  (see  Appendix   3.8).  For  each  announcement  on  the  platform,  we  noted  the  time  and  the  content  of  the  

announcement.  In  order  to  keep  track  of  when  an  audio  announcement  played  relative  to  the  time  of  a   train  arriving  or  departing,  our  team  kept  detailed  records  of  audio  announcements  heard  on  the   platform  and  in  the  vehicle.  An  example  of  how  we  recorded  these  data  is  in  Appendix  3.7.  When  the   bus  or  train  arrived,  we  noted  its  identity,  time  of  arrival  and  departure,  the  time  at  which  the  doors   opened  and  closed,  whether  there  were  any  audio  indicators  that  the  doors  were  opening,  and  what   track  that  train  was  departing  from.  From  these  data,  we  wanted  to  conclude  which  stations  or  modes   of  transport  have  announcements  that  have  inconsistent  audibility  or  content.  

3.3.4.  Observation  of  Bus  Stops  

To  fully  understand  how  the  bus  system  works  in  Copenhagen,  our  team  created  another  set  of   guidelines  in  order  to  observe  and  obtain  as  much  information  as  possible.  These  guidelines  are  given  in   Appendix  3.9.  We  made  sure  to  observe  during  rush  hour,  which  in  our  case  was  around  15:00  and   17:00h.  In  our  observations,  we  noted  the  identity  of  the  bus,  the  time  the  bus  arrived,  how  many  buses   came  by,  how  many  buses  stopped  at  their  designated  stop,  and  how  many  buses  stopped  behind   another  bus  at  their  stop.  From  our  observations,  we  gained  a  better  understanding  of  how  congested   these  stops  can  become,  as  well  as  how  confusing  it  can  be  for  someone  who  is  blind  or  partially  sighted   to  find  the  correct  bus  when  it  does  not  stop  at  the  designated  post.    

3.3.4.  Evaluation  of  Mobile  Phone  Applications    

We  also  evaluated  mobile  phone  applications  commonly  used  by  those  who  are  blind  or   partially  sighted.  These  applications  were  identified  using  the  results  of  the  survey  discussed  in  Section   3.2.1,  and  the  results  of  our  interviews  with  members  of  the  blind  and  partially  sighted  community.  We   compared  the  information  available  on  accessible  applications  to  the  information  available  on  

applications  created  for  sighted  commuters,  identifying  any  information  lost  when  the  applications  were   made  accessible.  In  order  to  evaluate  the  accessibility  of  these  mobile  phone  applications,  we  met  with   one  of  our  sponsors  and  asked  him  to  demonstrate  how  one  would  use  each  app  with  a  screen  reader   on  an  iPhone.  Our  sponsor  demonstrated  how  to  use  three  out  of  four  applications  while  we  observed  

and  noted  which  of  their  features  are  accessible,  and  where  features  began  to  fail  a  blind  or  partially   sighted  user.  The  applications  we  asked  our  participant  to  evaluate  were  Afgange,  Rejseplanen,  and   DSB.  These  qualifications  and  features  can  be  found  in  Appendix  3.10.  The  qualitative  evidence  found  in   our  evaluation  of  applications  aided  us  in  identifying  the  specifications  for  a  useful  mobile  phone   application.  Also,  we  were  able  to  determine  which  applications  or  accessible  feature  improvements  we   should  recommend  to  the  Danish  Association  of  the  Blind,  as  well  as  the  creators  and  maintainers  of   these  applications.