Calgary is seeking a “design and prototype” of tactile-map technology to help people with visual impairments navigate the city’s transit system.
“We’re looking for something that can be handheld, easily distributed through our customer-service centre, and potentially through the CNIB,” said Chris Jordan, manager of strategic planning with Calgary Transit.
The idea came from citizen feedback during the city’s RouteAhead transit planning process.

 “We heard clearly from customers that navigating stations when you’re new to the system is a challenge and it’s even more of a challenge for people with visual disabilities,” Jordan said.
The city posted a request for proposals earlier this month, asking potential providers for a “product offering” specifically suited to “visually impaired transit users,” with a response deadline of Aug. 6.

Jordan said the city is open to all sorts of options, as long as the product “clearly conveys the information that we want to convey in a tactile format.”

Alberta CNIB executive director John McDonald called the move “a step in the right direction” in addressing mobility challenges that regularly confront people with vision impairments.

“It is an issue that’s tremendously important to CNIB, because we know that public transit is really critical to people with vision loss becoming engaged in their communities,” he said. “If they don’t have accessible public transit, they’re going to face greater difficulties finding employment, taking part in recreational activities, and will probably endure more social isolation.”

The CNIB currently offers “specialized training” for clients on how to use the transit system in various cities, McDonald said, but it’s largely limited to travel between “frequent destinations” such as the home or office.

SOURCE: .Metro News