ACB Focus: Transportation and Advocacy

In 1925 Helen Keller challenged the Lions to be“knights of the blind.”  Micheal Hudson, Director of the American Printing House for the Blind Museum in Louisville, KY, took us back nearly 100 years and helped us discover how it all happened. An amazing piece of Helen Keller history. Questions were welcomed.

In this interactive session, Dr. Giudice described some of his current research on making autonomous vehicles (AVs) accessible for use by blind and visually impaired passengers, discussed the many benefits and huge potential of this newest form of transportation, and highlighted some of the challenges that need to be addressed. A significant part of successfully making AVs accessible is getting input from the key stakeholders and users of these vehicles. Thus occured by answering attendees’ questions, both those submitted prior to the session as well as in real time, Dr. Giudice fostered a discussion of user preferences and concerns around the roll-out of AVs. This brain storming can be used to guide future research.

Presenter: Nicholas A. Giudice, PhD., Professor of Spatial Informatics: School of Computing and Information Science- University of Maine, Founder & Chief Research Scientist: VEMILab, Co-founder & Chief Research Officer Unar Labs, LLC.,

 [email protected]

Speaker - Dr. Patti Hill, Third Vice President of Lions Clubs International. Since joining the Edmonton (Alberta, Canada) Host Lions Club in 1990, Dr. Hill has served in many capacities, including multinational coordinator for Campaign SightFirst II, Secretary for the Alberta Lions Eyebank Society, Vice President of the Lions Eye Research Institute of Northern Alberta, and Committee Member of the USA/Canada Lions Leadership Forum.

Attendees learned about the latest Hybrid Pedestrian Beacon, Rectangular Rapidly Flashing Beacon and other new pedestrian signals specified in the Federal Highway Administration Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, how they work and whether they are accessible.

Presenters:

♥ Lukas Franck, Sr., Guide Dog Mobility Instructor and COMS from The Seeing Eye, Morristown, NJ

♥ Representative from Polara Enterprises, a manufacturer of accessible pedestrian signals.

Co-sponsored by: Environmental Access and Transportation Committees

Issues and Challenges for today:

Members of ACBGE and AAVIA discussed current challenges, practices and law bearing upon the provision of reasonable accommodations to workers with visual impairments. Participants addressed the process of obtaining assistive technology and reflected on the frustrations and the triumphs people face every day.

Presenters:

♠ Renee Zelickson, ACBGE President, and Social Security Administration Employee, Chicago, IL

♠ Pat Sheehan, ACB Board Member, and Veteran Affairs Employee, Silver Spring, MD

Co-sponsored by: AAVIA and ACBGE

Ever wonder what State Commissioners dream about for the future of blind rehabilitation; or what they might agree and disagree with in ACB’s Rehabilitation Issues Task Force White Paper? Attendees joined us to find out what they think about rehabilitation now, and future trends they’d would like to see.

Panelists:

♣ Joe Xavier, Director California Department of Rehabilitation, Sacramento, CA

♣ Daniel B. Frye, JD., Administrator, Services for the Blind and Vision Impaired, New Hampshire Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation, Concord, NH

♣ Raymond E. Hopkins, Commissioner Virginia Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired, Richmond, VA

Are you having a problem handling low vision? What’s been your journey with low vision? We discussed the journey of low vision, and shared experiences, offered encouragement and strategies. Come join our low vision community as we support one another.

Sponsored by CCLVI

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously in 1954 that segregation in public schools was unconstitutional.  How did that landmark case affect schools for the blind across the country? What had gone before, and what came afterward, in the integration of the schools? Micheal Hudson, Director of the museum at the American Printing House for the Blind, guided us through this chapter of our history from both the students' and the staff's points of view.

All pedestrians are reliant on drivers to yield when they share spaces like crosswalks with vehicles. Many variables affect drivers' behaviors. This presentation reviewed factors that affect the behaviors, emphasizing the principles and techniques pedestrian can use to increase the likelihood of drivers yielding.

Presenters:

♣ Rev. Dr. Gene Bourquin, COMS, NY, NY

♣ Chiang Mai, Thailand

Co-sponsored by: Environmental Access and Transportation Committees

When you're at a crossing that has no stop sign or traffic signal, do you wonder when is the appropriate time to cross, and whether it is safe to do so?  Then this presentation is for you!  Attendees learned about analyzing these crossings and what kinds of skills you will need.

Presenter:

♠ Dona Sauerburger, MA, COMS, Gambrills, MD

Co-sponsored by: Environmental Access and Transportation Committees