Thursday, August 30, 2012

Falling off a platform

The other day, I read about a blind woman who died after falling off a subway platform.
We don't have a subway where I live but I did live for a while in a community that did and I was really afraid for a while of using it. The thought of the loud trains and the platforms and not knowing where the edge was if it wasn't marked with tactile markers scared me. I knew that other blind people navigated these systems with ease and was sure I could too if I learned how to do so. But I felt nervous and unsure about it none the less. After getting my first guide dog, I used the system fairly comfortably but still had an odd feeling every time I stood on a platform. Please, city planners and developers, put very highly feelable markings at the edges of your subway platforms. And, I mean feelable through thick heavy winter boots too and with white cane tips.
Stay safe in your travels.

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