So Scotrail have done it again. Though I suspect the blame is
elsewhere.
Obviously we, as a society, have to take reasonable steps to make our
environment and society accessible to those with a disabiltiy. So we
have ramps and kneeling busses for people who cannot cope with steps;
subtitles and induction loop systems for the deaf; bleeping pedestrian
crossings and bobbly ramps for the blind.
I'm sure that many of these things make disabled people's lives
better. But sometimes, I get the feeling someone is just going
through the motions.
One such example is the toilets on some of the recently refurbished
Scotrail diesel railcar units. The toilet in one of the carriages is
designed to be particularly friendly to the disabled. It is large
enough to accommodate a wheelchair, with a wide powered sliding door,
operated by pushing buttons. And for the benefit of the blind,
everything inside is labelled in Braille. Including this...
Yes, that's right. Someone has labelled the door status lights in
Braille.
I admit it was the superficial absurdity that first caught my
attention: if someone is reading the signs in braille hardly needs
labelled indicator lights. Or are they supposed to use the heat from
the bulb to work out which one is on?
OK, so it's not actually completely pointless: there are no doubt some
people who can see well enought to know that there is a light on, but
not well enough to read its label.
But Braille labels on indicator lights still feels like some kind of
"legislation gone mad" arrangement.
And that's not the limit of the design problem, because the lights,
and associated door controls, are located on the wall
opposite the door. So our hypothetical blind traveller has to grope
his way all the way round the (extra spacious) toilet area in order to
find the controls to lock the door.
This, surely, isn't the best we can do for a disabled-friendly toilet.
Off the top of my head: instead of buttons and lights, have a chunky
switch or lever that turns (or slides) between "Open" and "Closed"
positions. And instead of putting it on the opposite side of the
room, put it either on, or near, the door --- where one might expect
things to do with the door to be located.
Just adding Braille to the labels on some indicator lights is just going
through the motions.
Sunday, 15 November 2009
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1 comment:
I just spotted this blog entry; it seems I had related thoughts in the same year; see Intercity Inconvenience…
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