D.C. is being sued for not doing enough to help blind pedestrians cross the street safely, according to a lawsuit filed on behalf of the D.C. Council of the Blind and five plaintiffs.
The federal suit claims the plaintiffs’ civil rights are being violated under the Americans with Disabilities Act, because blind residents and visitors are being harmed by the insufficient amount of Accessible Pedestrian Signals at the District’s 1,600 signalized intersections.
The Accessible Pedestrian Signals communicate traffic safety information through a variety of nonvisual formats, including a soft tone to indicate where a push button with a raised vibrotactile arrow is. A verbal command of “wait,” and rapid beeps when the green “Walk” light is illuminated provide guidance to cross the street safely…