Define – THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED 1993

Description

This 1993 study interviewed 11 visually impaired London bus users with residual vision to assess awareness, use and requirements for bus information. Buses were essential, with most preferring familiar routes; travel behavior varied by age, location and employment. Respondents clustered into three types: Strategists (thorough planners), Battlers (confrontational, prefer impersonal information) and Copers (majority, flexible, use informal sources). Vision variability, lighting, mobility aids, personal skills and confidence strongly influenced information use. Key needs were stage-specific: planning required simplified, large-print maps and reliable phone enquiry services (LT Travel Enquiry, Disabled Passengers Unit); reaching stops demanded clearly recognisable, well-lit, eye-level signage and shelter maps in large print; approaching buses needed consistent, high-contrast livery and large, lit destination/number panels; onboard priorities were audible en-route announcements, step contrast/lighting and clear internal signage. Timetables in standard print were largely unusable. Overall improvements sought—large clear print, contrast, lighting, audible information and consistent visual design—mirror general user needs but are critical for visually impaired passengers.