US Versus UK Accessibility for the Blind and Visually Impaired

Most people have never considered the issue of accessibility for blind individuals and are unfamiliar with the adaptations necessary for safe travel and everyday life for those who have difficulty seeing or cannot see at all. Most people that are without sight can live rich, healthy lives, just like anyone else. However, there are aspects of different places that are better than others when it comes to accessibility.

I have lived in the United States all of my life but I have also spent some time in the United Kingdom, more precisely Birmingham, England, and surrounding areas. I am going to compare accessibility in Texas to that of Birmingham. In my personal opinion, but based on my experiences, Birmingham is superior in its accessibility, even though England is a little behind generally in technology.

First, I am going to start with the most obvious difference, the streets. It is true that UK drivers drive on the opposite side of the road from Americans. However, they do not have any left on red laws. In fact, unlike the US, you cannot go anywhere on red at all, not even with an arrow. This alone is better for the blind because most of them cross the streets by listening to the traffic around them and going when the traffic beside them goes. This normally allows safe passage across the street but in the United States, there is the added risk of cars that should not be going, trying to make a right turn or a left one on a green arrow.

In addition, the United States generally only has a beeping signal which tells people when it is safe to cross but the system is very shaky and those signals are often non-functional. Sometimes they just don't work at all and sometimes they beep when it is actually unsafe and can be very unreliable. In Birmingham, they have several features to make street crossing safer. Not all crossings have the features implemented but those that do are very handy. They have a thing called a "pelican" which is at the crossings. I have no idea why it is called that as it does not resemble a bird in the least but that is what I heard my friends calling it. This device has the Don't Walk signals that are visible on eye level and on the same side of the street as the person crossing, allowing those with limited sight to see them and not have to squint to see across the street or not even see them at all. They also have the beeping signal and, in my experience, it has been much more reliable than that of Texas. In addition, they also have a small cone on the bottom of the sign for those that are deaf-blind. They can press the button on the sign, indicating that they wish to cross, and then place their hand on the cone. When it begins spinning, they know that it is safe to cross. These features combined provide accessibility for deaf and blind individuals all across the board.

Finally, regarding the streets, I would have to say that Birmingham has fewer obstacles in the middle of the sidewalks or other walking paths. In the United States, I have encountered several signposts and light or telephone poles planted right in the center of the sidewalks. Also, the cities in the United States are notorious for not doing their job when it comes to keeping city property properly mowed and cared for. Countless times have I had to trudge through what seemed like a jungle on the sidewalk because the city never mowed or trimmed back the overgrown shrubbery. I did not encounter this problem while in England. About the only major obstacle I faced in the walking path was a single shop which had pillars around it that were about knee high and I had to be very careful not to run into them. Once I knew where they were, it was no problem, but they still should not have been there. The point being though, that the UK, or more specifically, Birmingham, does not seem to be as lax with regards to keeping obstacles out of the sidewalks.

Another thing which seems to be better in the UK is the accessible technology. I wouldn't go so far as to say that they have more technology in that area than the United States, but I would say that it is easier to get one's hands on. In the city of Birmingham, I was aware of two or three shops for accessibility technology that could be used around the house. In most major Texas cities, this is not the case. The only place that seems to have technology for the blind is the warehouse in Austin, the state capital. Otherwise it has to be ordered online and shipped. In Birmingham, you can visit the store and find all sorts of items that are used in everyday life and are not all that expensive. One such item is the liquid level indicator. This is a small device with 3 prongs hanging down from it. A person would place this device on the side of a cup while pouring a liquid into it and it would beep when the liquid came in contact with the prongs. I brought home one of these devices and it has helped me greatly. I am certain that I could get one here but I would have to order it, rather than being able to go to the shop and buy it.

There is, however, one thing that I think is better in the United States, for the blind and everyone in general. This would be the bus system. In Birmingham, it costs eighty pence to ride the bus, one pound for a day pass. The eighty pence gets you a transfer that can only be used once while the day pass is unlimited until midnight that day. In the United States, the busses cost one dollar normally, and fifty cents in Austin. In addition, most bus systems have a rule that anyone with a disability pays half the fare, or in Austin can ride free. Another thing about the buses that has been better in my experience is that they speak the major stops through a loud speaker that can be heard anywhere on the bus. If you know your way around, or even if you are new to the area, these can be great to use as landmarks. The only downside is that they do not always work, but most of the time they do. From what I can tell, Birmingham does not have these buses but I understand they were discussing having them implemented.

And so, in general, I would say that if the rest of the major cities in the United Kingdom are anything like Birmingham, then the accessibility there far surpasses that of the United States, and it is growing better still with every day that passes.

I hope this has opened your eyes to the adaptations blind and visually impaired individuals use as well as the situation in these two places regarding accessibility, and maybe even given you something to look into if you over pour your drinks. I look forward to watching the accessibility improve, both in the United Kingdom and the United States.