The Use of Traffic Sounds to Make Street Crossings by Persons who are Visually Impaired

Abstract

Orientation and mobility O&M specialists are concerned with the ability of a person who is visually impaired to use hearing as well as vision in independent travel. Yet, there is no published research on the auditory requirements for making effective street crossings by individuals who are visually impaired or by individuals who are both visually and hearing impaired. Thus, this article presents the frequency and intensity measurements for traffic sounds under different conditions. It then compares these measurements to audiograms to illustrate how, given certain limitations and cautions, O&M specialists can estimate a traveler's ability to make safe traffic crossings.