Posted on 04/05/2007 5:23:33 AM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
Visually-impaired want railways to clarify stance on riding in women-only carriages
Passengers get into a women-only carriage.Visually-impaired people often find themselves in trouble when riding in Tokyo's women-only train carriages, since most women are unaware that such coaches are also open to handicapped passengers.
The Japan Federation of the Blind is urging railway companies to publicize the fact that physically handicapped people can also ride in women-only cars.
"We sometimes get in carriages without knowing they are women-only cars when we're in a hurry, or when we use lines we're not familiar with. If railway companies announce through a public address system that such carriages are also open to handicapped people, it'll solve the problem," a federation official said.
The private railway industry body admitted that it has failed to promote publicity on the matter.
"We've failed to actively publicize that handicapped passengers can ride in women-only carriages through stickers or public addresses. It's true that we haven't done enough, and we'd like to take measures to notify the public that such carriages are also open to the disabled," said an official of the Association of Japanese Private Railways, of which 71 private railway operators are members.
A 41-year-old visually-impaired man living in Minuma-ku, Saitama, who uses the Tobu Railway Noda Line to go to a medical institution twice a week, experienced trouble when he rode in a women-only car.
About 18 months ago, he happened to get in a women-only carriage, only for a female passenger to snap: "This is a women-only car." The carriage was too crowded for him to move to another carriage.
Since then, he has been accompanied by a care worker when he travels by train to make sure that he gets in an ordinary carriage.
In March 2001, Keio Electric Railway became the first railway operator to introduce women-only carriages during morning rush hours to protect female passengers from molesters. Currently, 15 railway operators, including East Japan Railway Co. and West Japan Railway Co. designate at least one carriage of each train they operate, mostly during rush hours, as a women-only carriages.
The railway companies subsequently opened such carriages to physically handicapped people. (Mainichi)
April 5, 2007
Ping!
Sounds like they're ignoring the real problem.
It’ll happen. It’s coming.
Maybe not
From http://resource.renesas.com/lib/eng/edge/15/special04.html
The “Hitomi” robot for helping visually impaired people to move about (photograph 1) is a system built into a commercially available, battery powered wheelchair. Its components include a video camera, obstruction-detection sensor, computer, and speakers. Visually impaired people can hold on to the Hitomi robot and have it guide them safely as they walk to their destination. The robot looks like a wheelchair, and of course it is possible to sit down in it and use it as one. However, the primary purpose of the robot is to act as a guide that can be used instead of a guide dog.
In Japanese cities where I have visited, the sidewalks have special pavers to assist the blind, and passerby seemed very helpful as well.
My brother is a adaptive ed guy working with the blind - gives me some small insight to the issues.
HYSTERICAL!
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