A program aimed at giving Public Transport Victoria staff an insight into travelling with blindness or low vision has just been extended to their kids.
PTV runs The Travelling in the Shoes of Others program, which is provided on a fee-for-service basis by Vision Australia’s Orientation and Mobility specialists, which has been operating for several years in partnership with PTV’s Accessibility Unit.
Vision Australia’s Orientation and Mobility specialists accompany and supervise PTV staff on a journey through inner Melbourne, using public transport while challenged with simulated vision impairments and other mobility restrictions.
Participants travel using mobility aids such as long canes, accessing a range of destinations including ticket machines and barriers, public toilets, customer service information areas along the way.
The idea is to increase awareness within the PTV of the challenges and barriers faced by public transport users with accessibility or mobility restrictions and demonstrate the value of incorporating good design and accessibility principles into public transport planning, infrastructure and customer service.
On Tuesday 24 January, sighted children of PTV staff took part in a pilot school holiday version of the program, under close supervision by Vision Australia’s O and M specialists and PTV staff.
“The children got to experience a range of vision impairments through wearing simulator glasses as well as learning how to use white canes,” O and M specialist Nicola Misso says.
Fellow O and M specialist Jessica Timmons adds: “It helps them to gain a better understanding of how people with vision impairments remain safe and find information about obstacles in their path of travel, tactile ground surface indicators and their surroundings in general”.
The journey began at PTV headquarters in Collins Street and involved catching trains and trams to travel to Flinders Street, Bourke Street and Southern Cross station.
Nicola says the program was so popular there’s every chance it will be run again in the Easter school holiday.