Having sound accompanying walk signals at crosswalks and intersections would make getting around Thompson much easier for the vision impaired, Ross Martin told Thompson’s public safety committee at their June 13 meeting.
Martin has impaired vision himself and is a northern board member of the Vision Impaired Resource Network, which encourages people with impaired vision to be independent and get themselves out shopping and to doctor’s appointments or the hospital so they are not shut-ins.
“For us trying to get around the city we need some assistance,” said Martin, attesting that he cannot see to the other side of the street to determine if a pedestrian signal says walk or don’t walk. “I don’t know if the lights are flashing when I press the button.”
Martin appeared before a committee last year and asked for audible pedestrian signals to be installed in Thompson, he said.
"It never went in the budget this year,” he said. “For us, the vision impaired, you’re saying to us that your lives aren’t really worth that much so we don’t have to put these up until we get around to it. I find that offensive. Fifty years ago we’re sending signals from the moon to the earth and I can’t get one 50 feet away.”
Thompson Fire & Emergency Services Chief Mike Bourgon said Martin’s request should actually go to the public works committee while city manager Anthony McInnis noted that the province is studying where to put a crosswalk with an audible pedestrian signal on Mystery Lake Road.
Coun. Less Ellsworth asked if the city had identified the most frequently used crosswalks and McInnis said he didn’t think that they had. Coun. Brian Lundmark said Martin’s request should be forwarded to the public works committee, which should also be supplied with a list of all the crossings in the city with lights before fall so that the information is available when budget discussions begin. Ellsworth said the city should see if it can retrofit existing button-activated crosswalks with audible signals without replacing the equipment entirely.
“Any action would be preferable than no action,” said Martin.
