america walks assessing the path of travel: considerations and effects on older adults and persons...
TRANSCRIPT
America Walks
Assessing the Path of Travel:
Considerations and Effects on Older Adults
and Persons with Cognitive Disabilities
Important Considerations when Assessing the Path of Travel
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Rural Pedestrian Considerations
• Choosing a safe place to walk
• Limited visibility of traffic
• Lack of crosswalks
• Distance between crossing points can be longer
• Corners generally have a wider radius
• Vehicle speeds on rural roads are typically higher
3
Urban Pedestrian Considerations
• Passable sidewalks
• Curb ramps
• Signalization at intersections
• Complex intersection design
• Crowding
4
Cross-Cutting Pedestrian Considerations
• Lighting for travel at dawn and dusk
• Terrain (hilly or flat?)
• Adequate shelters and/or seating at stops or stations
• Availability of identifiable landmarks
• Opportunities to ask for help
• Navigating in and around parking lots
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Effects on Older Adults and Persons with Cognitive Disabilities
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Older Adults
• Can have multiple conditions/disabilities
• Conditions that may keep an older adult from outdoor
activities:– Badly maintained or no paved path– Lack of benches for resting– Heavy traffic– Lack of adequate time for street crossing
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Persons with Cognitive Disabilities
• Many, many types of cognitive disabilities
• Functional ability of persons with cognitive disabilities
can vary widely
• Ways in which the ability of a person with a cognitive
disability may be affected when navigating a path of
travel– Problem solving skills– Reading, linguistic and/or verbal comprehension– Visual comprehension
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Wayfinding
Process used by people for navigating and moving in
the community
Rely on signage, maps, landmarks
Distinct pathways
Lighting and sound • Traffic noise? Or lack of?
Marked pedestrian crossing
Audible signals
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Path of Travel Assessment Checklist
• Section 1: Going to the stop/station/pick-up point
• Section 2: At the stop/pick-up point (for buses)
• Section 3: On the vehicle (fixed-route buses)
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Path of Travel
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Path of Travel
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Path of Travel
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Path of Travel Assessment Checklist (cont.)
• Section 4: Considerations for demand response/paratransit systems
• Section 5: At the rail stop/station
• Section 6: On the rail vehicle
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In Summary
• Why do we assess a path of travel?
• Name 2 ways an inaccessible path of travel may affect an older adult.
• Name 2 ways an inaccessible path of travel may affect a person with a cognitive disability.
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Thank You!
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