Most of us take the technologies we use to help us travel independently for granted – touch-screen kiosks, electronic ticketing, digital scales to weigh our baggage. All things that are of absolutely no use to a globetrotter who happens to be blind – like me.

 

However, travel for the blind has come a long way, mostly thanks to technology. One of the technical “miracles” that greatly assists blind and visually impaired travellers is the Global Positioning System, or GPS.

A GPS system called the Trekker, developed specifically with the blind in mind, helps plan routes to various points of interest, including local restaurants and stores a destination.

The Trekker uses software with maps for different locations. For example, I have one that hones in on most of Canada and Portland Ore., the place my mother lives and where I visit frequently.

In Portland, I can use the Trekker to travel independently. When I pass locations of interest, the places are described aloud to me by the Trekker just as if I could see them. If I press the “where am I” button, the Trekker pinpoints my location to within a few metres.

 

One company that has utilized the Trekker technology is Traveleyes. Based in the United Kingdom, this travel agency specializes in tours to the blind and visually impaired. Catering to the internationally minded traveller, Traveleyes offers a whole new independence for their customers.

 

Another travel agency that offers trips for the blind is American-based Minds Eye Travel. It was launched last year by Sue Bramhall, who herself is visually impaired. She and her husband have done many international small-group tours.

 

So far, her tours have concentrated on U.S. locations, and her company arranges for hotel accommodation, most meals and transportation to and from the sites.

 

Ron Pelletier is a blind computer accessibility educator at MAB-Mackay (Montreal Association for theBlind). He has travelled all over the world with his guide dog McKenna. His travels include such locales as Tel Aviv, Paris, the U.S. and Canada.
As far as Pelletier is concerned, Canada has a long way to go in terms of making travel more accessible for the blind.

 

At the local level, says Pelletier, things are not standardized. “There is no one to take you (a blind person) from the door to assistance areas, such as a ticket counter.

 

“When you get to the bus terminal, if you’re lucky enough to bump into security, or lucky enough to have someone guide you to the ticket office, you can request assistance and they’ll bring you to your gate. And if you ask them, they’ll come back and help you on the bus.

That has improved. Train stations are pretty much the same thing.” But, at airports, the problem is finding the place where you can get help, says Pelletier. The best way to overcome this hurdle, he says, is immediately upon arriving to request a porter for your luggage, tell him where you’re going, and follow him to the ticket counter.

 

There are exceptions in Canada, like the B.C. ferry from Horse Shoe Bay, outside Vancouver, to Nanaimo, B.C. The craft is very accessible for the blind and there’s a special number one can call to get assistance. If you call the number a day before you leave, they will arrange for an escort to take you on the ferry.

Something that would be helpful to blind travellers are telephones in a standardized place in all airports, train stations and bus terminals. A disabled individual could pick up the receiver and request assistance. Another suggestion, to be implemented as the various travel locations are being remodelled, would be to standardize bathrooms. Right now, public bathrooms at places like airports are all different.

 

Most of my interactions with the travelling public have been overwhelmingly positive, however. For the blind to live in a sighted world, there are many obstacles to overcome, but with the assistance of dedicated people and technology, we’re finally getting places.