Environmental Literacy

1. Environmental Literacy How to tell where you are without other people telling you where to go

2. Literacy • Reading for knowledge • Writing coherently • Thinking critically about the written word

3. Literacy requires access to information • To increase access to information, we have braille, sighted readers, talking books, electronic text, speech synthesizers, print scanners and the Internet • Information is power • Information is independence

4. Literacy and independence • The more you know, the more you can accomplish • The more you know, the more adaptable you are • The way to know more is to access information (e.g. through reading) • But independence requires more than just acquiring content knowledge

5. Knowledge of surroundings • Part of O&M is teaching “how the world works” • Exposure to objects and systems builds a sense of expectation and consistency • Spatial updating involves knowing where you are in space and being able to keep tabs as that position changes

6. Teaching “how the world works” • Related to concept development • Used to guide instruction of young blind children • If a child knows how things operate, how systems are put together, they are more able to problem solve and figure out “work arounds” • Assumes a child will be more than a route traveler

7. Literacy Environmental literacy • Reading for knowledge • Writing coherently • Thinking critically about the written word • Knowledge about the surroundings • Moving one’s self through the environment efficiently • Thinking critically about the relationship between the traveler, the environment, and any mobility tools being used

8. Moving efficiently • If you know where you are and you have a sense of your surroundings, then you can employ basic mechanics to move fluidly through the environment • Knowing where things are in relation to you reduces search time and increases search efficiency (just look at dog guides)

9. Literacy Environmental literacy • Reading for knowledge • Writing coherently • Thinking critically about the written word • Knowledge about the surroundings • Moving one’s self through the environment efficiently • Thinking critically about the relationship between the traveler, the environment, and any mobility tools being used

10. Thinking critically • Higher levels of independent travel require the traveler to adapt more to changing or complex environments • If you get off course, getting back on track requires high level of problem solving (getting “unlost”)

11. Information feeds the beast • You don’t miss what you don’t know you’re missing • Blind travelers are expected to achieve their goals by accessing 1% of the available information • Based on limited information from cane, auditory cues, gradient changes, etc. • Requires prodigious memory for excellence • No longer necessary, given GPS and smartphone technology

12. But what information is needed? • “location information” • “environmental information” • Print on signs, buildings, doors • Posters • Street signs • Campaign buttons • Graffiti • Etc.

13. Map skills • 10 years ago, almost no blind child was being taught map skills • Fundamental to their understanding of the world • Extrapolate from table top tasks to larger and larger environments • Keep consistency to global environment

16. The modern travel environment • What a traveler needs to know is different now than when even I did my cane training • More vehicles has meant larger intersections, increased use of actuation, and different intersection geometries • ADA has led to wheel chair ramps, detectable warnings (DW), and accessible pedestrian signals (APS)

18. A modern traveler needs to know about • Geometries Halsey & 42 in Portland

19. APS

20. Actuation From www.keona.co.kr

21. Ramps and detectable warnings