Access For Sight Impaired ConsumersAccess For Sight Impaired ConsumersBlind man sues city of Richmond
Journalist: DHARM MAKWANA
A BC Human Rights Tribunal will hear how Richmond is allegedly discriminating against the blind later this month. Local resident Rob Sleath charges the municipality is withholding public information by not having automated verbal messages announcing a pedestrian’s location at a crosswalk. In addition, there is no audible signal at roughly 60 pedestrian-governed crosswalks in the city. “As a person with a disability this is not right,” said Sleath who has been blind for 18 years. “Any other sighted pedestrian simply needs to look up at any street corner in any city across Canada and they know what street corner they’re standing at.” ”It’s an issue of access to public information. Why is it any different for somebody who’s blind or visually impaired?” Richmond communications director Ted Townsend couldn’t comment on the complaint, scheduled to be heard August 23, out of respect for the tribunal process. ”Obviously we do take the issue of accessibility very seriously” he said. ’We do have programs in place, including pedestrian access for the visually impaired.”