The impact of new assistive technologies on [631726]

The impact of new assistive technologies on
specific occupational risks for blind and visual
impaired peoples
Doru Costin DARABONT1, Paul FOGARASSY2, Daniel BADEA1, Alina TRIFU1
1National Institute for Research and Development in Occupational Safety “Alexandru Darabont” –
INCDPM, B-dul Ghencea 35A, Bucharest, Romania
2SC Baum Engineering, Traian Moșoiu 8 Street, Arad, Romania
Abstract. As employees, the blind and visual disabled peoples face
specific occupational risks related to personal safety most of us are usually
not aware. Many hazards, easy to avoid for sighted peoples, became
extremely dangerous for peoples without visual perception. For example,
an electric cable with discontinuous isolation is much easy to be avoided
for sighted peoples, while for blind persons could be lethal, especially as
they need to touch objects not only to manipulate them, but also to localize
and recognize them. Beside orientation problems and obstacles avoidance,
other less obvious threats exist. This paper presents the findings of an
INCDPM study developed in collaborations with Baum Engineering that
addresses the issues of using assistive materials and technologies for blind
people at workplace. This assistive technologies, which are a most needed
tool for the visually impaired people to access the labour market, could be
also a danger if not properly installed and implemented. The most obvious
risk for visual impaired persons using tactile floor, could be the slippery
surfaces related accidents, if the products are not compliant. Another
danger could be tactile materials for orientation; if their surface is damaged
and sharp edges or corners are exposed. Such an accident could be of
tremendous impact for a blind that need to rely continuously on his fingers
for environment tactile exploration.
1. Introduction
Globally, according to the World Health Organization data, it is estimated that
approximately 1.3 billion people live with some form of vision impairment. Of these, 39
million are blind and 246 million have a moderate or severe form of vision impairment [1].
In Romania, on December 31, 2018, there were 95,699 persons with visual disabilities of
whom 50,555 were adults with severe disabilities. In Bucharest, the General Directorates
for Child Assistance and Social Protection have registered 4,354 persons with visual
impairments in the three degrees of disability (fig.1).

Fig. 1. Disabled persons by type and degrees of deficiencies on December 31,2018

The blind and visual disabled peoples as employees face specific occupational risks related
to personal safety most of us are usually not aware. Many hazards, easy to avoid for sighted
peoples, became extremely dangerous for peoples without visual perception. For example,
an electric cable with discontinuous isolation is much easy to be avoided for sighted
peoples, while for blind persons could be lethal, especially as they need to touch objects not
only to manipulate them, but also to localize and recognize them. Beside orientation
problems and obstacles avoidance, other less obvious threats exist. This paper presents the
findings of an INCDPM study developed in collaborations with Baum Engineering that
addresses the issues of using assistive materials and technologies for blind people at
workplace. This assistive technologies, which are a most needed tool for the visually
impaired people to access the labor market, could be also a danger if not properly installed
and implemented. The most obvious risk for visual impaired persons using tactile floor,
could be the slippery surfaces related accidents, if the products are not compliant. Another
danger could be tactile materials for orientation if their surface is damaged and sharp edges
or corners are exposed. Such an accident could be of tremendous impact for a blind that
need to rely continuously on his fingers for environment tactile exploration.

1.1 Methodology
The methodology adopted for this paper consist in systematic searches that were made
using the “Risk assessment files” database resources of National Research Institute for
Occupational Safety “Alexandru Darabont”, on the most common profession that visually
impaired occupied in Romania. Were targeted the occupations assessed by Institute’ safety
specialist in the last ten years.
Also a comprehensive review of the occupational safety literature was undertaken
using the keywords: “occupational risks for disabled people”, “assistive technologies for
visually impaired people”, on a range of online academic databases provided by: Science
Direct, IEEE, PubMed, Web of Science and Google Scholar. In addition to the formal
literature described above, a search of grey literature was conducted accessing a range of
internet sites of national and international organisations recognised as having involvement
in the discipline of occupational health and safety (OHS) or disability. Other than local

sites, the primary focus for the project were the internet sites of disability management and
research institutes in Europe, USA and Canada. From these principal sites, links to other
resources were pursued as was appropriate. The following sources were specifically
targeted: European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education, National Institute of
Disability Management and Research Canada, United States Department of Health and
Human Services, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, National Institute for
Occupation Safety and Health USA, Health and Safety Executives.

2. Assistive technologies, devices and materials and the safety
risks related to them
Assistive technology (AT) is considered to be all the systems, technologies, equipment,
devices, apparatus, appliances, services, processes and environmental modifications, that
are used by disabled people as help in their lives, make their activities easier, providing a
safe mobility that enable them to overcome various physical, social, infrastructural and
accessibility barriers to independence and live active, productive and independent lives as
equal members of the society.
Current assistive technologies for blindness and visual impairment include haptic
aids, travelling aids, AT for accessible information and communication, AT for daily living.
Haptic aids are low-tech (e.g., white cane, traditional Braille system, embossed pictures,
including tactile maps etc.) and high-tech, which includes advanced Braille applications,
advanced canes, haptic aids for computer usage and matrices of point stimuli. The term
‘haptic’ or ‘active touch’ means “pertaining to the sense of touch”, “tactile”, which is a
complex sensorial modality, covering systems that also use kinaesthetic information,
generated by sensors in muscles, tendons and joints.
Some of these technologies are embedded in the environment, aimed at making it
accessible and user-friendly and overcoming the main barriers met by disabled persons.
Most of them are low-tech and include good lighting, well-designed signage systems,
including tactile and audio information and alarms, tactile paving and surfaces to warn of
hazards and to direct people, and colour contrasts, including colour-contrasting strips to
make items easier to recognise. High-tech devices are electronic signal systems embedded
in the environment which are activated by the presence of the disabled person [4]. Talking
signs are repeating, directionally selective voice messages transmitted by infrared light to a
hand-held receiver.

2.1 Tactile floor
Designed to help the blind and visually impaired navigate both indoor and outdoor, tactile
paving surfaces are used to convey important information to visually impaired pedestrians
about their environment, for example, hazard warning, directional guidance, or the presence
of an amenity. It is a known fact that visually impaired people can reliably detect,
distinguish and remember a limited number of different tactile paving surfaces and the
distinct meanings assigned to them.
There are two types of tactile ground surface indicators: warning indicators and
directional indicators. Warning indicators (a textured surface feature consisting of truncated
domes built into or applied to walking surfaces) alert pedestrians to hazards in the
continuous accessible path of travel, indicating that they should stop to determine the nature
of the hazard before proceeding further, without indicate what the hazard will be (fig.2a).

Fig. 2a. Tactile paving – warning indicator

Directional indicators (a textured surface feature consisting of directional grooves
built into or bars applied to walking surfaces) give directional orientation and designate the
continuous accessible path of travel when other tactile or environmental cues are
insufficient. When combined with other environmental information, tactile grounds surface
indicators assist people who are blind or have low vision with their orientation and
awareness of impending obstacles, hazards and changes in the direction of the continuous
accessible path of travel (fig.2b).

Fig. 2b. Tactile paving – directional indicator

Warning indicators are installed to inform people who are blind or have low vision of
the following hazards: life threatening hazards where serious falls may occur, such as at
railway platforms or wharves, vehicle hazards on roads where the footpath is not separated
from the roadway by an abrupt change of grade; approaches to stairways, ramps, escalators,
railway crossings and moving walkways; vehicle hazards at busy vehicle crossing points
including, but not limited to shopping centres, bus stations and large car parks; to designate
the stopping point of the entry doors at bus stops.
Directional indicators give directional orientation to visually impaired but, as with
any facility, directional indicators should be used appropriately and not overused. If
overused, it can lead to pedestrians who are blind or have low vision being unable to tell the
difference between indicators intended for different purposes. Also, directional indicators
can sometimes be uncomfortable when being negotiated by wheelchair users, people using
other ambulatory devices, prams etc. so other environmental solutions/indicators should be
sought e.g. landscaping and visual contrast Directional indicators should only be used
where other tactile and environmental cues, such as the property line or kerb edge, are
either absent or give insufficient guidance.

Although tactile paving units are technically useful, being like Braille for pavements,
there are cases in which these become a hazard. Installing the wrong pattern can give very
misleading information to visually impaired people because each tactile pattern provides a
specific message. Research has found that the majority of tactile surfaces are incorrectly
installed. Sometimes, the textured tiles have simply been misused as decorative touches,
defeating their critical purpose (fig. 3). In others, angled tile patterns force blind lanes to zig
and zag their way down a street, which would be confusing and frustrating to users.

Fig. 3. Tactile paving used to create decorative patterns (left) or zigzag routes (right)

In the worst case scenario (fig. 4), paths leading into trees, holes, bars and even off bridge-
side cliffs will became a source of potential injuries or fatalities. Tactile surfaces are
designed to give a physical cue to a visually impaired individual to aid in navigating the
local environment. If incorrectly installed, they can increase the risk of tripping.

Fig. 4. “Worst case example” – paths leading into trees, holes, bars

Also there is a high risk of slipping if their wet. In almost all slip accidents there is some
form of contamination that will reduce the amount of available friction between foot and
floor. As with profiled surfaces, the raised pattern of a tactile surface will not necessarily
provide enhanced slip resistance.
The materials selected for tactile paving must have slip resistance in wet and dry
conditions, visual contrast, resistance to impact (chipping or cracking), shall exhibit
weathering and UV stability for maintaining high visual colour contrast, wear resistance
and adhesion/bond strength particularly if immersed in water.
The main requirements of the assistive device for blind person are safety,
practicability, portability and convenience. Safety is the basic requirement to judge whether
an assistive device is reliable or not. The most important task for the blind person is to gain
information on the circumstances of the road and the location of obstacle.

2.2 Tactile materials for orientation
The sense of touch is one of the most important for blind people. Contrary popular
beliefs a loss of sight is not accompanied by an increase in the effectiveness of other non-
visual senses. However, it is generally accepted the fact that people who are blind or have
low vision generally place more emphasis on information received via other senses,
especially the sense of touch.
The most used tactile materials for orientation are Braille tactile indicators, tactile
information panels as well as tactile maps (fig. 5). These materials must have a series of
features that prevent any visually disabled people to suffer a cut or a deep wound because
such an accident could be of tremendous impact for a blind that need to rely continuously
on his fingers for environment tactile exploration. Their surface must not be damaged or
have sharp edges or corners that are exposed.

Fig. 5. Tactile materials for orientation

If their surface is damaged and sharp edges or corners are exposed, such an accident could
be of tremendous impact for a blind that need to rely continuously on his fingers for
environment tactile exploration.
3. Conclusion
The assistive technologies, which are a most needed tool for the visually impaired people to
access the labour market, could be also a danger if not properly installed and implemented.
The most obvious risk for visual impaired persons using tactile floor, could be the slippery
surfaces related accidents, if the products are not compliant. Another hazard could be tactile
materials for orientation if their surface is damaged and sharp edges or corners are exposed.
Such an accident could be of tremendous impact for a blind that need to rely continuously
on his fingers for environment tactile exploration.

References
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(Springer-Verlag London Limited, 2008)
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