Mobility
Tactile maps of London Underground Stations
Summary: Information about how you can borrow tactile and large print maps of three London Underground stations.
New free books of tactile maps have been developed to help blind and partially sighted people find their way around Old Street, Westminster and Earl’s Court underground stations. The maps are made up of raised lines, read by touch instead of sight. There are also large print versions available for partially sighted people.
The accessible Tube
London Underground commissioned RNIB to produce the maps as part of a pilot project to provide information to passengers with sight problems, which sighted passengers take for granted. Currently blind and partially sighted people often have to rely on station staff to guide them around Underground stations.
Tim O’Toole, LU Managing Director said: “London Underground is investing more than ever before to make the Tube as accessible as possible for all customers. The new tactile maps are one of these initiatives to make the Tube more accessible and easier to use for blind or partially sighted passengers. Accessibility is about more than step-free access. Features such as induction loops, tactile paving and additional and more visible help and information points will be added to stations as modernisations and refurbishments of Tube stations are completed.”
User experience
Dave Taylor, 36, from Birmingham, who is registered blind and travels to London regularly said: “It can be unsettling using the underground. When I’m unfamiliar with a station I normally ask for help from station staff to get around. That can be invaluable, but what I would really love is to be able to travel independently if I choose to and not have to rely on other people. These new tactile maps along with the detailed descriptions available online are great. After studying them, I have a really clear idea of how the stations are laid out and how to get from one part to another. It means I can negotiate these stations on my own. I'm happier and more confident, and feel a lot more in control. I hope that they will be available for more stations soon.”
RNIB’s Dr Sarah Morley Wilkins, said: "Many blind and partially sighted people have difficulty using public transport or getting around the streets. Almost half of people with sight problems specifically find trains difficult to use and many feel that travelling alone is just not safe for them. With the right support and adjustments, it doesn’t have to be that way. The availability of station staff to assist blind and partially sighted people in Tube stations is still vital. What we hope these maps will provide is added knowledge so that blind passengers can for example, get from the station platform or the station entrance to the manual gate where staff will be available to help them, safely and with confidence. We’re really pleased to have had the opportunity to work with London Underground on this project. As it’s a pilot, we’ll be asking for feedback from blind and partially sighted passengers who have used the new maps.”
About the project
The tactile and large print station maps were developed by RNIB with the help of 15 blind and partially sighted underground users. They took part in research to specify their travel needs and review samples of the maps to evaluate their effectiveness. Station layout, including the location of the ticket office, manual gate, platforms, stairs, escalators, lifts and exits are all detailed in the plans. The plans are designed to be used alongside step-by-step online descriptions of stations.
Order tactile books
Books of tactile and large print station maps can be borrowed from the RNIB (0845 702 3153) braille library, viewed at the station, or obtained free of charge from London Underground's Customer Service Centre (0845 330 9880).
The maps have been designed to complement detailed online station descriptions at Describe Online. Passengers are likely to get most benefit from these if studied before they travel.
Describe Online was established in 2000 to offer a new solution to the information shortage which restricts the daily lives of blind and partially sighted people. It provides instructions and guides to public venues, including rail stations, giving people increased confidence to use public transport and thence participate more effectively in society and the economy.
Content author: cservices@rnib.org.uk
Last updated: 20/11/2008 11:13
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