Ward:

It is indeed a happy day for Seattle’s community of dedicated individuals who will be the first to reap the benefits of the Remote Infrared Audible Signage (RIAS) system through the Federal Transit Administration’s Model Accessibility Project (MAP). I congratulate all involved in moving forward and being the first community to match their shared vision of a better future with an equal level of commitment. I also thank those individuals who tried to get this project to happen here in San Francisco.

Congratulations to you Ward and the entire RIAS MAP and Talking Signs team as well. The tireless effort from you and others over many years has resulted in the increased understanding and acceptance of this technology worldwide. The system is clearly beneficial to persons with visual disabilities and represents a profound advance in way-finding and information accessibility in the built environment. The gaining momentum of acceptance of this technology and the increasing extent of installations is a clear testament to the dedicated efforts of all involved in the conception, development and implementation of this technology.

Hopefully we here in San Francisco can find the will to recommit to and build upon the SF Board of Supervisors Resolution 851-99 (attached) that acknowledged the merits of RIAS and set forth the City’s commitment to implementing such a system in San Francisco. The merits of using RIAS in public transportation and in the public right-of-way are clear and will certainly be well demonstrated in Seattle upon completion of that work.

With Best Regards,

Kevin W. Jensen, AIA, CSI
ADA / Disability Access Coordinator
Department of Public Works
30 Van Ness Avenue, Suite 5100
San Francisco, CA 94102

File NO. 991643                                  Resolution NO. 851-99

SUPPORTING INFRARED AUDIBLE SIGNAGE INSTALLATIONS WHICH WILL PROVIDE NAME AND ADDRESS AT EVERY NEW OR NEWLY RENOVATED PUBLICLY OWNED FACITLITY AND VARIOUS HIGH TRAFFIC PUBLIC BUILDINGS.

WHEREAS, On April, 13, 1992, the Board of Supervisors passed a resolution urging the City to support the installation of infrared audible signage transmitters such as those manufactured by Talking Signs, Inc. at intersections known to be frequented by visually impaired pedestrians; and,

WHEREAS, This resolution lead to San Francisco becoming the most comprehensive pilot project of infrared audible signage anywhere in the world; and,

WHEREAS, Currently, there are more that 800 of these audible signage transmitters located throughout the City, located not only at intersections, but in such prominent facilities as the Powell Street BART and Muni stations, the Main Library and the new renovated City Hall; and,

WHEREAS,  Over the past seven years, this signage system has been modified and improved in accordance with feedback provided by visually impaired community; and,

WHEREAS, This technology has placed a powerful access tool in the hands of many residents and visitors to San Francisco who would otherwise be unable to read the safety and directional information these signage transmitters so effectively provide; and,

WHEREAS, The 1992 Board of Supervisors resolution specified that Talking Signs® be implemented at intersections that visually impaired pedestrians were know to frequent in order that these “residents and visitors should be able to use the city’s streets and intersections in a safe and convenient manner”; and,

WHEREAS,  The Mayor has been advised by the Mayor’s Disability Council that it is time to broaden the scope of the original project so that greater numbers of visually impaired residents and visitors will be able to safely and conveniently frequent all city streets, facilities and programs on equal terms with the general citizenry; and now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the Board of Supervisors supports infrared audible signage installations that will provide name and address location new or newly renovated, publically owned or leased facility and various high traffic public buildings and,be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, That those City and County facilities, that contain programs available to the general public , should offer additional signage transmitters providing path of travel and location information for all public programs therein; and, be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Board of Supervisors encourages privately owned business and facilities to follow the same guidelines for accessible signage adopted by public programs and facilities.