ABSTRACT
Introduction ......................................................................................................... 106 RIAS Concepts ................................................................................................ 107
Demographics ............................................................................................ 108 Formation of the Technology: The “Idea” ....................................................... 108
Ward Bond/Talking Signs, Inc. .................................................................... 109 American National Standards Institute ...................................................... 110
Evolution of Experiments from Lab Tests to “Real World” .......................... 110 SK Exp 1 ........................................................................................................... 111 SK Exp 2 ........................................................................................................... 111 SK Exp 3 ........................................................................................................... 111
Field Experiments and Selected Findings ....................................................... 112 ACB Convention............................................................................................. 112 SK Exp 4 ........................................................................................................... 113 SK Exp 5 ........................................................................................................... 113 SK Exp 6 ........................................................................................................... 114 SK Exp 7 ........................................................................................................... 115 Other Disabilities ............................................................................................ 116
SK Exp 8 and 9 ........................................................................................... 116 Congressional Project: RIAS ......................................................................... 116
UCSB Experiments .............................................................................................. 117 UCSB Exp 1 ..................................................................................................... 118 UCSB Exp 2 ..................................................................................................... 118 UCSB Exp 3 ..................................................................................................... 118 UCSB Exp 4 ..................................................................................................... 119 Spatial Cognition ............................................................................................ 120
Intersections ......................................................................................................... 121 SK Exp 10 ......................................................................................................... 122 UCSB Exp 4 ..................................................................................................... 122
This chapter is a “case study” formulated in the hope of satisfying the interests of and in benefit to rehabilitation engineers and those interested in developing/manufacturing access technology, as well as orientation and mobility professionals who might have wondered about the process of bringing access technology “to the street.” It describes the origin of the idea, and the twists and turns of the perennially promising wayfinding access technology, Talking Signs® remote infrared audible signage (RIAS).
