Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Grand Central Station Plaque

This plaque is located by an elevator/lift inside the subway station at Grand Central Station. It also has braille characters to help those who are blind to navigate their way around the station. However most of these elevators/lifts are frequently broken or not working. Unfortunately, the New York City subway system is not very disabled people friendly.

How well does your work place or city accommodate people with disability?

N.B.: I have been invited to contribute some of my photos to this amazing site called, New York Street Shots. The site is a collaborative photography project focused on creating a visual time capsule of New York City. Please stop by and check out the amazing photos there.

16 comments:

kuanyin333 said...

Not very well in answer to your question! It helps to be able bodied here! I'll go visit your other site now!

Chuck Pefley said...

It seems that all too often accommodations for the disabled are designed by the able-bodied and are, unfortunately, clueless as to what the disabled person must cope with in moving from place to place. I wonder what the odds are of a blind person even finding the elevator - let a lone this plaque telling them what the likely already know if they've managed to get into the elevator. My, that was a long sentence. -:)

In answer to your question, I think Seattle does try. Unfortunately what I said above applies here, too.

tigerfish said...

The ones in Taiwan, in my opinion, are not disabled-friendly. Not even the roads are! Uneven pavements and scooters allowed on the walking pavement, what is it goin' on here, man!!?!?!?!

Anonymous said...

I can't remember seeing braille anywhere in our small city. They did put ramps at intersections for people in wheelchairs and the blind can also feel the knobby bricks on their soles of their feet and know where they are. We have one blind man and his dog in our city.

Abraham Lincoln
Brookville, Ohio

Jilly said...

Never seen braille on a sign, Ming. Lovely photo of it. And brilliant you've been invited to the new website. I took a look. Fabulous photos. Also looked at the list of photographers. Let us know when your name is up there. So happy for you. You deserve this recognition, dear Ming.

Todd HellsKitchen said...

How do blind people know where these Braille signs are??

JaamZIN said...

its great that they wrote it with Braille, too.

Budapest Daily Photo

GMG said...

Not that friendly, I would say; though there are some efforts to improve...
I'll check the other blog now!
Meanwile, I finished my Greek Islands 2006 adventure with a post on Cretan Towns at Blogtrotter. Enjoy!
Wish you many Easter Eggs and a great long weekend!
Gil

alice said...

Congratulations for having been invited to this site, I like many of the photos I've seen. I'm proud of you, dear Ming!
To answer your question today, no my town is not very friendly with disabled people, many cobbled streets in Vannes so it's difficult to walk or to go by with a wheelchair...And like Jilly, it's the first time I see a sign with Braille translation...

Peter said...

Fortunately certain things are done here (I could try to make a list...), but it's of course not enough. The last thing I can say is that on the latest new metro lines at least the quays and the cars are on the same level. Difficult to understand why previously you always had to step up into a wagon. Now reel-chairs can pass without problem using lifts to reach the quays.

... and: Congratulations!!

marley said...

Its a shame its not more disabled friendly. Here in the UK it is now the Law that buildings (whatever they are) have access and help for those with a disability.

The New York Street Shots site is brilliant. I came across it the other week, its a great idea. I look forward to spotting you there!

NormanTheDoxie said...

Ming....have you ever taken one of the subway station elevators? Not for nothin' but I think the homeless use them as a toilet.....they STINK!!!

Chris said...

Congrats, Ming!! Good news!

teahouse said...

Yes, this Braille on the sign must be about as easy to find as a pin on the floor in the middle of a pitch-black gymnasium.

Anonymous said...

D.C.'s subway system has a ton of escalators and elevators, but they sure are broken a lot of the time.

TCho said...

you do take really good photos.