During the vision disability workshop, I realized that I take my unhindered vision for granted. For this activity, we were to put on sunglasses smeared with a thin layer of Vaseline and complete some simple tasks in the Union Building. Even though I was familiar with the environment and had previously done everything on our to-do list, I still found every mission surprisingly difficult. When trying to call the elevator, I almost pressed the alarm button because I could make out the large font declaring “CALL” just above it. Once inside, I had a hard time finding the floor buttons because they were metal on a metal panel. This seemed to be a trend – strong visual contrast made things much easier to locate. Stairs weren’t difficult once I had a hold on the railing, but the level floors proved confusing. The large shiny tiles aren’t laid completely flush with one another, causing them to reflect light at different angles. To a legally blind person who can only make out vague shapes, it looks as if the floor is uneven and maybe even slopes up or down, when there is in fact no grade. I assumed there would be standards for ATMs, but the two in the CUB are different from each other. The Chase machine is easier to find and use because it is backlit with their signature blue, and the card swipe is lit up with LEDs as well. Both machines were lacking Braille, instead offering a single dot on the center of the keypad to be used for navigation. It seems to me that a few minor design changes, even if they would cost more, would be worth it for those with visual impairments. This demographic could be more independent if simple modifications and some preemptive considerations were made.
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