Unit 4SPECIAL TOPICS ON ROADS AND BRIDGESPART 2ACCESSIBLE TRANSPORTATION FOR PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED PERSONS1. WARMING UPHave you ever helped the disabled persons to cross the road? Do the disabled have any difficulties in transportation activities?4. LISTENING Accessible Transportationa. Listen and answer the following questions.1.What kind of transportation have they made advances in?2.For whom are Para Transpo buses designed for?3.Why does Para Transpo follow special training at the Ottawa Rehab Centre?4.How many accessible taxis do they have now?5.What do they offer when the accessible equipment are not available?
Trang 1Unit 4 SPECIAL TOPICS ON ROADS AND
BRIDGES
PART 2 ACCESSIBLE TRANSPORTATION FOR PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED PERSONS
1 WARMING UP
Have you ever helped the disabled persons to cross the road?
Do the disabled have any difficulties in transportation activities?
2 READING
Transport Mobility for Physically
Challenged Persons
People with disabilities and frail elders need
transportation to get to work, school, recreation,
medical services, and all the other activities of
daily living Public transportation needs to become
accessible for blind persons, those who are
partially sighted, people with mobility and
cognitive impairments, and persons who are deaf,
deafened, or hard-of-hearing Disabled persons
and seniors need the mobility provided by buses,
trains, vans, taxis, and other means of
transportation
Mobility for all means advantages for all Most of
the improvements which help disabled persons
also help everyone else If disabled persons can
get to a bus stop and easily get on a bus, that
usually means that other passengers also have an
easier time using public transportation
For example, everyone benefits from pedestrian
paths and streets without potholes, from bus stop
waiting areas which are safely removed from
traffic, from easy-to-read destination signs on
buses, from proper hand grips on bus doors, and
from drivers who call out key stops But while
non-disabled passengers may find it harder to ride a
Wheel chair ramps at pedestrian
crossing
Parking space for disabled
people
Textured blocks/tiles for blind
people
Bus ramps for wheel
chair
Trang 2bus without these improvements, disabled passengers may be prevented from using
a bus And without mobility, disabled persons cannot get to work or school or to any other activity
Access to transportation is not just a matter of being able to ride on buses and trains Transportation access also benefits from changes in the attitudes other people have toward persons with disabilities Prejudice against disabled persons will hinder the success of even the best efforts to improve access Also, those who have mobility difficulties may need practical, low cost and easily repaired mobility aids, including wheelchairs, canes, walkers and crutches
Where vehicles cross pedestrian areas, a pedestrian crossing should be built which
is safer and more accessible than any other part of the street The pedestrian crossing is a complicated place and has to satisfy many different needs Here are some improvements that can be made to pedestrian crossings:
The kerb between the pedestrian area and the roadway is used by the blind to determine direction Consequently, the pedestrian crossing should be placed at right angles to the kerb A raised pedestrian crossing reduces traffic speed and increases the opportunities for interaction between drivers and pedestrians
Noise makes it difficult for the blind
to hear where a vehicle is coming
from, which means that traffic lights
or some other form of separation are
necessary
A traffic island divides the traffic flow and means that a pedestrian crossing can be crossed in two stages This makes it simple to both see and understand the traffic situation clearly
The traffic approaches from one direction at a time and each part of the
Trang 3pedestrian crossing is less than half the width of the street The traffic island should have a low edge or have a contrasting surface material A pedestrian crossing should preferably be designed so that the pedestrians can have eye contact with the drivers They should, at least, be able to see each other
Choose the best answer for the following questions
1 Public transportation needs to become accessible for
a blind persons, those who are totally sighted and without disabilities
b people without mobility and cognitive impairments, and persons who are blind and deaf
c blind and deaf persons and people with mobility and cognitive impairments
2 If disabled persons can get to a bus stop and easily get on a bus, that usually means that
a other drivers also have an easier time using public roads
b other travellers also can save time using public transportation
c other passengers also have an easier time using public transportation
3 Without the improvements in public transport facilities, including bus-stop waiting areas improvement,
a non-disabled passengers may find it easier to ride a bus
b disabled passengers may find it easier to look for a bus
c disabled passengers may not be able to use a bus
4 Where vehicles cross pedestrian areas,
a a pedestrian crossing should be built which is safer and more accessible than any other part of the street
b a pedestrian crossing should be built which is safer and less accessible than any other part of the street
c a pedestrian crossing should be built which is easier and much accessible than any other part of the street
5 A pedestrian crossing should be preferably designed
a so that the pedestrians can have eye contact with the passengers
b so that the pedestrians can have eye contact with the disabled persons
c so that the pedestrians can have eye contact with the drivers
Trang 43 VOCABULARY BUILDING
Complete the crossword using the hints below
CROSSWORD PUZZLE
Trang 54 LISTENING
Accessible Transportation
a Listen and answer the following questions.
1 What kind of transportation have they made advances in?
2 For whom are Para Transpo buses designed for?
3 Why does Para Transpo follow special training at the Ottawa Rehab Centre?
4 How many accessible taxis do they have now?
5 What do they offer when the accessible equipment are not available?
b Decide whether the following statements are True or False
1 They have both conventional fleet and Para Transpo
2 They use the ramp for trollers and not for the people
with mobility aids
3 Our clients have to call Para Transpo 34 hours in
advance in order to book the regular services
4 A taxi coupon program offers the client 40% of the cost
of the cab
5 One of the thing they are really working towards is
integrating Para Transpo at OC Transpo