configuring space
surface | able - bodied sound by ron wickman
streets echoes location
on not being blind to sound
noise space
Sound, all around us, is sometimes a negative noise, unpleasant, and distracting, while other times sound can be useful in finding our way along a street or through a building. For some, sound holds special value as they navigate through cities and architecture — those who are blind strategically use sound in their wayfinding. How is this done? Do persons who are blind feel that architects and planners ever consider functional sound in their design work? Although I have a great deal of experience working as an architect with people who have disabilities, my research is limited when it comes to the use of sound as a wayfinding tool. When it comes to working with persons with visual limitations or who are blind, my focus has always been on using color and texture contrast on ground and wall surfaces as a wayfinding strategy. With this in mind, I was interested in the experience of travelling through the built environment with someone who is blind. Diane Bergeron is in a small minority of the legally blind (less than 10% sight) who is actually completely blind. I have known Diane for almost 20 years, and is the one I have consulted with the most. Always been a strong advocate for persons with disabilities, she recently started working as the National Director, Government Relations and Advocacy for the Canadian National Institute for the Blind. * One afternoon, Diane and I visited both Edmonton’s Terwillegar Community Recreation Centre and Whyte Avenue at 82nd Avenue. Whyte Avenue is a popular shopping and entertainment street in Old Strathcona, filled with trendy boutiques and specialty
restaurants and busy with sights and sounds all day and night. The Terwillegar Community Centre is a relatively new, very large recreation facility, containing four hockey arenas, a multipurpose pool area, a spacious flex hall, a fitness area and a running track. It is considered a community hub for the residents of Southwest Edmonton. Like Whyte Avenue, it is a busy gathering space for visitors, young and old alike. Our afternoon tour began with picking up Diane and her guide dog Lucy, from where she works in the downtown core. We drove to the south side of Edmonton and parked at the corner of 83rd Avenue and 107th Street, on a quiet side street with free parking. I wanted to walk from a quiet to a more active street to make an easier transition for Diane. We just started walking and talking. From what I saw, there are just so many navigational challenges in the built environment for someone who is blind. Even getting out of the car was a challenge. I made the mistake of parking by a large tree and as Diane made her way from my car to the sidewalk she would have bumped her head on a low hanging branch had I not seen it coming and stopped her.
below left: On the way to Whyte Avenue. In the alley is a delivery truck that is parked but still running, plus a large air duct is making a lot of noise. Both sounds were uncontrolled and distracting for wayfinding. right: Whyte Avenue. A bus has come to a stop so we are now in a sound tunnel with music playing and people talking. Normally, Diane would stop moving and wait for the bus to move away.
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ron wickman
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