Vahola Charles is calling for more accessible pedestrian signals at major intersections after a close call with traffic in Jacksonville.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A video from a blind Jacksonville woman is getting thousands of views on social media and starting a conversation about how people with visual impairments navigate busy intersections.
Vahola Charles is calling on the city to expand the use of accessible pedestrian signals, or APS, at major intersections across Jacksonville.
APS systems use audible tones and verbal messages to provide nonvisual information to pedestrians who are blind or visually impaired.
Charles posted a video to TikTok on Aug. 17 asking Jacksonville city leaders to implement more accessible pedestrian signals for people with disabilities. The video has received hundreds of comments, including from people who say they have experienced problems with accessible pedestrian signals in Jacksonville.
“I’m blind living in Jacksonville,” Charles said in the video. “To the city council members in Jacksonville, can you guys please implement the talking lights for blind people or other people with disabilities who need them?”
Charles said she would like to see signals at more major intersections, including Atlantic Boulevard and Kernan Boulevard, Beach Boulevard and Kernan Boulevard, as well as in areas such as Jacksonville Beach and Riverside.
Charles is a blind athlete who trains at an LA Fitness near her home off Atlantic Boulevard. She said she sometimes walks to the gym but has difficulty safely navigating the busy roads.
As part of her mobility training, Charles said she learned how to use traffic patterns and other cues to navigate intersections.
But she said those skills were tested during one recent crossing.
“I’m crossing. I ended up in the middle of the median and the cars just started going despite my mobility skills that I was using to help cross the street,” Charles said. “It was very dangerous, it was very scary.”
Charles said she wants more APS systems at major intersections to provide another way for people with visual impairments to know when it is time to cross.
“Blind people go everywhere else and other people with disabilities, so it would be helpful to have them in other major places,” Charles said.
The City of Jacksonville said residents can request an accessible pedestrian signal through the MyJax system or by calling 630-CITY.
The city’s Traffic Engineering Division evaluates requests for signals on city roads and forwards requests involving state roads to the Florida Department of Transportation.
The city also said mobility specialists help determine whether an audible pedestrian signal is appropriate for a particular location and individual. According to the city, mobility specialists do not always recommend audible signals and may recommend that individuals rely on their own senses to navigate pedestrian crossings.
FDOT said accessible pedestrian signals are designed to provide information to pedestrians who are blind or visually impaired through audible tones and verbal messages.
The department said modern systems typically include microphones that automatically adjust the signal volume based on surrounding noise levels.
Charles said she plans to bring her concerns to Jacksonville City Council.
In the meantime, she has a message for drivers.
“I know a lot of guys, you know, we have places to be and we just wanna get there, but when you make your own rules of the road on the spot like that, it can hurt a pedestrian who’s actually trying to utilize traffic patterns to get across, especially if they have a disability like myself,” Charles said.