The Brno Transport Company (DPMB), in cooperation with Masaryk University, has completed a special project aimed at facilitating travel on public transport for people with visual and hearing impairments. Among the most important innovations are warning announcements when disembarking at 15 selected stops, the creation of a touch atlas of trams for better orientation, and audio recordings of typical sounds of individual cars. The DPMB website has also undergone modifications, and now includes a special section with videos in sign language and information optimized for the blind.
Based on interviews with passengers and employees, a longlist of 178 suggestions was created, from which 12 concrete measures were chosen for implementation. The project focused not only on technology and software, but also on the human factor and system control. DPMB has expanded driver training with a special focus on communicating with people with sensory handicaps, and has introduced unified technological procedures to check the functionality of information panels and acoustic detectors.
In addition, a voice beacon was installed on the pre-sale building on Novobranská to assist orientation for the blind when handling travel documents. The results of this cooperation are intended to further increase the safety and comfort of passengers in Brno and serve as an inspiration for other transport companies in the Czech Republic.
