On a commercial airliner why is emergency exit on the exit row written in braille?

Question

when a person must meet certain criteria to sit in thease seats and be able to preform the duties required.

Answer 1

Another of those things that come under federal law that no one thought about all of its possible uses. Does seem rather stupid doesn't it. I am sure it will only be a blind person that will be able to find the exit. Nice for you sighted to know this I think.

Answer 2

O.K. folks, now for the real answer.

Since everyone appears more upset about the ATM I will address it first.

These machines are made in bulk, the same front is used on drive up as walk up. There is no reason to manufacture two different machine fronts, since the braille does not affect the sighted person use of the machine. YES, blind and visually impaired people do use ATMs.

As for those other strange places you find braille, like on the airplane. First of all, a person who is blind isn't allowed to sit in the emergency row, however think about it... if a plane crashed, was on fire, how many of you would hang around to help a disabled person off the plane? Now be truthful with your self.

As to knowing where to look, there is a rhyme and reason to the location of the braille, any one who uses it in their life will have a very good idea where to look.

As for some of the other strange places... some are nothing but CYA (cover your a--) for the ADA (American Disabilities Act), some are nothing more than situations like the ATM, it's easier do just do one type for all people.

For what its worth... If you are ever in a plane crash after dark, I would suggest following the blind guy, at least he knows where he's going.

Answer 3

It's simply to give a blind person a chance to exit. They wouldn't have to be actually sitting in the seat by the exit for the braille to be useful to them. Something you might find even more perplexing is, why do they put braille on drive-thru automatic teller machines? They do, I've seen it often.

Answer 4

What I have never been able to figure out is where a blind person would know where to grope in the dark to even find the braille bumps. How would a blind person even know where they were??

And more than that, why is there braille on DRIVE-UP ATM machines? So blind drivers can make transactions? But how do they see the screen??/ How do they see to drive?? I just don't get the logic of ANY of it.

Answer 5

So that the blind can identify that the exit doors are located at a specific spot. Remember that braille is the format in which the visual-impaired can comprehend.

The braille system, devised in 1821 by Louis Braille, is a method that is widely used by blind people to read and write. Each braille character or "cell" is made up of six dot positions, arranged in a rectangle containing two columns of three dots each. A dot may be raised at any of the six positions to form sixty-four combinations, counting the space in which no dots are raised. For reference purposes, a particular combination may be described by naming the positions where dots are raised, the positions being universally numbered 1 through 3 from top to bottom on the left, and 4 through 6 from top to bottom on the right. For example, dots 1-3-4 would describe a cell with three dots raised, at the top and bottom in the left column and on top of the right column (ie the letter 'm').

The braille system was based on a method of communication originally developed by Charles Barbier in response to Napoleon's demand for a code that soldiers could use to communicate silently and without light at night called night writing. Barbier's system was too complex for soldiers to learn, and was rejected by the military; in 1821 he visited the National Institute for the Blind in Paris, France, where he met Louis Braille. Louis identified the major failing of the code, which was that the human finger could not encompass the whole symbol without moving, and so could not move rapidly from one symbol to another. His modification was to use a 6 dot cell — the braille system — which revolutionized written communication for the blind.

So in conclusion, the blind, who are not limited from air travel, needs the braille to be inline with the safety procedures and evacuation measures.

Answer 6

If I could give you points for best question ever asked, I would!

If someone is blind and there is an "escape to the emergency exits situation", that person would be totally screwed. There's not going to be an opportunity to carefully search each set of seats for the ones that has braile "exit" signs. They're going to depend on the kindness of strangers, and we know how well that goes...

Answer 7

Most everything like that is required to be written in braille because of Accessibility laws for disabled people. Thats also why there is braille on the keypad on the drive-through on banks.

Answer 8

It is written in braille so that a blind passenger will be given a chance to exit the aircraft in case of emergency.

Answer 9

So the blind can find it. Also, in the event of a fire (smoke) or power loss - it can still be read. However, when I'm on a plane, I've always been much too drunk to read anything (especially braille)

Answer 10

Maybe a blind person would have to find the exit in the dark after a crash.