Stuyvesant High School, New York, NY

Brookline High School, Brookline, MA

The Comprehensive Subway Navigation System (CSNS) is a system to helpvisually-impaired people navigate the subway system. Currently, visually-impairedpeople have to memorize the layout of subway stations they use. This means havingto memorize where every platform, staircase and turnstile is before being able touse a station. The CSNS works through small, directional infrared light emittersstrategically placed at turnstiles and staircases. An infrared receiver attachedto the front side of a person's body commands an attached CD player according tothe signals received. The CD contains thousands of tracks, the signal instructsthe CD player to play the one track which corresponds to the location of theemitter. The track played is a short message telling the person wearing the CDplayer where the trains, staircases, turnstiles, elevators, etc. are locatedrelative to the visually-impaired person's location. Implementation of a publicprogram in which subway stations would be equipped with CSNS infrared emitterswould fulfill the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990which guarantees that all public transportation systems be accessible to alldisabled persons.