After losing her sight five years ago, Janiece Wallace has had the unimaginable challenge of learning how to navigate Sheffield as a blind person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Everyday tasks such as crossing the road and accessing public transport have become barriers she has had to overcome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Walking through Sheffield city centre, Mrs Wallace told us of some of the difficulties and shared the measures that have been put in place to help people with sight issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mrs Wallace makes use of tactiles, ridged paving which can be picked up by her white stick and alert her to things such as crossing points and tram stops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNobody knows about it, I didn\u2019t know what it was for before,\u201d she said of the tactiles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mrs Wallace can also make use of aids on everyday objects in public, such as a small cone underneath the boxes at pedestrian crossings. When the traffic light goes red, the cone starts spinning, which she can feel to know it\u2019s safe to cross.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A recent addition are speakers at bus stops, which let blind people know that a bus is coming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think that they\u2019re great,\u201d Mrs Wallace said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMost bus drivers are trained to stop when they see you with a white cane. But sometimes if no one else is at the bus stop, because you don\u2019t put your hand out, the driver might just go straight past you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSo it\u2019s good to know that, if I\u2019m getting on an 82 bus, I know it\u2019s coming in two minutes!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n