Operation Lifesaver, Inc. (OLI) on Dec. 12 reported releasing two new video-based public service announcements (PSAs) that provide safety tips “in an accessible and inclusive way.”
Each PSA offers accessible visual cues and voiceover narration and is “designed to resonate widely while educating everyone on making safe choices near tracks and trains,” according to the national rail safety education nonprofit.
Crossing Safely: Wheels Over Tracks (watch below) is said to educate people who use a variety of wheels (wheelchairs, bicycles, scooters, walkers, etc.) on how to safely navigate crossing railroad tracks at pedestrian crossings.
Stay Safe: Be Aware (watch below) is said to educate visually and auditorily and through American Sign Language (ASL) rail safety tips on crossing safely at pedestrian crossings.
Both PSAs are available in English- and Spanish-language and in 60-second, 30-second, and 15-second formats. They were created in close consultation with experts from a variety of communities, such as: Genesee & Wyoming Railroad Services, Inc. and its subsidiary Indiana & Ohio Railroad, as well as subject matter experts at the Virginia Department for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (VDDHH), Hearing Speech + Deaf Center (Cincinnati, Ohio), Cincinnati Association for the Blind & Visually Impaired, CurbCutOS, and Dr. Susan Elmore from SAElmore Consulting, LLC.
“As someone who is blind and navigates public spaces without sight, I appreciate OLI’s commitment to inclusion,” said Jeremy Grandstaff of CurbCutOS. ”Throughout the collaborative and inclusive design process, OLI demonstrated its commitment to ensuring these PSAs reflect our voices and experiences, helping to share the rail safety message.”
“We are proud to partner with OLI by providing funding to bring vital rail safety education to individuals across the nation, especially to communities that may face additional challenges,” Federal Highway Administration Executive Director Gloria Shepherd said. “This campaign represents our shared commitment to ensure everyone has access to safety information that can save lives and improve safety in areas where roads meet railways, for all road users.”
Separately, Hampton Roads Transit has received a $10,000 Transit Safety Pledge Grant from OLI to develop a safety campaign for The Tide, its light rail service in Norfolk, Va.; and seven other transit agencies were selected to receive Rail Transit Safety Education Public Awareness Grants from OLI.
