Chicago Metra
Prompt
Chicago Metra is a commuter rail system in the Chicago suburbs with 11 rail lines serving the City of Chicago, Illinois. Passengers sit inside or outside a train station, waiting for the trains’ arrivals or announcements.
Problem
Chicago Metra did not provide enough accessibility for disabled people even though it followed the American Disability Act 1990 (ADA).
Solution
Create a touchscreen kiosk of metra trains that is filled with each train line. Provide a visual announcement
Approach
Ask users with hearing loss to test the prototypes, and Wayfinder designs to see if the accessibility improves. Adjust the designs with feedback to help make the navigation and instructions clear and understandable for the passengers.
Touchscreen Kiosk
Passengers in wheelchairs get access to check the map in a touchscreen kiosk instead of a map on a wall. This touchscreen kiosk allow passengers to search specific train lines or stops and time while moving a map of train lines.
behind the project
What is the Problem at two local Metra stations?
The text moves too fast on the digital light signage for announcements
Deaf people need to know the announcements on the train and station
People in wheelchairs may not be able to read the information on paper that hangs bit higher than their eye levels
Local Metra Station doesn't have a visual poster about the Chicago Metra trains
No signs for handicap reserved
No visual signages of their towns with the train color lines
Inbound and Outbound don't show which side
Interviewing
Deaf and hard-of-hearing Chicago Metra passengers's experiences about the Chicago Metra experiences:
Does not provide enough accessibility for any passengers with hearing loss
The caption on the digital signage inside the train moved too fast and couldn't read quickly
They were not aware of the announcements with extra information.
The speaker announcements are hard to understand
Sketches and Designs
Sketches/Ideas
A monitor with two videos: the next stop for a town on the left side and the pre-recorded ASL interpreter on the right side.
A horizontal touchscreen kiosk at a lower body level for people on wheelchairs to have access to check the Chicago Metra train map for timely arrival or departure.
Town signages for Metra Stations to match the color lines.
Signage of the Chicago Metra map with 11 color lines and names of the towns.
