The thought that children put in the station premises broadcast November 14th 11:25

“Braille blocks are an important guide. We are walking on the yellow braille blocks. Do n’t put things on the braille blocks and do n’t stop them. please".

Announcement of children heard from the broadcasting of JR Hiratsuka Station in Kanagawa Prefecture. Somehow I was made to say “ha”. Who is the main voice ... I was very worried, so I interviewed you. (Eriko Okawara, Video Center)

When I looked into it, I immediately understood the voice. They were the children of the Prefectural Hiratsuka School for the Blind about 20 minutes from the station. I wanted to talk to the children directly and decided to visit the school.

Although I had contacted in advance, it was Naomi Nakamura who was willing to respond regardless of sudden coverage. This school has about 50 students from kindergarten to elementary, middle and high school, and it is mainly for children with blindness or low vision. This time, the announcement was produced and handled by elementary school children.

Why did you decide to make this announcement? Dr. Nakamura talked about the reason as follows.

“Some students in junior high school and above may use the train alone. JR Hiratsuka Station is a station that is often used by people with visual impairments. , We have regularly conducted activities to encourage understanding of Braille blocks, and the station has suggested whether we can call out with the voices of children.

And when the children's call was broadcast at the station from February, it was said that there was a response more than expected.

“When we recorded the children's voices and broadcast them, they were well received by the station users such as“ I became more aware of the Braille block ”and“ The children's voices are fine ”. Is also pleased. "

Repeated fall accidents

On the day I visited for the interview, Prof. Nakamura revealed that he was thinking about a new call to air.

The trigger was an accident that occurred in Tokyo last month. A visually impaired woman fell from the station platform and died. As with Hiratsuka Station, the platform door was not yet installed. Nakamura and his colleagues said that they decided to further devise the announcement so that the same accident would not happen again.

“Some students are practicing self-commuting for future independence. To prevent this painful accident from happening again, first of all, a new broadcast that calls for a voice when you see a person in need I decided to make it. "

Children get up!

On another day, I was also interviewed about the recording of a new call program.

I was in charge of eight elementary school students. The children learned the calligraphy produced by the teachers' ideas in sound and braille and began recording. During the recording, the children were enthusiastic and shouted at the microphone. The full text.

“This is a request from the Hiratsuka School for the Blind. We are walking around the yellow Braille block. If you see a dangerous situation, please ask us. To prevent falling accidents at the home, I ask for your understanding and cooperation. "

There was a boy who was interested in recording the recording. The second grader, Masaaki Arakura, was working hard to confirm the contents of the manuscript in braille until just before recording. After recording, when I asked the story, Mr. Masaki knew about the fall accident last month in the news.

Mr. Masaki usually goes to school by picking up a car, but it is said that he has the opportunity to take a train with his family on weekends. When you use the station, you may be worried about falling from the platform. Masaki-kun confessed that he recorded it with a desire to call out if he saw someone who was in trouble or lost.

“I want people who use the station to listen to the call broadcasts they made, and I want them to know about Braille blocks and talk to them.”

Voices of children cracking at the station

The produced call broadcast started on the 6th of this month, and a campaign was held to appeal to the fall accident prevention at Hiratsuka Station. The following voices were heard from the users of the station that broadcast.

“I sometimes care about calling out, but I thought it was important to call out with courage without it.”

“I feel that the number of people who place things on Braille blocks has been decreasing due to call broadcasting and enlightenment so far. I would like to create a safe station with the local people.” (Director Hironobu Koyama, JR Hiratsuka Station)

“I think it ’s important to get many people interested in Braille blocks. If there ’s a person who has trouble with or without visual impairment, I ’d like you to speak courageously.” (Principal of Yoko Shibayama, Hiratsuka School for the Blind)

A society where children can spend peace of mind

I felt the enthusiasm of the children resonated in my heart as well, and I felt it would be great if these voices spread even further.

We walk commuting to school quickly. If you stop for a moment, you may see a different landscape. "Are you okay?". Why don't you use your courage to speak out so that everyone can use the station with peace of mind?