Isn't the important road blocked?

-Danger of "Point Brosmaho" -March 31, 18:29

"I didn't notice it. I was unconscious,"

many said.

However, the act may unknowingly endanger the visually impaired.

"Braille smartphone" that walks on the Braille block while looking at the smartphone.

Those who rely on Braille blocks are now feeling an unprecedented threat.

(Social Affairs Department Reporter Takeaki Eda / Good Morning Japan Director Saki Yamauchi / Laurence Midori Ohta)

"Life made up of consideration" has collapsed

A meeting of visually impaired groups held in Tokyo last fall.

There was a statement among the people concerned about the danger of an act called "point brosmaho".

"A lot of people who are looking at smartphones now walk on the Braille block where they should be able to walk safely and securely, collide with our friends, get injured, and the white cane breaks. Things are happening. "

In Tokyo last April, a blind man collided with a person who seems to have been walking on a Braille block and using a smartphone in Hachioji City.

When he fell, he struck his head and vomited, causing an accident in which he was transported by emergency.

For the visually impaired, it is essential to consider the Braille blocks and the people around them outdoors, where there are many dangers.

However, the number of people who are absorbed in smartphones and do not even notice that someone is walking in front of them has increased, and the life that was made up by "people around them avoiding" has collapsed.

As a result, it is said that there have been a series of cases of "head-on collisions" on Braille blocks with people walking without slowing down.

The people who attended the rally said,

"It's too late after the accident, so I'm always defending myself.

" Was

also heard.

Danger of "point broth smartphone" captured by the camera

One man cooperated with the interview to get to know the actual situation and fear of "Point Brosmaho".

This is Eiichi Emi (50), who became totally blind as a teenager.

From his home in Kodaira, Tokyo, he walks and trains to his office in the city center, relying on the Braille block.

Mr. Emi also feels that the number of collisions with people on the Braille block has increased recently.

Emi Emi

"I feel that more and more people are hitting me from the front. I can no longer walk without touching them at all. When I go out, I'm very nervous."

What kind of fear do visually impaired people usually feel?

With the cooperation of Mr. Emi, I attached a small camera to my chest and asked him to walk on the sidewalk around Shinjuku Station, which I usually use.

Saturday around 2 pm.

It is a busy time with many shoppers.

Later, when I checked the video, I saw the current situation of the people in the city facing the visually impaired.

Mr. Emi started walking on the Braille block.

Immediately, a man approaches while looking at his smartphone from the front.

The man evaded just before the collision.

After that, you can see that people who have smartphones, including those who cross the Braille block, pass by Emi one after another.

4 minutes after starting shooting.

A young man walked over the Braille block, looking at his smartphone.

and…

The man collided head-on with Mr. Emi without raising his face.

The direction of the camera changed due to the impact of the collision.

The man said nothing and said he left.

After this, Mr. Emi got out of the Braille block and lost her direction for a while.

Mr. Emi

"I felt very dangerous. Especially people who are using smartphones do not seem to really look in front of me, and they hit me vigorously. We, visually impaired people, use sounds and Braille blocks when going out. However, in places where there are many people such as in front of the station, it is difficult to distinguish by sound, and only the Braille block is relied on. It's difficult. I've been doing this so often that I've been in a state of tension and tension lately. "

Mr. Emi says that the number of people colliding with people on the Braille block has increased, and the white cane that should have been used for two years has broken in about half a year.

It seems that the white cane broke and rushed to a nearby police box and had a police officer fix it with adhesive tape.

Nowadays, for first aid, I can't let go of the glue and splints for reinforcement.

It also means that he began to walk while making noise by hitting the ground with a white cane so that he could be noticed quickly.

The only place where you should be able to walk safely is being threatened.

Emi and others The visually impaired are now living with great anxiety.

Eiichi Emi

"We have no choice. Only the Braille block will show you the direction to go straight. If you hit the block and get off the Braille block and go out on the road, you will have a really hard time. I definitely want you to stop walking while looking at your smartphone. "

Why do you use "Point Bros. Smartphone"?

What do the people of the city think about this situation?

In front of Shinjuku station, I talked to a person who was actually walking on a Braille block and using a smartphone.

Of these, men in their thirties usually walk while looking at LINE and map search sites.

Q Did you notice that it is on the Braille block?

A You didn't notice it.

Q It's a place used by the visually impaired ...

A I was completely unconscious.

I think you may walk unconsciously.

Next is a man in his twenties.

Q What were you looking at?

This is A LINE.

I was interacting while walking all the time.

Q I was walking on the Braille block now.

A No, it's unconscious.

I just happened to be walking.

I think it's better to stop, so be careful.

And there were parents and children who were playing games on their smartphones.

Q Do you just follow along while walking?

A I feel like I'm addicted to my parents and children.

Q What else do you see on your smartphone while walking?

A You often check the road on a map search site.

Q Did you notice that it is on the Braille block?

A Certainly.

I did not notice.

　You might have been walking without worrying about anything.

When I listened to the story in the city, the common thing was "unconsciousness".

Does that mean that it is just an extension of a walking smartphone for those who use "point bro smartphones"?

No one had actually bumped into it, but there seems to be a big "difference" in consciousness with the visually impaired.

What the experienced "Hiyari Hat" noticed

As I continued to interview, I met a person who posted his experience on SNS and stopped using "Point Brosmaho".

A man in his twenties who lives in Sapporo.

He says he had the experience of almost hitting a visually impaired man last year.

The place is an underground passage in the center of the city.

The Braille block is straight.

The man was walking here on his way home from work and using his smartphone.

As he walked while looking at the screen, suddenly a white object appeared in his sight.

When I raised his face, a man with a white cane was approaching him.

He said he was horrified at the last minute that he diddge his body and did not collide, but he might have been injured one step later.

A man from Sapporo City

"I used to walk on my smartphone and never bumped into people, so I thought I was used to it. However, at this time, the other man walked at a considerable speed. So I didn't notice it until just before, and it was barely touching the clothes. For us, it has become commonplace for people around us to walk and use smartphones, but for the visually impaired, it never happens. I knew it wasn't. "

And for the first time, the man realized he was walking on the Braille block.

A man from Sapporo City

"I was unconscious that it was on the Braille block, but when I think about it again, I may have tried to keep it in the direction of travel. Because the Braille block is yellow and conspicuous, you can walk while keeping it in sight even if you are concentrating on the screen of your smartphone. Also, it is easy to understand even if you step on it with your feet, so maybe you were walking as a guide. I think it's a good idea. Braille blocks are for the visually impaired, so when I noticed my actions, I thought it was really dangerous and I regretted it. Since then, I haven't walked on the Braille blocks. I am. "

As this man says, if the Braille block is used as a “guide” for a walking smartphone ...

I felt that such an act might spread further in the future.

In a society where you don't have to "cry and fall asleep"

A visually impaired person who is at unprecedented danger with a "point broth smartphone".

How can I solve the problem?

Kazuko Sanae, who is in charge of walking training at the Tokyo Metropolitan Welfare Association for the Blind, first wants her to understand that visually impaired people cannot speak up on the spot.

She can't tell if someone walking from the front is actually looking at her smartphone.

For this reason, even if they are hit, they have no choice but to go through without being careful, and as a result, it is possible that the side using the "point broth smartphone" may not be aware of the danger.

She wants Sanae to think about the situation of visually impaired people and act from the standpoint of the other person now that walking smartphones are a problem. increase.

Kazuko Sanae, Tokyo Blind Welfare Association

"Even if you want to stop walking smartphones, it is difficult for visually impaired people to take action or complain because they cannot confirm it. They have to cry and fall asleep. The current situation is that there are many dangers for people who are blind to walk. That is why we are seeking consideration from those around us with white sticks. Braille blocks are once again in society as a whole. I would like you to take your eyes off your smartphone, thinking about what it is laid for. "

Viewer Survey 350 Voices

We also conducted a questionnaire survey on the Internet regarding "point broth smartphones".

A total of more than 350 voices were received.

The questionnaire also tells us how dangerous the visually impaired are in their daily lives.

・ Because it is a large commercial facility near my home, I sometimes collide with people who are approaching "Point Bros. Maho".

He wears a white cane with two bear bells to alert him, but he can hardly hear it in the crowd.

・ When I was walking on a Braille block with a white cane, I had come to a walking smartphone from the front and bumped into it.

He wasn't injured, but when he apologized, "I'm sorry," he was struck.

On the other hand, those who have done "point broth smartphone".

・ Since I don't see people with visual impairments, I just walk without being aware of it.

・ I was walking in a game and using my smartphone.

I haven't been strongly aware of the Braille block, so I regret it.

・ When searching for a store or destination, you may walk while looking at the map app.

Especially when I was in a hurry, I might have unknowingly walked on the Braille block.

Many also said that the cause was a lack of understanding of the Braille block itself.

・ Many people put their bicycles on the Braille block.

When asked why he put it, he was asked, "What is the Braille block for?"

・ I feel that it is forgotten that it is installed for people with visual impairments.

・ Too many people don't know what the Braille block is for.

I think it is necessary to review the notes and education.

Braille block originated in Japan To protect the role

The Braille block was first installed in Okayama City in March 1967 and spread nationwide and around the world.

It has been 55 years since its birth this month.

It is still an indispensable "road guide" for the lives of the visually impaired.

We, the interview team, have covered various cases of walking smartphones, but this time, I felt the depth of the problem again.

In order to protect the important role of the Braille block, it may be time for each of us to reconsider the "how to interact" with the smartphone.

We will continue to cover.

Reporter of the Social Affairs Department

Takeaki Eda Joined the station in

2013.

After working at the Tokushima station and the Nagoya station, he

is in charge of the current Metropolitan Police Department.

Good morning Japan

director

Saki Yamauchi

Joined in 2013

After working at the Yamaguchi station, he is currently affiliated.

Good morning Japan

director

Laurence Midori Ohta Joined the station in

2012

After working at the Kagoshima station, he is currently affiliated.