A NETWORK of talking signs aimed at helping blind and partially-sighted people find their way around York will go online this weekend.
The Lord Mayor of York, Councillor Charles Hall, will switch on the system of 17 signs, which are activated by a special badge carried by visually-impaired people. York Blind and Partially Sighted Society (YBPSS), which has developed the project using City of York Council cash, plans to expand the network to 32 signs by the end of the year.
A spokesperson for the group, which is based in Bootham, said: "There are 1,000 blind and partially-sighted people living in York that we know of. Many will not be able to read conventional signs, and are missing out on the information that sighted people take for granted."
The talking signs provide important wayfinding information, such as the position of a road junction or popular landmark. Badges that activate the signs are available free from YBPSS.
The automatic signs can be placed on buildings, outside shops and at bus stops, and have already been successfully installed in Leeds, London, Birmingham and Bolton.
Updated: 10:37 Friday, February 13, 2004
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