Getting the Feel of the Place

I work in a building on a campus very concerned with compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act. I think this is great. We have accessible rest rooms, ramps that slope at the correct angle, and entrances that are wheelchair accessible. We have lights that flash when an emergency alarm goes off. We also have signs by all of the doors that identify room numbers, stairwells, exits, restrooms and elevators. All of these doors are also marked in Braille--that’s the part I don’t get. I have thought about various scenarios in an attempt to justify these signs and I’ve come up empty. Are there any circumstances in any building where having Braille signs on walls would be of any use to a blind person. Do blind people ever walk into a building and begin feeling around the walls for Braille plaques to get their bearings? “Let’s see, I’ve walked into a strange building and I can’t see. Do I want to wait until someone comes up to me to offer directions or should I just start feeling around the walls?” Unless I’m missing something here, I’d say the signs are nothing more than a gesture to raise the awareness of sighted people to the fact that some people can’t see. Maybe that’s important or maybe it’s silly or maybe I’m just dense and insensitive.