FAA Office of Aerospace Medicine
Civil Aerospace Medical Institute

Report No: DOT/FAA/AM-80/12

Title and Subtitle: Considerations relative to the use of canes by blind travelers in air carrier aircraft cabins

Report Date: July 1980

Authors: Chandler RF, Garner JD, Lowrey DL, Blethrow JG, Anderson JA

Abstract: Results are presented of specific areas of study; i.e.:

1. passenger evacuation time lapses with and without the presence of canes;
2. emergency exiting advantages and disadvantages with and without the presence of canes;
3. the utility of surrogate canes of the folding and telescoping varieties;
4. the movement of an unsecured cane during a high g deceleration;
5. the utility of a cane inside an aircraft during an emergency evacuation; and
6. implications of a passenger carrying a cane while descending an evacuation chute.

The test program described involved evacuation tests from the Civil Aeromedical Institute (CAMI) evacuation simulation test facility, crash simulation tests conducted on the CAMI track, and static loading of different cane types to the failure point.

Key Words: Blind air travelers, Canes, Emergency evacuation, Aircraft accident

No. of Pages: 25