Using Pictograms to Make Transit Easier to Navigate for Customers with Communication Barriers (2013)

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TCRP A-33A Final Report 58 APPENDIX D INSTRUCTIONS FOR TRANSIT AGENCIES OVERVIEW OF PROJECT Thank you for agreeing to assist in this research project for the Transportation Research Board to test using picture-based communication tools (pictograms) as a way to make communication easier in an emergency. As a transit agency, you know that drivers and transit riders can encounter emergencies that require a sudden change in service or operating procedures. Transit drivers must then inform their riders about the change(s), the reason for the change and what the riders can expect as they try to reach their destinations. That communication between driver and riders can be difficult if the passengers have some form of communication challenge such as being deaf/hard of hearing, speaking English as a second language or if they have any other condition that can inhibit communication in an emergency. You will be working with a local human service agency/provider who will recruit up to six (6) to eight (8) people for the focus group discussion. Your agency is being asked to provide a parked bus to serve as a venue for a one hour focus group discussion and a driver to lead the discussion, show participants pictures and write a few notes about his/her observations. Once the focus group is over, we ask that you return the materials to the JMA research team (Pre-paid mailing labels and all materials are provided).

TCRP A-33A Final Report 59 INSTRUCTIONS FOR TRANSIT AGENCIES STEP 1 Participate in phone call with JMA research team to meet your local human service provider representative This introductory phone call will give you a chance to connect with the human service agency that will be assisting with the project, ask questions directly of the JMA team and jumpstart your local work. The local service provider will also be receiving a packet of information with tailored action steps to complement what your agency will be doing. Before the call: 1. JMA will coordinate times between you and the local service provider and then notify you both of the final date, time and call-in information. Please respond within 24 hours to any emails or phone calls about scheduling the team conference call. 2. Review all the materials in each of the six envelopes you have been provided. Some topics we might discuss include: a. What type of riders can the service provider help recruit for the testing? b. What are likely dates and times for the 1-hour focus group discussion that will be convenient for the focus group members, your agency and the driver that will help with testing? c. How will you and the service provider agency communicate and plan together? d. Are there special challenges that either of you expect in bringing the group together and doing the pictogram testing? During the call: 3. JMA staff will call you at the agreed upon time. Plan on the call lasting an hour. JMA staff will make introductions and lead the discussion. 4. Take notes; although JMA will send out a summary afterwards, you will likely hear information you will want to put into action right away. 5. Confirm your next steps with your local human service agency partner at the end of the call; know what to expect of each other, how to contact each other and your next steps and time frames.

TCRP A-33A Final Report 60 INSTRUCTIONS FOR TRANSIT AGENCIES STEP 2 Decide on the date, time and location for your focus group testing Location 1. Use a parked bus to test the pictograms. By using a bus rather than a conference room, both the driver and the focus group participants will be able to give the most accurate feedback about how the pictograms will work in the environment where they will be used. (If using a parked bus is a problem, it is acceptable to test the pictograms in a conference room.) 2. Reserve the bus and identify where it will be parked so you can give specific instructions to your service provider-partner about the location. Time and Date 3. Decide on the best date and time for your agency to make a bus and driver available for the focus group. 4. Plan for about two hours total to allow time to get people situated on the bus, do introductions, discuss the pictograms and wrap up. 5. Discuss your plan with other people at the transit agency who will be interested in what you are doing or share some responsibility in any of the action steps. 6. Call your partner service provider agency with the time, date and location for the focus group. Make sure partner service provider can arrange to have a sign language interpreter or language translator to assist any members of the focus group. 7. Two to three days before the focus group meeting, confirm time, date and place with the driver and the service provider.

TCRP A-33A Final Report 61 INSTRUCTIONS FOR TRANSIT AGENCIES STEP 3 Recruit a driver who is willing to help test the pictograms This project is unique because the people who would actually use the final pictograms will be testing them for clarity and usefulness. The bus driver who will lead the discussion is a key person in the testing process. Although the transit agency will be acknowledged for its participation in the research, the individual driver’s name will not be used nor any other personal identifying information. Driver recruitment 1. Look for a driver who is relaxed when speaking to people and who will be willing to follow the instructions for leading the discussion. 2. Talk with his/her supervisor about participating in the study as a discussion leader. The supervisor will likely want to know when the driver will be scheduled, how much time is needed and where the discussion will happen. The supervisor will want to find a time that will work with the driver’s route requirements and that match the availability of a parked bus. Work out as many details as you can before approaching the driver, including whether the invitation can/should come from you or his/her supervisor. 3. Extend the invitation. Tell the driver what you will be asking him/her to do (see details in Step 4). Explain the date, time and location for the testing and the overall time commitment. Be sure to tell the driver why you think she or he would be a good discussion leader. 4. Feel free to share the information in the Step 4 envelope with the driver. That will likely answer many of his/her questions. 5. Invite the driver to ask questions. The driver may have questions about the research, its purpose, whether he or she will be identified, and want more details about logistics. Use the Overview of the Project in Envelope 1 to help answer questions about the project. 6. Assure the driver that you and a staff person from the service provider agency will be there to assist with all the focus group activities. 7. Tell the driver that the JMA staff is happy to talk with him/her before the focus group discussion about how to lead the discussion or for any other background information or support. If the driver would like to talk with us, determine the best way for that to happen (you contact us by email or phone, the driver takes the initiative to call or email us).

TCRP A-33A Final Report 62 8. Ask the driver for an explicit commitment to participate: for example, “Are you willing to lead a focus group discussion for this project on (date), (time) and (location)?” 9. Be sure the driver has your contact information and knows how to reach you. 10. Identify a check-in time two to three days before the scheduled focus group to address any additional questions and identify any problems.

TCRP A-33A Final Report 63 INSTRUCTIONS FOR TRANSIT AGENCIES STEP 4 Conduct the focus group discussion about the pictograms In this envelope, you will find the following materials to help you lead and record the discussion: • Blank name tags and marker • Numbered pictograms • Comment cards • Forms for taking notes • Pens • Incentive gifts for participants to be handed out at the end of the focus group discussion Please follow these steps in the exact order they are written 1. Set the scene. You and the driver will want to arrive 30 minutes in advance of the scheduled focus group discussion. Go through this packet to review what you will be doing. Think about where you want people to sit so that you can provide direction and move the group quickly into the discussion. You will want people to sit at different places on the bus so they can tell you whether the pictures and words are visible from a range of distances. 2. Wear nametags with your name and your agency’s name. Offer participants nametags when they arrive. Tell them first names are all that’s needed. 3. Welcome the focus group members when they arrive. (The community service provider or the rider may have an interpreter/translator present. Allow time for your words to be relayed.) Introduce yourselves and chat with participants to put them at ease. Be sure to let people know where restrooms are located and tell them they are welcome to take a comfort break whenever they wish – that the discussion will only last an hour or less, so there won’t be a scheduled break.

TCRP A-33A Final Report 64 Driver’s instructions Please exactly follow the directions listed below. This will allow the best comparisons between different discussion groups. 1. Call the group to attention with your voice and hand gestures. Tell people where you would like them to sit and explain that those locations are part of the testing guidelines. 2. Introduce yourself and say this: • “Thank you for agreeing to help in this research project for the Transportation Research Board. • “As a bus rider, you know that we sometimes have emergencies that cause a sudden change in service or routes. • “Drivers like me then have to tell riders like you about the change, why we have to change, and what you can expect as you try to get where you are going. • “For some of you and other riders, the information may be difficult to understand. If you are deaf/hard of hearing, or speak English as a second language or are distracted – like a crying infant nearby – you and others may find it hard to understand or follow directions in an emergency. • “This research project is testing message tools that are picture-based (pictograms) to see if they could make it easier to understand directions in an emergency. • “Thank you for volunteering to help with this research! The results will help people all across the country.” 3. Invite people to introduce themselves. Assure them their names will not be used in the research report. • Say: “I’d like each of you to introduce yourself. Just use your first name and, if you’d like, tell us why you ride the bus. Let’s start on my right side and then go around to each of you.” (Remember, you may need to work through an interpreter/translator – allow extra time for this.) 4. Give these instructions before you actually start the discussion:

TCRP A-33A Final Report 65 • “Please listen to these instructions before we start. I am going to ask you to discuss and write down your reactions as I go through the pictures. • “First, I am passing out comment forms and pencils for you. Please don’t write anything yet! • “This is how the discussion will work: - I will hold up the pictures one at a time. - You will have about a minute to look at the picture – think silently to yourself about what the picture tells you to do and if you would do what it says. Write down your ideas and any other thoughts you have. - Next, I will ask you some questions and invite your discussion. This part is important because when people talk together, new ideas often come out. I want to encourage all of you share your ideas out loud when we reach that part.” • “When we reach the discussion part: - Please give everyone a chance to talk. If you’ve told me what you think, let other people have a chance to talk before you add more comments. - There are no right or wrong answers. We expect people to have different ideas and want to hear them. - We’ll be taking notes but we will NOT write down any names in those notes. - At the end, I will collect your comment card and give you a small “thank you” for being a part of the discussion.” 5. Begin the review of the pictures/pictograms. Hold up the first pictogram. Show them in the order they are numbered. Say the following: • “Can you see this picture clearly from where you are seated?” - If someone says “no” ask, “how much bigger would the picture need to be for you to see it clearly from you are sitting?” - Then, invite the people who can’t see clearly to move closer so they can see during the discussion. • “Please look at this picture: What does it tell you to do? Would you do this? Think silently and then jot down any ideas next to its number. You will have two minutes to look, think and write; then we’ll talk.”

TCRP A-33A Final Report 66 • (WAIT 2 minutes – the service provider will help keep track of the time) • “Now, let’s start the group discussion. What does this picture tell you? Would you do this? (PAUSE – watch to see if people look confused, are writing, look thoughtful and so on). You can also ask or say the following to encourage the group: • “Remember, there are no right or wrong ideas – who’d like to start us off?” • “I’ve heard a couple of the same ideas – do people have other ideas or reactions?” • If some people aren’t speaking, say, “I want to be sure everyone has a chance to share their ideas. Do any of you who haven’t said anything yet want to add ideas? I’m interested in knowing what you agree with, what you don’t agree with and what other ideas you may have.” (PAUSE and give the group time to respond). • Be sure to ask: “Can you suggest anything that will make the picture and its message more clear?” • When the conversation dies down say, “Any other thoughts before we move on to the next picture?” (Sometimes this prompts a few more comments. If it does, let people talk. If there are no responses, move on to the next pictogram). 6. Use the same procedure for each picture – strike a balance between giving people enough time to think and react and moving the discussion along. Feel free to encourage people to talk back and forth among themselves when they have different ideas. Remind them they don’t have to agree and that it’s helpful for the research if there are different ideas. 7. After you have shown all the pictograms, say: • “We have reached the end of the pictograms. Please pass me your comment cards.” • “Is there anything else you’d like to say about this project or what we’ve done here today?” • “The company leading the research has provided a small “Thank you” for your willingness to share your time.” • “We have a small gift card to thank you for volunteering your time and sharing your ideas.” (Have the service provider help you hand out the gift cards.) • “The notes we have taken about the discussion will NOT include your names or any identifying information.”

TCRP A-33A Final Report 67 • “THANK YOU for being here today. Your contributions will make transit safer in the future for all people who ride buses!”

TCRP A-33A Final Report 68 INSTRUCTIONS FOR TRANSIT AGENCIES STEP 5 Gather notes and observations from test THIS STEP IS VERY IMPORTANT. The research team is relying on you – the driver (and the transit agency observer, if participating) and the service provider representative – to write notes about what you heard people say and how you saw people react. This information will determine which pictograms may be changed or altered to be clearer and which will remain the same in the remainder of the research. In this envelope you will find: 1. Extra comments forms for the driver and note-takers to capture their observations 2. Clips to hold the comment cards 3. Pencils Follow these steps 1. After everyone leaves, find a place where you are able to sit and write. 2. Collect all the discussion group comment cards and clip them together. 3. Even though other people took notes, the driver who led the conversation is encouraged to write brief notes about what people said and their reactions to each picture. Feel free to use the same comment cards that were used by the group; this will help organize the notes. The driver should keep his/her comments separate from what the discussion group members said and did. The driver is then encouraged to write up his/her own reactions and suggestions on a separate comment card that is clearly marked “DRIVER’S COMMENTS.” 4. The person who took notes during the focus group discussion should look over his/her own notes to see if there are comments that may be hard for another to person to read and, if so, perhaps re-write some. 5. If there’s time, talk among yourselves about what you heard, what you saw and any thoughts and ideas that developed in your own minds from the time you first saw the pictograms until after the discussion group ended. Add those comments to the notes as well.

TCRP A-33A Final Report 69 INSTRUCTIONS FOR TRANSIT AGENCIES STEP 6 Return the packet of materials to JMA This final step ends your participation. In this envelope you will find: 1. Pre-paid mailing labels 2. Mailing envelops Double check to be sure all the materials are in the mailing envelopes: 1. Pictograms 2. Comment cards 3. Notes from the discussion 4. Notes and comments from the driver and other note-takers Please send an email to your JMA contact person when you return the envelopes so that staff can be on the lookout for the package. Thank you for your assistance. You have been the eyes and ears for this test. Without your willingness to share your time and accurate reporting, this research could not move forward. Comment Cards • The next five pages contain the comment cards to be used by participants. • The following five pages contain the comment cards to be used by drivers to record their observations.

TCRP A-33A Final Report 70 PICTOGRAM COMMENT CARD Tips on what to look for: • Size of pictogram: Is it too big? Not big enough? • Do you understand the message in the pictogram? • What do you like about the pictogram? • What would you change? Pictogram #1 Pictogram #2

TCRP A-33A Final Report 71 PICTOGRAM COMMENT CARD Tips on what to look for: • Size of pictogram: Is it too big? Not big enough? • Do you understand the message in the pictogram? • What do you like about the pictogram? • What would you change? Pictogram #3 Pictogram #4

TCRP A-33A Final Report 72 PICTOGRAM COMMENT CARD Tips on what to look for: • Size of pictogram: Is it too big? Not big enough? • Do you understand the message in the pictogram? • What do you like about the pictogram? • What would you change? Pictogram #5 Pictogram #6

TCRP A-33A Final Report 73 PICTOGRAM COMMENT CARD Tips on what to look for: • Size of pictogram: Is it too big? Not big enough? • Do you understand the message in the pictogram? • What do you like about the pictogram? • What would you change? Pictogram #7 Pictogram #8

TCRP A-33A Final Report 74 PICTOGRAM COMMENT CARD Tips on what to look for: • Size of pictogram: Is it too big? Not big enough? • Do you understand the message in the pictogram? • What do you like about the pictogram? • What would you change? Pictogram #9 Pictogram #10

TCRP A-33A Final Report 75 DRIVER PICTOGRAM COMMENTS Tips • Listen for the main idea; jot down important words that will help you remember what a speaker says. You can write more detail at the end of the discussion. • Use the same words that speaker uses. • Watch for and note obvious facial expressions. • Watch for and note when someone is nodding their heads in agreement or is shaking his/her head in disagreement. • Set aside your own ideas about and reactions to the pictograms and what is being said – your job is to capture the words, ideas, and reactions of the discussion group participants. Pictogram #1 – “Look At Me.” Pictogram #2 – “Listen”

TCRP A-33A Final Report 76 Pictogram #3 – “Turn Off” Pictogram #4 – “Stay Calm”

TCRP A-33A Final Report 77 Pictogram # 5 – “Follow Me” Pictogram # 6 – “Stay Seated”

TCRP A-33A Final Report 78 Pictogram #7 – “Delay” Pictogram #8 – “Change in Route

TCRP A-33A Final Report 79 Pictogram #9 – “Danger” Pictogram #10 – “Help Is Coming”