Transcript Improving Traffic Patterns in a Cafeteria Setting

Improving Travel
Patterns in a
Cafeteria Setting
Illinois School for the Visually Impaired
The Illinois School for the Visually Impaired (ISVI) is located on
an 18-acre campus in Jacksonville, IL. The role of ISVI is to
provide students who are blind and visually impaired (VI) a free,
comprehensive educational program commensurate with
individual needs and abilities. The school provides students with
instruction in the same course work required of all school-aged
children in Illinois. Additionally, ISVI offers a comprehensive
curriculum that emphasizes expanded core-curriculum areas of
instruction including: vocational skills, Braille, daily living skills,
orientation and mobility training, assistive technology, adaptive
physical education, home economics and industrial arts. ISVI
offers a broad array of social and recreational activities to all
students through the residential living programs during evenings
and weekends. This combination of educational, expanded core,
and social programming is designed to prepare students for
successful living as independent, self-supporting citizens.
What was the issue?
Students were not traveling
efficiently or independently in the
dining hall.
Background:
Meals are served cafeteria style. Students carry a tray
from the serving line through a door into a large dining room. The dining
hall is designed with high ceilings and tile floors causing sounds to
resonate creating auditory clutter.
•Students sometimes wander far off the path of travel.
• When students veer off the path they sometimes bump
their tray into the back, neck, or head of peers who are
seated.
• Many students – even some who are independent
travelers in other settings -- need assistance finding a
particular table or other location ( for example, the salad
bar).
• Students have trouble from the serving line to a seat,
from the seat to the salad bar, and from the seat to the sink
where they return trays after meals.
What did we do?
Investigate and collect data: ISVI staff reviewed
research asking such questions as:
 Is a serving line approach acceptable or necessary?
 This format is commonly used on college campuses,
hospitals and other businesses, and some restaurants.
 Has there been any literature published on this or a similar
topic?
 No literature addresses this specific issue in a research
format
 The skill of navigating a serving line is listed on O&M
evaluation checklists (Joffee & Rikhye, 1991; Loumiet &
Levack, 1993; Willoughby & Monthei, 1998).
ISVI staff contacted other state schools for the blind to
inquire about the layout and function of dining halls in
similar settings.
Both Dietary and O&M staff at residential schools in four other
states were contacted .
 Staff at all four schools described similar problems in
their cafeterias.
 Staff at all four schools contacted expressed an interest
in improving independent travel in the cafeterias.
Baseline Data
ISVI staff observed during breakfast and
lunch periods and collected baseline data on
the frequency of instances of students
bumping into others while traveling from the
serving line to a seat and from the seat to the
tray return.
Observations revealed two main problem
areas: students were bumping into others while
locating a seat, and congestion at the narrow
tray return station led to many accidental
contacts between students each meal time.
Dining Hall Arrangement
Prior to Intervention
• No unobstructed straight lines of travel
• Table arrangement random
• Salad bar difficult to locate tactually
• Tray return area easy to locate auditorily
but not tactually
• No indicators of ends of tables, location of
rows between tables
How did we proceed?
Collaboration:
A core team led this project
seeking input from over sixty people including
students and staff.
Collaboration: Staff from five separate
departments actively engaged with
recommendations and discussions.
Collaboration: An interested and supportive
administrative team approved plans and
necessary spending.
What Next?
After analyzing baseline data, reviewing literature,
consulting with other schools for the blind, and
considering input from staff on site, the team revised
the layout of the dining hall with the following changes:
Rugs were strategically placed to
provide tactile cues.
• Rugs indicate straight line of direction out of the
serving area into the dining area.
•Rugs indicate beginning and end of tables.
•Rugs indicate location of aisles between tables.
•Rugs lead to key landmarks: tray return rack, salad
bar, aisles
Other Changes
•Slotted tray return racks were incorporated.
• These reduced congestion at the tray return sink.
• Racks are similar to those used at colleges and
hospitals
• Organized arrangement of furniture:
• Tables are placed end to end in sets of two in uniform
rows.
• No furniture was placed in natural paths of travel such
as entrance and exit routes.
• Elementary students lunch schedule changed 5 minutes
earlier to reduce congestion in the serving line area.
Dining Hall Arrangement After Intervention
Comparison of Pre- and Post-Intervention Data
Incidents of bumping contacts
12
10
8
Pre-intervention
6
4
2
0
Post-intervention
References
Joffee, E. & Rikhye, C. H. (1991). Orientation and mobility for students with
severe visual and multiple impairments: A new perspective. Journal
of Visual Impairment and Blindness, 85, 137-142.
Loumiet R. & Levack, N. (1993). Independent living: A curriculum with
adaptations for students with visual impairments (2nd ed. Vols. 1-3).
Austin, TX: Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired.
Willoughby, D.M., & Monthei, S. L. (1998). Modular instruction for independent
travel for students who are blind or visually impaired: Preschool
through high school. Baltimore, MD: National Federation for the Blind.