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This is Sam Little, she's registered blind, and she is on a mission to let everyone in on a little secret.
Crossing roads is something we all take for granted, but did you know at thousands of crossings all over the UK there is a little device that makes crossing the roads safer for people like Sam who have visual and hearing impairment?

This device is called by many names, the rotating cone tactile. The secret button, the spinning nodule! For people with any degree of sight or hearing loss or both, it is a life saver when it comes to crossing roads safely.
For some reason, this little device is not a legal obligation for councils around the UK when installing crossings. Whilst they are becoming more and more common, there are still many crossings that have broken rotating cones or none at all.

There is nothing worse than standing at a crossing, you can鈥檛 find the green man and it is a crossing that doesn鈥檛 beep. When you are undertaking tasks like crossing roads, a lot of the process is piecing together information. Other people crossing, the sound of cars coming to a halt, but to have an indicator that the green man has lit up is key to making decisions safely.

However technology is advancing everyday with more and more potential ideas being developed to make crossings more accessible and safer for everybody.

So until then spread the word and the next time you are at a crossing have a look and see if you can find the secret button!

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