Have you ever tried to push a crosswalk signal button with your eyes closed? Or even tried to find the crossing ramp blindfolded?

That’s what these traffic engineers did Wednesday, to find better ways to design signals and crosswalks from the perspective of being visually impaired.

George Stern is a student at Texas Tech University who is visually and hearing impaired.

“It becomes easier for someone to say ‘I’ll just stay home. I won’t travel independently.’” Stern said.

Stern says he is challenged by simple architectural designs every day, from a lack of sidewalks and pedestrian crossings, to no automated crossing signals.

“All of these no’s can accumulate to the point where someone asks a question, is it even worth trying to travel independently,” Stern said.