As I’ve been trained by fab @guidedogs how to navigate using tactile pavement I thought I would share some key info in a thread! First, blister paving at road crossing points. The tactile round bumpy paving at pelican crossings is usually red & bumps are in horizontal rows. pic.twitter.com/bGdmfW3sZ9
— Dr Amy Kavanagh👩🏼🦯 (@BlondeHistorian) June 13, 2018
Amy Kavanagh is visually impaired, and navigates London with a cane. She writes about her experiences and disability issues at her blog Cane Adventures. Kavanagh explains the nuts and bolts of tactile paving, which is a guidance system in city streets for those who cannot see what's ahead. Textured blocks denote road crossings, rail platforms, stairs, ramps, and other hazards. The pattern of raised bumps signal what is ahead, which can be felt by feet or a cane. The shape of these blocks help to orient direction. Kavanagh gives us a short tour of the different ways tactile paving helps her navigate city streets in this Twitter thread.
Kavanagh describes tactile paving as it exists in British cities. The system varies slightly slightly by country, which you can read about at Wikipedia.
-via Bored Panda
