About 300 million people around the world are either partially blind or may have impaired vision. Unfortunately, the aging population is increasing, hence this number is likely to increase in the coming days.
Just imagine, how it will be like travelling to an airport or a railway station if you happen to be a blind person. As far as travelling is concerned, for a blind or those visually impaired people, there is a lot of option available.
Either you can prefer to accompany a person or use a long cane to detect any obstacles or elevation present on the road or path. There are a few electronic guides available too. However, depending upon the extent of their problem people use different devices to navigate their way.
In public places often tactiles are also installed to help blind people to warn them about any diversion or obstacles. There are many reputed companies that manufacture such tactile that is normally used in public places.
Few different types of tactile that are used as ground indicators
TGSI (Tactile Ground Surface Indicator) are available in the following 2 types:
- Warning TGSI
- Directional TGSI
Some of the most common materials that are used as TGSI are:
- Stainless steel
- Plastic
- Brass
- Ceramics
- Concrete.
Both directional, as well as discrete TGSI are available in 2 different forms:
- Discrete form
- Integrated form
- Warning TGSI:
If there any warning tactile is found then it means there is certain danger nearby or if you move a little ahead. Some of the typical hazards can be the following:
- Steps
- Ramps
- Stairs
- Curb ramps
- Sublimators
- Bus stop
- Railway/tram platforms
- Ferry terminals
In such areas, the direction of your TGSI may change. Mostly the warning TGSI will be a circular dome having a height: 4 to 5 mm and a diameter: 35 mm.
- Directional TGSI
Any directional type of tactile indicators will work as a guide to provide safe routes, which is going to indicate the direction of any drive. Usually, they are used for the access points of any public transport and also street intersections.
Generally, the directional TGSI will be a long rectangular-shaped strip having a height of 4 to 5 mm and diameter: 35 mm, and having a length: 300 mm.
As a human society, it is essential that we must devise a certain innovative solutions so that we can make sure that blind/visually impaired people have also equal access and opportunity and people who have normal vision should respect their needs. Most visually impaired people can take advantage of such tactile paving.
This kind of promising strategy was implemented for the first time in 1960 in Japan by a person called Seiichi Miyake. He developed such tactile pavers, particularly for blind people.
At that time, in Japan, this was called Tenji bricks, when it was developed at the time. After a few years, this paving idea swiftly spread all over Japan, and finally, Japan National Railways adopted it. In the 1990s, such tactile paving was also adopted in the USA.
