A tactile lifeline

Tactile paving is widely used throughout public spaces around the world with it forming a vital part of how the visually impaired navigate their daily lives. Whether travelling by rail, bus or commuting through pedestrianised areas, tactile paving becomes a key touchpoint to orient themselves throughout the journey. But what happens when those touch-points are in the wrong place, in the wrong colour or are mistakenly installed for other tactile patterns?

How is tactile paving interpreted by the visually impaired?

Tactile paving is worth looking at like a language that’s interpreted by feel, either through walking on them, or through tapping on them with a cane. Each element is designed to be unique enough that they are difficult to confuse so that users can be certain of the information being transmitted. Through the sensations provided, the visually impaired know what to expect from venturing further in their journey and this can be the need to slow down, stop, or follow a path in a different direction. Tactile paving can also be used to alert the user to an action that needs to be performed for example using a lift control or to present a ticket at a gateway.  

The patterns of tactile paving 

There are multiple patterns that tactile paving units possess with some that can be confused for each other visually. They do however feel distinct underfoot, and it’s important that the difference is respected and that they are installed in their appropriate applications.  

Each pattern is made of similar or in some cases the same components, but the key difference can be the placement of those components. There are three main types of components and those are: 

• Blisters – Dome-shaped protrusions measuring 25mm in diameter and 5mm in height 

• Bars – Rounded end rectangles that can have different measurement profiles depending on the pattern application 

• Lozenge – Elongated blister shapes measuring 150mm in length, 83mm in width, and 6mm in height.

You can find a complete guide to tactile paving patterns here

Common Issues 

Confusing tactile patterns 

Due to the similarities between some of the patterns, they can often be confused for each other. Incorrectly installing them creates dangerous situations in which visually impaired pedestrians are being fed incorrect information about the path ahead. 

The most commonly confused are: 

• In-line Blister Paving and Offset Blister Paving 

• Corduroy Paving and Directional Guidance Paving 

In-line Blister Paving and Offset Blister Paving 

These two patterns are very similar utilising the same blister dome, measuring 25mm diameter by 5mm in height. The difference is in the placement of the domes that provides a fundamentally different feeling surface. The placement of those domes is even more important when it comes down to applying them as independent tactile studs rather than tiles. It’s vital that they are placed in the exact layout they are looking to recreate otherwise they can be misinterpreted.  

This isn’t to say that a blind or visually impaired person is going to think that they’ve suddenly been teleported to a train station platform, but the directional element of in-line blister paving will be lost, and it makes it difficult for the visually impaired to orient themselves in relation to the kerb edge. It can also confuse and cause the user to hesitate, creating a potentially dangerous situation.  

Corduroy Paving and Directional Guidance Paving  

By virtue of the two patterns containing parallel bars, both corduroy paving and directional guidance paving can be confused by those unfamiliar with tactile paving. The difference between the two is that the dimensions of the strips themselves are significantly different and the guidance paving has five bars as opposed to the corduroy paving’s eight. 

In confusing the two in their application it adds a further obstacle to the path for visually impaired pedestrians. They must work out what this new information means, and it slows them down causing them to hesitate and lose confidence in their ability to navigate. Alternatively, it can provide a sense of false confidence that they then used to proceed, leading them into the path of oncoming traffic or other dangers.  

Applying tactile paving where it’s not needed 

A common thing we come across is the addition of tactile paving where it’s not needed. One particularly frequent example is that of the usage of corduroy paving at the top and bottom of a ramp. This sounds innocuous and wholly well-meaning by those responsible for its implementation, but its inclusion is entirely unnecessary if the ramp doesn’t lead to an on-street tram or LRT (Light Rapid Transit) Platform. All that’s being achieved is extra unwanted information being transferred to the visually impaired, potentially causing confusion. 

Using the wrong colour tactile paving 

The negative impact of misapplied tactile paving 

Misapplying tactile paving has numerous negative impacts that affect the user directly and can cause harm or potentially be lethal depending on the information being provided. As mentioned before, tactile paving is a language that’s read and understood through tactile sensations underfoot. Those paving types are the words or sentiments that tell the user to slow down, stop, change direction or take a specific action. They’re also specific to a location or situation, which means they need to be applied accurately and consistently to avoid any confusion. 

If words are applied out of order in a sentence or the wrong word is included, to be understood it needs to be decoded and explored, and this takes time and may not always result in the correct answer. The same applies to tactile paving, if the incorrect pattern is used it will either be misunderstood, or the inconsistency will be noted and the visually impaired will have to slow down and figure out what’s going on. This can then cause a false confidence leading to a dangerous situation, or conversely it can result in a loss of confidence and an increase in anxiety. Further down the line the people affected by misapplied tactile paving may start to distrust accurately applied tactile paving in that area, as they may start assuming those responsible for one installation may have faltered on other installations. 

The purpose of tactile paving is to aid the blind and visually impaired in their navigation of the public realm, if it’s applied incorrectly, it’s expressly doing the exact opposite. It’s making navigation harder, slower and potentially more dangerous.  

A summary of the negative impacts:  

• It causes confusion in routing 

• It increases anxiety around navigating the route 

• It can create a distrust in the surrounding tactile installations 

• It can provide a false sense of confidence leading to accidents 

• It slows down the visually impaired pedestrian or even prevents them from getting to where they need to be 

How do we solve this problem? 

There are a number of key actions and precautions that can be taken to prevent any of these negative consequences.  

Ensure everyone has a base level of understanding around the guidance 

Sometimes issues can arise at various points in a projects lifecycle that leads to the procurement and installation of the incorrect tactile paving. Through ensuring that everyone from architect to contractor has a base level of knowledge and understanding, around the types of tactile paving and their applications, these issues can be caught and addressed much earlier on. The information is freely available with a plethora of handy guides as well as PDFs of the guidance itself, available on the internet. 

Follow the guidance as closely as possible 

It can be tempting to steer away from the guidance, or improvise, as everyone views them as ‘best working practices’, but for consistency’s sake it’s best to follow it as exactly as possible. These patterns and layouts are relied upon by many people and getting it right should be a priority.  

Verify layouts and application with a knowledgeable and trusted third party 

If there are any questions around the installation of tactile paving, check with an access consultant or manufacturer to have them give their feedback or confirm that the layout and tactile product is correct. There are also services available like our accessibility route tactile planning service to help expedite those design processes and ensure they’re accurate and appropriate layouts.  

If you need assistance with ensuring that the correct tactile patterns and layouts are being applied correctly in your projects, please get in touch via email at [email protected] or call us on 01686 807450.