Standards for usable and safe environments for sight impaired

Abstract

When revising national standards and guidelines facilitating for sight-impaired people in transport systems, Norwegian authorities needed an assessment of current standards and practices. Two issues concerning design of streetscapes and public transport stops were of particular concern for the authorities: tactile paving seems to be laid out in situations in which more thoughtful design with natural leading elements could better have ensured usability, accessibility and safety for sight impaired; and there is a lack of consistency where tactile paving is laid out, causing potentially dangerous situations. The aim of this paper is to discuss how and why qualities of standards and guidelines, as well as of current practices, contribute to planning and design processes producing such results, and furthermore to arrive at recommendations for improving the situation.