Older people’s experiences of using tactile paving

Ormerod, MG, Newton, RA, MacLennan, HA, Faruk, M, Thies, SBA ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9889-2243, Kenney, LPJ ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2164-3892, Howard, D ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1738-0698 and Nester, CJ ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1688-320X 2015, 'Older people’s experiences of using tactile paving' , Municipal Engineer, 168 (1) , pp. 3-10.

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Abstract

Tactile paving has been designed in response to the needs of vision-impaired pedestrians to be independent, mobile, confident and safe when using the external environment. Tactile paving is not without its critics because it can adversely affect other pedestrians particularly older people, and those with mobility impairments. Interviews were conducted at eight selected road crossing sites in Edinburgh to determine older people’s experiences of using specific road crossings, in particular their views and experiences of using tactile paving. Two hundred participants were interviewed who were aged 65 years and older, and who appeared not to have a significant health issue or disability that was affecting their mobility. In addition, eight pedestrians who had significant mobility issues and 30 pedestrians who had moderate to severe vision impairment were interviewed. Findings demonstrate the importance of training in tactile paving for pedestrians with a vision impairment; the need for a review of the guidance on tactile paving such that greater emphasis is placed on detectability and tonal contrast, and tonal contrast; a consideration as to whether seven types of tactile paving is too many; and the need to minimise the effects of topography, particularly slope at road crossings.

Item Type:	Article
Themes:	Built and Human Environment Health and Wellbeing
Schools:	Schools > School of the Built Environment > Centre for Urban Processes, Resilient Infrastructures & Sustainable Environments
Journal or Publication Title:	Municipal Engineer
Publisher:	Thomas Telford (ICE Publishing)
Refereed:	Yes
ISSN:	0965-0903
Related URLs:	Publication
Funders:	Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
Depositing User:	Professor Laurence Kenney
Date Deposited:	28 Jan 2015 13:27
Last Modified:	15 Feb 2022 19:00
URI:	https://usir.salford.ac.uk/id/eprint/33536

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