Tactile Walking Surface Indicators (TWIs) for blind or vision impaired persons

This blog is prepared by my assistant Mrs Anjali, Senior Technical Executive. Many thanks to her.

The purpose of this standard is to create requirements for Tactile Walking Surface Indicators (TWIs) for blind or vision impaired persons. 

When blind or vision impaired persons travel alone they might encounter problems & hazards in various situation. In order to obtain information for way finding, these pedestrians use information available from the natural and built environment, including tactual, acoustic and visual information. However, these information is not always reliable for this reason TWIs perceived through use of a long white cane, through the soles of the shoes and through use of residual vision have been developed. 

TWIs was first invented in Japan in 1965. They are now used around the world to help blind or vision impaired persons to travel independently. 

TWIs pattern and installation methods vary from country to country. This standard provides common approach for TWIs at international level. 

TWIs are installed in public facilities, buildings used by many people, railway stations and on sidewalks & other walking surfaces. 

Attention patterns may be installed in the vicinity of pedestrian crossings, at-grade kerbs, railway platforms, stairs, ramps, escalators, travelators, elevators, etc. 

Guiding patterns may be used alone or in combination with attention patterns in order to indicate the walking route from one place to another.

Below are some the brief notes of ISO 23599:

Tactile are available in varieties of materials like: 

•Steel & Brass Tactile 

•ceramic tactile tiles 

•PVC tactile tiles 

•PU self-adhesive tactile tiles 

•Rubber tactile tiles 

•TPU (Thermoplastic elastomer urethane) Rubber Tactile Tile 

•TPE (Thermoplastic elastomer) Rubber Tactile Tile 

•Precast Concrete Tactile Pavers 

•Stone tactile tiles 

•Vitrified tactile, etc. 

Along with this ISO standard, we can refer Australian/New Zealand standard for information regarding Tactile tiles: 

AS/NZS 1428.4.1:2009 - Design for access and mobility 

(Part 4.1: Means to assist the orientation of people with vision impairment – Tactile ground surface indicators)

Many thanks to ww.Google.com from where the details are collected.