I have just been reading government regulations on 2 topics. One, a long standing bugbear, is tactile paving
The invidious spread of this stuff turns out to be necessitated by the new rules on making the world more accessible for wheelchair users & others who (like me) have trouble stepping down from a pavement. Kerb upstands, to use the jargon, have therefore been flattened. But this removes a vital clue for the visually impaired, one which stops them inadvertently stepping into traffic
So the answer is to install the appropriately named blister surfaces everywhere, not just at uncontrolled crossings as was previously the case
The original blister paving was known to cause problems to some people with arthritis or other problems.
The Catch-22 is that many visually impaired people also have diabetes, which makes their feet insensitive enough to need the kind of rigorous reminder which makes me want to shout ….
The new blisters, developed following much research & consultation, are a compromise. The original blister surface should no longer be used is advice which will no doubt one day be fully implemented
The other instruction to minimise the amount of tactile surface used and provide clear pathways around it is being very widely ignored.
All this thinking about mobility problems reminds me of something which continues to puzzle me about the Victorians. How on earth did they cope?
So many of their buildings are very difficult to get into - often necessitating a climb up steep stone stairs - think Liverpools Walker Art Gallery. But they were no better off once inside, with all those changes of level & complicated little winding staircases.
Did people with arthritis get carried about, or did they just have to stay at home?
No wonder so many Victorian women took to just lying on the sofa (allegedly)
Related post: Tactile paving
