Under the American’s with Disabilities Act (ADA), detectable warning surfaces are required in several public spaces. These truncated dome tiles have been implemented to allow the visually impaired to safely, and confidently, navigate public spaces unaided.
Detectable warning surfaces, however, provide far reaching benefits for all pedestrians.
Warning of Upcoming Hazards
First and foremost, detectable warning pavers were designed, and have been implemented, in order to provide a non-visual warning of upcoming hazards. Most commonly seen, when installed at pedestrian crossings, ADA tiles alert visually impaired pedestrians of the entrance into a vehicular roadway. Similarly, when installed on transit platforms, detectable warning surfaces alert pedestrians of the steep drop onto the tracks.
Detectable warning surfaces are installed at key points in public spaces to get the attention of pedestrians, alerting them to stop, assess their surroundings and proceed accordingly.
Non-Slip Surface
Rain, snow, sleet, or sunshine, we all have to make our way to work, the store or even back home, including pedestrians! Truncated domes, comfortably felt underfoot, not only provide a tactile warning, but the surface of detectable warning pavers provides a non-slip grip. The important micro-texture on detectable warning surfaces provide an extra layer of pedestrian safety in all weather conditions.
This non-slip surface is especially helpful in sloped areas, such as curb ramps and wheelchair ramps, allowing pedestrians to gain traction before proceeding.
Calls Attention to Surroundings
So often we can be caught scrolling through our social media pages, sending a text, or checking our emails on our phones while walking down the street. Becoming so engrossed in what is directly in front of us, our surroundings often fade away. Detectable warning surfaces, however, grab our attention by the noticeably different surface felt underfoot.
The noticeable change in surface forces pedestrians to stop and look up and take in the surrounding area before proceeding. This call to attention can be especially helpful at stair and escalator approaches as well as pedestrian crosswalks and transit platforms.
Wayfinding
Large open spaces, such as concourse halls or even hotel lobbies, can be difficult to navigate for persons of all abilities but especially those with vision impairment.
Wayfinding bars, often used along with truncated dome tiles, provide a tactile pathway that is easily found and followed by the visually impaired. Not only do detectable warning surfaces aid the visually impaired in navigating a large open space, but they can be helpful to those without visual impairments as well. The clearly defined pathway can help to guide pedestrians to the main information desk or destination in an unfamiliar and difficult to navigate setting.
Not only do detectable warning surfaces provide essential wayfinding and path marking to the visually impaired, but ADA tiles help to keep all pedestrians safer!
Access® Tile provides the ultimate solution in detectable warning systems and allows for an easy and cost-effective way to enhance public safety. For new construction, replaceable cast in place detectable warning pavers are the ideal solution, while surface applied truncated domes can easily retrofit existing surfaces without having to disturb the surrounding area. For every project, Access® Tile offers the right solution in detectable warning surfaces!
