Can public spaces truly be labeled accessible, if they cannot be accessed by persons of all abilities?
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a civil rights law that works to ensure all areas of life, including public accommodations, are accessible to persons of all abilities. As part of this legislation, detectable warning tiles are required to be installed in a number of key areas around the community. Most commonly, ADA tiles can be seen installed at pedestrian crosswalks, stair landings, and transit stations.
While the installation of ADA tiles is intended to aid visually impaired pedestrians through public spaces, detectable warning surfaces can benefit your community in countless ways.
Public Accessibility
As outlined in the ADA, detectable warning surfaces are installed to enhance public accessibility throughout the community, and helps to ensure all residents can enjoy public spaces.
In addition to providing a non-visual warning of potential upcoming hazards, truncated dome tiles mark the beginning and end of a pathway, or mark the decision point along the pathway. By installing Wayfinding bars, persons with visual impairments allow persons with visual impairments to navigate large open sauces unaided, as well as visually signaling the intended pathway to sighted pedestrians.
ADA tiles are an essential tool for persons with visual impairments to safely navigate public spaces, without the aid of others, while easing Wayfinding for all persons.
Pedestrian Safety
As well as aiding in the safe navigation of public spaces, the installation of ADA tiles improves safety for all pedestrians.
Comfortably felt underfoot, detectable warning surfaces can call a pedestrian’s attention to their surroundings and acts as a signal to stop, assess their surroundings and proceed with caution. The stark visual contrast provided between brightly coloured ADA tiles and surrounding concrete acts as a visual warning to potential upcoming hazards. Additionally, ADA tiles provide a non-slip surface, helping to minimize slips and trips in all weather conditions.
The installation of detectable warning surfaces provides an additional layer of pedestrian safety for your community.
Curb Cut Ramps
As a way to enhance public accessibility, the ADA requires curb cut ramps, which allow persons using wheelchairs or other mobility aids to easily travel between pavement and curbs. This slight change in grade, however, makes it difficult for visually impaired pedestrians to detect the entrance into vehicular roadways.
The installation of ADA tiles replaces the tactile warning of the curb drop at pedestrian crosswalks, and the spacing between truncated domes have been carefully calculated to ensure the ease of mobility for wheelchairs, walkers, strollers and other mobility aids.
With the installation of ADA tiles, all areas of your community can remain accessible by persons of all abilities.
Beyond meeting code compliance, the installation of ADA tiles will serve your community in many ways, helping to ensure public spaces remain truly accessible, and enjoyed by all!
Access® Tile prides ourselves on providing the ultimate solution in detectable warning systems, by providing a full-range of code-compliant, durable, and long-lasting ADA tiles at the most cost-effective price point available.
Available in a wide range of colors and sizes, Access® Tile has the right solution for any project!
