Tactile paving: What does it tell you?

Ever wondered what those different bumps and lumps on the pavement mean? Tactile paving (also called detectable warning surface) is a system of textured ground surface found on footpaths, stairs/steps and station platforms to aid visually impaired people when navigating. Tactile paving can help visually impaired people find a particular feature of their environment, such as stairs or a road crossing. It can also serve as a warning, for example if a visually impaired person is about to approach a platform at a train station.

Seiichi Miyake first developed tactile paving in Japan in 1965. It quickly spread around the world, so thanks Japan! Today it has evolved. There are a number of different types of paving to indicate different features and warnings.

While it isn’t essential to know exactly what the different types of tactile paving are called, it can be helpful to know what the different tactile paving textures feel like. This can help you know what they indicate and what to expect as you approach that particular tactile paving.

Blister paving

You will come across blister paving on pedestrian crossings. The surface is an essential safety feature and consists of rows of flat topped blisters in a square pattern.

Offset blister paving

You will come across offset blister paving at train, tram and tube platforms. It warns visually impaired people of the edge of the platform. The offset blister tactile surface consists of flat-topped domes (blisters), spaced 66.5mm apart from the center of one dome to the next one.

This paving can be in any suitable paving material and in any colour that provides a good contrast with the surrounding area.

Corduroy paving

Corduroy tactile paving comprises rounded bars running length ways across the direction a pedestrian is walking. The bars are 6mm high and 20mm wide. This type of surface warns visually impaired people of a specific hazard. This could be the top or bottom of stairs, a level crossing or a ramp. It is also used where a footway joins a shared route.

In the case of steps or stairs, it’s a helpful indicator as you’re approaching them. Even if you use a mobility aid to find steps, the tactile paving can serve as extra guidance.

Again, this surface can be in any colour to provide a good contrast with the surrounding area.