Tactile Paving

The original tactile paving was developed by Seiichi Miyake in 1965. The paving was first introduced in a street in Okayama city, Japan, in 1967. Its use gradually spread in Japan and then around the world.

Tactile paving (also called truncated domes, detectable warnings, Tactile Ground Surface Indicators) is a system of textured ground surface indicators found on many footpaths and train station platforms to assist blind and vision impaired pedestrians.

Tactile warnings provide a distinctive surface pattern of "truncated domes" or cones (which are small domes or cones that have had their tops cut off, or truncated) detectable by long cane or underfoot which are used to alert people with vision impairments of their approach to streets and hazardous drop-offs. People who are blind or visually impaired are alerted of impending danger from vehicle impact or a grade change.

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