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Accounting for the Needs of Blind and Visually Impaired People in Public Realm Design

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  • John Parkin
  • Nicola Smithies

Abstract

Public realm schemes are being introduced in urban areas without the usual delineation between the footway and carriageway provided by kerb edges. Concern has been expressed about the resulting spaces on behalf of the approximately two million people in the UK who are blind or visually impaired. This paper questions these concerns and presents the results from a questionnaire and in-depth interviews, and observational studies of blind and visually impaired people navigating in urban streets and spaces with and without shared surfaces. They show that blind and visually impaired people can identify many different surface types and delineators, and they use these, along with other features of the urban environment, in creative ways to identify their location and guide themselves. Shared Space schemes need to preserve a safe area for pedestrians, they need to provide a rich physical environment of contrasts in terms of surface tactility, colour contrast, and the enhancement of sound and other sensory clues.

Suggested Citation

  • John Parkin & Nicola Smithies, 2012. "Accounting for the Needs of Blind and Visually Impaired People in Public Realm Design," Journal of Urban Design, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 17(1), pages 135-149.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:cjudxx:v:17:y:2012:i:1:p:135-149
    DOI: 10.1080/13574809.2012.646139
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Gavin R. Jenkins & Hon K. Yuen & Laura K. Vogtle, 2015. "Experience of Multisensory Environments in Public Space among People with Visual Impairment," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-14, July.
    2. Pimkamol Mattsson & Maria Johansson & Mai Almén & Thorbjörn Laike & Elizabeth Marcheschi & Agneta Ståhl, 2020. "Improved Usability of Pedestrian Environments After Dark for People with Vision Impairment: an Intervention Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-21, February.
    3. Laura N. Cushley & Neil Galway & Katie Curran & Tunde Peto, 2022. "Navigating the Unseen City: Town Planners, Architects, Ophthalmic Professionals, and Charity Opinions on Navigating of the Built Environment with a Visual Impairment," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(12), pages 1-17, June.
    4. Umu Akcil, 2018. "The use of mobile learning for visually impaired learners school in tolerance education contents," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 52(2), pages 969-982, December.
    5. Thays A. Oliveira & Yuri B. Gabrich & Helena Ramalhinho & Miquel Oliver & Miri W. Cohen & Luiz S. Ochi & Serigne Gueye & Fábio Protti & Alysson A. Pinto & Diógenes V. M. Ferreira & Igor M. Coelho & Vi, 2020. "Mobility, Citizens, Innovation and Technology in Digital and Smart Cities," Future Internet, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-27, January.
    6. Brian L Due & Simon Bierring Lange, 2019. "Troublesome Objects: Unpacking Ocular-Centrism in Urban Environments by Studying Blind Navigation Using Video Ethnography and Ethnomethodology," Sociological Research Online, , vol. 24(4), pages 475-495, December.

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