Pedestrians are like snowflakes, and no two are the same.
Pedestrians include families, children, older adults, people using mobility devices including scooters, wheelchairs, walkers and canes, people with guide dogs and assistance dogs, and people with wheeled luggage and strollers. The endurance, travel speed, strength, and ability of all of these pedestrians vary widely.
Incorporating Universal Design principles in streetscape design increases usability for the one in seven Canadians with disabilities, and improves safety and ease of use for those with strollers, age related health issues, and more. Universal Design is vital to freedom of movement, which is fundamental to enhancing the quality of life and the ability to live independently. Well-designed streets and communities play a fundamental role in enabling people to be full, equal, and productive participants in society.
The following are four key components to Universal Design in streetscapes:
SAFETY
People with visual disabilities rely on memorization and orientation skills. The consistency and uniformity of design elements, such as spaces with straight lines and consistent right angles, increase a person’s ability to maintain their orientation. Tactile surfaces, visual cues, and painted crosswalks add beneficial wayfinding information. Wayfinding can also benefit people with cognitive disabilities as well as people who do not read English. Pictures or symbols in signage can convey a message to a broader range of people.
Lighting is an extremely important tool for safety as it reveals features including signage, stairs, grade changes, and uneven sidewalks. Lighting should be directed to avoid glare and reflection and to maintain a consistent pattern and level of light.
Good lighting is also helpful for people in the deaf community and those with hearing loss who communicate with sign language or by reading lips.
Trees are not often associated with safety but in addition to adding to the attractiveness of streetscapes, they act as a safety measure, creating a buffer between pedestrians and automobiles. The selection of trees is important to ensure that the root system of the tree will not become a tripping hazard or affect the stability of the surface. It is also important to consider the tree form and whether branches will interfere with the path of travel. Many mobility aids have air filled tires and therefore any plant or tree with thorns should be avoided.
Landscaping can offer directional cues for people with vision loss. Grassy areas are also essential for people who rely on guide, service, or therapy dogs as the dogs require areas to relieve themselves.
STRAIGHT LINE OF TRAVEL
Another key element is a straight line of travel free and clear of obstructions, hazards, or obstacles wide enough to allow two people in wheelchairs to travel in opposite directions.
Street furniture including light poles, bench-es, newspaper vending machines, sandwich boards, tables, and bike racks add to street experience but should be carefully placed close to the edge of the travel path but out of the main flow of pedestrian traffic.
SURFACES
The surface of a sidewalk is the one of the most important factors for a usable, safe, and comfortable sidewalk. Paving stones and/or bricks cause difficulty and pain for people using mobility aids. Tooled joints instead of saw cut joints also create bumpy and uncomfortable wheeling surfaces. As a result, pedestrians often bypass the sidewalk and go onto the road, creating a hazard for cyclists and drivers. An even, non-slip concrete surface is the ideal path of travel for all pedestrians, ensuring their safety away from busy roadways.
To better understand the vital importance of a smooth surface for a wheelchair user, imagine a continuous highway rumble strip. The analogy equates the strips used to jolt drivers and alert them back into their lanes to a bumpy sidewalk for a wheelchair user. This experience is similar to the discomfort and pain that people with mobility devices may experience on sidewalks on a daily basis.
SIGNALS
Accessible pedestrian signals provide auditory, visual, and tactile information so that people with visual disabilities can orient themselves on a straight path of travel and know when it is safe to cross. The push button should be located away from the curb on clear, level ground and it should be parallel with the direction of travel of that particular button.
Heather McCain is Executive Director of Citizens for Accessible Neighborhoods, a non-profit society she founded in 2005 as a way to support full inclusion in communities.
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