Bredmose and colleagues studied how design can support the movement of blind and visually impaired people (BVIP) through a space. They report that “tactile elements were assessed as being very important. . . . the visible contrast elements were assessed rather high with regard to orientation in the urban environment. . . . Even though other senses such as hearing and touch can take over in terms of informing about the surroundings when visual information is missing, perception from these senses is much slower and requires increased cognitive power as it demands a high level of concentration. . . . BVIPs not hearing the traffic, are more dependent on tactile delineation between shared space and safe space. . . . BVIPs with cognitive disabilities have an even greater need for tactile elements as both their sensory and cognitive abilities are reduced. All this variation in human ability suggests a design approach that acknowledge diversity and meet the different user needs.”
Annette Bredmose, Sidse Grangaard, Victoria Lygum, and Anders Hansen. 2023. “Mapping the Importance of Specific Physical Elements in Urban Space for Blind and Visually Impaired People.” Journal of Urban Design, vol. 28, no. 2, pp 139-154, https://doi.org/10.1080/13574809.2022.2097862