We have become so used to the various tiny features of the infrastructure that we live in and are surrounded by, that we often overlook how thoughtful and innovative some of them are. From sliding doors and escalators to chairs that have wheels, each component that makes up our furniture and architecture contains small modifications to their original prototypes that make our lives more convenient. These modifications were made by many generations of designers, with each group of developers trying to improve on the previous design. With time, and with the differences that exist across cultures and communities, dwellings both public and private and their decorations undergo modifications that will be unfamiliar to the generation who first has to adjust to them, but will be commonplace for their successors.
History has seen designers recognize the importance of giving disabled communities and marginalized minorities’ consideration while developing new concepts. With ideals of inclusivity inter-twining with ideas of modernity and ideological progress, we see more representation of the lesser abled sections of society, most importantly, the physically disabled population. While they may not be that much prevalent, society has, with time, recognized that their numbers are significant enough to bring about noticeable modifications to the architecture of public places to make life more convenient for them.
These modifications include slopes built-in next to the staircases so that the visually challenged do not have to face the struggles of navigating their way up the stairs. Slopes make various elevated rooms and buildings more accessible to those who are restricted to their wheelchairs or crutches for mobility. Escalators that are slanted instead of having steps also make it easier for users of wheelchairs and crutches, even people with arthritis or other mobility-related handicaps.
One such improvement on simple existing designs that changed lives for those who are disabled is the modification of something that is part of everyday life, that are pavements. Tactile paving is a systematic textured ground surface indicator that architects put on flat surfaces like pavements, crosswalks, and other public road systems. These blocks or surface indicators are supposed to help those who are blind or visually challenged – when they point their walking sticks around, the tips of the walk assists will bump into the raised surfaces, letting them know that there is a change of walking area ahead. These are essential warnings to those who cannot see dangers ahead, to let them know that there are hazardous obstructions ahead.
India, too, has taken up the idea of installing tactile paving to ensure that its blind citizens are not kept away from the public places everybody has access to. There are numerous ways in which we can create tactile paving, ranging from truncated domes or blocks to tactile studs. In India, we usually use stainless steel studs to create the layer of indicators on the paving. The reason many architects prefer stainless steel studs to other forms of tactile paving is because of the dual function it serves – one, for those with visual impairments, as we have discussed above, and two, to provide enough friction to create an anti-slip surface for all pedestrians in general.
In a country like India that experiences long bouts of rain during the onslaught of heavy monsoons, a continuous shower may mean that public roads and pavements become slippery. This is dangerous for all pedestrians, especially in areas like parks or railway stations, where kids and even adults tend to run around a lot. In areas like the airport, stainless studs ensure that the trolleys that carry heavy luggage go steadily in a straight trajectory and not steer away and hit anyone.
The various things one must take into consideration is why architects prefer commercial materials like stainless steel to make tactical paving. It provides durability, hardness, and resistance to corrosion that is necessary when creating paving for a country like ours that has such a diverse and unpredictable climate.
If you are considering purchasing and installing tactical paving at your house or the areas around your home, make sure that you get the best stainless steel tactile supplier in India. Sundream Group is reliable when it comes to offering you the best options for construction material.
