@article{ref1,
title="Detection of warning surfaces in pedestrian environments: The importance for blind people of kerbs, depth, and structure of tactile surfaces",
journal="Disability and rehabilitation",
year="2009",
author="Stahl, Agneta and Newman, E. and Dahlin-Ivanoff, Synneve and Almén, Mai and Iwarsson, Susanne",
volume="",
number="",
pages="-",
abstract="Purpose. The overall purpose was to study whether and how persons with blindness detect warning surfaces with a long white cane in a real pedestrian environment after following a natural guidance surface to the warning surfaces. Of particular interest was the importance of kerb, depth, and structure of the warning surfaces. Method. A concurrently mixed methods approach, with a combination of observation using a structured form together with 'think aloud' and a structured interview, was used. It was done with well-defined samples and study sites in an inter-disciplinary research context. Results. The results show that the most important design characteristic for detection of the warning surfaces with a white cane is the structure of the surface, while the depth of the surface and availability of a kerb do not have any impact on the detection. A precondition was that there is a distinct natural guidance surface leading up to the warning surface. Conclusions. The probability among pedestrians with blindness to detect a tactile surface is not higher if the design solution has a kerb. This study also confirms the complexity of being a blind pedestrian in the traffic environment. The results can be used for evidence-based physical planning. The study also has implications for development of more efficient vision rehabilitation.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0963-8288",
doi="",
url="http://dx.doi.org/"
}