Peruvian cement manufacturer Cemento Sol, together with the Miraflores District Municipality and advertising agency Circus Grey Peru, are revolutionizing urban navigation for the visually impaired in Lima’s Miraflores with their innovative Sidewalks to See or SightWalks initiative.
This groundbreaking project utilizes specially designed tactile tiles with distinct line patterns, enabling those with visual impairments to independently locate essential services like eateries, shops, and hospitals. The tiles’ vertical lines convey different amenities – one line indicates a restaurant, two a bank, and so forth up to six lines for a hospital. Horizontal lines guide the direction of the service relative to the tile.
Remarkably, Cemento Sol has made this project an open-source, copyright-free innovation, inviting cities, organizations, and individuals globally to adopt this system to enhance accessibility for the visually impaired. This approach not only fosters a more inclusive society, but also encourages widespread implementation of this life-changing technology.
Cemento Sol’s collaboration with Circus Grey Peru led to a compelling commercial underscoring the prevalence of visual impairment in Peru and the dependency of visually impaired individuals on others for city navigation. This system, developed in conjunction with various organizations for the blind, empowers them to independently find essential places.
The project’s successful implementation in Miraflores followed extensive collaboration and testing with associations for the visually impaired throughout Peru, ensuring the tiles effectively support independent mobility.
This initiative opens a call to action for cities and organizations worldwide. By embracing this open-source technology, they can play a pivotal role in creating more accessible urban environments for the visually impaired, fostering greater independence and quality of life.
