Studs and Strips to Guide Your Way!

Abhi
2 min readDec 28, 2023

--

Living abroad offers countless opportunities to discover new and interesting things. During my recent travels on the MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) in Singapore, the island nation’s main railway system, I came across something truly fascinating.

Can you make your way around a train station with your eyes closed? Probably not.

Think about blind people, navigating through crowded stations with various sounds.

This is where the tactile guiding system comes in handy. Like signposts on footpaths, these detectable warning surfaces were adopted in Singapore and on transport nodes to help smoothen commuters’ journeys. Acting as physical cues, detectable by foot or a white cane so those who need them can move around independently. The tactile guiding system leads the way to essential services in the station such as the Passenger Service Centre and the platform screen door designated for priority boarding.

Circular studs show a decision point at junctions like lifts or platform screen doors.
An elongated strip indicates the direction of travel.

It is appreciatable to know that governments are providing equal opportunities for differently-abled people to live independently and enjoy life like everyone else. Showing them respect is crucial, and it’s important not to see them as a burden.

This sentiment aligns beautifully with one of my favorite quotes by Helen Keller: “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched — they must be felt with the heart.” It highlights how important it is to see the worth in every person, no matter their abilities.

Dreaming of a society that values empathy and includes everyone.

--

--

Responses (1)