What is ISO 23599- Product specifications for tactile walking surface indicators about?

ISO 23599 discusses assistive products for blind and vision-impaired persons. ISO 23599 is an international standard that outlines tactile walking surface indicators for safe mobility of blind or vision-impaired persons.

ISO 23599 provides product specifications for tactile walking surface indicators (TWSIs) and recommendations for their installation to assist in the safe and independent mobility of blind or vision-impaired persons.

ISO 23599 specifies two types of TWSIs: attention patterns and guiding patterns. Both types can be used indoors and outdoors throughout the built environment where there are insufficient cues for wayfinding, or at specific hazards.

Note: ISO 23599 is not intended to replace requirements and recommendations contained in such national standards, regulations, or guidelines.

Who is ISO 23599-Product specifications for tactile walking surface indicators for?

ISO 23599 on product specifications for tactile walking surface indicators is relevant to-

Tactile walking surface indicators manufacturers
Medical laboratories

Why should you use ISO 23599- Product specifications for tactile walking surface indicators?

When blind or vision-impaired persons travel alone, they might encounter problems and hazards in various situations. To obtain information for wayfinding, these pedestrians use the information available from the natural and built environment, including tactual, acoustic, and visual information. However, environmental information is not always reliable and it is for this reason that TWSIs are perceived through the use of a long white cane, through the soles of shoes, and through the use of residual vision have been developed. Tactile walking surface indicators should be designed and installed based on a simple, logical, and consistent layout. This will enable tactile indicators to facilitate not only the independent travel of blind or vision-impaired people in places they frequently travel, but also to support their independent travel in places they visit for the first time.

ISO 23599 provides a basis for a common approach for TWSIs at the international level while acknowledging that some differences might be necessary at the local level to accommodate climatic, geographical, cultural, or other issues that might exist.

ISO 23599 assists in the smooth installation of TWSI at a place where blind or vision-impaired persons can identify them without interference from an irregular walking surface.

By adopting ISO 23599 the user can build efficient TWSIs that are effective for blind or vision-impaired persons, by paying attention to their surface structure and materials to ensure that all pedestrians, including those with impaired mobility, can safely and effectively negotiate them.

What’s changed since the last update?

BS ISO 23599:2019 is the second edition that cancels and replaces the first edition ISO 23599:2012. The main changes compared to the previous edition are:

Correction of Weber’s formula
Correction of reference in the Bibliography

BS ISO 23599:2019

Assistive products for blind and vision-impaired persons. Tactile walking surface indicators

Current, Under Review

Published:

31 Jan 2019