Wilhelmstrasse becomes blind-friendly: Tactile grooves make orientation easier

Wilhelmstrasse becomes blind-friendly: Tactile grooves make orientation easier

The old town of Lüdenscheid shines in a new light for people with visual impairments! On Tuesday, November 5th, a decisive step was taken to improve orientation in upper Wilhelmstrasse. Using a special process, grooves were milled into the pavement, which blind and visually impaired people can feel with their cane. This is a huge step forward for inclusion and accessibility in the city!

The first-class team from Austria, which specializes in this technology, began work in the early hours of the morning. Using a specially developed machine, the specialists created several parallel grooves in the pavement, which now form a continuous tactile guidance system. The entire process was coordinated in advance with the volunteer disability representative Monika Schwanz, who coordinated the details at an on-site meeting in July. This ensures that the new grooves are precisely placed and meet the needs of users.

Optimal orientation through clever design

The milled grooves have been strategically placed at key locations to complement the gutters in the middle of the road. These grooves already serve as a guide, and where they are broken, the new grooves now close the gaps. This is particularly important in the area of ​​the inlays that mark the city gates, and also in front of the popular Fabriksken coffee shop, where the tactile paving edge acts as a guide.

The lower Wilhelmstrasse remains unaffected by this measure, as the water drainage channel runs continuously here. Only in transition areas were a few meters milled to ensure a seamless transition between the paving areas. With this measure, the city of Lüdenscheid has sent a strong signal for accessibility, which significantly improves the quality of life for people with visual impairments.