Devices That Help People with Disabilities

Numerous devices have been created to aid over 56 million Americans with disabilities, to ensure safety and convenience throughout everyday life. Disabilities can include both physical and mental impairments, such as issues with mobility or cognitive disorders. While some disabilities are fairly recognizable, others are not always immediately apparent.

Studies show that an estimated 10% of U.S. citizens have what is referred to as an “invisible disability.” In efforts to make life easier for everyone, personal tools such as scooters, hearing aids, and assisted computer technologies are now widely used both at home and in public spaces.

Buildings and facilities also have a part to play in aiding those with disabilities, thanks to the Americans with Disabilities Act. It’s not uncommon to encounter mobility aids like wheelchair ramps and automatic doors when entering or exiting a building.

Warning tiles and surfaces are another noteworthy invention commonly seen at intersections, public transit platforms, and retail storefronts. These tiles were specifically developed to make navigating safer and easier, and their uses go well beyond minimizing the effects of certain disabilities, as they also help to prevent slips and falls by providing extra traction.

See the infographic below to learn more about the disability-friendly devices that are making life more accessible for everyone.

How warning tiles can help people that have a disability

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Truncated Domes FAQ

The use of truncated dome warning tiles has increased the accessibility and safety of public buildings and transportation for the visually impaired. As a property owner, you may have questions about the selection, installation, and maintenance of truncated dome tiles to ensure your property complies with current ADA regulations. What are truncated domes? What is their purpose? Where can you go to learn how to install truncated domes tiles?

Keep reading to learn the answers to some of these and other most frequently asked questions regarding ADA warning tiles and how to implement them safely and effectively on any property.

What Does the Installation Process Entail?

The installation process will depend upon the type of truncated dome warning tile that you choose. No matter which option you select, however, the truncated domes installation process is fairly simple.

Cast-in-place tiles are placed in wet cement. After the cement has been poured and leveled, the tile is carefully set in place, and then tamped down with a rubber mallet until any air that was trapped beneath is released and the tile is flush with the concrete. Once the tile is in place, a cinder block is used to weigh down the tile while the cement sets, which generally takes two to four hours. Once the concrete has dried, you have a slip-resistant, ADA-compliant walking surface that is ready for pedestrian use.

If you are installing a surface-mount tactile warning tile, you will not have to worry about pouring fresh cement. Instead, you simply need to ensure that the area is free of oil, grease, debris, and moisture. Next, an adhesive is applied to the underside of the surface-applied tile, and the tile is set on the installation area. Once the tile is in the correct location, holes are drilled into the cement at the tile’s pre-formed fastener locations, and then the fasteners are hammered into place. The edges of the tile are then sealed with caulk, and the tile will then be ready for pedestrian traffic.

Why Truncated Domes?

ADA specifications require the use of truncated dome warning tiles as a visual and tactile warning system for the visually impaired when navigating public streets, walkways, and other property. The use of ADA-required truncated domes (sometimes called ADA pads) is required for two reasons: first, because of the feel of a truncated dome tile underfoot is unique and discernible even without visual input, and second, because the standardized use of truncated domes allows for the same level of safety and warning throughout the urban landscape, regardless of city or state.

Thus, while other tactile warning systems may also be implemented to improve safety and traction, truncated dome warning tiles that meet federal standards are required by law on public walkways and in public transportation stations.

What Does Visual Contrast Mean?

Truncated dome warning tiles provide detectable warnings of changes in walking surfaces such as sidewalks and parking lots. While the truncated dome design is meant to warn pedestrians without the need for additional visual information, truncated dome warning tiles must also contrast visually with adjoining surfaces to assist pedestrians with full or partial visual acuity. The type of visual contrast required by the ADA regulations is dark-on-light or light-on-dark, meaning the tile must have a coloring opposite its surroundings.

Furthermore, while there is no direct wording in the Americans with Disabilities Act regarding the color of the tile that supports the domes themselves, the Department of Justice, the Department of Transportation, the Federal Highway Administration, and the Federal Access Board have all agreed that the entire field or tile housing the domes, rather than just the domes, should be a single color to contrast visually with the surrounding material.

Do you have questions about meeting the current ADA requirements or truncated domes installation procedures on your property? We produce a wide variety of federally compliant truncated dome warning surfaces, including carbon composite and cast iron tiles. You can learn more about our truncated dome warning systems on our website, or you can check out our blog library for additional tips and news about our cost-effective detectable warning surfaces.

Cast Iron Products: Iron Dome®

For twenty years ADA Solutions, has been the industry leader in manufacturing detectable warning surfaces that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and all other applicable government regulations. We have arrived at this position as a direct result of our willingness to innovate and a policy of responding to the needs of our customers and distributors. This guiding principle has led us to develop our latest offering in ADA-compliant tactile warning tiles: Iron Dome®.

Cast Iron Products

Iron Dome® is essentially an upgraded, improved version of our older cast iron ADA warning tiles. How does Iron Dome® differ from this older product? It has been specially designed with relatively lighter materials that can be installed and removed with greater ease, which significantly reduces the overall costs associated with its maintenance. Formerly, our cast iron product came in 12” by 24” pieces that were assembled with 1-2 rails. With Iron Dome®, clients now have their choice of two sizes: 24” by 24” and 24” by 30”. These state-of-the-art warning tiles are installed with an anchor system, which makes these materials more easily replaceable.

Iron Dome® includes a variety of valuable features that make it ideal for use as an ADA- and ADAAG-compliance detectable warning surface:

  • Textured, slip-resistant surface that meets coefficient of friction requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and ADA Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG).
  • Color contrast that complies with ADA and ADAAG requirements for light-on-dark or dark-on-light detectable warning surfaces. UV-stable materials provide uniform coloring without the need for paint or other surface coating. (Custom colors are available.)
  • Made in the U.S. with recycled, eco-friendly, LEED-compliant materials.
  • Conforms to AASHTO M105-09, Standard Specification for Gray Iron Castings (ASTM A48, Class 45B).
  • Conforms to ASTM A159 regulations for Automotive Grade Gray Iron Castings.
  • Conforms to AASHTO M306-10 regulations for Drainage, Sewer, Utility, and Related Castings.

Iron Dome® is a durable and aesthetically attractive product. As with all of our detectable warning surfaces, it has been engineered and tested to comply with all regulations pertaining to water absorption, compressive strength, wear resistance, weather resistance, chemical resistance, detectability (sound attenuation), and UV stability. In addition to meeting ADA and ADAAG requirements, Iron Dome® conforms to Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations, International Standards Organization ISO 23599, Public Right of Way Accessibility Guidelines (PROWAG), as well as Canadian Standards Organization standards (CSA B651-12). Like all ADA Solutions, products, it is approved by all major municipalities across the U.S. for use as a tactile warning surface for the visually impaired.

The installation process is simple. Once installed, the Iron Dome® Tactile Warning System can be safely opened to foot traffic within two to four hours. It can be installed on curb ramps, parking areas, stair landings, pedestrian crossings, transit platforms, escalator approaches, and similar areas.

We are confident that Iron Dome® will fulfill all of your needs and expectations when it comes to detectable warning surfaces. Please feel free to request a quote with our convenient online form. You may also call us at (800) 372-0519 with any questions or concerns you might have about this new product from ADA Solutions