#20: Tactile Pavement: The Real MVP
Tactile pavement is a widespread invention that can be found in almost any city in the world. They’re so common that we hardly give them a second thought. However, they serve a very important purpose and have quite an interesting history. The dots and raised lines of tactile pavement help people with visual impairments safely navigate pedestrian walkways and crosswalks.
This simple yet ingenious invention is originally from 1960s Japan. It was created by inventor Seiichi Miyake, who wanted to help his friend navigate the train station near their home. After its initial debut, all Japanese train stations soon required tactile pavement. It took Western countries a few decades to catch on, but by the 1990s, the use of tactile pavement became pretty common in US cities. Pretty neat!