This Peruvian Cement Brand Turns Sidewalks into Guides for People with Disabilities

Circus Grey Peru joined forces with Cemento Sol and the Miraflores District Municipality to revamp the sidewalks in Lima municipality by installing a system of tactile tiles. These tiles enable visually impaired individuals to navigate with complete autonomy. It's an innovative system developed and co-created with associations dedicated to the visually impaired in Peru, expanding on and improving the existing signage system present in major cities worldwide. 

In Peru, visual impairment is the most prevalent physical disability. However, the lack of inclusive urban development forces those affected to rely on constant assistance to locate basic services  and nearby businesses. Thanks to the development and implementation of this new urban  signage system, visually impaired individuals navigating the Miraflores district now have a simple system of signs installed on cement tiles along the sidewalks. This system helps them identify essential services and places like restaurants, banks, convenience stores, or pharmacies by touching the tiles and counting the lines with their canes. This marks a significant change that  permanently improves mobility in one of Lima's most important districts, the most visited by tourists, providing greater independence and autonomy to this population and making the Peruvian capital a more inclusive city. 

Carlos Canales, the mayor of Miraflores, commented on the project, "With this initiative, we  continue the work started 20 years ago to make Miraflores more inclusive. We aim to remain the  most inclusive district in Peru, based on the support and policies of our administration (on to include people with disabilities and provide solutions. Thanks to Cemento Sol, who approached us sometime ago, this project is now a reality." 

To create a system that both standardises and expands on universal urban signage for the visually impaired worldwide, the idea was developed in collaboration with representatives from organisations for the visually impaired in Peru. The goal was to co-create signs, prioritise the most frequented businesses, and conduct various tests. The process lasted nearly two years, involving industrial designers and engineers responsible for moulding and implementation. 

"This project not only aligns with the Sol brand's purpose but also demonstrates a genuine  commitment to inclusion and improving the quality of life for visually impaired individuals. Developing the project took almost two years, with a continuous iteration process. Each stage was crucial to ensure the system's effectiveness, from the initial prototypes to the final tests. The collaborative, multidisciplinary, co-creation work with the country's leading associations for the visually impaired, industrial designers, and engineers is noteworthy. This is an example of how creativity, innovation, and design can significantly contribute to societal well-being," emphasised Piero Oliveri, CCO of Circus Grey. 

Simultaneously, to ensure universal access to the autonomy the project aims for, training sessions were conducted in 2023. These sessions taught participants to recognise and use the new signalling system in locations of major organisations for visually impaired individuals in Peru. The  training included talks and practical tests to familiarise participants with the new tactile tiles, braille brochures, and instructional audio. 

"I feel proud and happy to have more accessible streets, and hopefully, this project can continue to be implemented elsewhere to enhance inclusion. This allows us to highlight the importance and  value of tactile lines. For us, these (les are not just any lines; they have a significance that allows us to replace sight with touch," highlighted Rubén Goicochea, president of the National Union of the Blind in Peru. 

The project benefits over 500,000 visually impaired individuals, with over 75,000 square meters  already implemented in the streets of Miraflores. The goal is to expand to different districts in  Lima and other cites worldwide. The design and patent for implementation are open and free to  use, available on the Cemento Sol website www.cementosol.com.pe