Proceedings of: Workshop on Improving Building Design for Persons with Low Vision

Protruding Objects

We do have some guidelines in the ADA about where you can protrude objects into a hallway, but we don’t necessarily say that the objects protruding need to be of contrasting colors. So you may miss the object or you may not even see it altogether.

Comment by [Participant]: Well, that standard was specifically written to address people using a cane.

Response by Erin Schambureck: A cane, right.

Comment by Participant]: Essentially, the 27 inches is a magic number where [the cane of] an average-height person will intersect with the object, giving that user sufficient stopping time to avoid the object.

Comment by Participant]: So there’s nothing for people with low vision.

Response by Erin Schambureck: Exactly.

Comment by Marsha Mazz: And, in fact, if it’s below 27 inches, it’s not a “protruding object.” So for those of us with low vision, you’re more likely to walk into it, exactly. So again, it’s a situation where we addressed a problem for one user group, but it doesn’t in any way imply that another user group is [accommodated].

Question by Erin Schambureck: So is there a way that we could address “protruding objects” and modify the language in some way that would make it more universally friendly?

Response by [Participant]: The state of California attempted to address that by requiring what are known as detectable warnings, the bumps on the curb ramps, underneath drinking fountains.

Question by [Participant]: Did it work?

Response by [Participant]: Well, using detectable warnings to mark protruding objects would dilute their effectiveness to signal that we’re about to enter traffic. People come up with good ideas, but sometimes, they’re not as well thought out as we’d like them to be.