KCC cautiously supports rainbow walk project

Kildare County Council is to provide a “rainbow walk” at a pedestrian crossing site.

It follows a request from Cllr Angela Feeney that at least one crossing be approved “as a symbol of inclusion”.

Temporary rainbow walks were placed near the Dame Street/George’s Street junction and at two locations on Capel Street to mark the Dublin Pride Festival.

The walks bear the same colours as the rainbow flag of the LGBT movement.

KCC official Evelyn Wright said the council is willing to work with relevant stakeholders to identify a site.

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Ms Wright reported to a Kildare County Council meeting that the council continues to work on public realm and streetscape improvements, which includes traffic calming measures, improving junctions and crossing points, and additional space for cycling.

Engagement with disability and accessibility groups is important to ensure that the designs do not create safety and accessibility concerns for some disabled people with particular impairments.

However she also raised a number of potential issues and said the provision of safe crossing points affects everyone’s ability and desire to use their local streets, and this is especially crucial in enabling disabled people to make journeys as pedestrians.

It has been established that best practice for making walkways safe is to avoid patterns. For blind and visually impaired people, the consistency and predictability of signage is fundamental to being able to navigate safely and independently.

Designs and colours used on pedestrian crossings which are not consistent with traditional designs could cause confusion and risk safety.

According to Ms Wright the use of black and white in traditional pedestrian crossings offer high contrast which is essential for people with low vision to detect and stay on course when crossing roads.

People with learning disabilities may find it difficult to interpret artwork as a crossing.

For some with a sensory processing difference, including autistic people, sensory overload and/or distress can be caused when encountering “visual noise” such as bright colours, patterns and stripes.