 |
Braille for the feet: Warning tracks help the visually impared
Friday, April 28, 2000
By PAUL NYHAN
A local company, Vanguard ADA Systems of America, has found a way to make money by laying new paths for the blind.
Snohomish-based Vanguard ADA sells systems of plastic semidomes that building owners use to warn visually impaired individuals a surface is about to change. So, a blind person can actually feel the domes underfoot when, for instance, a walkway is about to intersect with a road.
"It's as important to (visually-impaired individuals) as the sign that says men's room is to you and me."
The federal and Washington state governments agree. Both require that some new commercial buildings contain surface warning systems, although not necessarily Vanguard's products, Julnes said.
Unfortunately, not every owner has installed a system, and many do not even know where to buy them, according to Julnes.
"Here we have a federal mandate . . . (and) these guys don't know who to call," Julnes said.
Still, owners do not necessarily face fines if their new buildings do not comply with federal and state warning rules. Instead, once an owner receives a notice from the Justice Department, he or she has a grace period to address the problem, according to Julnes.
However, if owners cannot locate systems, they may not be able to open their doors, he added.
"Bankers, having loaned millions of dollars to construct a building, don't tend to like it when a $3,000 item holds up potential rental income," Julnes said in a recent letter describing his system.
Vanguard first discovered it could make money by laying plastic tracks in 1993, when the system was invented. Now, the company logs more than $2.5 million in sales every year. Vanguard is not publicly traded so it does not disclose details of its financial performance.
Of course, Vanguard is not the only company hawking a warning system. Still, employees and others have laid its domed tracks from Daytona Beach, Fla., to Los Angeles.
The systems also alert walkers to hazardous areas, access ramps and other changes.
The 16-employee concern is also expanding to new surfaces. For example, Vanguard sells SkidGuard to help people keep their footing in slippery areas.
And the company plans to bring another guard to the marketplace in less than a year.
The product is designed to protect certain containers from leaking chemicals into the ground.
On the net:
P-I reporter Paul Nyhan can be reached at 206-448-8145 or paulnyhan@seattle-pi.com
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER
"This stuff is literally Braille for the feet," said Jon Julnes, president of TILCO Vanguard Inc., the parent of Vanguard ADA.
Dave Martinson and Tom Nolan lay down floor mats that have a raised pattern that alerts the visually impaired
to a potential hazard. Federal and state laws require such warning surfaces in some new construction projects.
Phil H. Webber/P-I
· Weigh in on new credit card proposals
· Of Mutual Interest: Droopy dollar may be ready to rebound
· Homeowners who need help need patience
· Microsoft appealing EU's $1.39 billion antitrust fine
· Senators skeptical of EADS' claims
· Small Retail: Willow & Bloom in Fremont
more
101 Elliott Ave. W.
Seattle, WA 98119
(206) 448-8000
Home Delivery: (206) 464-2121 or (800) 542-0820
seattlepi.com serves about 1.7 million unique visitors
and 30 million page views each month.
Send comments to newmedia@seattlepi.com
Send investigative tips to iteam@seattlepi.com
©1996-2008 Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Terms of Use/Privacy Policy
