Mobility impaired persons

Wheelchairs (manually or electrically propelled) and crutches are the most common walking aids for mobility impaired persons to travel around. Many facilities are provided on roads, such as pavements and road crossing places, for mobility impaired persons, in particular those using wheelchairs. Most of the rules and advice given to pedestrians also apply to mobility impaired persons using walking aids.

Barrier-free access facilities, like lifts, ramps and dropped kerbs, are provided to help you use the footbridges and subways to cross roads, and access premises and community facilities comfortably and safely. Use ramps or lifts provided at footbridges or subways. Some direction signs may help you locate the barrier-free access and nearby public facilities.

An international symbol of accessibility may appear on pedestrian direction signs to indicate facilities or routes for mobility impaired persons.

If using a wheelchair, you should take note of the following advice:

• Before going out, make sure your wheelchair is in a good condition and you are familiar with its operation. Wear the seat belt securely, if fitted. If you travel at night, wear bright, light coloured or reflective clothing. It will help other road users to notice you.
• Do not use the wheelchair if you are under the influence of alcohol or drugs as this will affect your judgement and control ability.
• When travelling on pavements, you should be considerate towards other road users and use the wheelchair attentively to avoid causing any nuisance, inconvenience or danger to them. You should move at a reasonable speed which at most should be comparable with that of the moving crowd around you. Look out for the road environment and the people moving around you, in particular the sudden movement of young children or the slow movement of the elderly.
• When crossing the road at-grade, always use dropped kerb crossings and follow the Road Crossing Code.

Visually impaired persons

The following facilities are provided to help visually impaired persons in travelling around:

• Tactile guide path
  A path with continuous different tactile tiles used to link up public transport interchanges with nearby places of public interest.
• Tactile warning strip at dropped kerb crossing
  A strip with hazard warning tiles is used to warn users of potential hazards ahead.

	Directional tile with parallel raised bars is used to guide users along an intended safe path.
	Hazard warning tile with raised big dots (35mm in diameter) is used to give warning to users of potential hazards ahead, for example at road crossing place or beginning/end of staircase/ramp/escalator.
	Positional tile with raised small dots (23mm in diameter) is used to indicate possible change in walking directions, for example at junctions.

• Electronic audible traffic signals and tactile units
  At most 'Green man' crossings, they are provided with electronic audible traffic signals specially designed for use by visually impaired persons. The audible traffic signals emit different sound pattern representing different pedestrian signal states, e.g. a continuous beeping sound to tell users when the steady 'Green man' light has started to show, an intermittent beeping for the flashing 'Green man' and a slow hammering tone for 'Red man'. A tactile unit attached to the traffic light poles may also be included to supplement the audible traffic signals. Users can touch a vibrator located at the bottom of the unit to receive different vibrating patterns corresponding to different pedestrian signal states and the directional arrow to know the direction of crossing the road.

Vibrator and directional arrow at the bottom

• Braille plates
  To assist visually impaired persons, braille information on directional arrows and floor numbers are provided at the barrier-free access facilities such as the handrails or lifts.