GDQ and Brisbane City Council blaze a trail

Our Rehabilitation Services team has been working with the Brisbane City Council to make the city centre more accessible for people who are blind or vision impaired.

Street signs with raised lettering and braille have been fixed to the crossing posts on the corners of Adelaide and Albert street and the Council intends to continue the trial by installing another 18 signs at the four entry points to the Queen Street Mall.

The signs compliment the city's Braille Trail, which is a pathway of paving with dot and dash patterns that is easily followed by a person who is blind or vision impaired, using a cane.

The Trail helps people find their way through the mall and at 1.6km in length, is the longest continuous braille trail in Australia. It runs down both sides of the mall with six cross over trails and through Reddacliff Place. Other trails are along sections of King George Square and Albert Street.

Guide Dogs Queensland Rehabilitation Services Manager Bashir Ebrahim OAM said the Braille Trail was a vital tool for long cane users to safely access the city centre.

"The Braille Trail is a feature which gives people who are blind or have low vision the confidence to safely and easily reach their destination without having to rely on anyone else. The community can make life much easier for trail users who are blind or vision impaired by simply being aware of its purpose and giving way," Mr Ebrahim said.

Guide Dogs Queensland works with clients who are blind or vision impaired to assist them to use the Braille Trail, tactile signs and other facilities such as audio tactile pedestrian crossing signals, and tactile paving at kerb ramps and bus stops to find their way around the CBD.