Jabal Hussein neighbourhood gets tactile sidewalks in effort to boost accessibility

AMMAN — The Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) has recently begun installing tactile paving in the city in an effort to make the capital more accessible for the visually impaired, sources from the GAM told The Jordan Times on Sunday. 

Through the use of a distinctive surface pattern, the new paving will make streets safer by alerting the visually impaired when approaching new streets, crossings or grade changes, the sources said. 

The new tiles are currently being installed in the neighbourhood of Jabal Hussein, starting from the Firas intersection up to the Hussein Security Centre, while later stages of the project will further cover areas in the centre of the city. 

Selected in coordination with the Higher Council for People with Disabilities (HCD), the neighbourhood of Jabal Hussein was chosen for the first phase of the project due to its high influx of visitors and the presence of several public service buildings such as commercial centres, mosques and schools, HCD Secretary General Muhannad Azzeh told The Jordan Times during a recent interview. 

“We have been coordinating with the GAM and other stakeholders in this first phase as a primary step towards good practice in applying accessibility,” Azzeh said, noting that the project also includes the clearing of streets so that people with disabilities (PwD) can move smoothly in the area, and the installation of sound devices at the intersection of Firas Square. 

The official also noted that the council will soon finalise the drafting of its 10-year action plan for accessibility in coordination with the GAM and the Ministry of Public Works, explaining that the project is expected to start by the beginning of 2019 in the Abdali area. 

“However, before the plan can be implemented on the ground, it is necessary to run a serious assessment of the buildings of the Abdali area, as well as coordinate with the governmental entities that own the buildings in that part of the city,” Azzeh pointed out, referring to institutions such as the ministries of education and justice as well as Parliament.

“Each entity will be held responsible to make its premises accessible to PwD, while the GAM will be accountable for the conditions of the pavement and the general street accessibility,” he added. 

Speaking on the council’s plans for the rest of the country, the official said that the HCD is currently focusing on the areas of socialisation, accessibility, inclusive education and diagnostic standards, expressing hopes for the PwD community to “feel a real change gradually”.