Promoting Community Inclusion - A Study Responding to the Height of Tactile Guide Paths in Hong Kong

Starting from Feb 2024, The Buildings Department appointed Samson Wong & Associates Property Consultancy to review the "Design Manual: Barrier Free Access 2008" (Design Manual). Three phases of consultation were held from May 2024 to Oct 2025.

At those consultation sessions, there were quite a lot of recommendations covering various facilities related to visually impaired persons, including luminance in lighting, speed of escalator as well as the height of tactile guide paths. Among those concerns, modification of the height of guide paths is of utmost importance as it is crucial to the road safety for the visually impaired. Thus, if there were any modifications which should ensure the safety and convenience of the visually impaired, and conducting trial study on different heights.

Following extensive discussions and consultations amongst the Buildings Department, Consultancy and the Joint Committee on Transportation Concerns for the Visually Impaired, the trial study on different heights of guide paths was successfully completed at the Buildings Department on 30 March 2026. All organizations for the visually impaired invited their members to participate in this study. We are very grateful to the Buildings Department for its continued concern on the road safety for the visually impaired and for maintaining close communication with the organizations serving the visually impaired. Given that the road safety for the visually impaired is most important, the later released revised version of Design Manual would maintain the height of guide paths at 5mm without any modifications.