Smart Sidewalks: Cemento Sol inaugurates inclusive project with the Municipality of Miraflores

• More than 100 podotactile tiles have been laid to allow visually impaired people to identify basic services and places such as restaurants, banks, warehouses and pharmacies, among others.

Lima, October 2023.- According to the last Peruvian census, there are more than 3 million people with some kind of disability in Peru, 48% of whom suffer visual impairment, making this the most common condition among Peruvians. “Smart Sidewalks” was created in line with the purpose of Cemento Sol, “Building development and security for Peruvian families“; the project has been developed with the Municipality of Miraflores to implement an innovative system of tactile tiles that enhances and complements existing knowledge, facilitating accessibility and mobility by visually impaired people.

Other cities are already using podotactile tiles, which contain small studs in relief that allow visually impaired people to find their way around; Their use is still limited, however, and does not specifically identify the different basic services or businesses in the area.

Thus, with the support of the “National Union of the Blind of Peru” and the NGO “Yo soy sus Ojos”, the 10 most important premises and basic services to be located in the city have been identified; these are: restaurants, banks, stores, drugstores, pharmacies, bus stops, health centers, hairdressers, shopping malls or supermarkets, telephone companies and hotels. To date, more than 100 tiles with the new system have been installed and are distributed throughout the center of the district of Miraflores: Av. Larco, Av. Diagonal, Calle Diez Canseco and Calle Lima.

At the inauguration of this new system, the Mayor of Miraflores, Carlos Canales, said “Miraflores has historically always been an inclusive district. With this effort, we are continuing work that began 20 years ago. We want to continue to be the most inclusive district in Peru, based precisely on the support and policies of our local government, to incorporate people with disabilities and provide them with solutions. Thanks to Cemento Sol, who approached some time ago for this project, which is now a reality”.

Gabriel Barrio, commercial manager of UNACEM and representative of Cemento Sol, said that this proposal “was created with the main aim of taking an existing tool and enhancing it, allowing people with visual disabilities to gain independence and autonomy when walking, and identify the stores and services among their surroundings”.

Mr Barrio also emphasized that this project has been “worked on, reviewed and validated together with different associations of visually impaired people in Peru, so that it is available for other municipal authorities to implement in their districts”. More information can be found on the Cemento Sol website www.cementosol.com.pe