Seiichi Miyake had a friend who was losing his sight. In 1965, the engineer from Japan’s Okayama Prefecture spent his own money developing a solution, according to CNN. Today, that solution is under your feet in countless cities worldwide.

The problem Miyake set out to solve was that cities gave blind pedestrians almost no warning before something dangerous. A curb leading into traffic. The edge of a train platform. A stairwell. None of it announced itself to someone navigating with a cane or by touch.

His answer had two parts. Raised dots meant stop—danger ahead. Long, parallel bars meant keep going—this path is safe. Both could be felt through the sole of a shoe or the tip of a cane.........

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