SafetyRail in Action at Colorado School for Deaf and Blind

November 2024, PSS sold SafetyRail to the Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind (CSDB) to fulfill their need for ADA barricades. Like many schools of its kind in the United States, the CSDB has a mission of serving students and their families who are deaf, blind, or both while also providing outreach services throughout the state. To accomplish their mission, the CSDB needs ADA compliant barricades to ensure safe passage through campus, when needed. 

SafetyRail is a pedestrian channelizing barricade that is both ADA and MUTCD compliant, designed to make passage through work zones easier for members of the blind and visually impaired community. Recently, PSS reached out to Dave Clayton, who works for the Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind, to learn more about how SafetyRail is being used on school grounds to create a safer environment for the students. 

PSS sent Dave a series of questions, to which he responded: 

PSS: Could you please provide me with your name as you would like it to appear on our website, along with your official title?  

D: Dave Clayton, Grounds & Nursery  

PSS: Could you tell us a little bit about the Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind, and how long you have been with them?  

D: I have had the honor of being part of this amazing community for almost two years now. The Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind (CSDB) is a PreK-12 residential school with post high school education, located just east of downtown Colorado Springs, Colorado. Today, CSDB serves more than 700 students on campus and statewide. CSDB currently serves students and their families who are deaf, blind, or both. CSDB also provides outreach services to support students, families, and school districts throughout Colorado and coordinates the Colorado Home Intervention Program (CHIP) that serves deaf and hard of hearing students from birth to three years old within their home.  

CSDB aspires to be an exemplary global resource for families and professionals that excels in preparing diverse learners to transform the world with PRIDE: Positive Attitude, Respect, Independence, Determination, and Excellence.  

PSS: What led you to the SafetyRail? What had been in place before this, and when did you realize you needed a change?  

D: Our school campus was established in 1874, so a majority of our buildings are historical structures, and we are always doing work on them and around campus. To protect our staff and our students we put up barricades that allow not only our seeing students to see them but have the ability to have our blind students be able to come across them with their canes so they were built with a lower structure that would work for this purpose. Unfortunately, they were built out of 2x4s and construction netting which over time have not held up and had become a safety concern rather than aiding. I saw a need for a new barricade that would fit our needs on campus and came across the SafetyRail system from PSS. After doing a lot of research and watching videos online where these were in place, we knew this was a perfect match for our needs. 

PSS: What were some of your first impressions of SafetyRail? How was installation and overall performance?  

D: Our first impression was how easy these were to set up and move from location to location. Our old barricades were stored outside as they did not come apart and took up so much room. Storage of these is great since they stack up and can be easily stored inside to help keep them clean and help aid in longevity. I like the feature of being able to put some sand inside the uprights to keep them from blowing over in high winds.  

PSS: Could you tell us a little bit about the projects and areas around the school where SafetyRail has offered protection?  

D: Our first use was inside a building during the holidays. We have a gingerbread contest and judges, and all staff and students can walk by and look at all the entries. In the past we have always put up a rope around the tables that the gingerbread houses were displayed on but this time we set up the new safety rails which met the needs and guided all staff and students. As our weather has got better, we have started some outside projects and have used them to block off areas that are under construction. We have two patios that are having some ceiling work done and we wanted to keep people from entering these areas and to guide them around those areas. It was extremely easy to set this up using a variety of sizes. We have an upcoming Fun Run with a course set up going though campus and they will be amazing at setting up and helping with directional aides with corners and turns on the course.  

PSS: Would you recommend SafetyRail to other schools that cater to students who are blind and/or deaf?  

D: I would highly recommend this product to other schools and state and city ordinances as they do cater to everyone. They are a great resource that I know we will be using in the future around our campus. They really provide great safety to all! 

SafetyRail’s ability to be easily set up and stored is intentional, and so its successful application in this environment is by design. It is just one of many devices in our RightPath line, a family of devices designed to be ADA compliant and to give all pedestrians of all capabilities the Right to safe passage through active work zones. 

Learn more about the RightPath line of devices here.