3.1. High Contrast Colouring and Adequate Lighting.
3.2. Signage and Displays.
3.3. Angles, not Curves.
3.4. Raised Beds and Other Upstanding Wayfinding Features.
3.5. Differential Surfacing.
3.6. Warning for Steps and Drops.
3.7. Furniture, Stairs, and Pillars.
3.8. Clutter-Free Concourses.
3.9. Lifts.
3.10. Help Points.
3.11. Accessible Buttons.
3.12. Escalators.
3.13. Facilities for Guide Dogs and Assistance Dogs.
3.14. Maintenance.
3.15. Tactile Maps.
3.1. High Contrast Colouring and Adequate Lighting.
3.1A. Wayfinding and Furniture.
3.1B. High Contrast Colouring as Warning.
3.1C. Natural and Artificial Lighting.
3.1A. Wayfinding and Furniture.
Effort should be made to use high contrast to facilitate Effort should be made to use high contrast to facilitate accessibility to wayfinding features and furniture mentioned in this manual. High contrast does not mean different shades of grey or any other colour, but rather, the deliberate contrasting use of different bright and dark colours.
For example, the lips or trim on an inshore of a pathway in a park could be bright yellow or white; and the same treatment should be given to edges of kerbs on the outshore of paths (where relevant. Furniture and planters, themselves, may be brightly coloured (but not green or red, since those colours are indistinguishable by those who are colourblind); or else their edges should be brightly coloured. Also, the use of high contrasting (dark-bright) colours to differentiate between serrated and smooth surfaces in the underfoot wayfinding will have obvious benefits for those of us with low vision.
3.1B. High Contrast Colouring as Warning.
As mentioned elsewhere in this manual (e.g., 3.6 below), high contrast colouring should be used to warn against steps and drops. However, a situation which is often overlooked is that of plate glass windows or doors. A visually impaired person may not be able to detect that there is glass there at all, and bad injuries have been known from partially sighted children, in particular, running into such plate glass.
To mitigate against such hazards, bright or florescent patterns should be embedded in the plate glass which can be very easily seen while looking from the bright side into the darker side, or vice versa.
3.1C. Natural and Artificial Lighting.
Outside and inside, Lighting should be adequate from the perspective of people with low vision. We now know that optimising natural light when designing buildings is good for the environment, but an additional reason for such design should be to maximise light to facilitate easy accessibility of an indoor space for visually impaired people.
In doing this, however, architects should be aware of possible distortions and intrinsic shadows caused by direct sunlight, and should strive for a continuity between lighting effects between the natural light based lighting (in daytime), necessary and the artificial-based lighting at night.
3.2. Signage and Displays.
3.2A. Traffic Signage.
3.2B. Signage for Pedestrians.
3.2C. Realtime Displays.
3.2A. Traffic Signage.
Conventional standalone signage for traffic should have a clearance height of 2.4m so that it does not pose a collision hazard.
3.2B. Signage for Pedestrians.
It is more difficult to get right the best height of signage specific to pedestrians, since it is not easy to balance the needs of tall people with smaller people (including children) who need to be able to look as closely as possible at lettering.
This problem can be somewhat offset by the use of large lettering with a high contrast colour scheme, and using thick, but clear fonts.
Such static signage should always contain accompanying raised print letters of 150pt in size, as well as Grade 1 Standard English Braille (SEB) versions of the default/original text, and such texts should be intuitively accessible, e.g., at the top and bottom corners of a sign.
Grade 1 SEB is necessary for universal communication because this braille-type is readable by the most number of braille-readers, including those who do not have English braille as their first reading language; and also, Grade 1 SEB takes up less space than its Unified English Braille (UEB) counterpart, and is thus quicker to read.
For static signage aimed at pedestrians, the ideal positioning is for it to be embedded into intuitive and prominent positions, for example, when outdoors, at the corners of walls or railings, or at gateways and doorways to public spaces such as schools, parks, garda stations, museums, etc.
Where standalone signage is used, such as at tram stops, all such pedestrian signage should be no narrower at the base as it is in the widest point further up, and should not contain any protruding elements, or any edges. For example, a traditional signpost at such low levels is necessarily hazardous, since some unsuspecting visually impaired person is liable to come a cropper on its edges.
3.2C. Realtime Displays.
3.2C1. Height and Base-Width.
2.3C2. Readability.
3.2C1. Height and Base-Width.
Where realtime displays are being used, there should always be an eye-level option especially to facilitate the accessibility of visually impaired people to a service.
As with 3.2B, it is imperative that standalone versions of eye-level realtime displays are at least as wide at the base as they are at their widest point further up, and that there are no protuberances, such as edges or any parts sticking out. This includes the use of rounded/curved corners and edges.
2.3C2. Readability.
Bright yellow text on a black background is the optimum colour scheme for realtime displays, since this mitigates against glare, as well as being relatively easy to discern.
There should only be one language at any time on a realtime display. This is because the text is more confusing to navigate for visually impaired people the more cluttered it is, and finding the preferred language is also made more difficult as a result.
For example, English and Irish text should always be kept separate. For example, putting Irish names of stations under English names, on the same display and at the same time, makes both languages more difficult to read and find from a visually impaired perspective. Ideally, there should be a different display for each language, but a least worst option is to have the English and Irish language versions, respectively, on a fifteen-second cycle.
3.3. Angles, not Curves.
In terms of underfoot wayfinding in spaces, rounded corners are less informative at indicating landmarks or cues for a visually impaired person. Instead, square or rectangular spaces allow many of us to use the corners as landmarks, or location cues for navigation, e.g., in walled enclosures or atria.
As an example of bad practice, in recent years, some school designs have introduced rounded footways circling the outdoor area at the front of the school, making orientation by visually impaired children and parents unnecessarily difficult.
Incidentally, the intent of this design, from the first decade of the 21st century, appears to have been to facilitate parents dropping off their children by car, in a roundabout effect, inside the front gates of the schools.
3.4. Raised Beds and Other Upstanding Wayfinding Features.
Orientation and navigation in wide open spaces can be difficult for visually impaired people, whether this be in an outdoor area such as a plaza, or indoors, such as in a large atrium or airport.
Bearing in mind the integrity of the ultimate function of the open space, we recommend the use of features such as raised beds (outdoors), or planters (indoor and outdoor). Such features provide orientation, and may also act as landmarks for navigation, especially when combined with differential surfacing. One example of ideal context for use of upstanding wayfinding is where there is a plaza at the front of a public transport hub.
Raised beds are not only good for the greening of an urban environment, but they provide excellent orientation to long-cane-users and guide-dog-handlers alike.
The layout and design of such features should be created in close consultation with and active involvement of VVI, as Ireland’s DPO responsible for visually-impaired related issues.
3.5.Differential Surfacing.
Especially in narrower confines, such as indoors when leading up to entrances, and at public transport stops, we recommend underfoot wayfinding features which can be best described as ‘differential surfacing’.
The key point here is not necessarily a difference in materials, but a difference in finish, so that there exists contrasting surface types which can guide a visually impaired person, underfoot.
The textures must be significantly different, so that visually impaired people with diabetic neuropathy etc., can detect the differences.
It is very important for sighted planners to note that use of high contrast colours has no effect whatsoever for many visually impaired people. So, for example, it may look good on a promotional brochure, but be 100% ineffective in terms of underfoot wayfinding etc.
Nonetheless, for those who have some useful sight, high contrast is an important component of differential surfacing.
3.6. Warning for Steps and Drops.
3.6A. High Contrast Colouring.
3.6B. Underfoot Tactile Warning Strips.
3.6A. High Contrast Colouring.
In terms of high contrast colouring, exemplary practice is found in the combination used at Luas Platforms in Dublin, where the platforms have white edges, and there is a bright yellow line inside of the tactile warning strips.
In terms of steps, a good example is the use of high contrast adjacent to the foot of the escalators at Connolly Station, where the lip of each step is dark, in contrast to the much lighter-coloured steps.
In terms of stairs, once again, best practice is to be found at Connolly Station in the underpass to and from platforms 6 and 7, where at the top of the stairs, there is a yellow line, and each lip of the stair-steps is white, in contrast to the black colour of the rest of the steps.
3.6B. Underfoot Tactile Warning Strips.
In terms of stairs,
Before descending a single step or flight of stairs, a visually impaired person should be able to detect (by long cane or foot), a slightly raised warning corduroy or rubber strip, such as those found at the top of stairs in Connolly Station, Dublin.
Where there is a drop (such as at railway platforms or tram stops, the warning strip needs to be of greater magnitude. For exemplary practice, it is worth looking at the four-tile lozenge strips used along the edge of Luas stops in Dublin.
3.7. Furniture, Stairs, and Pillars.
3.7A. Seating.
3.7B. Underfoot Boundaries of Other Furniture.
3.7C. Stairwells and Pillars.
3.7A. Seating.
Seating opportunities should be plentiful, indoors and outdoors.
Seating, such as benches, should be on a raised platform or pedestal which is 20mm high and which has high contrast trim. This base should be wider than the widest points of the bench at the back and sides, and provide for foot-space at the front. Such a base means that a long-cane user can easily navigate a public space, using the seating as landmarks, but without getting the long-cane tangled up in the legs or possessions of people already seated.
A possible alternative to this segregation of footwells from the rest of the public space is to have a 20mm lip with smooth surfacing in the public concourse, and a matwell or other differential surface in the footwell.
The seating itself should also be of high contrast, to make it easier to locate by partially sighted people.
The positioning of seating can, itself, also be a useful landmark in very large atria (such as transport hubs or parks).
Note, also, that the placement of rubbish bins at the ends of benches, such as at Connolly Station, if this is consistently done, makes them much easier to find, presuming that the seating is locatable asset out in the previous paragraphs.
3.7B. Underfoot Boundaries of Other Furniture.
All other furniture should be at least as wide at the base as at any other point, with a contiguous base detectable by long-cane users.
All other furniture should be surrounded by an underfoot boundary of at least 200mm in width, and this border to consist of compressed woodchip or mulch. The further delineation of this underfoot border by a 20mm lip will also make navigation much easier for long-cane users.
3.7C. Stairwells and Pillars.
The underside or backs of stairs should be fenced off to prevent visually impaired people colliding with the stairs as an obstacle, at head height. In other words, where there is an open clear space under or behind the stairs, these should be cordoned in a permanent way.
Remember that this applies just as much to outdoor stairs or escalators (such as at Connolly Station), as it does to indoor stairs or escalators.
Similarly, where support pillars or beams are not wholly vertical, that is, if they are slanted in any way; or if such support beams are wider high up than they are lower down; the widest dimensions should be mirrored at ground level by use of a discernible base – to be detectable by a long cane or guide dog.
3.8. Clutter-Free Concourses.
In order to avoid trip hazards for and disorientation of visually impaired people, all pathways should remain clutter free at all times. This includes making sure that bicycles are not left or parked in pathways, or that caution signs (such as notification of wet floors etc.), are not placed in visitor/passenger desire-linesIn order to avoid trip hazards for, and disorientation of, visually impaired people, all pathways should remain clutter free at all times. This includes making sure that bicycles are not left or parked in pathways, or that caution signs (such as notification of wet floors etc.), are not placed in visitor/passenger desire-lines.
3.9. Lifts.
Like stairs, lifts should be easily locatable by using underfoot wayfinding; and where possible, lifts should be situated adjacent to the stairs.
All buttons relating to lifts should give speech/audio feedback on being pressed.
Audio announcements should give useful information, as well as the floor number, where relevant. For example, the function of the floor, and even extra information such as the name of the neighbouring street to an adjacent exit point, or primary shop on a particular level of a shopping centre etc.
Audio/speech notifications should also be heard where there is a lift malfunction.
3.10. Help Points.
3.10A. Help Desks.
3.10B. Help and Information Buttons.
3.10A. Help Desks.
Where a public building has a help desk, or even a special access desk, this should be as close as possible to the main entrance of the building.
3.10B. Help and Information Buttons.
Where there is no help desk, or where the help desk is unstaffed, a help button should be in operation, and positioned in a prominent position at the help desk, or beside the entrance door (where there is no help desk).
Where there is public access in the environs of a building, but where the building itself is temporarily closed (e.g., where train stations are closed out of hours), Help buttons should be placed in easily locatable positions outside of the building, such as at the station’s entrance/exit, and at the platform’s external entrance/exit point, as well as at lifts and at the foot of footbridges (on both sides).
Help buttons should put the presser of the button directly through to those best in a position to provide immediate assistance.
3.11. Accessible Buttons.
All function and help buttons should be accessible to visually impaired people, as follows:
Raised symbols (i.e., raised high contrast print and Grade 1 Standard English Braille (SEB) is essential on or adjacent to such buttons.
Braille is read horizontally, never vertically.
Examples of useful symbols and letter coding include:
- Arrows on ‘lift call’ buttons, as well as up/down arrows inside the lift;
- “H”, on help buttons;
- “i” on information buttons;
- “S” in emergency (SOS) buttons.
- “O” = open, and “C” = close (as on Irish Rail commuter train carriage doors).
If there is not enough space on the front-facing part of a If there is not enough space on the front-facing part of a button to have braille and large (high contrast) raised print; Where buttons protrude sufficiently from the ‘wall’ of a lift, the top horizontal surface of the button or panel can be utilised for simple braille and raised printed lettering; but otherwise, the braille and raised lettering should be present on the ‘wall’ beside each button.
3.12. Escalators.
Escalators, when in working order, should emit a sound that can be heard at an adequate distance, above ambient noise, so that a visually impaired person can tell in advance whether it is in operation or not.
The filter barriers at the entrances to escalators must be fully detectable on ground level by long-cane users. In other words, the narrowest gap between the barriers must be consistent at all heights. Otherwise, a visually impaired person is liable to walk into them and be injured. Such barriers should also be coloured white or yellow to make them more visible to partially sighted people.
3.13. Facilities for Guide Dogs and Assistance Dogs.
Where a building has a car park and/or grass areas, an area should be designated for the relief of guide and assistance dogs on leads, I.e., it would not need to be dog proof fenced as in a “Run”. This guide dog relief area should be provided with a bin for faeces. Its whereabouts should be known to reception staff and it should be as near to the entrance of the building as practicable.
Where an upstanding wayfinding feature consists of railed gardens, these could be appropriate facilities, with staff making sure to actively facilitate guide dog handlers in terms of informing them about it and assisting them in using it, if required.
At reception or other points, such as where tea, coffee, or other refreshments are served, there should be some way of offering water for a guide dog.
3.14. Maintenance.
It is crucial that all of the features mentioned so far in this Section (3), are properly maintained and regularly checked in a systematic and systematised way.
3.15. Tactile Maps.
In principle, the production of tactile maps, accessible to visually impaired people, is a great idea if done properly. Tactile maps can be of indoor, as well as outdoor, spaces.
Our clear preference and emphasis is on the production of portable, pocket, foldable or booklet form maps enabling us to review material in private, or at a place of our own choosing. This is in contrast to a static installation style map on site, which if used at all, should only ever be a last resort.
Tactile maps should come in two separate forms – namely, raised print, and Grade 1 Standard English Braille.
Tactile maps should have high contrast colouring (with no adjacency of red and green).
Tactile maps should be available, free of charge, at all service points and associated retail outlets, where relevant. A visually impaired person should be able to request a tactile map to be sent to them, so that they can prepare or plan their experiences of a public space.
Production of tactile maps must be done in close consultation and active involvement of VVI, as Ireland’s DPO specialising in visually-impaired-related matters.
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