Accessibility
FSM
Since navigation through space is a multi-sensory “problem solving” task, which requires the use of four out of our five senses (smell is not often utilised but remains a way many people associate themselves with a particular place), it goes without saying that one wayfinding approach will not be suitable for everybody.
Broadly, wayfinding should comply with the Equality Act 2010 and the 1995 Disability Discrimination Act by removing physical barriers to access for all disabled people. Signs and wayfinding should be easily interpreted by all, lighting must be good at all points of interest, and areas where navigation will be required such as information desks, corridors, external pathways, fire exits etc.
Accessibility and Sensory Guides are fast-becoming a standard of the overall visitor experience in public recreation and entertainment settings. Working very much in the same way as a traditional leaflet or brochure, Access and Sensory Guides provide details of what there is to see and do at a particular space, while also offering information to visitors about inclusion and access. Typically, this would include provisions and modifications available that allow disabled people to participate, such as:
☑ Accessible walking routes provision ☑ Changing Places and Accessible WCs ☑ Cafes and refreshment areas ☑ Split-height information desks ☑ On-site staff availability ☑ Wayfinding and signage ☑ Accessible Parking ☑ Hazard identification
As a team of disabled people, Direct Access understands what it’s like to want to go somewhere, arrive on site, and realise that due to a lack of accessibility issues we are unable to participate, effectively wasting time, money, and in some extreme cases risk affecting health and mental wellbeing.
Whether your site or facility could be considered truly
inclusive or not, providing an Access Guide allows site owners to be transparent with their audience about the realities of their on-site accessibility provision, respecting the time of both existing visitors and new potential visitors.
These wayfinding resources should be detailed enough to
provide a good overview of a site but be designed in such a way that a person can easily locate a point of interest and quickly decide on a direction to get to said point of interest (even if it’s at a considerable distance away). This applies to everything from the location of WCs and Changing Place facilities to on-site cafes, car parks, and lifts.
For more information contact Keir Welch on:
kwelch@directaccess.group, 0845 056 4421, or visit:
https://directaccessgp.com/uk/
Some key considerations to make (which apply specifically to site signage) are; • being well lit for legibility (without glare, no matter the time of day) • have a matt finish or gloss factor of no more than 15% • have a high contrast between text and sign background • have a high contrast between the sign and its surface • be positioned consistently • use a larger type size for signs suspended from the ceiling than • signs positioned at eye level (to compensate for viewing distances) • be able to withstand weather conditions if out in the elements, and replaced in circumstances where it takes damage • interpretable, regardless of the time of day
FSM
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