The built environment should be designed, constructed and managed to facilitate orientation. Orientation means to find one's way, to avoid obstacles which could cause hazards, and to know when one has reached the destination.
Suitable provision shall be made at the entrance to the building and at decision points within the building to describe the location and nature of the building. In very complex buildings, visual, audible and tactile information should be provided.
Means to achieving satisfactory orientation conditions are,
a) planning layouts;
b) wayfinding and guided paths with TGSI (as given in this annex), other physical support of information (see B-24.3);
c) signage and symbols (see B-24.2);
d) visual contrast (see B-24.3);
e) choice of colours (see B-24.3.2);
f) avoiding surfaces which might make orientation more difficult;
g) lighting (see B-22); and
h) visual, audible and tactile information according to the two-sense principle (see B-24.1.2).
Orientation should be facilitated by differences in acoustics, material, light and colour. The design should indicate the use of the building elements.
To facilitate people with vision impairments who have
some residual vision, routes to be followed should have a difference in luminance to the surroundings (see B-24.3).
Additional illumination or visual contrast and tactile information, such as a change in material or tactile walking surface indicators, should be provided at decision points such as entrances, staircases, lifts, etc, to assist orientation and wayfinding.
Tactile ground surface indicators should be used to indicate directional orientation information where no other clues indicate the path of travel. Across large areas, halls and complex buildings, blind people need a tactile route or guiding pattern to follow (see B-2.5).
In complex buildings, an audible beacon should be installed in addition to visual and tactile information to provide information on decision points.
B-24.1.2 Principle of Two Senses
Supportive measures for information and wayfinding shall be provided in a format that is accessible to people with sensory impairments according to the principle of two senses, as given below (see also B-6.4.7):
a) audible/tactile information for people with vision impairments, and
b) visual information for people with hearing impairments.
B-24.1.3 Audible Information
Consideration should be given to provide suitable amplification and acoustic conditions; the message should be easily understandable and unambiguous. See also the principle of two senses in B-24.1.2.
Public address systems should be clearly audible and equipped with a hearing enhancement system as described as given in B-21.
Emergency information and warning systems are described in B-6.4.8, B-9.12 and B-9.13.