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Helping the building and construction industry to support the navigation of those who are blind or vision impaired is the intent of a newly published standard recently released.
The ‘wayfinding’ standard, AS 1428.4.2:2018 Design for access and mobility Part 4.2 – Means to assist the orientation of people with vision impairment – Wayfinding signs, has been published following broad stakeholder consultation. The wayfinding standard guides the provision of signage within the built environment for people who are blind or vision impaired.
“This standard is an excellent example of Standards Australia working with industry to make the lives of everyday Australians easier,” said CEO of Standards Australia, Dr Bronwyn Evans.
“Developing this standard has been a complex balancing act on the part of the Standards Australia Technical Committee,” said Dr Evans. “The impact and intended benefits of this standard is so far-reaching that representatives of the building and property sector, consumer groups, government departments, architects, and disability advocates were all involved in its drafting and eventual publication.”
“The provision of easily accessible and consistently located signage within the built environment was a key goal for the committee when developing the standard. The resultant standard will particularly benefit people who are blind or have low vision within the community, making it easier for them to navigate around the built environment and enable more independence and engagement in the community,” said Ms Angela Roennfeldt, Chair of the Standards Australia Technical Committee responsible for the standard. “The people to benefit most from this standard will be those who are blind or have low vision and the committee has worked hard to ensure the published standard delivers the best guidance possible.”
Another achievement in the publication of this standard is that it is being produced in Accessible PDF and DAISY formats, which are designed to be read with commonly available screen reading software used by those with vision impairment.
“Anything done to help those who are blind or vision impaired navigate our built-up areas with confidence is an achievement for the entire Australian public, and a process Standards Australia is proud to be a part of,” said Dr Evans.