NCC 2022 Volume One - Building Code of Australia Class 2 to 9 buildings
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15

Specification 15 Braille and tactile signs

Specification 15 Braille and tactile signs

This Specification sets out the requirements for the design and installation of braille and tactile signage as required by D3D26, D4D7 and Specification 27.

To clarify that Specification 15 provides the design and installation details for braille and tactile signs.

Signs including symbols, numbering and lettering must be designed and installed as follows:

  1. Braille and tactile components of a sign must be located not less than 1200 mm and not higher than 1600 mm above the floor or ground surface.
  2. Signs with single lines of characters must have the line of tactile characters not less than 1250 mm and not higher than 1350 mm above the floor or ground surface.
  3. Signs identifying rooms containing features or facilities listed in D4D7 must be located—
    1. on the wall on the latch side of the door with the leading edge of the sign located between 50 mm and 300 mm from the architrave; and
    2. where (i) is not possible, the sign may be placed on the door itself.
  4. Signs identifying a door required by E4D5 to be provided with an exit sign must be located—
    1. on the side that faces a person seeking egress; and
    2. on the wall on the latch side of the door with the leading edge of the sign located between 50 mm and 300 mm from the architrave; and
    3. where (ii) is not possible, the sign may be placed on the door itself.

 

This clause provides requirements for the location of braille and tactile signs. The correct placement of braille and tactile signs is important in ensuring that they are able to be used. S15C2 describes where required signs are to be located accounting for the range of a person’s reach and sight lines. Where possible, signs are not to be placed on doors, to avoid the hazard of a door being opened onto a person attempting to read the sign.

(1) Tactile characters must be raised or embossed to a height of not less than 1 mm and not more than 1.5 mm.

(2) Title case must be used for all tactile characters, and—

  1. upper case tactile characters must have a height of not less than 15 mm and not more than 55 mm, except that the upper case tactile characters on a sign identifying a door required by E4D5 to be provided with an exit sign must have a height of not less than 20 mm and not more than 55 mm; and
  2. lower case tactile characters must have a minimum height of 50% of the related upper case characters.

(3) Tactile characters, symbols, and the like, must have rounded edges.

(4) The entire sign, including any frame, must have all edges rounded.

(5) The background, negative space or fill of signs must be of matt or low sheen finish.

(6) The characters, symbols, logos and other features on signs must be matt or low sheen finish.

(7) The minimum letter spacing of tactile characters on signs must be 2 mm.

(8) The minimum word spacing of tactile characters on signs must be 10 mm.

(9) The thickness of letter strokes must be not less than 2 mm and not more than 7 mm.

(10) Tactile text must be left justified, except that single words may be centre justified.

(11) Tactile text must be Arial typeface.

 

S15C3 provides specifications for braille and tactile signs to ensure a consistent approach is used and to ensure that the signage is usable.

The following applies to luminance contrast:

  1. The background, negative space, fill of a sign or border with a minimum width of 5 mm must have a luminance contrast with the surface on which it is mounted of not less than 30%.
  2. Tactile characters, icons and symbols must have a minimum luminance contrast of 30% to the surface on which the characters are mounted.
  3. Luminance contrasts must be met under the lighting conditions in which the sign is to be located.

 

S15C4 provides requirements for luminance contrast for braille and tactile signs. Luminance contrast is the amount of light reflected from one surface or component, compared to the amount of light reflected from the background or surrounding surfaces. Specifying a minimum luminance contrast between signs and the surface they are mounted on and between a sign and its characters, assists people with a vision impairment in finding and accessing information on signs.

Braille and tactile signs must be illuminated to ensure luminance contrast requirements are met at all times during which the sign is required to be read.

 

S15C5 provides that sufficient illumination of signs must be available to ensure that the level of luminance contrast is achieved at times when the sifgn is required to be read.

The following applies to braille:

  1. Braille must be grade 1 braille (uncontracted) in accordance with the criteria set out by the Australian Braille Authority.
  2. Braille must be raised and domed.
  3. Braille must be located 8 mm below the bottom line of text (not including descenders).
  4. Braille must be left justified.
  5. Where an arrow is used in the tactile sign, a solid arrow must be provided for braille readers.
  6. On signs with multiple lines of text and characters, a semicircular braille locator at the left margin must be horizontally aligned with the first line of braille text.

 

S15C6 provides specifications for braille used on signs to ensure that signage is consistent and usable.