NOTE: Specifications and figures are provided from Accessible Design for the Built Environment, Registered trade-mark of Canadian Standards Association, 2004; Canadian Standards Association, 5060 Spectrum Way, Suite 100 Mississauga, Ontario L4W 5N6. Measurement Scale used: 25.4 mm = 2.54 cm = 1 inch

 

Signage Information Sheet  (printable pdf version)

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Location

All signage including electronic display monitors shall be;

 

• Consistently located; and
• Positioned to avoid shadow areas and glare.

 

Configuration of signs

Signage including electronic display monitors shall;

 

• Have a glare-free surface;
• Be of uniform design;
• Be consistently shaped, coloured and positioned when used to give the same type of information within the same facility; and
• Be colour-contrasted with its background.

 

Characters

Characters on signs shall;

 

• Be sans serif;
• Have Arabic numbers;
• Have a width-to-height ratio between 3:5 and 1:1;
• Have a stroke-width-to-height ratio between 1:5 and 1:10 ;
• Be colour-contrasted by at least 70% with its background (See Figure 1 on following page);
• Have the character height relative to the intended viewing distance comply with Table 1;
• Use an upper case “X” for character measurement.

 

Table 1 - Character height relative to viewing distance

 

 

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Tactile Signs

Generally speaking, tactile markings shall supplement the text of;

 

• regulatory signs such as prohibition and mandatory signs;
• warning signs, such as caution or danger signs;
• Identification signs, such as rooms, titles, names and numbers.

 

On tactile signs, letters and numerals shall be;

 

• Raised 0.8 to 1.5 mm above the surface;
• Sans serif;
• 16 to 50 mm in height;
• accompanied by Grade 1 Braille near the bottom edge of the sign;
• colour contrasted with the background by at least 70%.

 

Pictograms and Symbols

 

On tactile signs, pictograms and symbols shall be;

 

• raised 0.8 mm above the surface;
• placed on a sign at least 150 mm in height;
• accompanied by the equivalent description in Grade 1 Braille placed directly below the pictograph or symbol;
• be colour-contrasted with the background by at least 70%.

 

Location of Tactile Signs

 

A tactile sign shall;

 

• be mounted on the wall beside the latch edge of the door if used to identify the door;
• where applicable, have the leading vertical edge 150 + 10 mm from the door jamb;
• be mounted on the nearest adjacent wall where double-leaf doors are used or no wall space adjoins the door's latch edge;
• allow the person to approach the sign within 100 mm without encountering protruding objects or standing within a door swing;
• have a clear wall area around the sign at least 75 mm wide.

Figure 2 - Location and size of tacile signs