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Accessible Procurement Toolkit (APT)

Meeting Rooms Demo

for People with Limited Vision or who are Blind

1. Braille signage demo

Text description of Braille signage demo

Visitors use signs to find offices and hearing rooms. When those signs are blocked by things such as flags, it is impossible for people who have vision impairments to locate the room they are looking for.

  1. Frame A. Introduction.
    See the caption following this image.

    Show a meeting room with a few people standing. There are two steps up into the meeting room. There is a large printed sign on an easel announcing the meeting. There is a small room identification plaque beside the door. The caption reads: "Meeting room facilities should be accessible to persons who are blind or have low vision."

  2. Frame B. Signage Layout.
    See the caption following this image.

    The sign in the previous frame had low contrast — white lettering on a light coloured background. In this frame the sign that says "Project Meeting, 10am" is presented in high contrast white letters on a black background. The caption reads: "High contrast signage makes signs easier to read for people with low vision."

  3. Frame C. Signage Access.
    See the caption following this image.

    The door placque now includes raised lettering and braille. The animation shows a chair that was in the way being moved away from the door placque. The caption reads: "Visitors who read Braille signage must be able to stand close to the sign to read it, as must low-vision readers. Mailboxes, chairs, or even cartons temporarily stacked beneath a sign will be barriers to readability. Place objects where they will not obstruct signs."

  4. Frame D. Stairway.
    See the caption following this image.

    Show stairs leading to the room with high contrast strips (colorful strips) at the top of each step. The caption reads: "High contrast strips at the top of each step of a stairway make the steps easier to see."

Text description of Braille signage demo.


2. Braille and Tactile Imaging Demo

Text description of Braille and Tactile Imaging Demo

Tactile imaging is the production of raised line / raised dot images that can be felt and interpreted by non-sighted users.

  1. Frame A. Introduction.
    See the caption following this image.

    The picture shows a person standing in a hallway front of a sign that directs people towards the elevator. The caption reads: "Tactile imaging is the production of raised line / raised dot images that can be felt and interpreted by non-sighted users."

  2. Frame B. Braille Lettering.
    See the caption following this image.

    The animation shows the person moving thier fingers over the Braille lettering under the printed sign. The caption reads: "Directional signs should have high contrast and include Braille or raised lettering."

  3. Frame C. Tactile Imaging.
    See the caption following this image.

    Show the floor of the hallway as slightly raised (as compared with room flooring or other building areas) to illustrate it is in a different part of the building. The caption reads: "A small change in the texture of flooring can help people who are blind or have low vision detect a change in building location. Remembering this change will allow them to know where they are in a building."

Text description of Braille and Tactile Imaging Demo.


The standard these examples illustrate:

(CAN/CSA-B651-95)
Facilities should be accessible to persons who are blind, or have low vision, complying with guidelines set out in "Barrier Free Design" CAN/CSA-B651-95. This includes, but is not limited to, high contrast signage, Braille, tactile (raised numbers, words) and/or audio output alternatives to all signage such as elevator numbers, room numbers, washrooms signs, detectable tactile surfaces approaching stairs or changes in grade, high contrast strips at the top of each step of a stairway.

Products to which this standard may apply:

(Text and illustrations by Galbraith Communications)