International Congress Series 1282 (2005) 1038 – 1040

www.ics-elsevier.com

Accessibility for blind and visually impaired people

Marı́a Dolores Lorenzo López*
O.N.C.E. C/ Prado, 24, 28014 Madrid, Spain

Abstract. The Spanish National Organisation of the Blind (ONCE) presented in 1994 its first guide
on accessibility to the physical environment for blind and visually impaired people. It showed the
difficulties which blind and visually impaired people face every day in the street, public buildings
and transport and the solutions to reduce them. Ten years after, we present a new guide:
bAccessibility for blind and visually impaired peopleQ which does not intend to be a revised edition
of the previous one; it aims to provide clear guidelines and practical information to architects,
designers, city planners, etc., for the planning and design of cities, buildings, transport, products and
services bfor allQ. D 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Accessibility; Architectural barriers; Urban settings; Lighting; Standardization

1. Reason for this book

Architectural barriers and obstacles of all kinds make it difficult or even impossible for
161 million people with visual impairments (WHO, 2002) – 27 million totally blind and
124 with low vision – to perform many everyday activities (check their bank statement,
take the bus or underground to work. . .).
Aware of these difficulties, the Organización Nacional de Ciegos Españoles (The
Spanish National Organisation of the Blind—ONCE) has drawn up this manual of clear
guidelines and practical information benchmarked to the principles of buniversal designQ.
Intended for everyone concerned with creating and planning public spaces, it aims to make
buildings, facilities and services usable by one and all.

2. How is the manual organized?

The guide contains 7 chapters, three annexes, a reference section and a glossary.

* Tel.: +34 91 589 02 40; fax: +34 91 429 31 18.

E-mail address: mdll@once.es.

0531-5131/ D 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

doi:10.1016/j.ics.2005.05.197
 M.D.L. López / International Congress Series 1282 (2005) 1038–1040 1039

The first chapter introduces the concept of accessibility as a right enshrined in

Article 9.2 of the Spanish Constitution. The second addresses the factors involved in
visual function: lighting, contrast and colour and the appropriate use of these
parameters.
Chapters 3, 4, 5 and 6 discuss the difficulties encountered by people with visual
impairments: in urban settings, open public spaces (parks, gardens, beaches. . .),
interiors (health, school, cultural centres) and public transport.Problems encountered on:

2.1. Streets and sidewalks

! Height of objects
The minimum height for objects is 220 cm.
! Lack of standardization in elements providing information: pavements. . .
Consistency in the use of visual and tactile marks and audio signals
! Unmarked elements: stairways, ramps, elevators. . .
! Positioning of street furniture: traffic lights, telephones, litter bins, information
panels. . .
Street furniture with protective covering on both sides extending to the ground or no
more than 25 cm off the ground.
2.2. Public building entrances and interiors
Difficulties to:

! Readily locate the entrance

Colour contrasted doors and surrounding walls and information signs, showing
appropriate size, contrast and position.
! Find one’s way indoors: Where do I want to go? How can I get there?
Orderly and logical structure
Matte surfaces
Standardized, raised pictograms, colour-contrasted with the door.
2.3. Transport
Difficulties include:

! Locating bus stops, underground entrances, doors. . .

Visual and tactile markings and audio signals at entrances
! Finding one’s way in large stations.
Tactile and visual signage at intersections
! Obtaining information
Information panels at the proper height.
2.4. Last chapter
The last chapter provides a systematized description of the visual/tactile markings and
audio signals to be used in different areas and services, with clear design guidelines so
users can obtain information about the surroundings: visual/tactile and audio.
1040 M.D.L. López / International Congress Series 1282 (2005) 1038–1040

2.4.1. Visual
Containing basic information.

2.4.2. Tactile
Combination of Braille and large-scale, raised lettering.

2.4.3. Audio
Interact with these signals via interfaces that should be: consistent, readily learnt and
easy to operate.

2.4.4. Annex I
Describes the functional difficulties caused by different visual pathologies and the two
and three deal in some depth with the parameters used throughout the manual.

3. How to obtain this guide

The manual is published on the ONCE’s website, www.once.es, where it can be
downloaded free of charge in a format accessible for people with visual impairments.
Copies may also be requested from the organization’s Welfare Department (Documen-
tation Service). Calle Quevedo, 1 28014 Madrid. Tel.: +34 915 894 567. E-mail:
asdocdg.publica@once.es.