The rules and guidance

  • Equality Act 2010: the duty to make reasonable adjustments, including to physical features and the information people need.
  • BS 8300: design of an accessible and inclusive built environment, with detailed guidance on signs and wayfinding.
  • Approved Document M (England): access to and use of buildings, for new building work.

This is general information, not legal advice. An access consultant can advise on a specific building.

A sign's notes and GPS position on a phone, recorded to within 5 metres
Notes and the phone's GPS position, saved against the sign. Demo data.

What accessible signs have in common

  • Strong visual contrast between the sign and its background, and between text and sign.
  • Plain words and consistent names, matching the name at the destination.
  • Clear sans serif lettering, in sentence case, at a size suited to the reading distance.
  • Matt, non-reflective finishes that don't glare under lights.
  • Consistent placement, so people know where to look, at heights that can be read seated or standing.
  • Recognised symbols, such as for accessible toilets, lifts and hearing loops, alongside words.
  • Tactile and braille information where people need to identify rooms by touch.

What to check in an audit

  • Accessible toilets, lifts, refuges and step-free routes are signed from the entrance.
  • Signs are readable from a wheelchair and aren't hidden behind doors or displays.
  • Hearing loops and other facilities are signed where they are.
  • Glare, poor contrast and faded signs are recorded for replacement.

Record accessibility signs as their own sign type in your signage audit so they can be filtered and reported separately.

Questions

Is accessible signage a legal requirement?
The Equality Act 2010 requires reasonable adjustments, which can include signage. There is no single list of required signs; BS 8300 is the main guidance used to design them.
Do signs need braille?
Not every sign. Tactile and braille information helps where people need to identify a room or facility by touch, such as toilets, lifts and key rooms. An access audit will say where.