Braille Signs and Tactile Signage for Accessible Buildings

Braille signs carry braille characters alongside visible text, so the message can be read by touch as well as by sight. Most also include raised tactile lettering, which is readable by people who do not read braille. They are used for accessible toilets, exits, room and door identification, and directory signage in public and commercial buildings.

Tactile signs use raised lettering, symbols or shapes that can be read by touch. Braille signs add braille characters on top of that. Many signs combine both, which is why the terms get used together. A tactile sign serves people who can feel lettering; a braille sign serves people who read braille. Combining both covers the widest group.

Practically, they are needed wherever a building has to identify a facility, a room or a route to someone who cannot see the sign. That includes accessible toilets, ambulant cubicles, exits, lifts, room numbers and directories in public, commercial, health, education and accommodation buildings. Confirm the specific requirement with the project's access consultant or certifier.

Accessible toilet signage is the most commonly specified braille sign. It identifies the facility, carries the raised symbol and lettering, and matches the facility it labels, so an accessible unisex toilet sign is not interchangeable with an ambulant cubicle sign. Check the wording and symbol against the room before ordering a full building set.

Placement has to be consistent so people learn where to reach, and it has to be within reach of a seated user rather than at eye level only. Mount signs beside the door rather than on it, on the latch side, at the same height on every door of the same type. Confirm the height and position with the project's access consultant before installing a set.

Braille exit signs identify egress routes and exits for people who cannot see standard signage, and they usually work alongside illuminated or photoluminescent exit signs rather than replacing them. The visible sign has to be readable at a distance in poor conditions, while the tactile version at the door has to be readable by touch.

Braille signs are typically made from rigid sheet materials that hold a raised profile without deforming, with the lettering and braille formed into or applied to the face. The material has to suit the location, because a sign in a wet area or a coastal building needs more corrosion resistance than an internal office door sign. Check the listing for material and finish.

Fixings depend on the substrate. Adhesive mounting suits smooth, sound surfaces such as painted doors, glass and laminate, while mechanical fixings or stand-offs suit brick, render and tiled walls where tape will not hold. Match the fixing to the wall rather than to the sign, and check the surface is clean and dry before applying adhesive mounts.

Yes, and ordering the full set together is the better approach. A building needs consistent sign sizes, wording, heights and fixings across every door, and ordering in one batch keeps the finish matching. Set out a sign schedule by room and level first, then order against it so nothing is missed or duplicated.

Yes. Braille signs ship Australia-wide with tracking, and can be delivered to a site address where someone can receive them. Larger building sets may need a little planning around lead times, so confirm dates before committing to an installation program. Same-day dispatch applies to orders placed before the daily cut-off, and pick-up from Bankstown is available.