Article Series
Author: Rehabilitation Alliance Hong Kong
Publication Year: 2024
Have you ever tried to enter a place, you are not familiar with the road of life, and you need to look at the legend to find your destination, I believe everyone has similar experience. Legend indication is to help people find instructions and obtain information, and the pattern should be direct and easy to understand, easy to see, but the legend indication that we usually encounter, whether it achieves this effect.
Currently, many important standards regarding legends are not mentioned in the design manual standards. I would like to share some examples with you. In shopping malls, the ceiling height is generally higher, and the usual practice for legends is to hang them at the ceiling level. For individuals using wheelchairs or elderly people with neck issues, it is also difficult to look up and see the legends from a distance. This reflects that the placement of legends cannot be generalised; guidelines must be established to instruct engineering personnel on what is appropriate, ideally ensuring that their line of sight is at a similar height.
The part of the venue is very good, with the legend signs placed at a similar height to the line of sight, but other problems have arisen. I wonder if anyone has encountered this? On the gray stone pillar of the museum, there are dark brown legend signs that are difficult to notice unless one has strong observational skills. I have also seen a large wall with plenty of space, but the legend signs are very small, some only the size of a fingertip, making it extremely difficult for the elderly to read.
On the other hand, in recent years, many new shopping malls and museums have been completed. But have you developed some signs in the venues that you cannot determine what they are? Unable to find the restroom, unable to find the information desk. In recent years, many venues have been using some abstract and unclear patterns to mark important facilities like restrooms, which makes it difficult for some elderly and people in need to grasp the information, affecting their travel. This actually reflects that information accessibility is very important for people with disabilities to participate in society and is something the new design manual needs to address. If you have also encountered these legend signs, feel free to leave a comment and share with us.
