Signage

Signage is vital for everyone. People with some degree of hearing loss, depend on signage more than people with no hearing loss and particularly in noisy locations

Signs need to be well designed

• Make good use of

  • Text  - Font, bold, underline etc

  • Images – A Picture can convey more than a thousand words

  • Size – The larger the Better

  • Colour – Some colours are difficult to see, Contrast is important

• Be well positioned. There can be too few or too many signs

• Be visible (large enough) so people with some degree of vision loss can see and read. Many people have less than perfect vision

• Convey simple and clear message. Signs can give too much or too little information . Inappropriate signs confuse

• Provide information that most people need or want to know in that location. In the arrivals area at the airport you would expect to see Arrival times of plane, delays etc. In the departure area you would expect to see information on airplane departures eg departure gates, boarding times etc. On Motorways you need to know exit directions in advance of junction

• Signs should provide up to date information. Video or electronic signs are needed in many places

Good use of imagination helps. Many hospitals use coloured footsteps on floors to take you to, for example, the X-Ray department