Barrier-Free World
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Only 10% of persons with visual impairments are totally blind.  Most individuals who are
legally blind have some remaining vision.  How much vision and how functional it is
varies greatly from person to person.  Some people have tunnel vision, where the
peripheral sight is impaired.  Others experience the opposite, with the central vision
affected, but clear peripheral sight.  

Follow this link to see a few examples of vision related disabilities (click here).

Federal law defines blindness as 20/200 visual acuity in the better eye after correction
(glasses contact lenses, etc.).  Therefore, in Canada a legally blind person has 10% or
less of "normal" vision.  He/she must stand at a distance of 20 feet (or less) in order to
see that which a person with normal vision (20/20) can see at 200 feet.

Only 6% of those who identify as being blind can read Braille (click here).  Today,
electronic medium have become the primary source for "written" information.  


Etiquette:

  • Speak to the individual when you approach and identify who you are.  Let them
    know when you are leaving.

  • Speak in a normal tone.  Do not shout!

  • If in a group, identify who you are speaking to and who you are.

  • When offering to assist someone navigate, ask if they want your assistance.  If
    they do, move along side and slightly in front of the person and extend your bent
    arm towards them.  They will reach forward and grab onto the back of your arm.

  • When approaching stairs, pause slightly before ascending or descending the
    steps.  You may indicate that you are about to use the stairs, but the person will
    be able to tell you are ascending or descending based on your arm position.

  • If giving directions, use descriptive language.  For example, use the hours on a
    clock as an indicator of location of items.

  • When guiding a person into a large room or a crowded area, provide a
    description of who and what is in the space.  If you must leave the person, do not
    leave him/her standing in the middle of the room; provide them with an orientation
    as to where they are within the space to allow him/her to move about
    independently.

  • Never pat, feed or distract a dog that is wearing its harness.   Always ask the
    owner if you can pet the dog, but don’t be insulted if they tell you “no”.  A
    harnessed dog is a working dog.

  • When offering to assist a person who is working with a guide dog, offer your arm
    to the person, do not take hold of the dog or its harness.


Accessible Environments:

  • Surfaces should be non-slip and low glare.  Items on a counter, for example,
    brochures or meeting notices under a glass surface on a counter will create visual
    clutter and make it difficult for a person to locate items on the surface.

  • Use tactile cues where ever possible.  Create variations in the floor surface to
    designate specific areas of a room, in particular when ever there is about to be a
    surface transitions, for example at the top of stairs.

  • Use color to differentiate space.  For example, use different colors on the floor
    from the walls.  Use contrasting colors to designate doorways.

  • Do not place unexpected items in the middle of an area, in particular along paths
    of travel.

  • Watch signage.  Provide tactile or Braille signage where ever possible.  But also
    make sure that signs are placed in a way that they do not create an obstacle.  
    Placing a sign at approximate eye level will make it easier for a person with low
    vision to read.

  • Do not place signs for rooms on the doors, in particular if the door opens towards
    the person.


The Canadian Institute for the Blind (CNIB) has information about Braille and other
accessibility services that are offered to the public.  For more information on the CNIB
and the services they offer, follow this link (click here).


Here are some points to remember when preparing print materials:

  • Use high contrast colors for text and background.  Black or dark blue lettering on
    white or yellow backgrounds are the most desirable.  These colors can be used in
    reverse as well (for example, white lettering on a black background).

  • If you want to spice up a document make use of limited colors.  Use them in titles
    or to highlight specific information.

  • Keep your font size between 12 and 18 points - depending on the font style.  
    Ideally a font of 14 or 16 would be beneficial to a person with low vision.  Offering
    documents in electronic format allows the reader to set their own font style and
    size.  However, this may not always be convenient and large print options should
    always be available.

  • The space between lines of text (leading) should be at least 25 - 30 per cent of
    the point size of the font.  This makes it easier for a person to follow the flow of
    text from line to line.  Heavier type faces will require more leading.

  • Avoid complicated or decorative font styles - often referred to as "sans sarif"
    styles.  Choose standard fonts with easy to recognize upper and lower case
    characters.  Make use of upper and lower case lettering as this is easier on the
    eye while reading and helps differentiate words.  Arial, Verdana and Tahoma are
    good choices of font styles.

  • Avoid font styles with light or thin strokes.  Use a font with medium heaviness.  
    If you wish to emphasize a word, use bold or a heavier font - but do so sparingly.  
    Italics or upper case letters are not recommended.

  • Be careful of font spacing.  Evenly spaced lettering is also easier to help
    differentiate words.  For example, justified lettering may spread a word out across
    the page, making it more difficult to follow.

  • Use narrow type space or apply columns to your text.  This reduces the eye
    movement while reading and is helpful for a person with reduced peripheral vision.

  • Create materials that lie flat.  This allows a person to use a magnifying device to
    help increase the readability of the material.  This is also helpful for a person who
    is scanning materials into electronic formats.

  • Documents with multiple pages should be bound using, for example, coil binding,
    so that pages can be kept in their proper order, and/or the person doesn't have
    to worry about arranging documents.  Paper clips can come off the document and
    make it difficult to keep together.

  • Use a matter finish on your papers.  Gloss finish create glare and make the
    material more difficult to read.  

  • Reduce the amount of background images (water marks or paper design) to
    permit the text to stand out on the paper.

  • When creating multiple documents for an audience, use distinctive colors to
    separate the various documents from one another.  For example, use a blue
    cover for one version, a red color for another, and so on.
Vision
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