A Comparative Study on the Application of Braille Elevator Signage Systems in Public Buildings in Taiwan and the United States

• Main Authors: Chuan-Jen Sun, 孫傳仁
• Other Authors: none
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2009
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/50145307772605129917

碩士 === 逢甲大學 === 建築所 === 97 === Braille elevator signage system is an essential tool which provides the visually impaired with information they need in order to locate their positions as well as to navigate through various levels in a building. In Taiwan, the current “Design Specifications for Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities” which was implemented by the Construction and Planning Agency at the Ministry of the Interior seems to be in the lack of specific design requirements for Braille elevator signage system; therefore, environmental accessibility for the visually impaired is still in need of much improvement. This study aimed to identify key elements to quality in Braille elevator signage system and to investigate the impact of visually impaired individuals’ needs on the productivity of Braille elevator signage system through understanding their actual expectations. Among developed countries, the United State of America is globally acknowledged for its thorough implementation of barrier-free living environment for people with disabilities. Its design regulations for barrier-free facilities have become guidelines which Taiwan often references on. Therefore, in this study, the author investigated the current use of Braille elevator signage in all 50 states of the United States of America as well as the District of Columbia. After carefully analyzing the data collected from the U.S., the author compared the results with the design specifications for elevating equipments discussed in the fourth chapter of Taiwan’s “Design Specifications for Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities” in order to identify the similarities and differences in Braille elevator signage between the U.S. and Taiwan. As a result, four themes had emerged from the comparisons: language systems, semantic content, touch reading and installation. Additionally, 39 factors which influence the technical quality had also been identified. In order to improve the quality of Braille elevator signage, this study attempted to construct a system which draws closer the distance between its users and designers by using the Quality Function Deployment (QFD) approach. To achieve this goal, 10 architects and experts in the field were surveyed and 33 visually impaired individuals were interviewed. Among these 33 interviewees, the majority of them were students from Hui-Min School in Taichung, Taiwan. Several patterns and themes emerged from the survey responses and interviews: the recognizability, operation, standardization, equitable use, and safety of Braille elevator signage. Moreover, 21 critical needs of visually impaired users were also identified. Based on the findings of this study, with regard to meeting the needs of visually impaired users, the average satisfaction rate for Braille elevator signage system in Taiwan is noticeably on the low side. This demonstrates that there is still much room for improvement. According to the responses from participants of this study, the top five vital users’ needs were: “the design of Braille elevator signage tallies with users’ touch reading behaviors”, “the design of Braille elevator signage meets the needs of users with different types of visual impairment”, “Braille elevator plates securely adhered to the elevator control panel”, “proper spacing between Braille characters”, and “semantic content is easy to understand”. Moreover, the top eight factors influencing the technical quality which reported by study participants were: “accuracy of Braille elevator plates”, “Braille elevator plates should be placed to the left of elevator buttons”, “emergency controls, including emergency alarm and emergency stop, should be grouped together and placed at the bottom of the elevator control panel”, “the open and close buttons should be grouped together”, “Braille elevator plates should be placed to the left of the up and down buttons on the elevator panel”, “increase the wear resistance of Braille cells”, “Braille elevator plates should be correctly placed next to their matching elevator buttons“, and “increase the durability of Braille elevator plates”. The findings of this study will provide not only important suggestions for improving the quality of Braille elevator signage but also useful references to architects and Braille elevator signage system designers.