There are over two million visually impaired or blind people in the UK. That accounts for almost one person in 30, and at least 20,000 of them use braille. These statistics prove that, if they did not before, it is now vital for sign companies to keep the topic of accessible signage at the back of their minds.
Indeed, following the introduction of the Equality Act in 2010, the rules regarding discrimination in the work place and public spaces have never been easier to understand, and there are few excuses for those who get it wrong. The legislation that came into force in October 2010 brings together a range of anti-discrimination laws from the last 40 years, and is designed to provide a single, legal framework to more effectively tackle disadvantage and discrimination.
Whilst consolidating and simplifying the laws, this act did not change them, and it is still required for employers, service providers, and public bodies to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ to facilitate people with disabilities.
There is no doubt that these laws present possible opportunities to sign-makers, but only if they are knowledgeable enough to advise clients on the type of signage they need, and then have the capabilities to produce them within the legal requirements.
Legislative compliance
A braille and tactile sign produced on a Roland EXG engraver; traditional braille
signs need to be produced using an engraver and raster beads
Indeed, ‘awareness’ was the word on the lips of the British Sign and Graphics Association (BSGA) when speaking to David Catanach, director of the association. He explains: “It is of course an important aspect of a competent sign company to understand and meet legal standards when supplying any type of sign, and accessible signage is no exception.
“Sign companies have a responsibility to their customers to be able to advise on and provide signs that meet legislation. The successful sign companies are those that spend time making sure they have the necessary knowledge and practices in place to deal effectively with the right solution for their customer’s requirements.”
It is of course an important aspect of a competent sign company to understand and meet legal standards when supplying any type of sign, and accessible signage is no exception”
Of course this is easier said than done. There are, however, many resources out there for sign-makers looking to learn, including The Sign Design Guide, available for £20 from the RNIB website. The RNIB also offers signage and wayfinding work-shops, where they will meet with a sign company and coach them on all the aspects involved with producing and supplying accessible signage.
In addition to this, Catanach is keen to add that BSGA members are always informed of any relevant changes in legislation and the implications it can have to their business, as soon as the information is to hand.
Don’t blame your tools
Braille and embossed text produced using the Roland Versa UV series
Sign-makers looking to expand their offering into braille and tactile signage are not let down in terms of technology either, with manufacturers recognising the requirements and stepping up to the plate.
Rob Goleniowski, business manager, sign and graphics, Roland DG, comments on the responsibility of manufacturers to develop technology that will ease the production of accessible signage: “It’s important that partially sighted people are not over-looked just because most signs are visual, and manufacturers should consider the tactile signage standards and requirements when developing technology.
“In line with this, if customers and their customers continue to feedback and request improvements to the end product, this will encourage manufacturers and technology innovators to put even more focus on tactile signage to meet customer demand.”
Roland DG offers a range of equipment in this area, including its VersaUV LEJ-640 hybrid wide-format printer, which is suited for the printing of braille and tactile signage as it can print on both roll-to-roll and rigid media. The VersaUV LEF-20 is a lower cost solution, where the requirement is for smaller items.
The firm’s EGX-400 and EGX-600 engravers are suitable for the more traditional production of tactile signs, routing the shapes or images in a plastic material, as well as drilling holes for the braille pattern, into which the raster beads can be inserted.
It’s important that partially sighted people are not over-looked just because most signs are visual, and manufacturers should consider the tactile signage standards and requirements when developing technology”
Goleniowski continues: “Our LEJ-640 machine uses a clear gloss ink and can build up layers of ink to give an authentic tactile effect. Importantly, these layers can be built up high enough to comply with all DDA and RNIB requirements. Traditional braille signs need to be produced using an engraver and raster beads with an insertion pen (either manual or via a machine), but machines like the LEJ-640 and the LEF-20 open up huge possibilities for more eye-catching designs and the opportunity to combine tactile and visual signage.
“At Roland, we already have a number of our customers using the EGX-400 and 600 engravers for the braille signs, with some of these customers also considering our range of UV printers as the next step in building an even more comprehensive and versatile offering in this area. Our LEJ-640 is the Roland machine that has received the most interest so far for those look-ing to produce braille and tactile signage.
“However, the recent launch of our VersaUV LEF-20, with an A3 flatbed and sub £20,000 price point, has generated a real buzz in the industry, especially among those looking to add a cost-effective but still highly versatile UV machine to their portfolio.”
He continues: “There has been a lot of talk at the local and national government level around the possibility of all public buildings and new buildings requiring braille signage. If this does comes to fruition, it could potentially mean a real boom in work for sign companies working in this sector.
“As a result, many sign-makers are looking to machines like the LEF-640, as they offer them maximum flexibility and the ability to create new revenue streams, while also supporting their core business.”
Responsive responsibilities
Braille Signs UK fitted out the Welsh Assembly's government buildings with
accessible signage, in line with regulations
Despite this optimism for an uptake in demand, news from the BSGA and trade suppliers is that the market is in fact going the other way. Catanach explains the great rush of a few years ago to supply braille and tactile signs has died down, and that feedback to the BSGA from sign companies is that they are in a more re-active phase, dealing with it only when asked by their customers.
This is something that Michael Woods, partner in Braille Signs UK, agrees with, commenting: “There are very few people that do braille and tactile signage, and if they do, it tends to only be when they are asked for it; they don’t promote it as a service they offer.”
This assessment of the market may be a more realistic outlook; many sign companies will not have the capabilities to provide accessible signage, and cannot afford an immediate investment in equipment if it is requested. This is where Braille Signs UK comes in.
The firm’s main business is supplying to the trade, as Woods explains: “A lot of sign companies, if they’ve never dealt with braille signs before, are a bit nervous of it. Others will be asked for braille and won’t have a clue where to start. So they go straight to Google and we come up first; we’ve had about five calls today alone from sign companies wanting quotes.”
A lot of sign companies, if they’ve never dealt with braille signs before, are a bit nervous of it. Others will be asked for braille and won’t have a clue where to start”
He adds: “We’re number one on Google because we’ve been doing it since it came out. We’re the best at it. We supply small sign companies all the way up to the biggest. And they all come back. Some companies do charge an absolute arm and a leg for it; they’re about four times the price of us, but this is because they only have a little engraver machines.”
Indeed, Braille Signs UK has an impressive arsenal of equipment and technology to enable it to manufacture all signs in-house, in compliance with guidelines from the RNIB and to conform to the Equality Act 2010. As Woods rattles through the machines and their prices, it becomes clear why so many sign-makers opt to outsource their braille signage requirements to trade suppliers.
“The two machines that put the braille into the metal are worth £35,000 each,” Woods says, adding: “To provide the plastic side of we have two Roland’s, a laser cutter, and a whole conveyor belt set up. For the whole process the signs must go through £140,000 worth of machines. You need to have the capacity to do it.”
Of course, this amount of equipment is appropriate to the size of the business, and those sign-makers looking to produce accessible signage on a small scale will not need anything like this investment. Yet there is no doubt that going big does pay; Braille Signs UK has an impressive list of nation-wide contracts and commissions to its name.
Often it will be that there’s a new pupil starting who is visually impaired or blind, and the school will replace a lot of the signs just for this one pupil”
Woods continues: “We’ve done the Welsh Assembly’s government buildings, and we do a lot of work for school and universities; in fact a few years ago we did nearly all the schools in Scotland. Often it will be that there’s a new pupil starting who is visually impaired or blind, and the school will replace a lot of the signs just for this one pupil.
“We are working on a job at the moment for the council; it’s sheltered accommodation and there’s a lot of signage going in, must be 60 odd signs, which include braille and tactile signage. An auditor has gone around the site and told them this is what they need.”
Woods goes on to say that often people will build without thinking about accessible signage, and will then have an inspection and be told they need braille on all their signs, reemphasising the importance of being fully aware of the legislation in place.
Speaking to industry bodies, trade suppliers, and equipment manufacturers has thrown up a variety of perspectives on the issue of accessible signage, but one idea remains constant: the importance of keeping up to date and informed on the laws and legislation surrounding the production of signs. Whether it is just to advise your clients before outsourcing to a trade supplier, or if you hold ambitions to manufacture accessible signage of your own, the old adage still bears truth: knowledge is power.
