ISO 19028:2016

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 19028
First edition
2016-04-01
Accessible design — Information
contents, figuration and display
methods of tactile guide maps
Conception accessible — Sommaire des informations, méthodes de
figuration et d’affichage des plans de guide tactile
Reference number
©
ISO 2016
© ISO 2016, Published in Switzerland
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ii © ISO 2016 – All rights reserved

Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Information contents to be displayed on tactile guide maps . 2
5 Figuration of tactile guide maps . 3
6 Display methods . 6
7 Materials used for tactile guide maps .12
Annex A (informative) Japanese examples of tactile marks .14
Annex B (informative) German examples of tactile marks .18
Annex C (informative) Swedish examples of tactile marks .26
Bibliography .30
Foreword
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The committee responsible for this document is ISO/TC 173, Assistive products for persons with disability,
Subcommittee SC 7, Accessible design.
iv © ISO 2016 – All rights reserved

Introduction
As the number of older population and social participation of persons with disabilities is increasing,
the improvement of the social infrastructure for these people is an urgent issue. Devices for mobility
assistance to facilitate social participation of persons with seeing impairment and blindness have
rapidly disseminated. Among others, a tactile guide map is a convenient tool for providing location
information which is necessary for mobility of such people. Although the number of their installation
has steadily increased, it has become obvious that, in the meantime, inappropriate or misleading tactile
guide maps have been increasing, which has caused the users a big problem. To solve the problem, this
International Standard provides the principal and standardized specifications concerning information
contents, figuration and display methods of tactile guide maps.
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 19028:2016(E)
Accessible design — Information contents, figuration and
display methods of tactile guide maps
1 Scope
This International Standard specifies information contents, figuration and display methods of tactile
guide maps providing location information of buildings, including those for the general public, public
transport and parks, and also the surroundings in the close vicinity, including access routes to them in
order to enable persons with seeing impairment and blindness to move safely and smoothly in those
facilities.
2 Normative references
The following documents, in whole or in part, are normatively referenced in this document and are
indispensable for its application. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated
references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 17049, Accessible design — Application of braille on signage, equipment and appliances
ISO 21542:2011, Building construction — Accessibility and usability of the built environment
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
3.1
tactile guide map
information map that provides persons with seeing impairment and blindness with location
information of inside and outside of buildings including those for the general public, public transport
and parks, which is made recognizable using, for example, convex (raised) lines and/or convex or
concave (engraved) surfaces, tactile marks (3.6), braille and/or raised characters (3.10), and/or large
print, having two types: an installed type in facilities, etc. and a portable booklet format
3.2
title
concise text in braille and/or raised characters (3.10) indicating the content of a tactile guide map (3.1)
3.3
commentary
information in braille and/or raised characters (3.10) to give general description of a tactile guide map
(3.1), cautions and usage of tactile marks (3.6)
3.4
lettering
letters, numbers, words, or a combination of them to label items of interest in a tactile guide map (3.1)
3.5
legend
index with explanation of tactile marks (3.6) and/or abbreviations of braille, and/or raised characters
(3.10) used for tactile figures (3.7)
3.6
tactile marks
convex or concave marks used for a tactile guide map (3.1) to provide information on facilities and
equipment
3.7
tactile figure
aggregated relief-like figure composed of convex lines and/or convex or concave surfaces, tactile marks
(3.6), braille and/or raised characters (3.10)
3.8
printed characters
characters written in pencil, with a pen, and in print, not in Braille
3.9
large print
letters with high readability for people with residual vision
3.10
raised characters
specially designed raised/embossed characters composing letters and numbers readable by touch
3.11
tactile readability
ease of reading braille and other tactile information by touch
[SOURCE: ISO 17049:2013, 2.5]
3.12
pictogram
graphical composition that may include a symbol plus other graphic elements, such as a border,
background pattern or colour that is intended to convey specific information
[SOURCE: ISO 17840-1:2015, 2.14]
3.13
tactile walking surface indicator
TWSI
standardized walking surface used for information by persons with seeing impairment and blindness
4 Information contents to be displayed on tactile guide maps
4.1 Composition of a tactile guide map
A tactile guide map shall be composed of the following contents:
a) title;
b) commentary;
A commentary can be omitted when a tactile guide map does not need any description of the
content. For a tactile map in a booklet form, a commentary may be placed separately.
c) legend;
A legend can be omitted if a tactile guide map only contains common and easily recognizable tactile
marks without need of explanation and does not use abbreviations in braille and raised characters.
d) tactile figures;
2 © ISO 2016 – All rights reserved

e) other information contents:
1) scale;
When appropriate, to facilitate navigation, a scale to indicate distances in the map should
be added.
2) north direction.
When appropriate, north direction should be indicated.
4.2 Principles for information contents
4.2.1 Tactile guide map shall be confined to the minimum information required to grasp the locality
and/or path of travel.
The amount of information given in a tactile guide map will largely be determined by the purpose of the
tactile map. The information given differs whether the map is for indicating a route of travel or to give
an overview of an area. All information that does not serve the intended purpose of the tactile guide
map shall be omitted.
EXAMPLE The information of the number of steps in each stairway is often given in the “orientation and
mobility maps”, which are specialized for training of the persons with seeing impairment and blindness, while in
the common tactile maps, such information is usually omitted.
4.2.2 When selecting information to be displayed on the map, the contents which support safe and
smooth movements of persons with seeing impairment and blindness shall be prioritized.
4.2.3 Tactile readability shall be considered of prior consideration.
The tactile readability of tactile information in guide maps is influenced by a variety of factors, which
shall be considered in their mutual interdependence, which, in turn, will widely influence the selection,
size and shape of tactile figures and marks.
When a visual guide map displaying the identical range to a tactile guide map is available, the maps
shall maintain mutual consistency, though the amount of information may be different.
4.2.4 All types of tactile marks (whether tactile figures or lettering) contained in a tactile guide map
shall be easily identifiable and be explained in the legend or by lettering in the respective area of the map.
4.2.5 Pictograms commonly used for sighted people in technical drawings or in wayfinding signage
shall be avoided because they are too complicated and finely structured to be read by finger touch.
4.2.6 Printed characters may be also used along with tactile figures on a tactile guide map.
4.2.7 Instead of lettering points of installed guide maps, electronic tags giving out audio information
about the particular points in the map can be used.
4.2.8 The date of production and the contact information should be displayed.
5 Figuration of tactile guide maps
5.1 Dimensions
The physical size of a tactile guide map shall correlate with the amount of information required for
the purpose to be achieved by the tactile guide map in relation to the size of the location or area to be
depicted in the map.
The size of an installed tactile guide map should be within 600 mm in grip distance for desk installation
(see Figure 1) and for wall installation (see Figure 2). When a tactile guide map is prepared in a booklet
form, extra attention should be paid so that the folds do not hinder tactile reading.
5.2 Location of installed tactile guide maps
For a tactile guide map installed on the wall, which is perpendicular to the floor, the centre line height
should be preferably 1 400 mm from the floor level.
These dimensions do not apply to guide maps which are set horizontally to the floor or inclined to
angles close to horizontal installation (see Figure 1). In either case, a location that does not hinder
tactile readability shall be chosen.
The clearance of the lowest part of the desk installation shall be 900 mm to enable wheelchair users to
access. See ISO 21542:2011, 40.14.
Great care shall be taken to ensure that people with seeing impairment and blindness can find
the installed tactile guide maps, e.g. by using tactile walking surface indicator (TWSIs)
...