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GENERALITIES
The principal objective of this research is "recommend a passive and standarized sign system for blind and partially sighted persons", by means of shapes, textures and colours tested and justified through simulations of use and efficiency for an heterogeneous universe of persons with visual disability, so that applied in generalizated way they can install an universal code for the orientation and mobility. Signs are "passive" because they are introduced in places without any signalization on the pavement and they stimulate touch or what remains of sight (without any audible risk warning or direction indication) with the complementation of haptic plans and visual system of signs. They are "standarized" because they propose specific codes to direct navigation behavior that can be easily recognized and utilized for self advantage.
This project, with a subsidy
of the "Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas"
of Argentina, has been organizated in three separate parts for operative
reason as follows:
1st. Part) Haptic and visual
signs on floors
2nd. Part) Haptics Plans
3rd. Part) Signalization
for partially sighted persons
1st. Part: HAPTIC AND VISUAL
SIGNS ON FLOORS
Researchers: Adriana Apollonio
and Beatriz Sandham
The passive standarized signs system on floors, consists of textural zones with or without chromatic differentiation, to indicate obstacles and guide visually impaired persons to wayfinding through open or closed spaces without orientation references.
The basic parts of the sign
system:
· guide zones which
will be materialized by edges of 20 cm in high or by ranured bands in circulation
direction of 40 cm or 50 cm in widht, and
· prevention or warning
zones conformed by textured squares of 100 cm x 100 cm; rectangles or bands
of 50 cm in widht which raised texture is on botton shape.
Román Rosell Institute was relieved to detect the disponibility of spaces for the intervention, three sectors were choiced to install haptic and visual signs of guide and prevention, two exteriors and one interior.
The register data of each
proof was noted in specially designed forms to consign at first personal
datum of visually impaired persons and then to evaluate the efficiency
in each one of these three sign sectors, in accord to four variables.
1st.) Identification, of
the constructive system parts, where will be consigned: identification
technique, back and sign differentiation and sign discrimination.
2nd.) Orientation, by means
of a verbal consign (personal or in cassette) or lecture of an haptic plan.
3rd.) Recognization of the
parts, identificated in a complex system and
4th.) Utilization of signs,
respect to the mobility with run continuity, registering the secuencial
recognization of the parts and utilization of the general countersign imparted.
The first variable to evaluate: "identification" conduct to obtein conclusions respect to the effectiveness of the utilizated materials, its conformations, sizes, textures, reliefs, colours, etc..The others three: "orientation, recognization and utilization" conduct to obtein the rules to evaluate system signs, understand stage, perception of the utilizated codes, countersigns captative and tectures and colours discrimination.The same four variables will be taken on each one of these three sectors modificating countersigns and registers in accord to each one particularities.
Sector A:
An an exterior yald with
red ceramic tiles, a rubber floor circuit was realized and installed on
the same existent floor level with the indicate textures in light grey
colour (without election opportunity of colours on account market disponibility).
On this circuit are evaluated guide efficiency, direction changes, circulation
cross in L, +, T and a warning zone where the user will take a decision
according to the previous countersign and/or explorate, faced a danger
or diversity of possibilities to continue the circuit.
Sector B:
In interior passways of
significative widht was installed on the existent floor, a flat rubber
cover in the nearest cross zones and in the edge crosses rubber textured
bands with two options of shape, without sound differentiation between
back and signs floor. Colour of installed background is black and signs
are grey. In the case of interior passway crosses was evaluated sign efficiency
to aline after abandon the zocle guide and to do the cross direction change
in the passway. Always was evaluated the preference between the proposal
textured signs bands.
Sector C:
A pathway from the public
way to the building access in a lenght near to hundred meters was realized
as a practice application of the adquired experience. In this particular
case, moreover zones with standarized textured was incorporate chromatic
differentiation: white to guide zones and wayfaring yellow to prevention
or warning zones. Guide zones were materialized with edges and continued
floor with ranured texture and the prevention zones with texture on botton
shape of 0,5 cm in high separate each 3,0 cm. Following this pathway from
the pedestrian access the first part of edge guide to prevention zone where
was located an haptic plan, indicating general references to reach to lateral
access of the building commonly utilized. From this prevention zone a second
piece of edge boundering the internal vehicular way guide to a pathway
cross, signs with orange reflect bottons, placed on the pavement with textured
prevention zones on beginning and end of the cross. A ranured band start
from the prevention at the end of the pathway to guide to the prevention
band in front of the door access. Guide signs were diversifed to permit
evaluate two different conditions: to separate the pathway from the park
zone and to realice a guide in zones of non programmed prossible crosses.
At present the research is in stage of processing relieved data. The definitive proposal will remain as permanent installation for training practices in the Román Rosell Institute, and the end objective of this project is to recommend the incorporation of configurations, materials, reliefs and colours which result more convenient to the in force regulations on accessibility.
2nd. PART: HAPTICS PLANS
Researcher: Estela Cuppi
The objective of this part of the project was the evaluation of the efficiency of relief plans or haptic plans for the use of visually impaired persons, that were making experience of orientation and mobility in haptic signals on pavememts and/or visual signalization.
To facilitate the comprehension of the surrounding by a person with disability to see it was necessary, among other things to help the course to follow by means of its individualization in a relief plan. Finding in a building an element that interprets and inform about it, the way to walk in it and the inconvenients that might be found along, helps the decisions.
Maps and haptics plans have the basic objective of informing the conformation there are not visible for the blind persons or are of difficult perception for the partially sighted. These maps have a little application as orientation and autonomus mobility elements in complex urban spaces and buildings. There are differents types of haptics maps that represent a complete area (urban zones, interiors of buildings) or an itinerary.
This experience in the Román Rosell Institute was applied in recognizing - by means of two haptics plans - an exterior itinerary (from the external access to the grounds to the door of the principal building) an another interior course (from the entrance of the principal building to the differents destinations). This needs performing the basic information to transmit, determining texture elements and symbols to be applied to the plan. Surfaces of texture, shape and colour easily recognized by touch or with the visual rest were chosen. The election of symbols was based by the process of perception and exploration with the fingers of one of both hands. Braille characters used for references of texture were fully explicitated, having in mind the limitated oportunities, up to this moment, of offering this system of orientation. This was conciliated with the visual recognizing that might be used by some partially sighted persons, by using pure shapes ans colours that offer contrast for no chromatic visualization.
This plans were made lasting materials, resistent to use and wear by frequent touch, inalterable by climatic agents. Vinylic material was chosen for its easy working up to produce differents textures, colours and braille characters. Design shapes and proportions of the symbols were considered with special care in the indication of the different levels that can combined with the texture.
A test was performed with a previous explanation to the person that was to use the map, for a correct interpretation of the conditions that should be considered so that the plan would be useful. A tactil anticipation in reduced scale of indication refering to the course to follow, before entering a place is a new o rarely frequent situation for most people. In spite of this plan is useful when entering a place for the first time or in not frequent visits. During the experience special care was used to define the position of the plan, its size, slope and its location near the access zone, without disturbing the movement of the public.
For a correct comprehension and reading of the map it was neccesary to take into account if the person with visual disability had aptitude for:
1º) understand the change
in scale (relation between the builging and its plane representation;
2º) recognize the itineray
and its derivations (if neccesary);
3º) locate destinations
desired;
4º) identify symbols
in the plan and the references;
5º) remenber them during
the walk along the course;
6º) decodify the symbolisme
of the map facing reality;
7º) arrive to the destination;
8º) leave the place
or to go other destination;
9º) be able to walk
the itineray backwards.
The projection to a bidemensional
plane a tridimensional space meant use normalized textures, colours, symbols
and references in preference according with international convention to
obtain maps nad plans with an interpretation similar for the visually impaired
persons in any place of his country or in others countries.
The standarization of the
plans placed at the entrance of all buildings will allow blind and severely
sighted persons to understand the succesion of sectors, locals and spaces
they will go over. To reach them the map will help the election of the
best course to follow when going and coming back or make the neccesary
changes along his way.
3rd. PART: SIGNALIZATION
FOR PARTIALLY SIGHTED PERSONS
Researcher: Rosa A. L. Connio
In the research that is being
carried out, in the Román Rosell Institute, signalization trials
are made using posters that are placed hanging from the ceiling or in convenient
places of the walls. With that intention an inquiry is made in two differents
parts using in both specially designed forms:
· in the first one
all data corresponding to visually sighted persons was registered;
· the second part
has the intention of determining and note down, in corresponding forms,
the results of the trials performed for each person.
For the trials both mentioned positions of the posters are used simultaneously and care is taken to register all data referring to the effect of the characteristics of those posters: their size, the height of their position, the reading distance, the appreciation of colour contrast and the typography used for them along the course to the different destinations and in coincidence with the entrance of the locals where control and rehabilitation activities are developed.
In each trial the level of illumination is determined with photometer. Visibility and in consecuence legibility depends of illumination and increases with it. Response is appraised taking into account the time that is neccesary to recognize the signalization.
The theoretical study of
colours points their three fundamental characteristics:
· tint or pigment
that distinguishes each colour, with the correspondent wavelength of the
luminous radiation and a certain position in the chromatic circle;
· saturation is the
degree of purity of each tint;
· value is the greater
or smaller clarity that is reflected by a surface.
Primary tints (red, yelow and blue), with secondary tints obtained from them (orange, green and violet), form the base of the chromatic circle that allows infinite graduations.
Several tints are analogous when in their composition is a primancy of the same tint and they are "complementary" or "opposite" when being one of the primary and the other secondary, or analogous of them, they are in front or each other in the chromatic circle.
Primary tints produce a frank, potent and neat contrast, proper of pure colours, without mixture. Secondary tints produce a less frank contrast. But there are different types of contrasts so that the tests that are being used are useful to verify anterior experiences and also to verify the effectivity of the complementary contrast between opposite tints.
It has been demostrated that for physiological reasons the human eye when looking at a certain colour demands simultaneosly its complementary colour and if it does not appear, produces that colour by itself so creating a perfect equilibrium for the eye.
Let us consider the case of the colours yellow and violet. Saturated yellow is a clear tint that is situated in the fourth place of a scale of gray with twelve tones (shades), violet is placed in the tenth place, in correspondence with the dark grays. So that the combination of these colours not only produces the contrast of the opposite colours but also a clear-obscure contrast that is beneficial for visibility and reading. This implies that it is neccesary to control the grade of purity of colours and the value of each tint.
The three pairs of opposed colours are used alternatively as background or as figure.
According to what is recommended
by the "Instituto de la visión" the contrast were calculated with
J.W. Favié ´s formula (see: "Alumbrado. Biblioteca Técnica
de Philips". 1963, page 59) for reflecting surfaces, that expresses values
and percentages:
C = Lmáx - Lmín
/ Lmáx, ; with C = contrast L = Lighting
Contrast determination applied
to the pairs of colours that were used, gave the following values:
green / red: 51 %
orange / blue: 77 %
yellow / violet: 85 %
From the colour pairs recommended
for the "Fundación Oftalmológica Argentina - FOA-" the contrast
verified was:
brown / beige: 91 %
Models were prepared with two types and two sizes of letters. In each test the lighting of the models is measured to determine the values that allow a better visual comfort when reading.
The measurements will demostrate the efficiency of the proposed signalization system, that will be given for the answer of the partially sighted persons when reading the posters in their differents presentations. That answer will permit to choose the best way for the orientation toward the different destinations, following the various courses. The mentioned answer of the partially sighted persons when reading the posters is registered by the following parameters:
GOOD: Clearly sees the poster
Clearly reads the text
MEDIOCRE: Sees the poster
Reads the text with difficulty
BAD: Sees the poster with
difficulty
Does not read the text
Natur, that is wise, frequently presents us these contrasts: the red colour of the roses opposes the green of the stem and the leaves and setting sun, with its pale yellow, has as background the rose and lilac of the sky at nighfall.