ARCHITECTURE FOR BLIND AND VISUALLY

IMPAIRED PEOPLE

SYNOPSIS

AIM

The aim of this report is to study and explore the accessibility of blind and visually impaired
people to public and private spaces and how designers can address all the senses through the
use of architectural design in order to enable a visually impaired person to accurately
comprehend their environment and gain comfort from it.
OBJECTIVE

Perception of architecture for the blind and how other senses contribute to it.
To study how a built environment can be made more accessible and hospitable to the blind.
SCOPE

LIMITATION
I will be limiting my research to
public and private buildings and
their movement through its site
surroundings.

METHODOLOGY

UNDERSTANDING THE
VISUALLY IMPAIRED

PERCENTAGE OF DISABLED PEOPLE IN INDIA

STATISTICS

285 million people are estimated to be visually

impaired worldwide: 39 million are blind and 246 have
low vision.
82% of people living with blindness are aged 50 and
above.
Female ratio is more than male.

8% 6%
10%

SEEING
MOVEMENT

28%

48%

MENTAL
SPEECH
HEARING

Blind spot test

Visual acuity

The WHO defines impaired vision in 5 categories:

Measurement standards
Eye care specialist measure vision according to 2 main standards:

Snellen chart

It has letters of different

sizes that are read, one
eye at a time, from a
distance of 20ft.

HUMAN SENSES
AND ARCHITECTURE

Sight

Colour

Colour contrast of 70%

Colours to avoid using together
Limit use of colour and keep colour
scheme simple

Touch
Lighting
Avoid glare and reflection
Place light sources in locations to avoid creating
shadows
Distribute light levels throughout different spaces
Include task and spot lighting
Use of dimmer switches

Texture

Texture can assist in providing

orientation clues about a space
Using materials easily identified
in terms of texture
Using detectable warning
surfaces
Using tactile signs

Sound
Legibility

Provide acoustically welldefined position items

Clear and easily

understandable floor plan
Continuity in the path and
completely free of any
obstacles.

Volume

Smell

Sensory garden

GENERAL
DESIGN PRINCIPLES

LITERATURE
CASE STUDIES

HOUSE NEAR NEW YORK, US 1978

Architects: Charles Moore and Richard B Oliver
Requirements
The client, who is totally blind, had two main requirements for the design of his
home:
1. He did not want it to look like a home for a blind person
2. He wanted the design to enhance his independence
Concept
To make something that could be felt as well as be seen."
Moore and Oliver envisioned the house to have a tactile quality that could
stimulate the clients remaining senses and provide him with exploratory features.

VISION CARE CENTRE, BRISTOL, UK -1993

Architects: Alec French Partnership
Requirements
Bristol Royal Society for the Blind is an independent and local voluntary organization. It is
the oldest charity of its kind in Britain. Services to people with visual impairments had been
fragmented for many years, therefore the need arose to provide a centre where all services
would be available.
Concept
The architects' main objective was to create a
pleasant environment for blind and partially sighted
people to meet and interact without hazardous obstacles
in their path.
Had to be flexible: need to house many services under
one roof.

Spatial Organisation
A clear linear circulation layout links all rooms and spaces. Important orientation clues are given in places
to draw attention to specific changes.
Floor texture changes at this point, aiding blind persons
to identify the area.
Projecting eaves and external fixed louvers reduce glare
and a window seat creates a place of identity.
The arrangement of public and
private facilities, provides an
uncomplicated arrangement where
changes in level do not present an
additional hindrance for visually impaired
users.

THE RICHARD ATTENBOROUGH CENTRE FOR

DISABILITY AND THE ARTS, UK - 1997
Architects: lan Taylor with Bennetts Associates.
Concept
The architects' intention was to design a building that would facilitate creativity and
allow for expression of the users in the form of arts, dance and drama. Their vision was
that the building should lift one's spirits. The architects wanted to avoid cluttering the
building with devices for disabled people but rather use a subtle approach of engaging
with disabled users with 'passive' design elements ensuring the building feels 'normal'.

Summary
In many buildings of this nature aural
design is scarcely considered but in this
study acoustic design was approached
with creativity resulting in a building that
communicates to the visually impaired
users.

W. ROSS MACDONALD SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND,

ONTARIO, UNITED STATES- 2005
Architects: G. Bruce Stratton Architects.

Concept
The W. Ross Macdonald School for the Blind comprises several
buildings dedicated to the education of over 200 visually impaired children.
The concept employed involved the use of the single-spine plan where all
functions branch off one single circulation route. This layout is simple to
follow and easily memorised by visually impaired users. The architects
explored navigation through touch where guiding textures feature both on
the walls and underfoot to aid orientation.

Summary
Navigation through
texture
Lighting

LIVE
CASE STUDIES

KANTHARI IISE(International Institute for Social Entrepreneurs), TVM-2009

Architects: Ar. P.B.Sajan - COSTFORD(Centre for Science and Technology for
Rural Development)

Location: Vellayani, Trivandrum

The IISE is located at Kalliyoor on the Vellayani lake side about
12km from Trivandrum, the capital of kerala, India.
Site: 2.81 acres
It is built as a sustainable building on the ideology of the renowned
architect Laurie Baker and designed by COSTFORD.
Access : 1km from bus stop, no auto stand
Neighbouring residential area: Calm and quiet surroundings
Topography: Sloping topography and bordered
by Vellayani Lake.
Vegetation: Coconut, mango tree, bamboo, banana tree

SITE PLAN
Four independent buildings:
Research block
Hostel block
Multi purpose block
Administration block
Free flow textured pathway connecting all blocks
Materials used for construction of buildings:
Mud, bamboo, thatch roof; jalli work with glass blocks
Sustainable construction - local mud bricks used for structures
Other facilities: Play area, OAT, boat jetty, outdoor gathering place powered
by solar panels
Grey water treatment and rain water harvesting
Future plan: Power irrigation by using solar panels

Hostel Block

Research Block

Inference

Layout and planning

Aim for simple logical layout which is legible and easy to navigate
Linear planning is more favourable which help in mobility and orientation
Right angled corners are preferred rather than obtuse and acute
While designing curved spaces ensure that the radius is large enough
Large open spaces should be broken down into smaller sections
Walkways and pathways
All pathways should have a minimum vertical clearance of 200cm.
Use of tactile floor surface for easy mobility
Keep pathways clear from any obstacles
Free-standing pillars or poles should be buffered from circulation route by handrails or
tactile indication
Use of different materials on pavements to demarcate walkways
Corridors should not end with a large window or other sources of artificial or natural
light.

Inference
Entrances

A tactile indicator placed in front of the door can also complement the auditory cues.

Different materials can be used to define their path

Floor Surfaces

Matt-finish ( slip-resistant) for all surfaces

Change in texture at strategic points

Contrast between the floor and wall surfaces to aid orientation

Walls, ceilings and doors

Avoid highly reflective, glossy surfaces

Contrasting door frames

Consider door closers to ensure doors are not left open in circulation areas

Hinged doors should open inwards from busier areas like foyers to quieter areas
Landscape

Proper design of pathways without any hindrances or protruding surfaces on the ground

In landscaping selection for plants should be made which enhances olfactory and aural legibility

Inference
Stairways and ramps
Stairways should be easy to find and placed preferably perpendicular or at the side to the path
of travel
Stair area should be well lit
Apply slip resistant contrasting strips to the tread at the nosing of each step
Handrails should be provided on either sides and should extend well beyond the bottom and top
step
Avoid open risers and nosing with lipped edges
Signage
Location of sign should be part of the process of planning the building
Should be well lit
Sign board should contrast with the background
Signs should be simple, short, consistent and easily understood using prescribed typefaces,
colour and graphic devices
Tactile models, maps can be a useful navigational tool
Usage of braille

Inference
Colour scheme
Neutral colour scheme is preferred to warm colours
Contrasting colours should be used to demarcate a particular space which helps in orientation like
nosing of stairs, frames of doors, etc.
Lighting
Brighter lighting can be used at main entrances
Adopt lighting which is glare free
Position of light fixtures should be properly designed
Over-head lighting should be recessed
Diffused natural light (eg: use of vertical blinds, window tinting,etc.)
Acoustics
Avoid intrusive levels of background noise which can make interactions with other sound and make
orientation difficult for the users.

In general terms, architecture should be holistic and barrier free so that it is friendly
enough to meet daily needs of humanity - with differently abled people and the so
called normal people.