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 8% 6%
10% SEEING

MOVEMENT
• 285 million people are estimated to be visually
MENTAL
impaired worldwide: 39 million are blind and 246 have 28% 48%

low vision.
SPEECH

HEARING
• 82% of people living with blindness are aged 50 and
above.
• Female ratio is more than male.
Blind spot test

The WHO defines impaired vision in 5 categories:

Visual acuity
 Snellen chart

Measurement standards It has letters of different

sizes that are read, one
eye at a time, from a
Eye care specialist measure vision according to 2 main standards: 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
Texture
Lighting • Texture can assist in providing
• Avoid glare and reflection orientation clues about a space
• Place light sources in locations to avoid creating • Using materials easily identified
shadows in terms of texture
• Distribute light levels throughout different spaces • Using detectable warning
• Include task and spot lighting surfaces
• Use of dimmer switches • Using tactile signs
 Sound
Legibility • Provide acoustically well-
defined 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.