Where are the Minimum Luminance Contrast Requirements Specified?

There are minimum luminance contrast requirements outlined in the:

  • National Construction Code, Building Code of Australia Volume 1; and
  • DDA Disability Standards (including the Premises Standards and Transport Standards).

A Summary of the Minimum Luminance Contrast Requirements

These are listed in detail at this link but summarised below for ease of reference:

  • Contrasting visual indicator bands on glazing must provide a minimum of 30% luminance contrast when viewed against the floor surface or surfaces within 2m of the glazing on the opposite side. This must be considered on both sides of the glass.
  • Each stair tread must have a strip of 50mm to 75mm deep across the full width of the path of travel.
    The strip may be set back a maximum of 15mm from the front of the nosing. The strip must have a minimum luminance contrast of 30% to the background (i.e. stair tread surface). Where the luminance contrasting strip is not set back from the front of the nosing then any area of luminance contrast shall not extend down the riser more than 10 mm.
  • All doorways shall have a minimum luminance contrast of 30% provided between:
    • (a) door leaf and door jamb; OR
    • (b) door leaf and adjacent wall; OR
    • (c) architrave and wall; OR
    • (d) door leaf and architrave; OR
    • (e) door jamb and adjacent wall (i.e. just one of these options in (a) to (e), not all of them).
    • The minimum width of the contrasting area must be 50mm.
  • An accessible toilet seat must have a minimum luminance contrast of 30% to the background when viewed from the doorway of the facility (e.g. to the toilet pan, surrounding wall area or the floor against which it is viewed).
  • Tactile Ground Surface Indicators (or TGSIs) must have luminance-contrast to the base surface as follows:
    • (i) Where the integrated TGSIs (i.e. tactile tiles) are of the same colour as the underlying surface they require not less than 30% across its entire area.
    • (ii) Where discrete TGSIs (single cones) are used they require not less than 45%.
    • (iii) Where composite discrete TGSIs are used (i.e. single cones using two colours or materials), the raised surface shall have a section that has 60% luminance contrast.
  • Lift control buttons require a 30% contrast to the background if they do not have either of the following:
    1. Continuous internal illumination from within the button; OR
    2. A coloured border on or around each button at least 3 mm wide.
  • Accessible signage with Braille and tactile text must have:
    (a) The background, negative space, fill of a sign or border with a minimum width of 5 mm must have a luminance contrast with the surface on which it is mounted of not less than 30%.
    (b) Tactile characters, icons and symbols must have a minimum luminance contrast of 30% to the surface on which the characters are mounted.
    (c) Luminance contrasts must be met under the lighting conditions in which the sign is to be located.
  • Obstacles that abut an accessway in a public transport building must have a luminance contrast with a background of not less than 30%.
  • Handrails along the sides of ramps and stairs in a public transport building must have a minimum 30% luminance contrast to the wall surface.