The following is a list of best-practice concepts that can be adopted to provide a more inclusive and safer environment for everyone. This contains a number of references from within Australia and from overseas where luminance contrast should be increased in other building elements, outside those required in the BCA and Premises Standards.
Please note that these are non-mandatory requirements in new building works. These help to reduce risk under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA) and align with the principles of universal design.
| Reference | Clause / Page | Accessible Feature | Best Practice Recommendations | |||||||||
| Guidelines on the Application of the Premises Standards | Page 85 | Car park bollards | AS/NZS 2890.6 requires a bollard be placed to prevent cars from blocking the shared area of an accessible carparking space. A minimum 30% contrast of the bollard to the surface around the bollard is recommended. | |||||||||
| BCA Table E3.6b inter alia AS 1735.12 | AS 1735.12, Clause 8.2 | Passenger lift visual information | Visible information within lift cars and lift lobbies should have a minimum 30% luminance factor to that of the background. | |||||||||
| ISO 21542 | Clause 10.3 | Threshold ramps | Threshold ramps in doorway should have a minimum 30% luminance contrast to the floor surface. (Note: This can also be applied to step ramps too). |
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| ISO 21542 | Clause 18.1.5 | Visual indicator glazing bands at a lower height | Contrasting visual indicator bands on glazing at a lower height range for shorter people and children, at 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 considered on both sides of the glass. | |||||||||
| AS 1428.2 ISO 21542 BS 8300-2009 (UK) |
Clause 23.3(b) Clause 35.1 Appendix B, B1 |
Door handles and controls | Door controls should have a minimum 30% luminance contrast to the door surface. Though in the UK 15% is considered sufficient. | |||||||||
| ISO 21542 | Clause 35.1 | Hazards | Potential hazards should have a minimum 60% luminance contrast to the background surface. | |||||||||
| ISO 21542 | Clause 35.1 | Electrical controls, switches, air-conditioning panels, security controls, alarm panels and the like | Controls should have a minimum 30% luminance contrast to the background or wall surface. | |||||||||
| ISO 21542 BS 8300-2009 (UK) |
Clause 35.1 Clause 9.2.3.2 |
Signage | Text information on signage should have a minimum 60% luminance contrast to the background surface, though the UL access standards require 70%. | |||||||||
| ISO 21542 | Clause 9 | Ramp kerbrails | 150mm high kerbrails along the edges of ramps should have a minimum 30% luminance contrast to the background surface. | |||||||||
| AS 1428.2 ISO 21542 BS 8300-2009 (UK) |
Clause 10.1.2 Annex B, Table B.1 Clause 5.10.2 |
Handrails | Handrails along the sides of ramps and stairs should have a minimum 30% luminance contrast to the wall surface. | |||||||||
| Grabrails | Grabrails in accessible and ambulant toilets and showers should have a minimum 30% luminance contrast to the wall surface. | |||||||||||
| 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design (USA) | Keypads | Keypads and function keys should have the characters and numbers that contrast to the key surfaces. Whilst the ADA specified no minimum requirements, 30% luminance contrast is recommended. | ||||||||||
| AS 1428.2 BS 8300-2009 (UK) |
Clause 27.1(b) Clause 5 |
Street furniture, flower tubs, litter bins and signposts | A specific reference to the level of luminance contrast (or visual contrast) is not made in the Standard, so a minimum of 30% is recommended. | |||||||||
| BS 8300-2009 (UK) | Clause 5.9.3 | Single steps | A specific reference to the level of luminance contrast (or visual contrast) is not made in the Standard, so a minimum of 30% is recommended within a tread nosing strip in accordance with AS 1428.1 (2009) Clause 11.1(f)(g). | |||||||||
| BS 8300-2009 (UK) | Clause 8.2.4 | Ramp surfaces | A specific reference to the level of luminance contrast (or visual contrast) is not made in the Standard, so a minimum of 30% is recommended for the graded / sloped ramp surface. | |||||||||
| BS 8300-2009 (UK) | Clause 9.1.1 | Walls | The LRV of a wall should have a minimum of 30% visual contrast from that of the ceiling and of the floor. To avoid giving the wrong impression about the size of a room, skirtings should have the same LRV as the wall so that the junction between the skirting and the floor marks the extent of the room. | |||||||||
| BS 8300-2009 (UK) | Clause 13.2.2 | Vehicle access routes | Access routes used by vehicles inside an industrial building should be clearly marked on the floor using colours that provide visual contrast. | |||||||||
| Draft AS 1428.4.2 (Released for public comment in 2015) | Clause 2.5.2 | Vehicle access routes | A 200mm to 300mm high horizontal band or line at the base of the wall should have a minimum 30% luminance contrast with the remaining horizontal pedestrian surface and the vertical skirting or strip it is viewed against. | |||||||||
| Draft AS 1428.4.2 (Released for public comment in 2015) | Clause 2.5.3.1 | Pedestrian access routes | A 100mm to 300mm wide band of a differing textural surface alongside an accessible path of travel, with a minimum 30% luminance contrast with the adjacent pedestrian surface. | |||||||||
| Draft AS 1428.4.2 (Released for public comment in 2015) | Clause 3.5.3.3 | Mapping pictograms | Mapping pictograms must have a minimum of 30% luminance contrast with all adjacent surfaces. | |||||||||
| Interior furniture | Any furniture in public spaces should have a minimum 30% luminance contrast between furniture and horizontal surfaces. | |||||||||||
| AS 1428.2 | Appendix A, A4 | Reception counters, sales counters, ticket booths etc. | Any counters for customer service should have a minimum 30% luminance contrast between vertical and horizontal surfaces. | |||||||||
| DR AS 1428.4.2 (Released for public comment in 2017) | Clause 4.1(c) | Visual and raised tactile signage | Where the wall surface on which the sign is mounted is not consistent in colour, is transparent, or is patterned, a border around the sign a minimum of 5 mm shall be provided to achieve 30% luminance contrast with the background of the sign. | |||||||||
| DR AS 1428.4.2 (Released for public comment in 2017) | Clause 4.1(e) | Visual and raised tactile signage | A minimum luminance contrast of 30% shall be provided between all text, graphics and the adjacent background. | |||||||||
| DR AS 1428.4.2 (Released for public comment in 2017) | Clause 4.3.2(iii) Appendix B, Clause B.4(iii) |
Pictograms on signage | Visual pictograms shall have a 30% luminance contrast with the surface they are viewed against. | |||||||||
| DR AS 1428.4.2 (Released for public comment in 2017) | Clause 4.3.3(c) Appendix B, Clause B.4(iii) |
Raised tactile pictograms on signage | Raised tactile pictograms, when used on raised tactile and Braille signs shall be manufactured to have a minimum of 30% luminance contrast with any adjoining surface colour. | |||||||||
| DR AS 1428.4.2 (Released for public comment in 2017) | Appendix E, Clause E.4.3(e) | Raised tactile and braille maps | On tactile maps, Braille shall have no or minimal (less than 10%) luminance or colour contrast with the surface it is viewed against. | |||||||||
| DR AS 1428.4.2 (Released for public comment in 2017) | Appendix E, Clause E.5.2(i)(j) | Raised tactile mapping pictograms | Mapping pictograms shall— have a minimum of 30 % luminance contrast with all adjacent surfaces; or have a 1mm visual border that has a minimum of 30 % luminance contrast with all adjacent surfaces. |
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