prEN 18156
(Main)Tactile lettering - Requirements on the presentation and application of Braille and raised characters
Tactile lettering - Requirements on the presentation and application of Braille and raised characters
This document specifies requirements and technical specifications for information in tactile lettering in the built environment.
It sets out rules for content, design, arrangement and application of information elements so that blind and partially sighted people are able to locate, identify, fluently read and interpret this information.
This document does not describe technical methods for producing tactile lettering.
This document only applies to permanently installed tactile lettering.
Taktile Schriften - Anforderungen an die Darstellung und Anbringung von Braille- und erhabener Zeichen
Dieses Dokument legt Anforderungen und technische Spezifikationen für Informationen in taktiler Beschrif
tung in der gebauten Umwelt fest.
Es legt Regeln für den Inhalt, die Gestaltung und die Verwendung auf Informationselementen fest, damit blinde und sehbehinderte Menschen diese Informationen finden, erkennen und flüssig lesen und interpretieren können.
Dieses Dokument beschreibt keine technischen Verfahren zur Erzeugung von taktiler Beschriftung.
Dieses Dokument gilt nur für dauerhaft installierte taktile Beschriftung.
Écriture tactile - Exigences relatives à la présentation et à l'application du braille et des caractères en relief
Le présent document spécifie les exigences et les spécifications techniques relatives aux informations en lettrage tactile dans l'environnement bâti.
Il définit les règles relatives au contenu, à la conception, à la disposition et à l'application des éléments d'information afin que les personnes aveugles et malvoyantes puissent localiser, identifier, lire couramment et interpréter ces informations.
Le présent document ne décrit pas les méthodes techniques de production du lettrage tactile.
Le présent document ne s'applique qu'au lettrage tactile installé de manière permanente.
Taktilna pisava - Zahteve glede predstavitve in uporabe Braillove pisave in dvignjenih znakov
General Information
Standards Content (Sample)
SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-marec-2025
Taktilna pisava - Zahteve glede predstavitve in uporabe Braillove pisave in
dvignjenih znakov
Tactile lettering - Requirements on the presentation and application of Braille and raised
characters
Taktile Schriften - Anforderungen an die Darstellung und Anbringung von Braille- und
erhabener Zeichen
Écriture tactile - Exigences relatives à la présentation et à l'application du braille et des
caractères en relief
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: prEN 18156
ICS:
11.180.30 Pripomočki za slepe in Aids for blind or partially
slabovidne sighted people
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.
DRAFT
EUROPEAN STANDARD
NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
January 2025
ICS 11.180.30
English Version
Tactile lettering - Requirements on the presentation and
application of Braille and raised characters
Écriture tactile - Demander à la présentation et fixation German title: (Optional) Taktile Schriften und
de Braille et écriture haute Beschriftungen - Anforderungen an die Darstellung
und Anbringung von Braille- und erhabener
Profilschrift
This draft European Standard is submitted to CEN members for enquiry. It has been drawn up by the Technical Committee
CEN/TC 293.
If this draft becomes a European Standard, CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations
which stipulate the conditions for giving this European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration.
This draft European Standard was established by CEN in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other
language made by translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC
Management Centre has the same status as the official versions.
CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and
United Kingdom.
Recipients of this draft are invited to submit, with their comments, notification of any relevant patent rights of which they are
aware and to provide supporting documentation.
Warning : This document is not a European Standard. It is distributed for review and comments. It is subject to change without
notice and shall not be referred to as a European Standard.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION
EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG
CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2025 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. prEN 18156:2025 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.
Contents Page
European foreword . 3
1 Scope . 4
2 Normative references . 4
3 Terms and definitions . 4
4 General considerations . 6
5 Design . 6
5.1 General requirements . 6
5.2 Layout . 7
5.3 Material and finishes . 7
5.4 Braille . 8
5.4.1 Braille translation . 8
5.4.2 Dimensions. 8
5.4.3 Arrangement and presentation of Braille information . 9
5.5 Raised characters. 9
5.5.1 Characters usable by vision and optimized for detection with fingertips . 9
5.5.2 Large characters primarily used as visual information usable also by touch . 10
5.6 Tactile symbols and tactile pictograms . 11
5.6.1 Tactile symbols . 11
5.6.2 Tactile pictograms . 11
5.7 QR codes . 12
6 Placement and implementation . 12
6.1 Principles . 12
6.1.1 General. 12
6.1.2 Concept and design . 13
6.2 Application areas . 13
6.2.1 Handrails. 13
6.2.2 Room signage . 15
6.2.3 Information on walls . 15
6.2.4 Operating elements . 15
6.2.5 Lifts. 16
6.2.6 Explanatory information of objects . 16
6.2.7 Identification of labelled items . 17
6.2.8 Sanitary areas. 17
6.2.9 Public transportation . 17
6.2.10 Evacuation routes . 17
Annex A (informative) Examples for tactile symbols and pictograms . 18
Annex B (informative) Functional requirements for application of tactile signage in buildings
.......................................................................................................................................................................... 21
Annex C (normative) Alphabetical character index of the Braille for guidance information and
numbers . 22
Annex D (informative) Special font given in DIN 32986 . 25
Bibliography . 27
European foreword
This document (prEN 18156:2024) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 293 “Assistive
products and accessibility”, the secretariat of which is held by Sweden (SIS).
This document is currently submitted to the CEN Enquiry.
1 Scope
This document specifies requirements and technical specifications for information in tactile lettering in
the built environment.
It sets out rules for content, design, arrangement and application of information elements so that blind
and partially sighted people are able to locate, identify, fluently read and interpret this information.
This document does not describe technical methods for producing tactile lettering.
This document only applies to permanently installed tactile lettering.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
EN 17210:2021, Accessibility and usability of the built environment - Functional requirements
ISO 21542, Building construction — Accessibility and usability of the built environment
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https://www.iso.org/obp/
— IEC Electropedia: available at https://www.electropedia.org/
3.1
blind
people, who primary rely on audible and tactile input, although they might also have a certain amount of
visual perception
3.2
braille
writing system consisting of tactile dot combinations to be used by people with a visual impairment
[SOURCE: ISO 24183:2024, 3.9.1.7]
3.3
Marburg spacing convention
defined system of dimensions within and between the Braille cells
Note 1 to entry: The Marburg Medium spacing convention for Braille is recommended in the European Commission
Guidance for use for medicinal product labelling.
Note 2 to entry: There are two different Marburg spacing conventions, Marburg Medium and Marburg Large.
[SOURCE: EN ISO 17351:2014, modified – reference to Marburg Medium in term was deleted and the two
different options are mentioned in a new Note 2 to entry.]
3.4
multiple senses
principle of multiple senses
principle of considering various sensory abilities in design decisions to support and enable users to
perceive information
Note 1 to entry: Sensory abilities e.g. seeing, hearing, touch.
[SOURCE: EN 17210:2021, definition 3.38 – modified: brackets have been moved to a Note 1 to entry.]
3.5
partially sighted
people, who primarily use their residual sight
3.6
raised characters
specially designed raised/embossed characters composing letters and numbers readable by touch
[SOURCE: ISO 19028:2016, definition 3.10]
3.7
tactile lettering
information provided both in Braille and raised characters
3.8
tactile pictogram
graphical composition that may include a symbol plus other graphic elements, such as a border,
background pattern that is intended to convey specific information recognizable by touch
[SOURCE: ISO 17840-1:2022, 3.15, modified, “tactile“ and “recognizable by touch” added, “or colour”
removed.]
3.9
tactile symbol
sign identifiable and recognizable by touch
[SOURCE: ISO 24503:2011, definition 2.4]
3.10
tactile walking surface indicator
TWSI
standardized walking surface used for information by blind or partially sighted persons
[SOURCE: ISO 23599:2019, definition 3.16 – modified and partially sighted persons was used instead of
vision-impaired.]
3.11
visually impaired
blind and partially sighted people
4 General considerations
Accessible and usable information via multiple senses is one of the key areas for accessibility and usability
of the built environment according to EN 17210. In relation to signage, this means, that written
information shall be perceptible by vision and touch in order to be accessible for the widest range of
users. Tactile lettering is an element of tactile guidance systems, which also consist of other elements
such as tactile walking surface indicators (TWSI).
EN 17210 contains functional requirements and recommendations regarding the areas of application and
design principles for tactile information in the built environment, see Annex B for further information.
This document provides requirements and technical specifications to comply with these functional
requirements. For dimensions and shape of Braille, raised characters, tactile symbols and
...
Questions, Comments and Discussion
Ask us and Technical Secretary will try to provide an answer. You can facilitate discussion about the standard in here.