By Kathy Isaacs
Facility managers understand that compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is about more than meeting minimum legal standards; it is about genuinely serving all visitors. Facilities that embrace innovative, inclusive practices improve accessibility and benefit operationally and financially.
Technology has become a critical piece of the equitable experience puzzle. For example, interactive wayfinding systems are often the first point of contact for a facility, and as such, they must welcome all visitors with tools, accommodations, and routing everyone can use. When it comes to wayfinding, true inclusivity goes beyond regulatory compliance to enhance the user experience for everyone.
Strategic Hardware Placement And UX Design
Let’s start with the basics: wayfinding deployment strategy. Effective wayfinding requires intentional hardware placement and user-centric design. For wheelchair users, visibility and interaction height are critical: digital signs should be placed no higher than 48 inches from the floor to offer optimal accessibility. You also need to consider the height and placement of interactive elements. Limited-mobility users need to be able to not just see but reach interactive elements to have an equitable experience. Depending on your digital signage Content Management System (CMS) capabilities, there are a couple of different ways to achieve this goal. For example, you can give users the option to toggle between layouts designed for seated and standing users—or, you can add a QR code to the sign that users can scan to mirror and control the interactive screen using their own personal device.
With respect to UX design, interactive elements should have adequately sized touch zones to assist users with limited motor skills. You don’t want users struggling with tiny “hit boxes” to select the options they want. The design should also prioritize visual contrast, readable font sizes, and concise instructions with minimal test. These UX priorities benefit users with visual and cognitive impairments, but truly, all users benefit. No one actually prefers wordy, hard-to-read signage.
Even when implementing these best practices, remember: you’re not ties to “one-size fits all” UX design. Some CMS solutions offer access to enhanced accessibility features for visually impaired users, such as a “digital magnifying glass” to further enlarge text, screen readers that read onscreen text aloud, or interface toggles that automatically increase contrast and enlarge all text.
Language is also a key element of accessibility. Seek out a CMS with multilingual capabilities that allow users to toggle between languages using the digital interface—or better yet, AI chat features that automatically detect the user’s language and respond in kind.
Personal Device Integration
Remember, “interactive” doesn’t have to mean “touchscreen.” QR code-enabled screen control and “take-it-with-you” maps with turn-by-turn directions facilitate a seamless transition from facility screens to personal devices. Many disabled users have accessibility tools enabled on their personal devices, making this vital wayfinding information instantly compatible with personalized accessibility tools like voice-over, text-to-speech, and haptic feedback. Mobile integration removes barriers, enabling visitors to interact with wayfinding systems confidently and independently.
Stay In Touch And Up To Date
It’s a truism of accessible design: don’t design for a community without including that community in the process. That means making disabled people part of the needs discovery process and once the system is in use, analyzing quantitative and qualitative data to continuously assess whether those needs are met.
For example, a CMS can report on how often the accessible layout, multilingual, or touchless control features are used, or how frequently users request an “accessible” route to a destination. You can also monitor wayfinding usage over time: Decreasing usage may indicate user frustration that should prompt a new approach.
Finally, remember: access means uptime. If your solutions are out-of-date from a hardware or software perspective, subject to frequent outages or unacceptable lag during interactions, they are not benefiting your users. Again, a robust CMS is your friend here, allowing you to monitor all your screens (including current display status) from a single dashboard, push content and updates remotely, and ensure that users always have access to the wayfinding tools they rely on.
Measuring The ROI Of Inclusive Wayfinding
Facility managers frequently grapple with demonstrating the tangible return on investment (ROI) from inclusive practices. Yet inclusive wayfinding yields quantifiable outcomes. Facilities with inclusive digital wayfinding solutions report fewer wayfinding-related queries to help desks, allowing staff to focus on higher-value tasks. Enhanced self-navigation capabilities directly reduce visitor frustration, minimize missed appointments, and improve the efficiency of operations.
Measuring user satisfaction scores before and after implementing inclusive technologies provides concrete data demonstrating improved visitor experiences. Facilities that prioritize inclusive wayfinding consistently achieve higher visitor satisfaction ratings, reinforcing leasing and tenant retention efforts by positioning themselves as forward-thinking and welcoming spaces.
Implementing Inclusive Wayfinding: A Practical Checklist
This all adds up to a set of practical steps that will allow any facility manager to enhance inclusivity using interactive wayfinding:
- Conduct regular audits of signage and wayfinding systems, seeking feedback from users with diverse needs.
- Ensure consistent, clear, and accessible design principles for digital signage.
- Integrate mobile and personal-device compatibility, enabling continuous access to information.
- Leverage AI, QR codes, and voice-driven interfaces to support hands-free, accessible navigation.
- Utilize data analytics to track and optimize the user experience, demonstrating continuous improvement and ROI.
Inclusive wayfinding is more than a compliance issue; it is an integral part of facility management strategy. By thoughtfully applying practical, inclusive solutions, facility managers can significantly enhance accessibility, operational efficiency, and visitor satisfaction. Embracing inclusivity in wayfinding not only fulfills ethical responsibilities but positions facilities as industry leaders committed to excellence in user experience.
Isaacs is a seasoned digital signage industry professional who has been leading projects at CMS provider 22Miles for over eight years. She works closely with clients to identify needs; develop tailored proposals; coordinate with partner vendors; manage projects to ensure on-time, on-budget delivery; and provide ongoing service to support long-term client success. She specializes in meeting the needs of facilities with diverse visitors and occupants, including hospitality, university and healthcare campuses.