My Major Project Abstract

Finding your way with wayfinding: The problems and difficulties encountered by the visually impaired in the Wellington CBD environment.

 Complex urban spaces can create wayfinding challenges to human navigation. To those with impaired perception, cognition and mobility, this task can be overwhelming, disorientating and frustrating. The term wayfinding is used to describe the environmental design of spaces, signage and mapping. It is designed to provide guidance to the way people interact with their surroundings. However, it is frequently considered only for the stereotypical physically fit, attentive individual who can decipher the local language.

Wayfinding is a difficult task for able-sighted people, and poses additional challenges for people who are blind or partially sighted. Without the ability to see surrounding information, such as street signs and landmarks, it is difficult for a visually impaired person to determine the accurate direction to travel. How do wayfinding techniques support this subculture? By looking into the wayfinding system in the Wellington CBD, this project will address the difficulties encountered by the visually impaired. It will also explore ways to enhance accessibility for visually impaired individuals to assist them in getting to their chosen destinations.