AS 1428.1 Explained: The Complete Guide to Braille and Tactile Signs for Australian Buildings

Braille and tactile signs are among the most precisely specified building elements in Australian construction. Get the height wrong by 50mm, use the wrong contrast ratio, or mount the sign on the wrong side of a door — and the building will not pass an accessibility audit.

Yet they remain one of the least understood areas of statutory signage. This guide explains the full requirements of AS 1428.1:2021 Design for Access and Mobility as they apply to signage, what the NCC requires, and how to order the right signs for your project.

Why Braille Signs Are Legally Required

Australia’s National Construction Code incorporates the requirements of AS 1428.1 through NCC Clause F2.4, which mandates accessible facilities in all Class 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10a buildings (commercial, accommodation, retail, industrial, and public buildings).

The Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth) also applies — buildings that fail to provide accessible wayfinding information for people with low vision or blindness can be subject to discrimination complaints regardless of whether they comply with the NCC. The Australian Human Rights Commission has clear guidance that inaccessible signage constitutes a barrier.

The practical effect is that any commercial building in Australia built or substantially renovated since the relevant adoption of AS 1428.1 must have braille and tactile signs on:

• All sanitary facilities (toilets, showers, change rooms)
• Lift lobbies and lift interiors
• Building entries accessible to people with disabilities
• Stairwells (tactile floor indicators)

Understanding AS 1428.1:2021

The 2021 edition of AS 1428.1 is the current applicable standard. It supersedes the 2009 edition and introduced some significant changes to signage requirements. Key areas that affect sign ordering are:

Mounting Height

Signs must be mounted so the centreline of the sign is between 1200mm and 1600mm above the finished floor level (FFL), with 1400mm–1500mm being the optimal position.

This is often misapplied. The 1400mm–1600mm zone refers to the centreline, not the top or bottom of the sign. For a standard 150 × 150mm braille sign, this means the top of the sign sits at approximately 1475mm–1675mm AFF.

Critical: Signs must not be mounted on a door — they must be on the fixed wall adjacent to the latch side of the door. Where a sign would be on the hinge side (e.g., a narrow corridor), it must be on the nearest fixed surface.

Contrast Requirements

AS 1428.1 requires a minimum luminance contrast of 30% between the sign face and the adjacent wall surface, and between the raised characters/braille and the sign background.

In practice:

• Silver brushed aluminium on a white or off-white wall meets contrast requirements for most buildings
• White on dark background (e.g., dark timber or coloured walls) may require a different sign finish or contrasting border
• Gloss finishes are non-compliant — the standard prohibits specular (mirror) reflections on the sign face

Raised Characters and Braille

Raised characters (tactile lettering) must:

• Be a minimum of 15mm high and a maximum of 50mm
• Be raised a minimum of 0.8mm above the sign face
• Use a sans-serif font — typically Helvetica or Arial
• Have a stroke width-to-height ratio of between 1:5 and 1:10

Braille must be:

• Grade 1 (uncontracted) braille — AS 1428.1 does not permit Grade 2 braille on building signs
• Located below the corresponding raised text
• In standard Braille cell dimensions as specified in the standard

Pictograms

Where a pictogram (International Symbol of Access, toilet symbol, lift symbol, etc.) is included on a sign:

• The pictogram must be a minimum of 40mm in height
• It must contrast with the sign background
• It must represent the facility accurately (male, female, accessible, ambulant, etc.)

Sign Types and Where They Go

Accessible Toilet Signs

For each accessible toilet, the NCC requires a sign indicating:

• The type of facility (unisex accessible, male accessible, female accessible, ambulant)
• The approach direction if relevant (left-hand approach or right-hand approach for accessible toilets)

Left-hand approach (UATL): The latch/door handle is on the left when facing the door. The sign showing the International Symbol of Access facing left is used.

Right-hand approach (UATR): The latch/door handle is on the right when facing the door. The symbol faces right.

This distinction matters because accessible toilet layouts dictate the transfer space on one side of the WC. A left-hand approach toilet has its transfer space on the right (when seated), meaning the grab rails, call button, and circulation space are configured accordingly. The sign must match the layout.

Getting this wrong — ordering UATL signs for a UATR toilet — is a compliance failure that requires replacing the signs before an OC is issued.

Ambulant Toilet Signs

Ambulant toilet facilities (which have grab rails and are compliant with AS 1428.1 but do not have the full turning circle of an accessible toilet) require a separate sign with the ambulant symbol — a figure using a walking stick or similar — rather than the International Symbol of Access (wheelchair symbol).

Lift Signs

Lifts in buildings covered by NCC F2.4 requirements must have braille and tactile signs at every floor landing (on the fixed wall adjacent to the call button) and inside the lift car at the floor selection panel.

Lift landing signs must show:

• The floor number (tactile numeral)
• The directional arrow where applicable
• Braille translation of the floor number

Lift car signs must show:

• Each floor destination button labelled in raised characters and braille
• The door open/close controls labelled
• The emergency button labelled

Toilet Facility Signs (Male, Female, Unisex)

Standard toilet facilities that are not accessible still require braille signs under NCC F2.4 for Class 5, 6, 9, and some Class 3 buildings. The sign must show:

• The correct pictogram (male, female, or unisex)
• Raised text (e.g., “Male Toilet”, “Female Toilet”)
• Braille below the raised text

First Aid Room Signs

Buildings required to provide a first aid room under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 must also mark the first aid room with a braille and tactile sign compliant with AS 1428.1.

Common Compliance Failures

Based on accessibility audits and occupation inspection reports, the most common braille sign defects in Australian buildings are:

1. Wrong mounting side — Sign installed on hinge side instead of latch side of door. This fails AS 1428.1 Section 9.2.

2. Incorrect height — Sign mounted to the centreline at 1800mm or above (often happens when a builder follows the height of other signage on the wall).

3. Wrong approach direction — UATL sign on a UATR toilet. This is impossible to determine from floor plans alone — someone must check the as-built layout before ordering.

4. Gloss laminate finish — Many standard sign suppliers apply a gloss finish which creates specular reflection. AS 1428.1 requires a matt or satin finish.

5. Braille errors — Grade 2 braille used instead of Grade 1, or incorrect braille cell spacing.

6. Sign on the door itself — Signs must be on a fixed adjacent surface, not on the door.

How to Specify Braille Signs for Your Project

When preparing a sign schedule for a new building, you will need to confirm:

1. Each accessible toilet layout — Is the transfer space on the left or right? (This determines UATL vs UATR) 2. Number of ambulant toilet cubicles per facility 3. Number of floors served by lifts — For both landing and car signs 4. First aid room locations 5. Any building-specific requirements from the certifier or accessibility consultant

Statutory Signs supplies all braille and tactile signs in silver brushed aluminium, which meets AS 1428.1 contrast requirements for the majority of commercial interior wall finishes. All braille is Grade 1 and verified before despatch.

For large or complex projects, we can prepare a complete accessibility sign schedule from your architectural drawings.

Quick Reference: AS 1428.1 Sign Requirements

Mounting height: 1200mm–1600mm AFF (centreline). Location: fixed wall, latch side of door.

View our full range of braille and tactile signs →

For project-specific advice on AS 1428.1 braille signs, call our team on (02) 9663 5333. We supply braille signs for commercial projects across Australia.