Introduction

Rehabilitation International (RI) is a federation of 145 organisations in 82 countries conducting programmes to assist people with disabilities and all who work for prevention, rehabilitation and integration.

The idea of a Symbol of Access was accepted for international recommendation by the Assembly of RI at the IIth World Congress held in Dublin in Septembcr 1969. The design of Miss Susan Koefoed, Denmark, was proposed and adopted after six symbols had been judged by an independent and international jury. It became known as The Symbol of Access.

RI adopted resolutions for the use of the symbol but it has been found that the implementation and the use of ISA varied considerably and the criteria for applying the symbol were inconsistent.

ICTA requested that an investigation be carried out to establish the current position which was entrusted originally to Gerard Cornellissen, Netherlands. Johann Kaiser. Austria, and Wycliffe Noble, United Kingdom.

The report by Johann Kaiser was presented at the ICTA Seminar of the 16th World Congress of Rehabilitation International in Tokyo (1988).

This led to the recommendation that a document on guidance should bc prepared for the use of ISA, bearing in mind the varying circumstances that exist in different countries.

Guidance on the use of ISA

1. It shall be the aim of every country to strive to achieve a built environment and provide facilities which can be used by people with disabilities.
2. The planning guidelines for using the ISA are those set out in the "Guidelines for Improving Access for Disabled People", ICTA - RADAR 1983.
3. In some countries this will require a programme of phased development in order to reach the ultimate level of provision as outlined in 1 and 2.
4. To achieve this and in these circumstances, the minimum level of provision in building design in a planned environment shall be:
   • a barrier free approach to the building;
   • an accessible entrance;
   • accessible and usable facilities;
   • accessible and usable toilets.
5. This minimum level shall not be considered as the ultimate level and at all times the fifteen clauses in the "Guidelines for Improving Access for Disabled People" shall be the aim. This is to ensure a consistent provision that will be understood when the ISA is applied to a building.

Location

1. The ISA is an internationally recognisable primary information symbol and shall be displayed at the key points of first use.
2. The ISA shall be awarded to a building and can be displayed at its principal entrance, after the appropriate local organisation of disabled people shall have had an opportunity to inspect the buildirtg on the basis of the ICTA criteria/guidelines and made recommendations to its local or national organisation.
3. The ISA may be displayed within a building at the entrance of a usable facility, e.g. toilet, lift etc.
4. The ISA may be used on public transportation systems where the accessible facilities are usable.

Design

1. The copyright design for style, shape and proportion, approved by RI,shall be adopted at all times, and there should be no deviation from the International Standard ISO 7000.

(The colours used for the ISA shall always be in sharp contrast and its background shall be produced in either black or dark blue with the symbol in white.)

1. The ISA may be used in conjunction with, and adjacent to, other internationally recognised traffic and pedestrian directional signs, but the ISA itself shall not incorporate in its design any other feature which would confuse the inforrnation being conveyed.
2. The use of ISA may be incorporated as a logo by organisations, companies and publishers representing the views of people with disabilities, in brochures, documents and publications.

Other Symbols

1. Other symbols particularly applicable to the sensory impaired are not excluded from use in a building where ISA is displayed, if they positively provide additional guidance.

The International Commission on Technology and Accessibility (ICTA) is a Standing Commission of RI. The membcrs of ICTA are in principle nominated by the (affiliate) member organisations of Rl. The ICTA Information Centre provides support to the ICTA Commission in its tasks.

Following social and technological changes,ICTA adopted its present name in 1989, in order to express the general influence of technology and accessibility for people with a disability on integration in society. The global plan of action, which was accepted by the Commission for the next period of work, will deal with:

• the physical accessibility of buildings and technological infrastructure;
• the access to data on products and technology and its use by disabled people;
• the access to services in society, which should become freely aecessible to everybody;
• the exchange ofexperiences of the ICTA members.

Title:Guidance on the use of the International Symbol of Access(ISA)（P.40 - P.41）
Publisher: The Japanese Society for Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities (JSRPD)
22-1, 1-chome Toyama, Shinjuku-ku,Tokyo 162-0052, Japan
Tel: +81-3-5273-0601 Fax: +81-3-5273-1523