Accessible wayfinding: what to map beyond step-free routes

Accessible wayfinding usually starts and ends with “avoid stairs”. That’s necessary but not enough. The most useful accessible maps treat accessibility as data about the building, kept as carefully as the room names.

Movement

• Lifts, ramps and their gradients, and which entrances are step-free.
• Door widths, heavy doors and automatic doors.
• Lift status, so routes avoid a lift that is out of service today.
• Rest points and seating along long routes.

Facilities

• Accessible toilets and Changing Places toilets, as searchable places.
• Hearing loops at desks and in auditoriums.
• Assistance points and where to ask for help.
• Quiet rooms and prayer rooms.

Sensory information

Neurodivergent visitors often plan around noise, light and crowds. Marking loud areas, bright lighting and typically busy times lets them choose a calmer route, and costs very little to maintain.

Directions people can follow

• Text directions that work with screen readers, not just a line on a map.
• Landmarks instead of compass directions: “past the pharmacy” rather than “head north-east”.
• Plain language and translations for the main visitor languages.
• Kiosks with a lowered, high-contrast mode within reach of wheelchair users.

Standards to know

WCAG 2.2 is the reference for the digital map itself. In the EU, EN 301 549 is used in public procurement and the European Accessibility Act has applied since June 2025. In the US, the ADA covers physical facilities and increasingly digital services. A map can’t make a building compliant, but accurate accessibility data helps you show what is there.