Light reflectance value

The guidance highlights the need for certain surfaces and features to contrast visually with their surroundings.

This is relevant to a wide range of non-residential buildings, such as hospitals, schools, hotels, and theatres.

The British Standards Institute's guidance in the Regulations and in the relevant Codes of Practice, BS 8300:2018, is that adequate visual contrast is provided if the light reflectance values of the contrasting areas differ by at least thirty points.

The Americans with Disabilities Act Standards for Accessible Design does not recommend a light reflectance value for contrast on signage with words or pictograms, but instead it provides that "characters shall contrast with their background with either light characters on a dark background or dark characters on a light background" in § 703.5.1 [3] The International Code Council utilizes the ADA approach and does not use a light reflectance value in the 2017 update to the standards for ICC A117.1 in § 703.5.3.2 [4] The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe uses a difference of sixty points between the LRVs for the contrast requirement of signage in "Railway Applications — Design for PRM Use - General Requirements — Part 1: Contrast.

"[5] Manufacturers are advised by the Guild of Architectural Ironmongery to publish the LRV for their products.