Overview
ISO 24503:2011, "Ergonomics - Accessible design - Tactile dots and bars on consumer products," specifies requirements for using tactile dots and tactile bars on consumer products to improve accessibility for everyone, including older persons and people with visual disabilities. The standard applies to personal consumer products (not commercial, professional, or industrial equipment) and is grounded in accessible design principles from ISO/IEC Guide 71.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Scope and purpose
- Defines tactile marking to aid identification and location of controls when visual information is not the primary sense.
- Excludes other tactile methods (texture, vibration), other tactile symbols (triangles, squares), and alternative feedback modalities (acoustic, visual).
- Function marking
- Tactile dot: used to mark controls that start a major function and the “increasing” side of increase/decrease controls.
- Tactile bar: used to mark controls that stop/cancel a function.
- Controls that both start and stop (e.g., a single ON/OFF push-button) should be marked only with a tactile dot.
- Power controls: a dot is recommended when the power control is not distinguishable by touch.
- Location/navigation
- For arrays of controls, a dot or bar can be placed on a specific control to help users navigate (examples: the F and J keys on keyboards or the 5 key on numeric keypads).
- Positioning
- Dots and bars should be easily found and clearly recognizable by touch.
- Prefer placement directly on the control; if inappropriate, place on a stationary surface close to the control.
- When used with Braille or other tactile symbols, care must be taken to avoid interference.
- Dimensions
- Tactile dot: diameter 0.8–2.0 mm; height 0.4–0.8 mm.
- Tactile bar: width 0.8–2.0 mm; length 5–10 × width; height 0.4–0.8 mm.
- Dimensions are adjusted relative to the size of the associated control, not the overall product.
Applications and who uses it
ISO 24503 is practical for:
- Product designers and industrial designers of consumer electronics, appliances, medical devices, toys, and consumer ICT devices.
- Accessibility specialists, human factors/ergonomics professionals, and UX designers who ensure tactile usability.
- Manufacturers and quality engineers implementing accessible design features and compliance.
- Standards developers and regulators referencing tactile marking conventions.
Practical benefits include improved independent operation for users with visual impairments, clearer haptic navigation of controls, and better overall product usability.
Related standards
- ISO/IEC Guide 71 - Guidelines for standards developers to address the needs of older persons and persons with disabilities (basis for accessible design principles referenced in ISO 24503).
