London, Ontario is home to International Name Plate Design, a signage factory that creates various signs which are placed in stores, apartments and schools.
What makes this factory different from most is their focus on braille services. When a company or school wishes to have their signs with braille underneath the other lettering, they send their idea or design to INPS who has an automated translator machine that turns the lettering the braille characters.
INPS’ goal to is to increase accessibility and believes, “an accessible world is an inclusive world”.
Though currently the braille standards are not set in stone, it is essential that businesses get braille signage to help those with vision loss but also because of new mandates coming to Ontario in a couple years. The Ministry of Community and Social Services is phasing in accessibility standards, meaning organizations will have to remove barriers from their organizations which decrease accessibility.
Furthermore, 10% of all sales of braille signage from INPS in London go to a charity, CNIB, which assists those with disabilities and vision loss. They work closely together to make sure the braille signage creations are up to the CNIB standards; such as having no sharp edges, and having round characters.
Watch below, INPS teaches us the two ways they make braille signage:
