A Scoping Review of the Impact of Environmental Design on Wayfinding for People With Sensory Impairment

TY - JOUR

T1 - A Scoping Review of the Impact of Environmental Design on Wayfinding for People With Sensory Impairment

AU - Zali, Parastoo

AU - McElroy, Lori B.

AU - Giardini, Mario Ettore

AU - Chaiyawat, Kullapat

AU - Watson, Margaret

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2025. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) which permits any use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access page (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).

PY - 2026/4

Y1 - 2026/4

N2 - Purpose This review aimed to identify the environmental factors impacting wayfinding by people with sensory impairment (SI) and the perceived barriers and facilitators of those factors. In addition, the review explored design recommendations to improve the accessibility of built environments for this population. Background Wayfinding design is frequently misconceived as the implementation of signage, whereas it also involves spatial planning to facilitate intuitive navigation. Individuals with visual and hearing impairments face multiple accessibility challenges that could be tackled through user-centered design. Methods A scoping review was conducted using standard methodology. Electronic databases were searched (Medline, Embase, APA PsycINFO, SCOPUS, Web of Science) from January 2000 to August 2023. Independent duplicate screening was performed for 10% of sources. The extracted data was analyzed using content analysis. A conceptual framework was developed to map the key environmental factors impacting the individual's wayfinding with SI. Results From the 3,716 records identified, 41 studies were included. Results were categorized into three domains of architectural, graphical, and sensory elements. Frequently cited architectural barriers included complex layouts, unclear circulation, nonstandard stairs, and the presence of obstacles. Regarding graphical elements, the nonstandard design or placement of signage was common. Key sensory challenges were related to insufficient lighting, low visual contrast, and the inappropriate selection of materials. Conclusions This review highlighted multiple environmental factors that influence wayfinding for people with SI. Policymakers, architects, and designers could use these results to eliminate barriers in the built environment and develop evidence-based design interventions addressing the access needs of this population.

AB - Purpose This review aimed to identify the environmental factors impacting wayfinding by people with sensory impairment (SI) and the perceived barriers and facilitators of those factors. In addition, the review explored design recommendations to improve the accessibility of built environments for this population. Background Wayfinding design is frequently misconceived as the implementation of signage, whereas it also involves spatial planning to facilitate intuitive navigation. Individuals with visual and hearing impairments face multiple accessibility challenges that could be tackled through user-centered design. Methods A scoping review was conducted using standard methodology. Electronic databases were searched (Medline, Embase, APA PsycINFO, SCOPUS, Web of Science) from January 2000 to August 2023. Independent duplicate screening was performed for 10% of sources. The extracted data was analyzed using content analysis. A conceptual framework was developed to map the key environmental factors impacting the individual's wayfinding with SI. Results From the 3,716 records identified, 41 studies were included. Results were categorized into three domains of architectural, graphical, and sensory elements. Frequently cited architectural barriers included complex layouts, unclear circulation, nonstandard stairs, and the presence of obstacles. Regarding graphical elements, the nonstandard design or placement of signage was common. Key sensory challenges were related to insufficient lighting, low visual contrast, and the inappropriate selection of materials. Conclusions This review highlighted multiple environmental factors that influence wayfinding for people with SI. Policymakers, architects, and designers could use these results to eliminate barriers in the built environment and develop evidence-based design interventions addressing the access needs of this population.

KW - Spatial navigation

KW - Architectural accessibility

KW - Wayfinding

KW - Visual impairment

KW - Hearing impairment

KW - architectural accessibility

KW - spatial navigation

KW - hearing impairment

KW - visual impairment

KW - wayfinding

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105022311951

U2 - 10.1177/19375867251391361

DO - 10.1177/19375867251391361

M3 - Review article

C2 - 41264411

SN - 1937-5867

VL - 19

SP - 48

EP - 67

JO - HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal

JF - HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal

IS - 2

ER -