Signs as a Help in Public Spaces : A Comparative Study of Signage Systems for Disadvantaged Groups in East and West

Abstract: Disadvantaged groups, defined in this study as senior citizens, illiterate persons, physically, mentally and culturally challenged individuals, are a concern for the whole society. Signage for disadvantaged groups is presented differently worldwide. They are indicating different kinds of information, presented in different ways, emphasizing different disadvantaged groups in different countries. This research attempts to answer the question how this kind of signage is designed and presented in a selection of Eastern and Western countries. The research approach is mainly comparative. Different signage systems and signages for disadvantaged groups will be analyzed in the first two chapters separately. The comparison of signage in different countries will be analyzed in the last chapter. Cultural diversity is the underpinning for the diversities of signage and disadvantaged group. For example, there is special toilet signage for the transgendered individuals, or kathoey, in Thailand; and the image of senior citizens represented differently due to cultural diversity. Cultural backgrounds, ethics, and even physiology influence signage representation. In conclusion, signage is not only a shortcut to the information, but also a shortcut to the culture behind it.