The Braille Sign in the Men’s Washroom

I’m not in a position to know if such signs exist in women’s washrooms, but I guarantee they’re not uncommon in men’s. And one would be hard pressed to think of a better example of ineffective communication. No, make that futile communication.

Here’s the scenario: somewhere near the inside of the door in many public restrooms, or near the sinks, you’ll typically find a helpful sign admonishing you to wash your hands after you do your business. With that sentiment one could hardly take umbrage. Add to that the fact it’s in both official Canadian languages. You can’t argue, even if it’s something your mother probably hammered into you.

But here’s the kicker: most such signs also include the admonition in Braille.

Just think about that. A sign somewhere near the exit which admonishes you, “You were supposed to wash your hands.” In a language which is read only by touch.

This isn’t to make light of hygiene or blindness or sensitivity. It’s simply to point out that the statistical likelihood of an unsighted person groping the walls to find, read, and obey the message, is nil. The messager is in effect asking a blind person, who already has enough challenges, to look foolish. Not to mention the safety issues of requiring someone to finger-read a Braille sign on the inside of a door which is certain to be energetically thrown open by someone in dire need of relief.

In other words, we have a communication situation which at best is of no use, and in some cases could produce exactly the opposite of what the high-minded decision-maker had in mind. Perhaps even dangerous.

(Now, to be sure, many high-rise elevators include Braille on or beside the floor buttons, ATMs and medications likewise, and almost exactly where one would expect to find the message. But randomly somewhere on a door or a wall?)

So, what’s happening in the case at hand? Simply put, somebody is communicating in an unthinking fashion because, well, “it’s the thing to do” and “that’s the way we’ve always done it.” Exactly the opposite of effective communication practice.

Effective communicators know what they need to convey, the audience they need to message, and the result they want. They always ask themselves, “If I were the recipient, would I understand this, and would I take the desired action?”

(I don’t know much about Braille, but I do know a thing or two about effective communication in all media. Happy to help.)