Want to install ADA signs inside your business establishment? Hire a professional sign company to avoid ADA sign violation!
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a civil rights law that protects persons with disabilities from discrimination within public places. If you want to install ADA compliant signs throughout your business establishment, then you need to hire a reputable sign company. This is because there are many rules that you need to follow to design an ADA complaint sign and only a professional sign company has the experience and knowledge to follow them all. Violation of any of these rules will result in hefty fines. More importantly, if you violate these rules, then your disabled customers and clients will suffer.
Here some common ADA sign rules that you must not violate:
Raised Text and Braille on ADA signs
ADA signs that identify a permanent location should have raised text and Braille, while other ADA signs shouldn’t. Moreover, the raised characters must be sans serif, uppercase, and free of a script, oblique, or italic characters. They must be raised a minimum of 1/32 inch from their backdrop and have a height of anywhere between 5/8 inch and 2 inches.
Your raised letters should also be accompanied by Grade 2 Braille dots that need to be placed directly underneath the raised text. The Braille has to be domed or rounded, instead of square or flat. It also has to be at a distance of 3/8 inch from the raised text and other raised surfaces.
As for overhead signs, they don’t need to have Braille dots or raised characters, but they should at least have a 2-inch character height. You can use lower and upper case characters on overhead signs. Only a professional sign company will have the knowledge to make ADA signs that comply with all of these rules.
Location of Braille
Another common violation made by amateurs is the location of Braille on an ADA sign. As mentioned above, the Braille needs to be located directly underneath the text. This consistency is required so that people with impaired vision can easily find the Braille.
Finish and Contrast on ADA Signs
The characters and background should have a matte finish that doesn’t produce any glare. Moreover, the characters should contrast with their background. This means, that if the background is light, then your characters should be dark and vice versa.
Pictogram Fields and Placement
ADA signs that are specifically used for restrooms contain pictograms. If you use pictograms on your signs, then you must place them in a field area that is 6 inches high and free from raised characters and Braille. If you want to use Braille and text with pictograms, then place them directly under the pictogram field. Just like ADA sign characters, pictograms should also contrast with their background and have a matte finish.
Mounting Heights and Positioning Rules
ADA regulates the location of your sign as well. Install signs that feature raised character on the latch side of your doors. The distance between the baseline of your raised characters and the finished floor must be between 48 inches from the lowest raised character and 60 inches from the highest raised character. As for overhead ADA signs, the bottom of the sign must be at least 80 inches above the finished floor.
