ADA signs do need to meet certain guidelines, however, the style choice and colors are completely up to you. In 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) became a law. The ADA is a civil liberties act designed to protect individuals with disabilities from discrimination in public accommodations, employment, government services, and telecommunications. Included in the act is a requirement that places of public accommodation, commercial facilities, and state and local government facilities have signage that is accessible to people with visual impairments.According to newer ADA regulations updated in 2011, signage in places of public accommodation, commercial facilities, and state and local government facilities should have both Braille and raised type for individuals who don’t read Braille. In addition to this stipulation, the regulations are also very detailed on the specifications and installation requirements each sign must meet to be considered acceptable. For instance, according to regulation, raised type must be raised 1/32″ from the sign surface.
There are also specific regulations around the placement of these signs, including both the locations and height at which they must be displayed, and there are a number of regulations that detail the types of fonts that are allowed, the heights of the letters relative to one another, and the spacing in between the letters. We can help you design custom ADA signs that are ADA compliant. We know the regulations so we can help you create compliant signage that suits your company.
STX Entertainment needed a room ID sign and an evacuation map for their building. For the room ID sign, we started with 1/4″ thick clear acrylic that we painted white on the 2nd surface (the back of the acrylic). We paint the backside so we still have surface area on the front to work with. The paint coming through the acrylic also gives the acrylic sign a softened look. The words “ELEC./TEL. ROOM” are raised 1/32″ to meet ADA standards and we included the text in Braille also. The evacuation map was made the same way, the only difference is that the text that is not raised was silkscreened. “EXIT STAIR DOWN” is raised to ADA standards and we also included the text in Braille.
Resource 4 Signs provides signs that are architectural as well as ADA signs that are now required by the Americans with Disabilities Act. These signs include raised graphics, text and Braille. Most buildings are required to provide this type of sign for suite numbers, directional and restroom signs. Resource 4 Signs can offer these signs made to meet your specific needs.
Follow this link to check out more ADA and directory signs we have made. If you are interested in having us assist you with your ADA signage, you can request a free quote here.