Epic Signs & Graphics Blog

It's kind of amazng that the Americans With Disabilities Act was signed into law in 1990, not that long ago. It was ccreated to provide similar protections as the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Braille was developed by Louis Braille of France in the early 1800's, out of necessity since he was totally blind starting when he was a young boy. He spent the rest of his life refining the system. Since that time it has been slowely adapted and is now used internationally.

There are 3 levels of Braille and each level refers to the level of complexity, grades 1, 2 and 3. Grade 1 is a basic version while grade 2 has 100's of abbreviations and contractions added. Grade 3 is not really used because it is made up of various versions of shorthand. For our purposes, ADA signage in the Unites States follows grade 2.

When planning for ADA tactile signs, be sure to understand the requirements so it is done right without the worry of having to rework them after it is too late. And besides, it is only right to provide a way for the visually impaired to be able to find their way around your organization. Contacting a reputable sign company that knows what is required will eliminate that worry.

Below are the guidelines for ADA capatable signs:

Sign Face

• Tactile logos and fonts. This means the lettering should be dimensional, so when you run your hand over, you can feel the letter shape.
• Typography - Use upper case and raised the lettering minimum of 1/32". And the font should be san serif, meaning a simple block type shape letter.  
• Yes there are font proportions to consider. The stroke (the width of the line of a letter) has to be 15% or less of the height of the letter.
• The height has to be between 5/8" and up to 2" maximum.
• The letter character spacing minimum is 1/8" apart.
• Line spacing (distance between 2 sentences) is to be between 135% and 170% of the capital letter from baseline to baseline.
• The sign must have as much contrast as possible and there can be no glare.
• Images must be within a 6" vertical area of space, the text must not be within that area.
• Text is to be placed directly below the image.
• Use standard international images.

Installation

• If possible, place on the latch side of the door.
• Install 60" up from the floor, verticle center of the sign.
• Finally, be sure to place far enough from the door so a blind person is not hit by an opening door.

Sure is a lot to consider isn't it? So that is a good reason to call Epic Signs & Graphics right now. We will help you from design through implementation of those important office signs.  Even if we do not have an immediate answer, we will research. Call us today for a free consultation to get your signs up to date and in compliance. Pronto!