For ensuring your ADA signs is compliant, the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed in 1990 to make America more accessible to all its citizens. The goal was to create a world where individuals with disabilities can hold important jobs and own businesses without much fuss. A part of this Act deals with signage and how businesses can make sure they are more disability-friendly.
Why does your ADA signs need to be compliant?
The goal of designing ADA-compliant signage is to encourage accessibility and to give individuals with disabilities autonomy. ADA-compliant signage installation build your business a better reputation. It allows citizens an autonomous. They can navigate through your enterprise safely without any accidents.
Tips to check whether your signage is ADA compliant:
There are several guidelines for designing disability-friendly signage specified under the ADA. Adhering to these guidelines can really help create a more inclusive world that allows equal opportunities for everyone.
1. Types of signage that need to be compliant
Not all signage on your property need to be ADA compliant. Primarily, the signage that offers directions or some sort of warning is the one that needs to follow the guidelines. Signage that indicates entry and exit points, washrooms, directions, room identification tags etc. Apart from that, signage on your website need to be ADA compliant as well.
2. Signage in Braille
One of the major requirements of ADA signs is that they should be legible to individuals with visual impairments. Rounded Braille dots need to be included on signage, preferably in lowercase except for proper nouns. The raised letters shouldn’t be higher than 2 inches and no smaller than 5/8th of an inch. Lastly, they should be in a sans-serif font.
3. Create contrast in ADA-compliant signs
The goal is to make signage as clear and visible as possible. The ADA suggests creating contrast white or black background. If you choose to use other colors, make sure that the font color contrasts with the background color. The ADA signs should not be too cluttered and easy to read.
4. Find the right placement
ADA-compliant signs should be easily accessible to the visually and physically impaired. For this to be possible, the signs need to be between 48 to 60 inches above the floor. There are specific guidelines about signs placed next to doors to ensure that the individual’s safety is not at risk.
Conclusion
ADA is an important step toward leveling the play-field by encouraging inclusiveness and accessibility. It lays down guidelines for various infrastructural aspects, including signage. Putting up ADA-compliant signage can be beneficial for your business and for individuals with disabilities. If you can succeed in creating effective signs that are disability-friendly, it can ensure equal access for all citizens. Contact Competitive Signs at competitivesigns@gmail.com or +1-973.783.1001 for all your shop signage needs.
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