ADA Signage

If a sign identifies a permanent room of a facility, directs or informs about functional spaces of the facility, or identifies, directs, or informs about accessible features of the facility, it must comply with one or more of the ADA Guidelines. The sign standards in the ADA Accessibility Guidelines require much more than just braille and raised characters.

Appearance

All signs must have non-glare backgrounds and characters. All signs that contain visual characters must have a high dark to light (or vice versa) contrast between characters and their background. The important issue is not color, but lightness and darkness. A sign with soft yellow letters on a gray background is fine, but a sign with red letters on a black background is not. The material can be brushed aluminum, corian, or acrylic.

Text Requirements

Letters and characters must be raised 1/32 inch minimum above their background

Height above Ground	Minimum Viewing Distance	Minimum Character Height
40-70 inches	6 feet	5/8 inch
70-120 inches	15 feet	2 inches
>120 inches	<21 feet	3 inches
>120 inches	>21 feet	3 inches plus 1/8 inch per foot

 

 

 

 

Location

ADA signage is to be mounted on the wall 48 to 60 inches from the center of the sign to the finished floor when by a door. All ADA signage should be mounted on the wall adjacent to the latch side of a door. Never install the signage on doors. The sign for accessible parking spaces should have an installation height of 60 inches minimum. California requires 80 inches.

Braille

Tactile characters need to be accompanied by Grade II Braille. Braille dots need to have a domed or rounded shape. Braille should be located below the corresponding text. If the text is multi-lined, Braille should be placed below entire text.

At e3 Signs, our expertise on the subject ensures that you meet the requirements set by the American Disability Act while the design of the signs matches the design scheme of your facility.

Examples of fine ADA Signage.