Most office signs used to identify permanent rooms and spaces need to meet signage requirements set by the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act).
There are strict guidelines around the content and style of signs, as well as their installation within a facility.
- All text should be upper case, unless the sign is a visual only sign, in which case lower case letters are permissible. Some examples of visual only signs are directional signs and overhead signs.
- Simple, sans serif fonts in a medium or bold typeface are recommended. Never use italics, scripts and other similar font styles. Some fonts that meet ADA guidelines include Helvetica, Trebuchet, Futura and Verdana.
- The signs accompanying Braille elements should be in Grade 2 Braille. Grade 2 is the style that allows for contractions, making the Braille portion less “cluttered” and easier to read. Furthermore, all Braille should be in lower case except for proper names.
- Letters and Braille characters should be raised above the signs background with a minimum of 1/32”. The height range for raised letters and characters should be 5/8” minimum and 2” maximum. The letters and characters should not have sharp edges.
- The sign itself should have a matte or glare-free finish.
- The sign characters should contrast with the background, either as light characters on a dark background or dark characters on a light background. Previous ADA regulations used to require a 70 % color contrast between background and characters. While no longer mandated, this contrast value is still considered ideal.
- If a sign features pictograms (for example: rest room doors), these should have a field height of at least 6”. What this means is, the pictogram itself will be slightly smaller than 6” at the minimum. Pictograms should also have text and Braille descriptors located below the pictogram field.
- Visit seton.com for a full selection of ADA Signs
When determining the installation of an ADA sign keep these points in mind:
- Signs should be positioned between 48” from the floor to the bottom characters to 60” to the top of characters. This is a change from the previous requirement of 60” from the floor to the center of the sign
- When mounting signs adjacent to doors, the sign should be positioned on the latch or strike side. If the door swings outward, the sign should be located on the wall outside the door arc, within an 18” x 18” sized area. If the door swings inward, the sign may be mounted on the push side of the door but only if the door closes automatically and does not have a hold-open mechanism.
- With double doors, the sign should be placed to the right of the right handed door. However, with double doors with only one active leaf, the sign should be placed on the inactive leaf.
- The bottom of overhead signs should be 80” above the floor while wall mounted signs that project out a wall should be at least 27” off the floor from the signs lower portion. Additionally, wall mounted signs should have a maximum protrusion of 4”.
To be sure you get compliant signs, make sure you purchase your ADA signs only from a reputable source. You could go here to find out more about the latest ADA standards. As always, stay safe!