Did you know that 3.4 million Americans are legally blind or simply have trouble seeing?

Mounting Requirements For ADA Signs

• Center the sign between 18” minimum area and the “center of the tactile characters.”
• The maximum mounting height of tactile characters is 60” above the floor to the baseline of characters.
• The minimum mounting height of Braille is 48” above the floor to the baseline of Braille cells.
• Room signs need to be mounted on the latch side of the door.
• On double doors with both leafs active, the sign must be mounted on the right side.
• When there is not enough wall space for mounting the sign, use the nearest adjacent wall
• Ceiling or wall projection signs must have a minimum clearance of 80” from the bottom of the sign to the floor.
• Signs contacting tactile characters must be located so that a clear floor space of 18” by 18” minimum, centered to the tactile characters, is provided beyond the arc of any door swing between the closed position and 45-degree open position.
• Wall signs must only protrude up to a maximum of 4″ – they can still conform to the ADA standard if they protrude more than 4″, but there must be a minimum distance of 80″ clearance from the sign to the other side of the wall (this is to ensure that a wheelchair or other mobility device can pass through the door frame).

Signs in Braille

Braille is probably what you think of first when you hear the words ‘ADA compliant signs’. Not all signs must have Braille, but those that need Braille must follow specific rules.

• Signs that identify a room, space, or area must have raised characters and Braille
• Signs must not have a non-glare finish with contrasting colors
• Pictograms must be in their own 6” high field. Add an ISA symbol if accessible
• Characters must be Sans Serif and all Uppercase
• Characters must be between 5/8” and 2” with a minimum of 1/8” spacing.
• The font must be ADA compliant – not overly bold, condensed, italic, etc.
• A 3/8” minimum margin is required around all raised elements, including Braille.
• A 1” high space is needed for one line of Braille.
• Braille must be all together and 3/8″ to 1/2” below the last line of text.
• Line spacing must be 35-70% of character height.
• ADA signs are required for both public access and all employee areas

Braille Dimensions

• Braille must be 3/8″ to 1/2” below the last line of text to avoid confusion
• Braille must be dome-shaped – not flat or pointed
• Braille must be precisely sized and spaced
• Braille must be contracted Grade II
• Braille must be in lower case except for proper names and acronyms or as a letter in a room number

What Happens If Your Business Isn’t ADA Compliant?

If you assume your company is ADA compliant and a complaint is filed, you could be subject to a fine of up to $75,000 if an inspection should occur. This high rate is for a first offense. Rather than gamble with this possibility, it would help if you verified you have all your bases covered.

You don’t need personal knowledge of ADA to purchase compliant signage. The experts at Parallax have your back to ensure your ADA signage is up to code.

Contact us for more information on ADA signage. To learn more about Parallax, click here.