If you are a business owner then you may already know the answer. If not, then maybe you should be asking yourself; where are ADA signs required to be posted? After all, it is important to keep your business compliant with current ADA standards, and there are certain rooms and areas that are required by federal law to have posted signage for any disabled or sightless patrons. The ones required to have braille or ADA signs posted are defined as those permanently designated rooms or areas which are unlikely to change. In other words, restroom signs, vending areas, meeting rooms, room numbers and floor numbers, or any room used for a specific purpose that's not subject to change. In addition, any sign that features a pictogram must be accompanied by braille or tactile lettering. If there are rooms in your business that are open to interpretation, such as meeting rooms, classrooms, offices, etc. they do not have to have ADA signs posted. A good way to ensure that any blind or disabled person can find their way to any spot within the business they may be required to go, is simply by making sure these necessary ADA signs are posted.

Where And How ADA Signs Should Be Posted

There are also certain requirements for exactly where and how these signs are to be posted. If there is an emergency, a disabled or sightless person needs to be able to find their way out of your business quickly and easily. Therefore, there are also specific height requirements for the lettering of these signs, so that it's universal knowledge where to look for them, as well. The current regulations state the lettering must be no lower than 48" inches from the floor to the bottom of the lowest character, and no higher than 60" inches from the floor. They should not be posted on the doors, unless they swing inward and do not have a 'hold open' button. Instead, post signs next to the door and on the same side as the door latch. If there is not enough room to put the signs where they are supposed to be, they can be posted on the adjacent wall, following the same guidelines.

What Makes A Sign ADA Compliant

There are also requirements for ADA signs, as far as compliance with the law. First of all, there should be no glare from a proper ADA sign, making them harder to see and read. Secondly, the background should starkly contrast with the lettering, in its colors, for easier visibility. Pictograms also should contrast well with the background, in their color. Also, when using raised lettering, it needs to be all upper-case letters in a Sans Serif font. The letters should also be at least ⅝" of an inch but no larger than 2" inches in size, to be sure they are easy to see and read. In addition, there should be Braille text alongside the raised lettering, using rounded dots instead of squared ones. As long as you're using a sign company who specializes in ADA signs and has a good reputation, such as ADA Central, your business will be certain to have ADA compliant signs.

Other ADA Requirements

As a business owner today, you must be aware of all requirements set forth under the Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA set forth in July 1990. Since 2011, these requirements have been enforceable by federal law. There must be certain specific accommodations made for disabled patrons in every business that is open to the public. This is designed to eliminate discrimination against handicapped people. For instance, you must have wheelchair accessible entrances and exits, restrooms etc. This also includes online accessibility, since the law states “all website content be accessible to people with disabilities.” In a more generalized scope, any public business must afford all disabled individuals the "opportunity to participate in or benefit from a good, service, facility, privilege, advantage, or accommodation" equal to that afforded to all other individuals. Therefore, anything you provide a good or service for must have provisions for this group of people as well, and the ability to access these things, for both physical as well as online services. Your business must have these things clearly posted with ADA signage in place. In fact, the only businesses not required to have these accommodations are ones with 14 or less full time employees or open less than 20 weeks per year.

Universal Design

Universal design is a concept that refers to designing products, buildings, and the environment in general to be accessible or usable by the largest spectrum of people. Universal design has various benefits for disabled individuals. One of the most common examples of universal design that you likely use every day is the sidewalk ramp, or curb cut. Some other examples of universally designed places or products are things like ramp entrances, automatic doors, lever door handles, flat panel light switches and task lighting. But the real difference in universal design is that it is accessible to everyone, without the need for discrimination or segregation. Although separate from ADA compliance, there is a lot to be said for businesses who try and utilize this concept from the beginning.

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