Several of your indoor business signs must be ADA compliant. That is, they must follow the rules set out by the Americans with Disabilities Act. You may wonder, why are ADA compliant interior business signs mandatory? Here’s a quick overview of the intention behind ADA signs and how your business can be compliant with ADA signs.
How ADA Signs Help Those With Disabilities
ADA signs are meant to be predictable, easy to find, easy to see, and understandable for those who rely on Braille to get around. Without the requirement to have these signs, many Americans with disabilities would be unable to navigate businesses and offices. The world would be a less welcoming place.
For you, ADA signs help many of your customers get around your business and feel welcome and safe there. No matter how few customers you have, there’s always the chance one could need an ADA sign, and that’s reason enough to install them. Of course, it’s also the law.
Here are a few ways interior business signs are made ADA compliant and how that helps some Americans with disabilities.
1. Height
ADA signs need to be between 48 inches and 60 inches off the floor. This height is ideal to allow anyone to read the sign easily. The predictable height also helps people who read Braille and need to physically find the sign. Of course, this is also why signs are required to be on the “inactive” side of the door. This is the side that isn’t blocked by the door. That way, the sign can always be found, even if the door is being left open.
2. Contrast
Not all people who rely on ADA signs are completely blind (or even have a visual disability at all). Some people have only minor visual impairments, that make it harder for them to discern shapes if they are too close in color. Therefore, it’s best that interior business signs have high contrast, like black and white, or a dark blue and bright yellow, for example. Many color combinations can meet the ADA contrast requirements.
3. Braille
Of course, those with significant visual impairment cannot read those high contrast letters. Instead, they need Braille in order to know what the sign means. Readability for Braille is very different from readability with visual letters. The Braille needs to be tall enough and large enough that a reader can distinguish characters with just their hands. It’s best to trust an expert to get the Braille just right.
Get ADA Compliant Signs From Us
We can help you with all your indoor business signs. We can let you know which ones need to be ADA signs and how to design them to meet the requirements. Contact us today for guidance.
