ADA signs are made according to the highest standards focused on the needs of those who cannot afford the common use of public services. They include tactile and Braille characters to identify the purpose of a room. If you are looking for quality ADA restroom signs — Bsign has a rich selection of items meeting these standards.
What Is the Goal of the ADA?
The ADA is an acronym formed from the Americans with Disabilities Act. The document includes requirements for almost all possible public places, which make them accessible for people with disabilities, including those who suffer from blindness or visual issues. Section 703 is dedicated to signage. The regulations can be updated, but in general, they require manufacturers of signage to provide:
- high contrast of the content against the background;
- proper height of visible letters;
- sufficient distance between symbols;
- proper line and character spacing;
- the Braille font added to the plate.
The signs that define the floor level, entrance and exit, doors, and, in particular, restrooms should have the raised text for people with low vision. As to legal requirements, this should be checked with a local code authority.
Some Peculiarities of ADA Signs
According to the Act, visual letters should be uppercase with a stroke thickness equal to up to 15 % of the height of a letter. The certain width-to-height ratio should apply. Mostly the visible text should be accompanied by a tactile analogue. Also, the code can require interpreting pictograms too. There are several grades of the Braille font. That is why the specifications can differ. But the frequently used variant requires the letter to be raised 1/32 inch minimum above the plate. The dots must be rounded to avoid any injury. It is important to place the tactile and Braille message under a pictogram or text.
The document says that the safety of a tactile reader is paramount. That is why there must be two signs. One comes with a visible message and is placed traditionally on a restroom door. While the other is designed in particular for users with low vision and should be mounted on the wall next to the restroom door in such a manner that an opened door cannot hit the reader.
The ADA covers lots of public places, including government offices at all levels, public facilities, like hospitals, schools, banks, etc. Commercial spaces and other accommodation facilities in the private sector, like restaurants, stores, services, cinemas, museums, private colleges or universities, office buildings, and others, must meet the above requirements too. The exception is private clubs and private residential housing but here an owner can support the principles if he likes to show respect to disabled members.
How to Add Braille Option to a Bsign’s Sign?
Actually, not all signs must be ADA compliant. In some cases, this is a choice of an operator of the building whether the Braille font should be added to a plate with visual content. The client-centric companies prefer to provide users with tactile letters even on directory signs, but commonly, plates that identify the space should comply with the ADA standards. A restroom plate is among those that should come with raised symbols located under the visible content.
Bsign offers the Braille font as a customisation option. It is not included by default but can be easily added by a buyer in an online product card. You should just tick the corresponding field to confirm your intention to have it on a sign. If you find it difficult or have any doubts related to this option, you should contact the support team and discuss the details of your order.
