American with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant signs are an essential component of a Multi-Family Housing sign project. The American with Disabilities Act was implemented in 1990 for new construction and developments. This means that all signs must follow the act in order to be federally compliant. However, it’s more important to follow the California state regulation, which is more strict than Federal Compliance.
Room identification signs are a major component of the ADA sign regulations, as well as restroom signs, fire exit signs, elevator and staircase signs. ADA room signs include room number signs, which identify each individual unit. ADA compliant room identification also applies to offices, conference rooms, server rooms, and storage rooms.
Let’s have a more detailed look at what makes a room sign ADA compliant and how to pass an ADA inspection.
Braille
Signage indicating permanent rooms must include Grade 2 braille. The braille should be a direct translation of the sign and must be placed directly under the copy. For multiple lines of text, the braille shall be located below the entire text.
Size
The sign copy must be tactile and follow a few requirements in terms of size. The minimum text copy must be 5/8” and the maximum 2”, and the tactile must be raised by a minimum of 1/32”.
Font
Two of the most important aspects related to the text copy relate to the type and casing of font. The font must be Sans Serif and all in caps. The font is not allowed to be italic, script, bold or decorative in any way.
Finishing
In order for your Multi-Family Housing ADA signs to be fully compliant, they must have a non-glare or matte finishing. Textures must also be kept to a minimum as to not affect legibility. Since the signs are intended to be read by touch they cannot have any sharp or abrasive edges. At Sequoia Signs & Graphics, we have several material options to choose from that are fully compliant.
Contrast
ADA room signs must have contrasting colors, meaning the colors between the text copy and the background should be drastically different. There must be a minimum of 70% difference in the colors to properly contrast. The easiest way to achieve this is by having a light-colored background and dark-colored copy or vice versa.
Installation
An ADA Compliant sign alone does not ensure that you pass your inspection; therefore, it’s really important to follow the proper installation. You can find the installation guidelines in short below:
- The baseline of the lowest character must be above 48” off the finished floor and the baseline of the highest character must not extend 60” above the finish floor.
- Signs may not protrude more than 4” from the wall.
- Flag-mounted signs must be installed at a minimum of 80” above the finished floor.
- Tactile signs shall be installed at the latch side of the door and to the right of double doors.
- There must be a clear floor space of 18”x 18” minimum, centered on the tactile characters. This space should not be intersected by the arc of any door swing.
At Sequoia Signs & Graphics, we will follow all these guidelines and design an attractive sign from a visual perspective. Some of the above requirements can seem very technical and that’s where our sign experts come into place. We will make sure to design all your signs to be ADA Compliant, followed by the proper installation guidelines to pass your inspection.
Feel free to contact us today for a free consultation or quote for all your ADA signage needs at your Multi-Family Housing project or any other public building. You can call us at (925) 300-1066 or email [email protected].
