According to the CDC, 27 percent of adults in the United States have a disability. If you have any disability, finding your way around a store, using the restroom, or staying off the slippery floors can be challenging.

Simple things that people take for granted can make life difficult for someone with a disability. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was created to set the standard for businesses and public places to follow ADA signage guidelines.

If you’re serving one of the millions of people who have a disability, you need ADA signs inside and outside your commercial building. Keep reading to learn what is ADA compliance and why businesses need accessible signs.

ADA Signage Guidelines

Signage aims to make people aware of what’s around the corner. Whether it’s a sign for your office, a sign for a bathroom, or a hazard warning up ahead, signs are there to let people know what’s waiting for them.

You could be looking at substantial fines if you don’t have ADA-compliant signs. When ADA laws are broken, signage violation fines range between $75,000 and $150,000.

All ADA-compliant signage has distinct accessible elements and the need to be precise. The criteria are about ensuring your signage is easy to understand and read.

ADA Compliant Signs

If you want your sign to be ADA-compliant, you’ll need to hang it outside a permanent interior room or space that will be used for at least seven days. Here are some examples of where signs should be placed.

• Breakrooms
• Elevators
• Exam rooms
• Kitchens
• Offices
• Restroom

You should assess whether any room within your business that someone enters needs ADA signs.

ADA Fonts

Whether it’s an inside or an outside sign, the goal of a sign is to clearly identify a place, identify a person, or warn someone of a danger. If a sign’s font isn’t legible, it defeats the purpose of having it at all.

Here are a few of the fonts that the ADA has approved to be legible by all non-blind people:

• Arial Bold
• Avenir Medium
• Franklin Gothic
• Futura Medium
• Helvetica
• Trebuchet Bold

Remember, ADA signs are about visibility. It is not meant to be decorative or stylish.

Braille

Braille is a system distinct to touch reading and writing using raised dots to enable people with visual impairments to read. Braille is an essential component of signs because it enables people with visual impairment to read signs. To be ADA-compliant, the Braille must:

• engraved in Grade 2 Braille
• minimum 3/8in space around the Braille
• Dot height of .025-.037in (0.6-0.9mm)
• Dot diameter of .059-.063 inch (1.5-1.6mm)

Sign installation and mounting should be consistent so people can find the sign.

Are You ADA-Compliant?

ADA signage guidelines must be adhered to no matter what industry you’re in, or you can face penalties. Plus, it’s the correct thing to do to accommodate all clients.

At Preferred Paving, we want our clients to be ADA-compliant. Plus, we provide the best paving and asphalt services. Contact us today to request a proposal.