The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 1 in 4 Americans lives with a disability. To make it easier for a person with a disability to navigate your facility, you can use ADA signs, and this is required by law in most cases.
However, there are certain specifications that you need to meet when adding ADA signage to your business. If you were to miss any of these prerequisites, you could be in breach of the law and make it more difficult for people with disabilities to use your services.
To ensure that you can provide a welcoming and safe environment for all your customers, we’re going to look at 7 steps to take when adding ADA signs.
Keep reading to find out more.
1. Learn Where You Need to Place ADA Signs
There are places where you must use ADA signs. These include locations such as entrances and exits, elevators, parking areas, and toilets, with the intention being to improve both accessibility and safety. Should you forget to place a notice in one of these areas, it could cause inconvenience and even be dangerous.
However, after putting up notices that are compulsory, you may wish to add further signage. This could be the case if you notice the shape of your facility makes it challenging for people with disabilities to move easily around your buildings. By being thorough, you can make your business a much more pleasant setting for everyone.
2. Use Anti-Glare Sign Materials
When reviewing the different types of ADA signs, you should ensure the ones you’re going to buy use anti-glare materials. Otherwise, customers with a visual impairment may not be able to read the information. Signs that have a matte finish tend to be a good choice and they can work well even in brighter locations.
3. Pick Appropriate Fonts and Colors
Although having an anti-glare sign can make it easier for people to see information, this benefit could be lost if the fonts and colors are hard to read. For example, while a particular font may look stylish, if the letters are too small or squashed together, this may mean the message can’t be read or understood.
In addition, if the letter colors are similar to the sign’s background color, they may blend together. These are issues that are easily avoided if you take the time to consider the design of your sign and think about other possible options.
When you discover a combination that is clear and easy to read, you can have confidence your signs will be helpful to your customers. If you’re looking for inspiration to help you create a high-quality sign that looks terrific, you can find more ADA signs here.
4. Position Braille Correctly
Many ADA signs need to include braille, and you should know where to put the information so it can be found by people with visual impairments. To ensure all braille signs have a common format, you must place the braille characters below any written text. If there is more than one line of text, braille should not be written after each line, but included underneath the last of the sentences.
Before putting up a braille sign, you also have to ensure it is in a position where a person with a disability would expect to find it. The regulations state that this is between 48 inches and 60 inches from the ground. Placing your sign even slightly outside of these parameters could mean people with visual impairments are unable to locate vital information.
5. Add Pictograms
Not all ADA sign options require a pictogram, but there are many cases when they are recommended even if they aren’t compulsory. Pictograms can convey messages quickly, without the need for a person to spend time reading text.
When adding pictograms, remember to make them stand out against the sign’s background. It’s also useful to ensure pictograms are well-spaced from written text, allowing people to take in all the information on your sign.
6. Keep Your Signs Clean
Once you’ve added your ADA signs, you need to keep them in excellent condition. If you allow them to get dirty or fall into disrepair, people with disabilities may not be able to see or feel all the included information.
Ask your sign supplier which cleaning materials are safe to use to avoid damaging the material. You can then create a cleaning schedule so your signs are always pristine.
7. Make Sure Your ADA Signs Are Effective
Even if you’ve met all the regulatory conditions for ADA signs, there may still be things you can do to make your business more user-friendly. For example, you might notice that people with disabilities often have to ask for directions when they enter one part of your building. This could be because you need another notice in that area to provide further directions.
By carrying out regular reviews, you can ensure your ADA signs are effective and help customers have the best possible experience when in your facility.
Improve Your Business’s Accessibility Using ADA Signs
ADA signs can make your business more inclusive when you design and use them in the right way. Make sure your signs don’t reflect glare, your font choices are easy to read, and information written in braille is in the appropriate location. It’s also best practice to keep your signs in good condition, and to regularly check if you need to add more ADA signage around your building.
If you’ve found this ADA sign article helpful, be sure to read more of our informative blog posts before you go.
