If you run a business or other form of establishment in the Atlanta area of Georgia, then you know that there are various regulations by which you must abide. Fire hazard regulations, noise regulations, regulations on the layout of your parking lot, and more. One would hope that all of these regulations serve a purpose and are in place for a good reason, even though they can be a pain in your neck sometimes. But did you know there are regulations regarding signage, too? And not just regulations about the size of large outdoor signs. There’s something called ADA compliance. But what are ADA compliant signs?
ADA stands for “Americans with Disabilities”. It refers to a 1990 U.S. federal law that prohibits discriminaton on the basis of disability. This initial federal law has inspired subsequent state and municipal laws all around the country, including another federal law. The impacts of these laws are wide reaching and can apply to a number of different items and scenarios, but when applied to signage we’re talking about people with visual disabilities.
According to the National Institutes of Health, the number of Americans living with a visual impairment is over three million and they expect that number to double within the next decade. The National Federation of the Blind estimated that, as of 2016, there were over 267,000 Georgians who lived with a visual disability. And these numbers just include those who have been diagnosed. Clearly, there are a lot of people out there who can’t see very well and by not having ADA compliant signs, you risk losing their business. You also risk receiving significant fines. We’re talking $50,000 and maybe even more.
What makes a sign ADA compliant is visibility. You need to make sure that the font used on your signs is large enough that it can be seen even by people with poor vision. Furthermore, the lettering needs to be big enough, thick enough, and spaced out enough to be easily readable. This can also affect the color schemes you use. Having green lettering on a yellow background is not great for visibility. Regardless of ADA compliance, that’s just bad sign design.
Another factor in ADA compliance is placement. You can’t place signs so high or so low that some people can’t see them. And you can’t stick signs behind some object like a product display or a pillar. Signs are only as good as their placement so choose your spots wisely. Lastly, some people have no vision, so signs are useless to them right? Not necessarily. Many people can read braille and certain important signs should also include braille and be placed in easily accessible spots such that the blind and visually impaired can read them with their fingers.
ADA laws and regulations are not universal. They change from state to state and from city to city. That is why you must work with a local sign studio who knows or can find out all of the relevant ADA regulations that apply to your signage to ensure that you are in compliance. To learn more about ADA compliant signs, please contact us through our website or call us at 470-355-8170.
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