Are your business’ signs ADA-compliant? What are the full requirements for proper ADA signage and graphics — and do you work in an industry with unique standards?

SpeedPro produces ADA-compliant wall, ceiling, and mounted signage — including custom Braille signs and regulation wayfinding graphics — for clients spanning all industries. Ensure your building is both up to code and inclusive by partnering with our network of ADA-fluent printing pros.

WHAT IS ADA SIGNAGE?

1. The Americans with Disabilities Act outlines federal laws prohibiting discrimination against or unfair treatment of individuals based on disability. The legislation provides equal opportunity protections for employment, transportation, education, accessibility, and other civil rights matters. The ADA guidelines also govern public facility and commercial building access accommodations, including compliant building and room signage.

   ADA compliance requires signage for every permanent room, space, or area in or around a building. The ADA outlines four categories of permanent building fixtures, and therefore four general sign categories:

   1. Identification signs: The most common ADA sign type, identification signs name a specific room or building zone. You’ll see signs that read ‘Restroom,” “Elevator,” or “Accounts Payable Department.”
   2. Informational signs: Informational signs give further context to a room or building feature. This category differs from identification signs in that these markings add or clarify information about the room without naming or identifying the room type itself. For example, the text may say, “Employees Only,” or “No Smoking.”
   3. Directional or wayfinding signs: Directional signs assist guests in navigating through your building. Organizations from offices to hotels, sports arenas to schools, and municipal buildings to movie theaters will contain wayfinding signage to help traffic flow and designate building layouts for new guests. These signs usually display an arrow and language like “Faculty Offices Here” or “Restrooms This Way.”
   4. Overhead signs: As the name suggests, overhead signs are a particular class of ADA-regulated signage that hang from ceilings or are vertically mounted on walls at a minimum of 80 inches above the floor. This height provides enough clearance for a person with limited vision to move around safely. These signs often contain informational and directional text.