ADA sign requirements live in Section 703 of the ADA Standards for Accessible Design, and the ADA signs we make are made to that standard. The rules are specific, and that is good news for a business owner, because a specific rule is one we can draw, measure and install. Room identification signs commonly need the features below. Which rooms and spaces need them is a call for your architect or code office, and we build to the list they confirm.
Raised Letters People Can Read by Touch
Tactile letters are the heart of an ADA room sign. The standard asks for raised characters at least 1/32 inch above their background, with a height of 5/8 inch minimum and 2 inches maximum. That is a small window, so the layout has to be right before anything goes into production. We draw your room signs on a proof first, so you can check the wording and the layout together.
Braille Set the Way the Standard Asks
Braille on a tactile sign must be contracted, which the standard calls Grade 2. We pair it with your raised lettering on the same sign, so one sign serves people reading by touch and people reading by sight.
Clean Contrast That Reads at a Glance
Visual characters need a non-glare finish, with light characters on a dark background or dark characters on a light one. The stroke width of the uppercase letter I falls between 10% and 30% of the character height, which keeps letters from getting too thin or too heavy to read. Plain, well-spaced lettering is what this is after, and it happens to look sharp on a wall.
Mounted Where Hands and Eyes Expect It
A well-made sign still has to go in the right spot. The standard sets the placement too:
- Tactile height. The baseline of the lowest tactile character sits at least 48 inches above the finish floor, and the highest no more than 60 inches.
- Door side. Tactile signs go on the latch side of a single door, and on the right side of double doors.
- Floor space. The sign needs an 18 by 18 inch clear floor space outside the door swing, so a person can stand close and read it.
- Visual height. Visual characters sit at least 40 inches above the finish floor or ground.
Our crew measures on-site, so those numbers get set against your real doors and walls instead of a floor plan.
Room Signs That Match the Rest of Your Space
An ADA sign does not have to look like an afterthought. The rules cover the letters, the braille and the placement, which leaves room for a sign that belongs with your lobby and interior signs. We can carry the same look through your wayfinding signs, so a visitor gets one clear system from the front door to the back hall. For clinics and dental practices, our medical office signs page shows how room signs fit the whole office.
How an ADA Sign Job Runs
- List it. Your architect or code office confirms which rooms and spaces need signs.
- Measure it. We come to you and take measurements at each door.
- Proof it. You review the wording, layout and braille line on a proof before production.
- Install it. We mount every sign level and secure, at the spots marked on your approved layout.
Whether your building is in Aiken, North Augusta or Augusta, the job runs the same way. We are a local shop that comes to you, so a new office, a remodel or a single missing room sign all get the same care.
