The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Tactile & Braille Signage Code is a wide-ranging set of civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability and ensures accessibility to goods and services for individuals with disabilities. The lack of accessibility or access to certain services can be considered discriminatory. As a result there is a need for ADA compliant signs because individuals with disabilities may not be discriminated against and are afforded the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, and/or accommodations. When these laws were first passed the resulting signs were not aesthetically pleasing but over time that has changed and boring ADA signs are a thing of the past.
Youâll find ADA signs everywhere you look including restrooms, stairwells, room numbers and parking stalls. It means that  that companies like SignWorks, who know how to satisfy and interpret these regulations, are a first choice for building and construction companies that need ADA compliant signs.
Although ADA guidelines define font size, contrast and other criteria, the law does not define specific design criteria related to aesthetics or the look of the finished sign. This means that letter height, Braille placement, font, and color contrast make only minimal impacts on the visual appearance. ADA-compliant materials are only one way to make the difference between a boring sign and something that is more visually appealing. A sign frame or the ability to change printed inserts are other ways to dress up an otherwise boring ADA sign.  Being able to understand what the guidelines really say about color contrast and icons provide more freedom than was originally thought.
SignWorks has worked on several large scale projects that included lots of ADA compliant and fire signs such as the 20 story building renovation at 75 Hawthorne Street in San Francisco and the renovation work at one of the GAP buildings in Pleasanton. We also worked with Turner Construction to complete the signage for the Oakland Airport BART Connector project that included several ADA signs. In addition, we recently completed an apartment building renovation project for Pacific West Apartment in San Leandro that included several ADA signs and evacuation maps. We also have a current in-house project for Pacific Plaza Apartments in San Leandro that includes several ADA compliant signs and evacuation maps that is almost complete.   Weâll provide more details about that later.
If you are in need of ADA compliant and/or fire safety signs please give us a call at (510) 357-2000. We can help you to decipher the applicable guidelines and can guide you through the process. For more details about us, just visit the SignWorks website to view our project photos and blog posts. We look forward to working with you on your next ADA sign project!