ADA Signs
If you are a business owner and you need to come up with a number of signs for your establishment. It is very important for you to understand all there is to know about ADA signs. ADA, of course, stands for Americans with Disabilities Act.
The ADA is basically a law that upholds the civil rights of persons with disability. It prohibits, under certain circumstances, discrimination based on disability. The clamor for ADA signs is based on the premise that the lack of accessibility or certain services can be considered consideration and thus, the need for appropriate signage for people with disability.
As a general rule, almost every sign that is posted in an establishment or those considered as an architectural sign must comply with the guidelines set forth in this Act. One example would be a sign identifying a permanent room or space of the facility such as exits, stairwells, room numbers and rest rooms. Another example would be those signs that directs or informs about accessible features of the facility.
So what are the specific guidelines that you need to know about ADA signage? Let us identify some of the rules for you.
The ADA requires owners of establishments to have signs that have non-glare backgrounds and characters. This rule is imposed in consideration of the fact that glare and reflection are major problems for people with vision impairments, particularly for the elderly. There is, however, an exception to this rule: reflective parking and other traffic signs.
Another important rule to remember is this: all signs must have a high dark to light contrast between characters and their respective backgrounds. The ADA Act does not explicitly prohibit you from using a particular color for your background and character; it merely defines the contrast to be used in the signage. Hence, you may opt to use a sign with very light gray letters on a deep black background but, you cannot use red letters on a black background as this will not meet the contrast criteria set forth by the ADA Act.
The fonts of your signs must be easy to read. In other words, you have to use fonts that are readable as opposed to elaborate or decorative fonts. Tactile signs require uppercase characters in sans serif typefaces. An example of a sans serif typeface is Helvitica. Moreover, letters should be at least 5/8-inch or larger that 2 inches. They must have a minimum 3/32 inches thick for tactility.
As an establishment owner, all these rules may be overwhelming and you might feel that your creativeness is being curtailed by the imposition of so many rules. But having these rules need not be counterproductive. You can still have stylish and attention-grabbing signs while still meeting the minimum requirements of the ADA Act. Remember, those rules have been imposed to cater to a specific audience and while they are a minority, they are still considered customers.
There are many signage companies that now offer a wide range of signage that are creative and compliant with ADA requirements. These companies have successfully found new way to spice up their customers’ signage without breaking any ADA-imposed rules. The trick really is to understand how much leeway you have when it comes to deigning your signage. And to do this, a working knowledge of the basic ADA rules is important.
What Kind of Sign is Best for my Business
The simple answer to this question is “Always get the largest size and highest quality sign that you can possibly afford”. The problem with this philosophy is that there may be a few other factors to consider besides affordability that go into creating the perfect sign for your business.
It’s staggering how many business owners fail to plan when it comes to designing and producing their main outside identification signs. Not only do quite a number of businesses lack a concept for a strong sign design but, they also fail much to often to budget for all of the costs involved including permits.
The very first step in deciding on what style of signage you desire is to understand exactly what the local sign ordinances will allow. More and more cities, townships and counties are becoming increasingly restrictive with the rules and regulations for exterior business signage. All of these zoning offices will have various restrictions on the appropriate size requirements, the quantity of all signage as well as the maximum height for pole signs and distance from the road.
Another that you need to be aware of is that if your building is leased or if you’re located in a shopping center, landlord approval will always be necessary.
The last thing you want is to spend time and money on a certain sign design and get excite about how perfect and fantastic your new sign is going to look only to find out later in some way it is not allowed. Keep in mind that you can always apply for a sign variance as a final recourse if your sign is disallowed. A local sign board will review and possibly over rule a negative judgment only if you can prove a hardship. Examples for approving a variance would be if your building was unusually far from the road to properly view a sign under the current sign codes or if the building was too close to the road to meet the right of way requirements. Just because you want a bigger or taller sign is not an acceptable excuse.
The concluding part of this first step is to make sure you actually acquire the complete sign permit package. The permit will notate all of the proper specifications for size, height and precise location for each signage. Also, these permits will have stamped drawings notating wind-load and the correct method for all installation including electrical.
Does your sign pass the 3-second rule?
It’s amazing how little thought goes into business signs. For most local businesses, especially those with street visibility, one of the essentials, particularly for one located in a highly congested area, is your business signage. The impression your company signage has is equivalent to the logo on your business card. It should be well thought out and moreover should be characterized with the following attributes :
1. Does your business sign pass the 3 second rule?
Given all the distractions you run into (bad choice of words) when driving by any congested intersection. It doesn’t even matter if you’re driving or walking by. The next time you’re in a business infested area, Look around casually as if you’re really not looking for anything in particular. Then try to remember any of the signs that may have stood out. Most people remember the brands. You’ll notice that big yellow M shaped sign McDonald’s obviously. Do this again but reject the brand signs and see if you can recall any. You might not even remember the name but can you remember any of the signs? If you can distinctly remember a sign because of its ability to grab your brief attention, THAT is a good business sign. If you’ve ever stood in Times Square, your head is now swimming with all of the signs vieing for your attention at the mere mention of it.
2. Can you process it at 50 mph?
Even if you’re standing still, as you move your head to survey the landscape, signs go though your mind at 50mpg or faster. Ever seen a bill board trying to cram so many words on it that you can barely read the message. Business signage should make a statement without a lot of text. If you do want your business name in the sign, it’s wise to have a graphic associated with it (maybe your logo). Your mind can process a graphic instantaneously providing that it’s recognizable. The last thing a driver will be doing is reading while driving. Drivers process information…they don’t read information. Let road signs be your guide. guess why every road sign is coupled with a symbolic graphic and color and a shape. Your mind processes a red octogon as “stop” and a yellow triangle as “yield” – you’re not really reading the sign so much as processing it.
3. Does a thumbnail image of the sign have any impact.
Very often, a smaller image will give you some insight you wouldn’t have otherwise. You usually can’t read the text in the thumbnail image but you should be able to draw some conclusions about the impact from the color and the discernable shapes. Thumbnailing removes the complexity from the image and shows you the overall feel of the sign. If the thumbnail is a black jumble of nothing, that’s probably what you’ll see when you hang the sign in a busy thoroughfare. Yes, the sign will be bigger and if you stare at it you’ll see it. But that’s not processing, that’s reading.
Understanding the difference between processing and reading and you’ll be able to critique your own sign and see if you could use a business sign face lift. You can’t afford to let them just walk by. That’s business!
Business Signage – Often Overlooked, Never Ignored
Business signs are your first impression. Signage in front of your business speaks volumes about who you are and how you conduct yourself in the business world. Your signage is the first and perhaps most lasting impression that your customers or clients will ever have of your company. An attractive and professional sign will create a positive first impression that lasts for years and bring in a lot of business. A poorly designed or maintained sign will do just the opposite. Give a potential customer the option of which door to walk through and he’ll choose the one with the professional sign every time.
Business Signage is often purchased, placed and forgotten. Your business signage may be the most important way you advertise and is decidedly the last place you should skimp on quality to save a few bucks. You may well be spending your advertising dollars in a number of profitable ways and committing a lot of money in the effort to form a positive public image. As good as media advertising is and as effective as placing ads in the yellow pages or local newspaper might be you’ll find that your company sign will determine whether that client walks through your door. The condition of your sign speaks loudly to a potential customer. No matter what you say or how much you promise to deliver your customer knows that if you can’t take care of the sign you probably won’t take care of him either.
Consider some of the signs you’ve seen. The most effective signs are sharply colored and lettered to perfection. The message conveyed is that this company is proud of what it does and who it is. The bold statement is that it can perform what it claims. You find yourself convinced of the positive and professional attributes of this business on no other basis.
Now remember signs that were in dis-repair. What image does the neon hotel sign conjure up when the e and the l are burnt out. A company might be a dynamite producer of results but it won’t get far with a sign that appears to claim otherwise. I’ll never forget the half-lit sign that hung over the huge General Electric plant in Schenectidy, NY. General Electric! I worked as one of their competitors. A picture of that sign made it into every presentation as an example of a company that had grown lax in its attitude.
Your sign describes who you are as a business. Make sure it says what you want it to say by keeping it clean, maintained and professional. Your customers will take it from there.