The ADA Celebrates 30 Years

HomeProject BlogThe ADA Celebrates 30 Years

The ADA Celebrates 30 Years

‍

This year, 2020, marks the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act or ADA! Signed into law in 1990 by President George H.W. Bush, the ADA law guarantees the civil rights of the disabled. The focus of the ADA has been to end discrimination of the disabled by allowing access to opportunities in the workforce.

A key component is ensuring that buildings, facilities and transit vehicles are accessible to people with disabilities. This means built environments must be designed to make reasonable accommodations for the disabled for easy navigation.

Some of those protected by the act are the 12 million Americans with visual impairment, including those with age-related visual challenges, as well as the blind. ADA Compliant signage is a part of the design standards covered by the ADA, to accommodate the visually impaired. Wayfinding signs and directional signage– for retail, office buildings, recreational complexes, educational campuses, hospitals, airports and transit – must meet ADA standards. Signs that also fall into this category are signs for restrooms, exits, stairs and hazards.

The ADA specifies signage must be clear, precise and well-placed. Guidelines stipulate signs employ high contrast colors; large, easy-to-read type; tactile components for braille readers and meet height requirements for placement. Divine Signs as a standard follows these guidelines when it comes time to plan out a complete wayfinding solution for your facility. We’ve made it a point to know and follow the best practices of ADA sign design, so business owners, facility managers and more have one less item on their minds and one more boost to their businesses to ensure the environment is appealing and accessible for all.

Understanding ADA Standards

ADA accessibility guidelines state compliant signs must be stationed in all permanent, public and private-access building areas. If you’re identifying a particular room or area in a building, that room or area needs a sign, and if that room or area experiences visitors of any kind, then it would be a good opportunity to identify if that signage would need to be ADA compliant.

ADA-MANDATED SIGN LOCATIONS

Federal and state regulations maintain that signs must be outfitted wherever there are the following:

Restrooms
Exit and entryways, both regular and emergency
Stairways and ramps
Loading docks/zones
Elevators and lifts
Parking and passenger loading areas
Alarms
Specialty instruments, controls and operational machinery
Telephones
Automated Teller Machines (ATM's)
Seating areas
Dressing and fitting rooms

Did you know that as a civil rights law, enforcement of the act falls to the Departments of Justice and Labor? Failure to comply with the law by omitting ADA signs or displaying worn, sub-par signage that does not adequately meet standards, can result in steep fines.

Our team at Divine Signs celebrate thirty years of access, opportunity and inclusion for Americans with disabilities. Our team members understand the complexities of ADA regulations. We are able to craft signage that meets the stringent compliances while complementing your branded design elements. Whether new construction or renovation of an existing space, our ADA compliant signs are a crucial part of your sign family.

In need of ADA-Compliant Signs?

Reach out to Divine Signs today to enhance your facility.

The technicalities and level of detail involved in the ADA’s accessibility guidelines can be intimidating. Let our sign experts take care of ADA design requirements and signage for you, in one shop, with one team.