ADA Sign Guidelines

As a business owner or a manager, you already know public facilities require proper signage mounted throughout the building. It’s a significant part of complying with the standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). But you might not know that there are also specific guidelines for installing ADA signs. 

Having high contrast, ADA-compliant signs in the right places ensures better accessibility for older adults, those with disabilities and people who are visually impaired. To keep your building ADA-compliant, keep reading to learn all you need to know about signage, including where to put ADA signs and how to install them.

Why Is ADA Sign Placement So Important?

Proper ADA signage placement is essential to meet ADA compliance and ensure optimum accessibility for clients, employees and anyone visiting your business. 

Building inspectors will look at several features of a property to ensure it’s up to code, and signage is one of them. When you don’t install the correct ADA signs in the right places, your business could face consequences like:

• Costly fines for non-compliance. 
• Costly ADA-related lawsuits filed by people with disabilities.
• Loss of business due to bad public relations.

What You Need to Know About ADA Signs

As you place your ADA signs throughout your building, always defer to your local building authority for regulations and code updates. You should also review the guidelines for ADA codes that relate to signage. Business owners can install ADA signs on their own to keep their buildings accessible for all.

Here’s what you need to know when installing ADA signs: 

1. Rooms That Need ADA Signs

ADA-compliant signs are required in every permanent room or space in your building to help people with disabilities safely navigate your facility.

More specifically, ADA codes state that buildings should have compliant signs that provide names, labels or designations for interior spaces or rooms where a sign isn’t likely to change frequently and will serve the same function for more than one week. Rooms that are used for varying purposes or that are open to interpretation might include meeting rooms and classrooms.

Common examples of rooms and spaces that require interior signs and labels include: 

• Room or floor numbers or letters
• Storage rooms
• Exam rooms
• Elevators, stairs and escalators
• Vending areas
• Conference rooms
• Electrical rooms
• Break rooms
• Changing rooms
• IT rooms
• Utility rooms
• Restrooms 
• Mechanical rooms
• Kitchens 

ADA codes also require that you use tactile text descriptors if the sign has pictograms identifying or labeling a permanent room or space.

2. Requirements for ADA Signs

Here are a few of the most important rules regarding ADA sign placement and installation: 

1. Placing tactile signs in the correct locations: Mount any tactile ADA signs next to the side of the door that latches. It’s essential that the door won’t cover the sign when opened. It also ensures that people with visual impairments and other disabilities won’t be injured when someone on the other side of the door opens it. 
2. Mounting signs at the correct height: When installing ADA signs, it’s vital your displays are hung at least 48 inches minimum above the ground, measured from the baseline of the lowest tactile character, and 60 inches maximum above ground, measured from the baseline of the highest tactile character. By placing ADA signs at the correct height, you’ll ensure they’re reasonably close to eye level for most people.

3. Rooms That Don’t Require ADA Signs

It also helps to know which rooms and spaces don’t require ADA signs. These include:

• Parking lots — except for accessible parking spaces
• Outside of buildings where business name and address are provided
• Private residences
• Temporary spaces or areas used for seven days or less 

Essentially, any temporary room or area of your building with signage that provides nonessential information will not be held to the above ADA standards. 

4. Other ADA Sign Rules

In addition to knowing where to put ADA signs, it’s essential to understand how signs must be installed.

When hanging ADA signs in a public place, keep the following guidelines in mind:

• Mounting on windows: If there are windows on the door-latch side, you should mount your ADA signs on the glass if you have enough space. Otherwise, you can mount the sign at the appropriate height from the floor directly adjacent to the glass.
• Keeping sufficient clear space: You should keep at least 18 inches of clear floor space between the sweep of the floor and the sign’s location. Ensure no items on the floor or wall protrude past a certain distance into the room. A general rule is that a person should be able to approach three inches of ADA signs without meeting these protruding objects or standing within the door’s swing. 
• Hanging ADA signs on doors: When you don’t have enough wall space to mount your displays, installing ADA signs on a door is unavoidable. The ADA lays out the specific requirements for doing this — For double doors with a single active panel, the sign should be attached to the inactive board. If both panels are utilized, hang your sign to the right of the right-side door. If you have a single door without wall space, install the sign on the closest adjacent wall. To meet compliant codes, the door-mounted sign must be on the push side of a door that closes automatically and doesn’t have a hold-open device.

5. What Tools Are Needed to Hang ADA Signs?

Lastly, it helps to know the exact tools needed to install ADA signage correctly. Here are some of the essential tools business owners and property managers should get ahold of to mount their ADA signs:

• Tape measure, pencil and level: Use these tools to identify and mark the correct placement for each sign using the above guidelines.
• Double-faced mounting tape: This type of tool can help you sufficiently secure most signs to a wall or door if necessary. Providence Engraving provides foam mounting tape at no extra cost for easy installation.
• Silicone adhesive: A silicone adhesive can be used to keep your ADA signs extra secure if they’re particularly heavy. 

Get ADA-Compliant Signs for Your Business at Providence Engraving

Follow our ADA sign guidelines to keep your business ADA-compliant. You’ll ensure optimal accessibility for employees and clients and adequately meet ADA codes.

At Providence Engraving, we deliver high-quality signs guaranteed to be 100% ADA-compliant with Federal and California regulations. Choose from four standard colors and materials suited for both indoor and outdoor use. We also provide foam tape at no charge for easy installation on most surfaces.

Browse our ADA signs for your business today.