July 1, 2010 Accessible Signage

Slide 1:
Welcome to the AccessibilityOnline Webinar Series
A collaborative program between the ADA National Network and the US Access Board
The Session is Scheduled to begin at 2:30pm Eastern Time
We will be testing sound quality periodically
The content and materials of this training are property of the US Access Board and the DBTAC - Great Lakes ADA Center and cannot be used and/or distributed without permission.  This program is funded under award #H133A060097 from the U.S. Department of Education through the auspices of the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) and an inter-agency agreement with the U.S. Access Board. For permission to use training content or obtain copies of materials used as part of this program please contact us by email at adata@adagreatlakes.org or toll free (877)232-1990 (V/TTY)

Slide 2:
Presenters
U.S. Access Board
David Yanchulis
Marsha Mazz

Slide 3
Accessible Signage
Session Agenda
Access Designations
Visual Access
Tactile Signs 
Changes in the new standards

Slide 4:
Current ADA Standards
DOJ’s original standards (1994) still in effect  
Transportation Facilities - updated DOT standards (2006)

Slide 5:
Current ABA Standards
(Federal facilities)
Updated standards in effect for all facilities except housing
Housing – UFAS still applies (HUD to update standards)

Slide 6:
Online Guidance
www.access-board.gov/ada-aba/guide.htm

Slide 7:
Scoping
(§4.1.3(16)/ New: §216)
Required:  certain access designations
Otherwise, standards apply to signs only where provided 
Interior and exterior signs covered

Slide 8:
Exempt Signs
Building addresses
Company names/logos
Occupant names
Directories and menus
Temporary signs (new standards: 7 days or less)
Prisons/Jails: signs in non-public areas (new standards)

Slide 9:
Access Designations
Slide 10:
Required Designations
Accessibility (International Symbol of Accessibility or ISA)
TTYs
Volume Control 
Hearing Loss 

Slide 11:
International Symbol of Accessibility (ISA)
Entrances
Toilet and bathrooms
Parking
Check-out aisles
Existing elevators (new standards)
Not required where all are accessible

Slide 12:
ISA
Entrances and toilet/bathrooms:
ISA label at accessible locations
Directional signs at inaccessible locations
Image:  Directional sign with ISA and arrow

Slide 13:
ISA
Text not specified, but can be helpful
Image: directional sign with ISA, arrow and text “Use C Street Entrance”
Image:  Directional Sign with ISA, arrow and text “Restroom”
Slide 14:
Directional Signs
Tip:  Locate signs to prevent back-tracking (e.g., at start of entrance route)
Image: directional sign with ISA and arrow located at public sidewalk and start of route to entrance of historic building with steps

Slide 15:
ISA
Contrast (light-on-dark or dark-on-light)
Non-glare finish Text (where provided): visual access
Image:  ISA light on dark contrast
Image:  ISA dark on light contrast
Slide 16:
ISA 
Not specified/ required:
Color (other than contrast)
Size
Borders
Tactile access 
Verbal content (except van signs)
Variations of ISA not recognized

Slide 17:
Parking Signs
Standard spaces: ISA 
Van spaces: ISA + “Van Accesible”
Can be post, wall, or ceiling mounted

Slide 18:
Parking Signs
Must be visible when space occupied 
New standards:  60” min. high (measured to bottom)
Image: Elevation image of a sign on a post with the international symbol of access with the word “parking” below it. A 60 inch minimum dimension is shown measured from the ground to the bottom edge of the sign.

Slide 19:
Parking Signs
Surface designations do not satisfy this requirement (may be required locally)
Image:  Perspective image showing a close up of the ground of a van accessible space.  A mini -van is parked in the space and on the ground just behind the van is an optional international symbol of access positioned so that it can be seen when a vehicle is in the space.

Slide 20: 
Parking Signs
New standards:  Exception
On sites with 4 spaces max., sign not required at accessible space 

Slide 21:
New standards:  Exception
Residential facilities – sign not required where spaces are assigned to specific dwelling units 
Multifamily Dwelling Unit

Slide 22: 
Parking Signs
New standards: Exception:
Parking Facilities-compliance required for:
Parking Signs
Means of regress signs
Multi-level parking garage

Slide 23:
TTY Signs
Used to label TTY-equipped phones 
Image:  A woman using a public TTY and the international symbol of TTY posted overhead

Slide 24:
TTY Signs
Directional signs required at:
Pay phone banks without TTYs
Entrances (if no other banks)
Pay phone directional signs (new standards)
Image:  Directional sign with international symbol TTY and an arrow
Slide 25: 
Volume Control Label
New standards: 
Label not required
(All public phones must have volume control)
Image:  Pictogram of a telephone handset in profile with radiating wound waves
Slide 26:
Hearing Loss Symbol
Signs required for assistive listening systems in assembly areas 
New standards:  required at each assembly area or ticket office/ window
Image: Sign with hearing loss symbol and text “Assistive Listening Device Available “See Clerk”

Slide 27:
Questions?

Slide 28:
Visual Access

Slide 29:
Visual Access
Room/ space labels
Informational signs
Directional signs 
Exempt: temporary signs, occupant names, logos, addresses, directories, menus

Slide 30:
Visual Access
Room/ Space Labels - Examples:
“Conference Room”
“Accounting Department”
Room numbers 
Restroom labels 

Slide 31:
Visual Access
Informational Signs – Examples:
“Employees Only” 
Hours of operation
Rules of conduct:
“Use Stairs in Emergencies”
“Visitors must sign in” 
Image:  Sign with text “Notice, employees only”
Image:  Sign with text “in case of fire use stairs” with pictogram of someone walking down the stairs

Slide 32:
Visual Access
Directional Signs - Examples 
“Meeting Rooms on Level 2”
“Restrooms”
Egress routes
Image:  Sign with emergency evacuation map of the floor

Slide 33:
Visual Access
Finish (non-glare)
Contrast (light-on dark or dark-on-light)
Characters (style, proportion, height) 
Spacing (character, line)
Upper and lower case permitted

Slide 34:
Contrast light-on dark or dark-on-light
Contrast values not specified (the higher the better)
Image:  words contrast dark on white background
Image:  Words contrast white on dark background
Slide 35:
Contrast
Examples of poor contrast
Image:  Poor contrast gray on olive green background
Image:  Poor contrast gold on gray background

Slide 36:
Visual Access
UPPER AND LOWER CASE ARE OFTEN EASIER TO READ THAN ALL UPPER CASE (Letters are all upper case, illustrating difficulty to read all upper case letters)

Slide 37:
Visual Access
Upper and lower case are often easier to read than all upper case (Letter are mixed upper and lower case letters demonstrating easier to read format)

Slide 38:
Character Style
New standards specify “conventional form” 
Prohibited: 
Italic
Oblique
Script  
Highly decorative or other unusual forms

Slide 39:
Character Proportion
Width-to-height = 3:5 – 1:1 
Image:  Capital “O” shown with a 3:5 and a 1:1 width to height ratio

Slide 40:
Character Proportion
New standards: “O” width = 55% - 110% “I” height
Image:  Capital “O” shown with a width that is 55% to 100% of X (the height of a capital I)
Slide 41:
Stroke width 10% - 20% of height 
New standards: 10% - 30%, upper case “I”  
Image:  Capital “I” shown with a width that is 10% to 2% of the height

Slide 42:
Character Style
Examples of compliant styles
Arial
Gill Sans
Helvetica
Palatino
Times

Slide 43:
Character Spacing
New standards: 10% - 35% of character height (measured to closest points of adjacent characters)
Image:  Letters “ing” shown 10% to 35% of character height
Slide 44
Line Spacing
New standards: 135% - 170% of character height 
Image:  The spacing between two lines of text shown to be 135% to 170% of character height, measured to the baseline
Slide 45:
Character Height
Size based on viewing distance
3” min. specified for overhead signs (80” min.)
More detail in the new standards
Image:  Photo of an overhead sign in an airport

Slide 46:
Character Height
New standards:  
Height above Floor        Min. Character Height
40” – 70”			5/8” (+ 1/8”/ foot of hor. distance above 72”)
70” – 120” 			2”   (+ 1/8”/ foot of hor. distance above 180”)
above 120”		 	3”   (+ 1/8”/ foot of hor. distance above 21’)
(minimum sign height:  40”)

Slide 47
Tactile Signs

Slide 48;
Tactile Signs
Labels of “permanent” rooms/spaces
Function not likely to change over time (or without significant alteration)
Doorway: cue for sign location
Image:  Room number sign (3239) with raised numbers and Braille below

Slide 49:
Tactile Signs
Cane detection of doorways
Image:  Blind person using cane to detect doorway on corridor

Slide 50:
Tactile Signs 
Scoping (interior & exterior):
Restroom labels (at entry) 
Room numbers/ names (not likely to change)
Floor levels
Exit access/discharge
Areas of Rescue Assistance
New standards exempt exterior signs not located at doors

Slide 51:
Tactile Signs 
Exempt (temporary) Name of person
Visual (Informational) Name of department
Tactile (Room number) Number assigned to room/space
Image:  Sign with text “John Smith, Director”, “Accounting”, and in raised characters and Braille room number “123”

Slide 52:
Tactile Signs 
Raised characters
Grade 2 Braille
Visual access (finish and contrast)
Pictograms (designating room/space)

Slide 53:
Raised Characters
Upper case
Raised 1/32” min.
Character Height:  5/8” – 2”
Non-glare finish
Contrast (light-on-dark or dark-on-light)
San or “simple” serif

Slide 54:
Raised Characters New standards:
Height:  based on upper case “I”
Height: ½” min. allowed where visual access provided on separate sign 
“Simple serif” removed
Prohibited: italic, oblique, script, highly decorative, or other unusual forms

Slide 55:
Raised Characters
New standards: Character proportion 
“O” width = 55% - 110% “I” height
Image:  Capital “O” shown with a width of 55% to 110% of X (the height of a capital “I”)
Slide 56:
Raised Characters
New standards:  Stroke thickness 15% max. of character height (upper case “I”)
Image:  Capital “I” shown with a width that is 15% max. of the height

Slide 57:
Raised Characters
New standards:  Character spacing (rectangular cross sections)
1/8” – 4x stroke width (measured to closest points of adjacent characters)
Image:  Raised letters with a straight sides shown in cross section with a separation of 1/8” to 4 times the stroke width
Slide 58:
Raised Characters
New standards:  Character spacing (non-rectangular cross sections)
1/8” – 4x stroke width
Image: raised letters with sloped sides shown in cross section with a separation of 1/16” to 4 times the stroke width at the base and a separation of 1/8” to 4 times the stroke width at the top

Slide 59:
Raised Characters
New standards:
Line spacing: 135% - 170% of character height (measured to baseline)
3/8” min. separation from raised borders and decorative elements

Slide 60:
Braille (Grade 2)
Dots – domed or rounded shape (read with light sweeping touch)
Image: Fingers shown “reading” Braille (photo)

Slide 61:
Braille
New standards:
Placed below raised text 3/8” min. separation from raised text, borders
Image:  An enlarged detail shows Braille dots positioned 3/8 inch minimum below tactile letters and 3/8 inch minimum separation from the sign border

Slide 62:
Braille
New standards:
Limited use of uppercase notation (standard capitalization, e.g., names, acronyms) 
Braille capital sign
 . = first letter capital
.. = all capitals

Slide 63
Braille
no caps Image: Braille words with no capital images
First Letter Caps Image:  Braille words with 1 capital symbol before words
ALL CAPS Image:  Braille words with 2 capital symbols before words

Slide 64:
Braille
Dot dimensions
Base diameter: 0.059” - 0.063”
Height: 0.025” - 0.037” 
Dot Spacing:
Same cell: 0.090” - 0.100”
Adjacent cell: 0.241” - 0.300”
Cell directly below: 0.395” - 0.400”

Slide 65:
Braille
Image: Six Braille cells are shown illustrating the following measures:  “dot diameter”, “distance between dots in the same cell”, “distance between dots in adjacent cells”,” distance between corresponding from one cell directly below”

Slide 66:
Pictograms (Tactile Signs)
Pictograms used to label permanent space (e.g., restroom, exit stairway):
Text equivalent (raised characters/Braille)
Background 6” high min. 
Contrast (dark-on-light or light-on-dark) 
Non-glare finish

Slide 67
Pictograms
Image:  sign with male pictogram on field 6” high min and outside this field “Men” in text and Braille

Slide 68:
Pictograms
Requirement applies:
Where pictogram provided only to those labeling permanent space not to informational/ directional pictograms

Slide 69:
Pictograms
Examples of informational/ directional pictograms (finish & contrast specs only)
Image:  International symbol of access
Image: No smoking symbol
Image: Hazardous materials symbol
Image: TTY symbol and directional arrow
Image: No food or drink sign with pictogram (eating utensils with slash across)
Image: Fire extinguisher symbol

Slide 70:
Tactile Signs:  Location
New standards:
48” – 60” high measured to character baseline (instead of 60” centerline) 
Image:  A tactile sign “area of refuge” is shown mounted on the latchside of the door with the baseline of the lowest character 48 inches minimum and the baseline of the highest characters 60 inches maximum above the finished floor

Slide 71
Tactile Signs:  Location
Location: latch side of doors
More detail in new standards (18” x 18” CFS at sign)
Image:  A sign with tactile characters is mounted so that the clear floor space 18 x 18 inches minimum, centered on the tactile characters, is provided the arc of any door swing between the closed position and 45 degree open position
Slide 72:
Tactile Signs:  Location
Latch side placement
Image:  single doorway with sign on latch side and CFS space centered at sign

Slide 73:
Tactile Signs:  Location
No space on latch side:  on nearest adjacent wall
Image: Recessed door with sign on latch side on wall immediate adjacent wall (perpendicular to wall is in)

Slide 74:
Tactile Signs:  Location
No space on latch side:  on nearest adjacent wall
Image:  Recessed door with sign on corridor wall on latch side of door

Slide 75:
Tactile Signs:  Location
New standards:  At double doors:  right side (2 active leafs) or on inactive leaf
Image:  double doorway with sign located on right side of door
Slide 76:
Tactile Signs:  Location
New standards: Permit placement on the push side of doors with closers and without hold-open devices 
Image:  Sign on single door
Slide 77:
Other Topics
Illumination Levels
Audible Signs
“Effective Communication”

Slide 78:
Questions

Slide 79:
U.S. Access Board (800) 872-2253 (voice)
(800) 993-2822 (TTY)
E-mail: ta@access-board.gov
www.access-board.gov

Slide 80:
Thank you for participating in today’s webinar
Next scheduled session:  “Vehicle Guidelines Update”
August 5th 
www.accessibilityonline.org
877-232-1990 (V./TTY)