ADA Signage

[Ernie Martinez]

I have an opportunity to bid on 30 7"x11" signs for a hotel. The sample I've attached seems to be ADA compliant but I'm not sure this is a requirement. I've searched the threads and found some references to Braille software and Braille balls. Do I really have to glue those little suckers on? What braille software would you recommend?

I was thinking of cutting the letters out of 1/16" acrylic glued onto a 1/8" acrylic substrate, or use Rowmark's ADA alternative with applique'. Any thoughts on either approach? If I had to do ADA compliant, can you give me some advice, pittfalls to avoid.

This is a sample they gave me.

Thanks in advance again.

241968

[Martin Boekers]

Check out the other areas here in SMC, what your looking at is listed in the sign and design portion of SMC. Keith Outton (owner of SMC) gives out much info
on ADA projects. Use the search engine here on the Creek that a good method for finding what you are looking for.

[Ross Moshinsky]

The sample posted is 100% not ADA complaint. It has about 3-4 things wrong from a quick glance and I don't even do ADA stuff that regularly.

1. Font.
2. Font Size.
3. Font Spacing.
4. Line Spacing.
5. Spacing between braille and text.

[Joe Pelonio]

With all of the ADA signs I have done no one has ever questioned or examined the signs themselves for compliance, they have only been concerned with the placement after installation. Still, you have a responsibility to at least inform the buyer that their design is not compliant, the most obvious thing being the font. Using a program like the one available through the Creek to lay out the dots, you can do the holes and insert the balls manually, but for a large quantity it can be tedious. The balls are available at McMaster-Carr and a few other places, though some are resellers for the patent-holder on the most common system and wont sell to you unless licensed.

[Ernie Martinez]

One needs a license to make ADA signs?

[Scott Shepherd]

No, there is a product for putting the balls in rapidly that is patented and you have to license the use of it. The guy with the patent got shot and killed a couple of days ago, so no idea if his company will continue or not.

[AL Ursich]

And be careful about product liability too.... Case in point Red Stop Signs... I know a Sign Shop near me that got an order for many Stop Signs since the rules changed and High Intensity Signs are required a few years ago. The Development in Question refused to order the new More Expensive Compliant Stop Signs as they did not think they needed to since they were a private development... WRONG... Public ROAD... The Sign maker made them with the old Engineering Grade Reflective... WRONG on the Sign Maker's Part... Being close to New York City, this is a Retirement Community... A NYC Inspector living in the Development took them to Court over the Non Compliant Signs... Since the order was a "VERBAL" and the Sign Maker didn't cover his butt with paper as in getting it in WRITING.... HE got stuck doing them over in a more Expensive COMPLIANT Version FREE. The Girl that gave him the order a year earlier had died... The Home Owners Association Lawyer had the Sign Guy on the Hook for the Replacements.... A Valuable and Expensive Lesson....

With ADA Signs.... Better to do it RIGHT the first time.... If it is done "Non Compliant" then it is just a matter of time before someone notices that "KNOWS"... Then the Lawyers start calling....


As recommended in the ADA Thread, getting the ART to someone to PROOF READ is a MUST.... I am planning to start making ADA Signs with my little CarveWright and the Corel Draw Plug In and a DXF Converter for the CarveWright to bring in the Drill patterns.

Stepping off my Soap Box....

Good Luck,

AL

I have friends living in Marco Island.

[Keith Outten]

My policy has always been to comply with the contract documents. If a customer wants to vary from a specific code and they will modify the contract documents and specify the variance in detail I am always happy to comply. If you are issued nothing more than a purchase order make sure it references the codes that are applicable to the project. If it doesn't insist that the purchase order be revised. A good backup is to create your own Notice to Proceed document that specifies the current code or specification, include any direction you have received from your customer and have them sign it before you start the job.
.

[Ernie Martinez]

Thanks for all the input.