Overview
Imagine an inspector comes to your new building with a tape measure and a light meter! A grand opening can be delayed by just 1 restroom sign installed a few inches too high. There's typically a general plan indicating where a sign should be placed in blueprints, but very few times will it specify the height or the side. So installers guess, and some just screw the sign directly to the door leaf. This leads to an unsatisfactory inspection and a costly repair bill. This guide explains the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design, Chapter 7, in plain field terms. The tactile elements of our custom ADA-compliant signs are carefully designed to follow the federally mandated tolerances, while our interior style matches that of your corporate environment.
What Makes a Sign ADA-Compliant? The Four Mandatory Pillars
Unlike other design features, ADA signage is not optional. Federal civil rights law under the Americans with Disabilities Act and local building codes. If you have a missing tactile feature or the wrong mounting height, you could be waiting longer for your Certificate of Occupancy, or waiting to be cited for a Title III accessibility violation. There are four factors to consider for determining if a sign passes.
1. Tactile Characters & Typography
Raised characters should be at least 1/32 inch (0.8 mm) from the background. The height of the character is at least 5/8" (16 mm) and no more than 2" (51 mm). The font must be in uppercase and be sans serif, like Arial and Helvetica, but NOT like decorative scripts. Stroke weight, character proportions, and spacing are also controlled so raised characters remain tactile and legible.
2. Grade 2 Braille Specifications
All over the country, Grade 2 contracted Braille is used. The dots are to be domed or rounded and cannot be sharp, pointed, or flat. Braille is a minimum of 3/8 inches below the height of the text it is embedded with. The standard dictates that the spacing and size of the dots be standard and will not be eyeballed.
3. Visual Contrast & Non-Glare Finish
The characters and background should have strong visual contrast, using light-on-dark or dark-on-light combinations. A 70 percent contrast target is commonly used as a design benchmark. Use non-glare, eggshell, or matte finishes across the sign face and text so the information remains readable under commercial lighting.
4. Pictograms & Dedicated Field Dimensions
The International Symbol of Accessibility and restroom figures must be placed in a separate 6" or taller field. It can't contain anything else. The tactile text and Braille lie underneath the pictogram field and should not cover it.
Mounting Elevation & Placement Rules: The 48" to 60" Baseline Standard
No matter how well the sign is made, if it is not placed in the right location, it will not work. These are the rules installers and facility leads must follow.
The Mounting Height Window
The baseline of the lowest tactile character must be at least 48 inches above the finished floor, while the baseline of the highest tactile character cannot be more than 60 inches above the finished floor. Measuring from the correct baseline is important because an otherwise clean installation can still fail if the sign sits outside that range.
The Latch-Side Rule
Attach the sign to the latch-side of the door. If there is no wall space on that side (such as double doors or sidelights), then use the next closest wall. The exception is where there are double doors with one door leaf active, where the sign is placed on the door leaf that is inactive.
Clear Floor Space
Maintain a 18" x 18" clear floor area around the tactile area, outside the swing range of the door. The person with the "touch" needs to be able to come up to the sign without being hit by a door.
Doors That Swing Inward vs. Outward
By default, the walls are the preferred place to mount signs, and signs attached to a swinging door leaf are usually not to be found. The exception is very short and narrow: A door with a closer and no hold-open device can be used as a push side.
Which Rooms Require Tactile ADA Signage?
The test of permanence is the answer to this question. Tactile signs should be used where a space will not be used for a different purpose.
Permanent room designations (Tactile and Braille required):
- Restrooms, including single-occupancy, multi-stall, gender-neutral and accessible
- Emergency stairwells, exit corridors and floor-level markers
- Mechanical, electrical and telecom utility rooms
- Permanent offices, conference rooms, breakrooms and classrooms
Directional and Wayfinding Signs (Visual-Only Standards):
There is no need for overhead directional signage and hallway signage with braille and raised characters. They still must adhere to height guidelines for their character, contrast, and non-glare finish. There are plenty of owners who are able to integrate a room ID into a larger architectural wayfinding signage system that is used in a multi-story office park without question.
Harmonizing ADA Standards with Brand Identity & Modern Interiors
Designed by the designers, ADA Signs will be more than just a blue plastic rectangle. They don't have to.
High-End Material Options:
As long as the contrast, finish, and tactile specifications are maintained, brushed aluminum composite, frosted matte acrylic, hardwood backers, and metal standoff hardware are all code compliant.
Raster Braille Inset Technology:
Clean architectural meets tactile standards is Raster Braille. Pressure insertion of acrylic, brass, or stainless steel beads in micro-machined holes ensures a smooth face & readable dots. You can also check out our custom interior corporate office signs to observe how custom colors and architectural texture work together with accessibility. Compliant door markers can also be combined with interior dimensional letters and logos in reception foyers and elevator lobbies, which makes the entire interior one system.
Frequently Asked Questions About Utah ADA Signage
Can an inspector deny our Certificate of Occupancy if an ADA sign is off by two inches?
Yes. The accessibility requirements of the International Building Code (Chapter 11) and ICC A117.1 are enforced by building and fire officials throughout the state of Utah, and the sign requirements in the ADA Chapter 7 follow the ICC A117.1 standard. If there is a permanent room or exit sign outside the 48 to 60 inch window, or on the opposite side of the door, an inspector has reason to refuse final sign-off until it's sorted out.
Do overhead directional signs need to have Braille?
No. Braille and tactile characters on signs that identify permanent rooms/areas that a person can physically access. Overhead or suspended wayfinding signs are designed to follow visual rules such as stroke proportions, non-glare finish, and character height in relation to the mounting height.
Does Utah have unique state ADA requirements beyond federal standards?
The IBC and ICC A117.1 are enforced by the State of Utah. They are both very similar to the 2010 federal ADA standards. Despite this, local municipalities like Salt Lake City and Provo may have specific requirements for restroom signage wording, tactile stairway egress signs, and gender neutral restroom markings.
Can we mount an ADA sign directly onto a restroom door?
Generally, no. The sign should be mounted on the adjacent wall on the latch side. The brief allows a limited exception when a door swings inward, closes automatically, and has no hold-open device, but wall mounting remains the preferred approach.
Guarantee 100% ADA Compliance for Your Commercial Facility
Safeguard your timeline, your finances, as well as your visitors. The details inspectors look for are the basis for ADA signage that we design, manufacture, and install. From raster Braille to laser-aligned mounting heights, we provide pre-inspection audits to ensure that issues arise prior to the inspector's visit. This is how it's going to work:
- Send us your architectural floor plans, door schedules, or tenant improvement blueprints.
- Required Sign Locations, Tactile Text, and Visual Contrast Palettes are determined through our team mapping process.
- Our team creates and installs your signage, checking all elevations using laser levels.
Please contact us by phone at (801) 212-9987 or by clicking on the Request an ADA Blueprint Takeoff & Quote button. We provide and mount ADA and architectural signage throughout Salt Lake City, Sandy, Draper, South Jordan, Lehi, American Fork, Orem, and Provo.