ADA signs are required for all businesses, but they do not have to be boring. With a little creativity, companies can add some personality and a cohesive branding strategy to their signs while remaining compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Which Elements of ADA Signs are Customizable
- TEXT
All text considered important on signs, must comply with 703.2.3 of the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design, which states, all text on signs should be sans serif and free of italics or overly ornate lettering.
List of ADA Compliant Sans-Serif Fonts
- Arial
- Avant-Garde Md BT
- Avenir LT Std
- Century Gothic, Regular
- Franklin Gothic
- Frutiger LT
- Futura Std
- Gill Sans Std
- Helvetica
- ITC Stone Sans
- Optima
- Montserrat
- Myriad Pro
- Rotis Sans Serif Std
- Verdana
- VAG Rounded
- IMAGES
An image can be added to an ADA sign, but it must meet certain criteria. The image must be relevant to the business and must not interfere with the legibility of the sign. The image should be used to supplement the text, not replace it. A logo is allowed on ADA signs and follows the same legibility rules.
Required ADA sign images include:
- International Symbol of Accessibility: Required in any wheelchair-accessible location. Examples include restrooms and parking spaces.
- International Symbol of TTY: Required on public text telephones, facilitating typed conversation for the hearing impaired, instead of spoken dialogue.
- Volume Control Telephone: Required for an amplified telephone, which allows the hearing impaired to have telephone conversations.
- Assistive Listening Systems: Required for devices which amplify sound, allowing those with hearing impairments to hear more clearly.
Recommended sign images or pictograms on restroom signs, including:
- Unisex Restroom
- Men’s Restroom
- Women’s Restroom
- Family Restroom
- Gender Neutral
Optional pictograms:
- No Entry
- Fire Extinguisher
- Radiation Area
- Baby Changing Station
- Biohazard
- Wash Hands
- COLORS
While there are no color requirements for ADA signs, it is important to use colors which contrast well with each other. The ADA requires symbols of accessibility, and their background, shall have a non-glare finish. Symbols of accessibility must contrast with their background with either a light symbol on a dark background or a dark symbol on a light background.
A good rule of thumb is a 70% brightness differential between sign text and background color. This percentage is based on the light ratio assigned to each color.
Some color combinations work well together and meet the 70% brightness differential, including:
- Black Text on a White Background
- White Text on a Black Background
- Dark Green Text on a Light Beige Background
- Light Blue Text on a Navy Blue Background
- Light Yellow Text on a Purple Background
There are also color combinations which do not work well together and do not meet the 70% brightness differential. These include:
- Light Purple Text on a White Background
- Pale Yellow Text on an Off-White Background
- Red Text on a Pink Background
We’re FASTSIGNS® of Boise, ID. Contact us today if you have any questions or to get started on your next sign project.
