This is going to be a little longer than usual, but I'll try to get to the point. Part of the job of FASTSIGNS is to make sure that our clients are in compliance with the law. That usually means sign regulation and ADA compliance. In this blog entry, I'm going to discuss what you need to know about being ADA compliant. This is important now more than ever because regulations are not just restricted to the public places in your facility, but also to your online presence.
What is the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)?
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) became law in 1990. The ADA is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places that are open to the general public. The purpose of the law is to make sure that people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else. (ada.gov)
This law makes discrimination against disabled people illegal in all places that are open to the public. This includes any business with its doors open to the public.
Reasons why your business needs to be ADA compliant?
- It’s the right thing to do
-Businesses perform better when they’re more inclusive
- You include another demographic in your reach
- Improves your SEO (search engine optimization)
- It helps create credibility in the community
- Accessibility creates more opportunity
- It could save you from a lawsuit
- Nearly 1 in 5 people have a disability in the U.S.
- ADA signs are meant to be posted in a way that's easy to find a place and are easy to read by people with disabilities.
- 4.6% of adults are blind or have serious difficulty seeing
- The large and growing market of people with disabilities has $175 billion in discretionary spending, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
In addition to the building architecture, having the right signage is an important part of keeping your physical storefront ADA compliant.
What are ADA Sign Requirements?
ADA signs are meant to be posted in a way that's easy to find place and are easy to read by people with disabilities.
Things to know:
- "ADA sign" does not only mean a Braille sign, that's a common misconception.
- Not all signs have to be ADA compliant.
- Any sign you put up for marketing or advertising reasons, company name or logo signs, and temporary signs don't have to meet ADA requirements.
- The ADA signage requirements govern signs that tell people about rooms in a building or the functions of certain spaces, or that let people know about accessibility (such as the sign for a wheelchair-accessible bathroom).
What makes a sign compliant?
How to place ADA signage:
When there is no place to put the sign on the side on the door, the best place for it is on the closest adjacent wall.
For any help with signage, you can contact me or any of our visual consultants at FASTSIGNS® of Charlotte, NC - Independence Blvd.
Website compliance:
When it comes to website design, the most important things to look for are colors, text readability, and motion. There are however three levels of website compliance, explained in the following:
There are multiple tools online to help you evaluate your website like webaccessibility.com and if you want more information about ADA visit: ada.gov.