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ADADirections
At long last, a new direction for the ADA Guidelines
The Function
. . .or maybe its functionality. This is a much more functional document than ADAAG. You can go easily from scoping for signs to the technical requirements for signs. An Occasional Newsletter Fall 2010

The Form
Yes, form should follow function, but in the new ADA/ABA, the form almost becomes the function.

Was it Worth the Wait?

Speaking just of signs, the new document points the way to readable, usable signs much more clearly than ADAAG did.

The New Math

Not much has really changed, but the sign rules have lots of additions and few subtractions. The additions include tactile exit signs and most signs for parking garages are out.

Whats Not There

There is still no specific guidance on the really important stuff: contrast and glare. Weve even lost the guidance from the Appendix in the original ADAAG.

Lots of added detail about typestyles and spacing add quality to raised text.

The New ADA/ABA

Weve had a very long time to look them over and become comfortable with them -- the new ADA/ABA Accessibility Guidelines. After all, theyve been out there pretty much intact since 1998. Although the Access Board was careful to say dont touch, these arent legally defensible yet, smart designers knew that very little in the new document violated any of the rules in the old, familiar ADAAG. Most of it was just what you would call best practice.

Communications Subcommittee of the George W Bush, there were few ADAAG Advisory Committee appointed substantive suggestions for revisions to the signage section. The new appointees to the Access Board did trigger changes to the document, but they came, in terms of signage, in the form of condensation. A very long signage section that dealt with each aspect of accessible signage in step-by-step detail, became much shorter. Although the intent remained the same, a significant amount of clarity was lost, in my opinion. during the Clinton administration to make the first major revision of ADAAG, which went into effect in 1992, added scoping to the Standard, but other requirements suggested by some of the Working Groups were shot down before they ever reached the full Committee, or were eliminated by the Committee itself in the final version. During the two public hearings that took place prior to the presidential election that ushered in the regime of

What Youll Need

Designers and sign companies that have educated themselves about the needs and wishes of persons with disabilities in terms of wayfinding wont need to make many changes. They are already using only sans serif fonts for tactile signs, placing braille below the tactile letters, and leaving discernible space between characters so they can be easily read. Their (continued on page three)

Changes Since 1998

If you look at the document as it first appeared around 1998, it looks very much like the 1998 version of the American National Standards Institutes 1998 version of A117.1. The

Access Communications 2386 East Artesia Blvd Long Beach CA 90805 accesscomm@earthlink.net http://www.4adasigns.com

FROM

THE

EDITOR

I can remember very well the enthusiasm and hope with which I began the series of newsletters I called ADA Directions back in the early days of the ADA. The intervening eighteen years has shown me how naive I was. I saw accessible signage as an easy and inexpensive way for businesses and public agencies to demonstrate, in the most visible way, that they believed in access for all and were starting out immediately on the path to barrier removal. I was ready to show owners how they could communicate that they had plans to remove barriers as time, money and architectural realities allowed, and that, in the meantime, they were ready to provide as much access as possible. They could get that message not only to those with vision impairments who needed to find destinations in their facilities, but with people who had all kinds of disabilities Alas, I found that many others did not see it that way. However, there are plenty of unsung heros out there who have kept the faith and now, we have a new chance to convince the public that the ADA rules are not as impenetrable as they think. Perhaps this new format will be easier for everyone to understand. Thats certainly what everyone who worked so hard on it over a period of more than 10 years had in mind! In the meantime, let me explain some of my pet peeves from ADAAG and Title 24 to you, and lets get this new show on the road.

No, ADA Signs Are Not Just for Blind People!

We still hear it every day in our business: We need some ADA signs. It soon becomes clear that what the person means is braille and raised character signs. As a matter of fact, they often dont even realize that the raised characters are required. Even inspectors are foggy about the notion of the raised characters! Whats worse is, they dont realize that just about every sign in the facility is an ADA sign and has requirements that would make it more readable and usable by people who have usable vision. Even signs that are directed toward people who are deaf and hard of hearing, or who have mobility impairments, have these requirements. Rules for high dark/light contrast and non-glare surfaces as well as appropriately sized text in easy to read typestyles are vital to universal design -- design that benefits everyone, of every age and condition. I actually find that two groups I represent officially are the most neglected by the ADA. People who are deaf and hard of hearing do get a little nod in their direction, in the form of visual alarms, text telephones, assistive listening systems and volume control phones, although public phones are so rare now it makes little difference. People with cognitive impairments are ignored, even though there are design features and types of signage and communications that could help them with independent access.

concise, simple and consistent directional signs to help those who cannot easily ask for directions or understand or hear the answers? How about a consistent use of pictograms for restrooms, vertical access and information desks for those with limited reading skills. As you specify signs, think about the last large facility you visited for the first time. Could you have found your way unassisted if you could not speak or hear?

Lets Talk Restrooms

I have a real thing about restroom signs. Lets face it folks; we dont live in France. Therefore, we dont tell people we are going to the toilet when we excuse ourselves. And we dont say were going to the unisex either. Its the restroom. (OK, so youre cute and say little boys room but well ignore that.) To keep things easy, though, for people who are blind, or just in a big hurry, we name restrooms either by gender (Women, Men, Girls, Boys), or if its a single user or family restroom, we just call it Restroom.

Sharon Toji

Staff alone on a tactile sign doesnt really tell us anything, because we have staff workrooms, staff lounges and lunchrooms, and even staff entrances. The same goes for Faculty. And we only gum up the works when we lengthen the sign out to say Womens Restroom, and so on. Its all too easy for a blind person to quickly just read restroom and mistake the facility for a single user room. Even sighted people in a hurry have been known to rush into the So how about taking just a little bit of wrong facility when the word restroom is added. Lets keep it that money we spend on hundreds of simple and consistent and make life unnecessary wheelchair symbols easier for everyone to take that and tactile text on directionals and throw in a few really well thought out, bathroom break. (Oops -- is there really a bathtub in there?)

Access Communications 2386 East Artesia Blvd Long Beach CA 90805 accesscomm@earthlink.net http://www.4adasigns.com

Lets play Find the Elevator!

(continued from page one) braille is domed or rounded, and they dont add unnecessary uppercase indicators to braille. They already make tactile exit signs available. For these companies, where tactile signs are concerned, most of the changes will be in installation. The emphasis is no longer on placing signs exactly 60 inches on center, but on placing them so that the tactile information is reachable by the majority of blind readers. Good practice will mean that some facilities may have signs placed lower than others, since those sign readers may be shorter in stature, or use wheelchairs or walkers. Another long-awaited installation exception will allow some tactile signs to be placed on doors. This exception will chiefly benefit hotels and apartment buildings, and it may also solve some problems in older buildings with limited room for sign installation.

distance is for reading the signs. The distance is based on barriers. Although its not stated, and therefore is not per code, designers would be wise to consider the possibility of movable barriers and not just those that are fixed. The point is to consider how close sign readers can realistically get to signs in order to read them.

that easier, since everything follows in a logical order. Unfortunately, many state building codes are not so well organized. Californias seems to be an impenetrable tangle, because it is organized on the basis of occupancies, so scoping is scattered.

Start Learning Now

Since 2004, when the Access Board officially published the ADA/ABA Accessibility Guidelines, they have been posted on their site, as well as on the DOJ site. If you havent downloaded them before, do so now, and start to incorporate them into your design and fabrication work wherever possible. Even if you are forced to comply with older codes and approved building permits based on them, there will be little that conflicts with those plans.

Reorganization is the Key

Designers and fabricators used to having to pick through pages and pages of text for snippets of sign code should be delighted with the new layout. Just about everything you need to know about signs is in two sections of the document. To find out where signs are required, visit the scoping section, 200. Sign requirements are pretty much gathered in one place, 216. The technical requirements for signs are in section 700, Communications.

More Emphasis on Visual Signs

The original ADAAG gave short shrift to visual signs, with only a vague indicator of character size based on a requirement for 3 inch high characters well, particularly in parking garages. for signs 80 inches or more above the If you are interested in other finish floor or ground. elements to aid those who are blind and visually impaired in their use of That left everyone free to ignore architectural facilities, you will have appropriate sign text for other visual signs. In the new document, there is a to search other places as well, for items such as ATM requirements and table that lays out appropriate sizes detectable warning surfaces. Howfor signs based on on high they are ever, the new format makes all of placed on walls, and what the

If jobs are still in the design stage, you might see if there is any interest in installing the signs according to the new code, and if the inspectors will You may be surprised to see just how allow that. Better placement alone few signs are scoped out in Section will provide more accessibility for 200, especially if you are in California, many users. where schools are loaded with Access Board: http://www.accessSymbols of Accessibility every few board.gov/ feet. There are new exceptions as DOJ: http://www.ada.gov/

About Access Communications

Our company was founded in the early days of the ADA, to study and help others understand the communications aspects of the law. Signs, are, of course, the major vehicle for communications in facilities.
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Access Communications 2386 East Artesia Blvd Long Beach CA 90805 accesscomm@earthlink.net http://www.4adasigns.com

Exits: The Last Word

I wrote my first newsletter article on tactile exit signs very early -probably in 1993. After all, the Department of Justice made clear in one of its very first interpretive letters on signage that tactile exit signs were an ADA requirement. However, since tactile exit signs werent explicitly required in state building codes, the requirement was pretty much ignored. Our company used to make them and donate them to projects. However, nothing really happened until the signs were added in state building codes. California was one of the early states to catch on.

benefit from more information, so other terms were added after the initial word Exit. The International Code Council (ICC) has now also added tactile exit signs to the building code, and the new ADA/ABA Guidelines has them as well, although its just Exit, with nothing more. Their main function is to accompany illuminated or other large exit signs that identify exit doors. These can be final exit discharge doors, doors leading to exit corridors, or doors leading into exit stairwells. The idea behind the signs is to give equal access to those who cannot see the large visual signs, especially during emergencies.

Exit Route, that should accompany signs above doors leading from interior rooms to the final exit discharge or exit stair, or To Exit, for rare horizontal exits. Architects try to use these as directional signs, with tactile arrows, and place them along corridors. Of course there is usually a door nearby, and often it is not a door that leads to an exit. The sign appears to identify a door, when it really doesnt give any meaningful location, and could lead a person to seek fruitlessly in a large office or storage room for an exit door that does not exist. The tactile arrow does little good. One study showed that only 20 percent of blind people tested knew what a tactile arrow meant. Anyway, it only points to the next door. The arrow doesnt tell you how far to go to the actual exit. So, my last word is, use tactile exit signs only where they belong -- to identify marked exit doors.

Unfortunately, the California code requirements have created confusion Of course California seldom does anything by half, so the Committee at about the signs that could actually the State Fire Marshals that worked slow things down for people who are on the code was not content with the functionally blind, and endanger them during an emergency. Most of simple term Exit. It was decided the confusion comes from the terms that people who were blind would

Access Communications 2386 East Artesia Blvd Long Beach CA 90805