Height of the sign

The 2010 ADA states that the signs required to comply must have raised characters and there should be brailled that matches the words of the raised characters and located directly below the corresponding words.

703.2 Raised Characters. Raised characters shall comply with 703.2 and shall be duplicated in braille complying with 703.3.

The height of the sign is in relationship to the raised characters. In other words, the Standards require that the bottom of the raised characters be located between 48″-60″ a.f.f.

703.4.1 Height Above Finish Floor or Ground. Tactile characters on signs shall be located 48 inches (1220 mm) minimum above the finish floor or ground surface, measured from the baseline of the lowest tactile character and 60 inches (1525 mm) maximum above the finish floor or ground surface, measured from the baseline of the highest tactile character.

Door Signage that has both name of room and room numbers must also meet the requirements. The bottom most baseline of the raised characters should not be mounted lower than 48″ a.f.f. and the top most baseline should not be mounted higher than 60″ a.f.f.

The sign is mounted higher than 60″ a.f.f. to the baseline of the raised characters

Where should the sign be located?

Signs have requirements on where they need to be located.

1. If it is provided at a door, they must be mounted alongside the door at the latch side. Although they are allowed to be located on the push side of doors with closers.

The sign must be located adjacent the latch side of the door. If there is a sign on the door, it can stay there as long as there is also a second sign where it is required

The sign should not be located on the door on the pull side of the door because if a person is reading it, the door could open and hit them

2. Where a tactile sign is provided at double doors with one active leaf, the sign shall be located on the inactive leaf.

3.. Where a tactile sign is provided at double doors with two active leafs, the sign shall be located to the right of the right hand door.

4..Where there is no wall space at the latch side of a single door or at the right side of double doors, signs shall be located on the nearest adjacent wall.

Sign located at the wall adjacent the latch/handle of the door

The wall beyond the swing of the door is less than 18″ and therefore the sign did not have the centerline at 9″ at the floor space beyond the arc.

The sign can be mounted to a glass wall if it is adjacent the latch side of the door

5..Signs containing tactile characters shall be located so that a clear floor space of 18 inches (455 mm) minimum by 18 inches (455 mm) minimum, centered on the tactile characters, is provided beyond the arc of any door swing between the closed position and 45 degree open position.

The ADA figure shows the 18″x18′ clear floor space at the sign. It must be centered at the sign and also located beyond the arc of the door.

The clear floor space of 18″x18″ was obstructed by a drinking fountain