ISA Encounters Opposition to ADA Regulation Changes
The International Sign Association is focused on ensuring that the Federal Standards of Accessible Design support the best interests the disabled community. As a voting member of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) A117.1 Committee, ISA testified in July on several proposed changes impacting the future of sign design. ISA worked in collaboration with the Society of Environmental Graphic Design (SEGD), to change the existing guidelines in the sections concerning character height, character spacing, contrast requirements, and the International Symbol of Accessibility. ISA was successful in implementing small changes, but most of the important amendments were not implemented. If the standards pass as written, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) signage will be required to have a visual contrast of 70 percent between foreground and background, a minimum LRV measurement of 45, a minimum of 5/8 inch character height for raised letters, and a 1/8 inch minimum spacing between raised characters.
ISA advocates evidence-based research on these issues to determine a scientifically based set of standards and will be pursuing several research options in the next few months. Read a summary of the ANSI meeting and the impact of these proposed changes. If you can contribute data or products for testing on contrast and raised characters, contact ISA’s Sapna Budev.
