Everyone knows me as the ADA Sign Lady

[ADASignLady]

I married into the sign business 42 years ago, coming from the academic world and the art administration world. By now, I consider myself, one of the "old sign guys." Because of a long history with disability, when the ADA came along and impacted signs, I delved in, researched, contacted Washington DC and Sacramento, and found myself to be, suddenly, an expert in a field that was brand new and intimidating to most sign companies. As a result, I was asked by the International Sign Association to come to Washington and represent them on the American National Standards Committee (ANSI) to help rewrite the standards to be more helpful to sign companies. I've been on the Committee ever since. My husband, who sadly died in January, at age 95, founded our company, H Toji and Company in Los Angeles 70 years ago. We added a second company, Access Communications for my consulting business just after the ADA became effective. You are welcome to visit both companies through our site at 4adasigns.com/ You can reach the consulting company by clicking on the top right-hand section for Home of the ADA Sign Lady. Our Access Store has many resources for ADA sign companies so you can "do it right."
With my husband's death, I want to concentrate on the consulting end. Because our sign company is so well known, we are at the top of the list on many bids where ADA signs are needed, and we have many regular customers and contractors who rely on us. It would be a shame for all that, plus the contracts that are already signed and waiting for fulfillment to be lost. If you are in the area somewhere between Los Angeles (close to our shop in Lakewood/Long Beach) and Irvine California (where I live), plan a visit and see what opportunities you might discover.

 

[ColorCrest]

If you are in the area somewhere between Los Angeles (close to our shop in Lakewood/Long Beach) and Irvine California (where I live), plan a visit and see what opportunities you might discover.

I am and I'll see you when I get there. (If I don't already see you behind me on the 405.)

 

[Gino]

Condolences for your husband......... and now I know who to blame for all these crazy rules, huh ??

 

[Johnny Best]

You mean by the braille at the drive up ATM machine.

 

[Boudica]

Welcome!
Edit to change erroneous punctuation.

 

[ADASignLady]

Condolences for your husband......... and now I know who to blame for all these crazy rules, huh ??

Yes, it's me for much of it, but that's because I watched blind people and they couldn't read the signs people were making using the original rules, or lack of rules! I can give you a sample to read and you'll know what I mean right away. Are you anyplace near, or do I need to send you something? After all, who wants to make unreadable signs, or waste their money on them?

 

[ADASignLady]

You mean by the braille at the drive up ATM machine.

Uh oh, Johnny, you touched a sore point there. You think that's crazy? I think it's crazy for people not to understand that blind people can have money. Some of them work. Computer jobs are actually a specialty for many blind people. They need to bank money and get money. They can ride in cars. They can lean out windows of cars and work drive-up ATM machines if they have braille. Otherwise, they have to pay taxis or Uber or bother kind neighbors who give them rides to wait while they walk into banks that don't have drive-up ATMS. . I think people who don't remember that you don't have to drive the car to be in the car to use a drive-up ATM are a bit clueless. (Sorry -- don't mean to point a finger, but then, you did call my ATM rules "crazy" didn't you?)

 

[ADASignLady]

Welcome?

Thank you so much, Boudica. It's lonely around here, so I spend my time now reading and writing messages on the weekend.
Uh Oh, I just noticed the question mark. I guess I better stay more alert in the future. This can be a nasty bunch when you say the wrong thing! Hope I don't stir up any of the tough guys who like to pose in their underwear -- would guess that is to scare off the ladies, but sorry, at 88 I don't scare that easily. I'm here to help out if you have ADA questions and I'm here to get help when I have other sign questions. I also will be putting up some stuff for sale. That is, if I am welcome here.
Stay tuned for ADA stuff, like it or not.

 

[ADASignLady]

I am and I'll see you when I get there. (If I don't already see you behind me on the 405.)

I think I already posted this on another thread, but of course I'm trying to figure out who you are. I can't help but wish that this is not some sort of joke at my expense, and you'll turn out to be my next door neighbor who secretly makes signs in his garage. I have a real opportunity for a real person. I;'ll be there tomorrow at 10 am at the latest -- earlier if I can manage to get out of the house without any emergencies. I assume you know the address. If not, just follow the red car.

 

[Zendavor Signs]

Sharon, it is an honor to have a legend like yourself here on this site. I'm looking forward to hearing your expertise in the ADA world. Welcome!

 

[Boudica]

Thank you so much, Boudica. It's lonely around here, so I spend my time now reading and writing messages on the weekend.
Uh Oh, I just noticed the question maerk. I guess I better stay more alert in the future. This can be a nasty bunch when you say the wrong thing! Hope I don't stir up any of the tough guys who like to pose in their underwear -- would guess that is to scare off the ladies, but sorry, at 88 I don't scare that easily. I'm here to help out if you have ADA questions and I'm here to get help when I have other sign questions. I also will be putting up some stuff for sale. That is, if I am welcome here.
Stay tuned for ADA stuff, like it or not.

Question mark was an accident. Sorry!

 

[ADASignLady]

Question mark was an accident. Sorry!

You are excused! I should have left my eagle eye at home. I guess it comes from looking at too many tiny little braille dots. You know I check them for people and give them certificates. So many people were cheating by just taking one braille word and repeating it on every sign. But there were actually some blind people who noticed, think of that! And they complained, bless their hearts. So now my fun job is checking other people's braille signs, when what I really want is to find someone who will come in and do my husband's part of our two-company family business -- the sign company. That will mean I can do more of what I love to do, not just telling people their signs are wrong, but helping them from the get-go to do beautiful, interesting, and still legally compliant and highly readable ADA signs! I figured out a long time ago that our little company couldn't make more than a tiny portion of all the signs that are needed, so I have no problem helping my competitors. I want everyone to do their signs at a high level of not just correctness, but I believe people who work and study and shop in buildings and even have their teeth filled there, should be surrounded by architectural harmony, and that includes the signs.
Didn't know I would write an essay. I guess I should have stopped after You are excused! My fingers just seem to keep on typing. Good job, Boudica!

 

[ADASignLady]

Sharon, it is an honor to have a legend like yourself here on this site. I'm looking forward to hearing your expertise in the ADA world. Welcome!

I guess I am old enough to be a legend, and thank you for that. I am honored by the fact that you recognize me! I hope I can keep on for a few years yet. I'm auditioning a young man right now to be the next ADA Sign Lady, (remember when spots like Ann Landers were eventually filled by men and it shocked everyone!) The one thing that I can't really pass along that well is the memories I have of those beginning days when I flew to DC over and over and worked out of hotel rooms and meeting rooms with a small group of young architects after we had taken everything through lengthy meetings with three blind members, one with low vision, three members of the sign industry, and a vision expert.

To come up with the 18 inch rule, we cut out an 18 inch square of cardboard, put it next to doors, and had people of various sizes stand on one side and pretend to read a sign close up while another came through the door. I remember the night the SEGD representative -- they used to support our work -- and I sat on the bed in my hotel room until midnight with a calculator and our shared knowledge of how far away someone with normal vision can see a sign X inches high to come up with the visual character size and distance chart. Then he rushed out the door to go to Kinkos and get it printed so the committee could vote on it the next day. It probably sounds a little like sausage making, but everything I did was with hundreds of samples I took to blindness conventions and had people test and comment on. Our new tactile font was sent to 100 blind people to test and comment on. It has been mostly a labor of love. It has certainly not brought riches, but being called a Legend makes up for a lot. Thanks again.

 

[ADASignLady]

Sharon, it is an honor to have a legend like yourself here on this site. I'm looking forward to hearing your expertise in the ADA world. Welcome!

Just went and looked at your site. Wonderful site and beautiful signs. One of them looked just like our "Pieces and Parts" series. Great minds and all that. Need to get you introduced to thermoforming, and our special font. I certainly wish I could find your twin company in my area. So nice to see a company that doesn't just buy off the shelf blue and white signs, or make everything out of glaring slabs of stainless steel because it looks "rich."

 

[Johnny Best]

Uh oh, Johnny, you touched a sore point there. You think that's crazy? I think it's crazy for people not to understand that blind people can have money. Some of them work. Computer jobs are actually a specialty for many blind people. They need to bank money and get money. They can ride in cars. They can lean out windows of cars and work drive-up ATM machines if they have braille. Otherwise, they have to pay taxis or Uber or bother kind neighbors who give them rides to wait while they walk into banks that don't have drive-up ATMS. . I think people who don't remember that you don't have to drive the car to be in the car to use a drive-up ATM are a bit clueless. (Sorry -- don't mean to point a finger, but then, you did call my ATM rules "crazy" didn't you?)

A błind person will not be driving a car to a drive up ATM, as a passenger in the back seat they could utilize the headphones and use the keypad to femove money.
I guess it would be worked out by the blind as they have to figure out things with great odds stacked against them in getting cash out of their bank. Thanks for pointing out my cluelessness in that matter.
Welcome to SIGNS101.

 

[pro-UP]

I thought I recognized your moniker! It is very impressive all that you have accomplished and the impact to so many lives. I am so sorry for your lose. We do consulting as well, maybe we can chat and compare notes. I'm in NC, but if you are ever wanting to just have a conversation it would be wonderful to make a new friend. - Rachel

 

[ADASignLady]

A błind person will not be driving a car to a drive up ATM, as a passenger in the back seat they could utilize the headphones and use the keypad to femove money.
I guess it would be worked out by the blind as they have to figure out things with great odds stacked against them in getting cash out of their bank. Thanks for pointing out my cluelessness in that matter.
Welcome to SIGNS101.

Johnny, thanks for your great response, recognizing what blind people go through to do what seem like ordinary tasks. One of my long-time colleagues who is blind told me that being blind is like having a second full time job. He worked for years as the head of the disabled student department at Cal State Sacramento, and also did a huge amount of volunteer work with the California Council of the Blind. Every day, if he was going to be at a meeting, he might have to leave early because he had to order his ride, or else he had to try to change the time. Just making all his ride appointments took an hour out of his day usually, so he could get to meetings. He said that is why blind people almost never sue because of ADA problems. He says they just don't have the time, so they are disappointed instead when there are signs that they can't read or braille that is wrong. Many people have told me that the signs are so bad and so unreadable that they gave up on them long ago, figure they got almost nothing from the ADA, and just go on with their lives.

 

[ADASignLady]

I thought I recognized your moniker! It is very impressive all that you have accomplished and the impact to so many lives. I am so sorry for your lose. We do consulting as well, maybe we can chat and compare notes. I'm in NC, but if you are ever wanting to just have a conversation it would be wonderful to make a new friend. - Rachel

I've worked with someone, I think it is North Carolina, on the ANSI Committee. I'll look it up. I think she was from the Fire Marshals office. She is retired nowm but still attends meetings as an "interested party." You might want to sit in on some of our Communications group meetings. We meet every other Wednesday for two hours. You can see how the sausage is made!

Yes, love to have a new friend. You can email me at sharontoji@me.com. You can check out my consulting site at accesscommconsulting.com. Do you have a site?

 

[pro-UP]

That meeting sounds very interesting and I just sent an email!

 

[VizualVoice]

hi and welcome aboard