Everyone knows me as the ADA Sign Lady

[Jean Shimp]

Welcome!

 

[White Haus]

Welcome from Canada, where the ADA codes are (almost) non-existent when it comes to signage. I feel like this will eventually be a great opportunity for sign companies with ADA capability once the standards catch up.

 

[John Miller]

I love ADA projects. Have a reputable company make them, mark them up and charge for the installation, fairly simple money. Here's a funny story. When ADA signs first became necessary I was doing a school and the architect specified Braille for all the projecting signs over the hall doors and the signs that hung from the ceiling. I don't believe he had a good grasp of the concept

 

[JBurton]

Welcome from AR!

 

[The Big Squeegee]

 

[ADASignLady]

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."

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?

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.

hi and welcome aboard

Thank you. I like your little waving guy.

 

[ADASignLady]

Welcome!

Thank you, Jean

 

[ADASignLady]

Welcome from Canada, where the ADA codes are (almost) non-existent when it comes to signage. I feel like this will eventually be a great opportunity for sign companies with ADA capability once the standards catch up.

I knew the person in Canada who was on the committee there that wrote their standards. He wrote the most definitive book on wayfinding -- Paul Arthur. I had lunch at his house, and we were working together on a new symbol to use for disabilities that were not related to wheelchairs. Sadly, he died of cancer. He's pretty much the "father of pictograms" since he brought the idea with him to Canada from England when he was hired to do those signs for the Toronto Worlds Fair.

 

[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 don't think you showed up this morning. I was there before 10 am, Too bad, I wanted to meet you.

 

[ColorCrest]

I don't think you showed up this morning. I was there before 10 am, Too bad, I wanted to meet you.

Please check your back-channel "Conversation" messages.

 

[Gino]

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.

You should look into a Merchant Membership if you wanna hawk your wares.

How many changes has the rule book gone through since it's beginning ?? I know of one or two, but it seems I'm always blindsided (no pun intended) when the inspector comes through. Also, doesn't the ADA affect other things besides signs ?? Are you in on that stuff, too ??

 

[Jrassel]

We have been in the ADA business since '83. Not me personally but the company I work for. We also produce signs for the LASD and others. A couple questions that have been on my mind since I started specifically related to the state of California.

1. Why is the does the braille requirement differentiate from the rest of the U.S. literally the state of California has its own requirements. Is it that California likes to have it's own rules? That applies to much more than ada signage... Is it the state mentality to just be a little "extra"?

2. The specific bevel on the edges of the signs vs a majority of states and customers we deal with have next to no stipulations.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

Is it the state mentality to just be a little "extra"?

Did you really just ask that?

 

[Johnny Best]

You put the braille dots in the wrong place…!!!!

 

[Jrassel]

Did you really just ask that?

I did yes.

 

[JBurton]

2. The specific bevel on the edges of the signs vs a majority of states and customers we deal with have next to no stipulations.

AFAIK, all states fall under federal guidelines, Cali may reiterate the beveled edges, but all signs are supposed to have the same bevel.

 

[Jrassel]

Yea we used to always do bevel but lately that's been changing it seems. Lots of hotels, universities, assisted living facilities we've done recently don't want one. Seems odd but they were insistant on not having one. Even some California jobs.

 

[JBurton]

Lots of hotels, universities, assisted living facilities we've done recently don't want one.

That's not for them to decide. I'd have them put something in writing confirming that I told them this wasn't ADA compliant, so they can't come back at me for all new interiors if they were to ever get bit by it. No clue if anybody's signage has been a real issue with the ada, as it covers so many things that are much more 'functional' than signs, not that I'm downplaying their importance, just that stuff like the grade of a ramp, height of a sink and grab bars are all more readily identified issues.

 

[Jrassel]

Oh we definitely do. When we bid and design they always get a bevel. When outside sign shops use us for wholesale signage they submit their design. We always warn them and cover our bases.