Possible to apply Braille and tactile lettering directly to the wall?

[rgm]

The architect I'm working with asked that we apply braille and tactile lettering directly to the wall for ADA code signs. I called the access board and they said there's no ADA provision stating signs must be on a placard, so long as they're at the correct location. Would it be possible to install braille and tactile lettering directly to wall? assuming there are gotchas here... Walls are gypsum / level 5 finish. Thanks in advance.

 

[ikarasu]

The Braille would just drop out of the gypsum or get pushed into it.

You could do a tactile strip with Braille inserted into the strip.... But then you'd still be limited too only a 1" piece of tape holding it up.

Imo, bad idea.

 

[rgm]

The Braille would just drop out of the gypsum or get pushed into it.

You could do a tactile strip with Braille inserted into the strip.... But then you'd still be limited too only a 1" piece of tape holding it up.

Imo, bad idea.

thanks for the help. what's a tactile strip?

 

[Johnny Best]

It is a clear adhesive strip with braille punched into it.

 

[Gino]

Why does the architect wanna do this ??

Thinking outside the box is one thing, but making it harder for blind people to find seems counterproductive.... just because an architect wants to achieve a certain visual for the people who CAN see. I believe the sign backer also helps the blind find the information easier/faster than just wiping their hands around the walls.

 

[CanuckSigns]

Typical architect lol.
In theory you can place the tactile directly on the painted drywall, but the braille beads will fall out, they are meant to be drilled and installed into a hard base like acrylic which has enough strength to hold them in place by friction. Also how to they propose drilling hundreds or thousands of holes to within a fraction of a millimeter on site on a vertical surface?

 

[rgm]

thanks all for the opinions!

So the braille beads need to be drilled and then applied. Is there any type of braille that does not require drilling?

 

[ikarasu]

Drywall is so soft you can just push the beads into it. But they will fall out

 

[ikarasu]

https://www.adasigndepot.com/products/braille-strip something like this is your only hope.

 

[MikePro]

in theory, you could use those big fat pinheads and physically jam "beads" into the wall with a paper pattern.
maybe predrill the pattern with a shallow countersink so only the top-half of the bead is protruding.

the lettering is then tape/pin mounted, and they'll never be able to paint the wall again without extreme difficulty ...so make sure you're firm on install after their final paint job has time to dry.

....still sounds like a poor spec, or poor communication of simple ADA panels mounted flush to the wall.

 

[Gino]

Amen to that last statement.

 

[JBurton]

Had an architect with a similar big brain idea, all the signs were matched to the interior paint and mounted with quicksnaps for a floating look, with characters cut out. Install was a pain, as each sign has 4 mounts that had to be drilled and anchored, otherwise the snaps would pull the backs portion off the wall.

Quick Snap

mbs-standoffs.com

 

[StarSign]

RUN!!!!

 

[Gino]

Ya know one of the main rules is to have around an 80% or 90% contrast. That's not even close. Not everyone that's blind see black. Some can see slight shadows, and still read this braille, but again, that hairbrain idea defeats the purpose of helping the handicapped blind.

 

[BigNate]

thanks all for the opinions!

So the braille beads need to be drilled and then applied. Is there any type of braille that does not require drilling?

You can route away all of the media except for the braille... we used to do this to the gravoply that was 1-color and adhesive back. We would make braille stickers we could apply to the normal building signs. You must be careful to make sure the bumps (there must be a formal term...) match the spec in the ADA. I am getting ready to duplicate the setup using a laser instead of a roto-graver... should be ablet to leave the bump as basically a cylinder, then hit them with a slightly un-focussed beam to melt them into a dome....

 

[gnubler]

LOL @ architects.

 

[MikePro]

you can also offer to sell them painted drywall sheets with rasterbraille lettering embedded.
i'm sure they have a sub that would love to install it per their spec.

 

[JBurton]

80% or 90% contrast.

That's for copy > background, no wording about the contrast between sign and wall. (If you mean the void cut people, their reasoning was that pictograms are not required if the wording is used below.)

 

[Humble PM]

Pretty sure that would be for the visually impaired to know where to run hands (standard height etc).
F^ck architects, run from ***award winning architects.

 

[Proofread People]

Why does the architect wanna do this ??

Thinking outside the box is one thing, but making it harder for blind people to find seems counterproductive.... just because an architect wants to achieve a certain visual for the people who CAN see. I believe the sign backer also helps the blind find the information easier/faster than just wiping their hands around the walls.

Our Gio agrees!