Our shop has been making ADA-compliant signs for many, many years. Sandblasted Corian has never been rejected even though the Braille dots are not always perfectly domed. Even so, doming is easy. Simply remove the mask from the dots with a red Scotchbrite pad. The pad removes the small dots of mask and rounds the raised dots at the same time. It doesn't take much rubbing.
We have often substituted sandblasted Corian for photopolymer, though photopolymer is often requested, and have rarely been rejected. In the rare instance that an architect has insisted on photopolymer and no other method, we subbed it out. We have a photopolymer machine but quit using it years ago. It's a pain in the rear to use.
Architects sometimes don't like bead Braille because it tends to fall out of the holes if it isn't done perfectly. It is labor-intensive, too.
Yes, ADA requirements seem strict, at least on paper. But in practice I have never seen Braille dots rejected due to not being rounded. I have never even seen a lawsuit based solely on non-compliant ADA signs. In our area we have known of only one ADA lawsuit ever, a multi-million dollar one against a theater chain. A complaint caused by a non-compliant water fountain triggered a justice department inquiry that forced the chain to make modifications to plumbing and restrooms, and some sign work was included during the inspection sweep. However, the signage was not the main focus and the cost for replacement signs was born by the theater not the sign company.
It has been my experience that ADA signs are rarely 100% compliant. A case in point: I have yet to see ANY sign company comply with letter-spacing requirements. Many architects have even required specs that were non-compliant, such as insisting on letter styles with bold strokes, or requiring signs to be so small that minimum line spacing requirements could not be followed. Some architects are confused by the requirements for installation height. Others simply don't seem to care.
Inspections and policing are done by US Justice Dept employees. There are very few inspectors and they are spread very thin. They only seem to inspect when there is a major violation that involves injury. By its own admission, the Justice Dept has focused mainly on the entertainment and hospitality industries (hotels and theaters). We have produced thousands of signs for schools and hospitals where the institution or their architects specified ADA signage that was not completely compliant.
Probably 90% of our ADA signage is sand-carved Corian, Avonite or some other brand of solid surface material. The remainder is a mix of bead Braille, photopolymer and the raised lettering produced by our Direct Color Systems machine. Sandblasted Corian seems by far the most efficient method for large quantities.
Brad in Kansas City
