FAQs / ADA Signage & Raster Braille

ADA signage refers to signs that comply with the accessibility standards established by the Americans with Disabilities Act and its 2010 Standards for Accessible Design. These standards define how signs must look, what tactile elements they must include, and where they must be mounted so individuals with visual impairments can navigate a facility independently and safely. ADA-compliant signage is required by federal law in facilities and buildings that are open to the public or have ten or more employees. This includes offices, retail environments, healthcare facilities, schools, hotels, government buildings, and any newly constructed or significantly renovated commercial space. If you’re not sure whether your facility requires ADA signage, our team can help you think through the scope. Getting it right the first time is always less costly than correcting it later.

The key distinction under ADA standards is whether a sign identifies a permanent room or space. Permanent rooms and spaces (restrooms, stairwells, exit doors, conference rooms, offices, storage rooms, utility spaces, and any room identified by number or name that isn’t likely to change) require fully ADA-compliant signage with tactile raised characters, Grade 2 braille, non-glare finish, and appropriate color contrast. Directional and informational signs (arrows, building directories, maps) are not required to include braille or raised characters, but must still meet visual character requirements for size, font, and contrast. Temporary signs are generally exempt. Our team will help you identify which signs in your facility require full tactile compliance and which need only visual compliance, a distinction that affects both design and budget.

ADA-compliant signs must meet specific visual criteria regardless of whether they also require tactile elements. Required visual characteristics include: a non-glare finish on the sign face; high contrast between text and background (either dark characters on a light background or light characters on a dark background); sans-serif or simple serif typefaces with specific stroke width, character height, and width-to-height ratio requirements; and character height scaled to the sign’s intended viewing distance. Characters must be at least 5/8 inch high for most interior signs, and the contrast between foreground and background must be a minimum of 70%. GISI Marketing Group designs and fabricates ADA signs with these visual requirements built in from the start. Compliance isn’t an afterthought, it’s part of our design process.

Signs identifying permanent rooms and spaces must include tactile (raised) elements that can be read by touch. Tactile requirements include: raised characters (letters, numbers, and any pictograms) that protrude at least 1/32 inch from the sign surface; characters must be uppercase, in a sans-serif or simple serif typeface, between 5/8 and 2 inches high; characters must have a non-glare finish and contrast with the background; Grade 2 braille must accompany all tactile text, positioned below the corresponding characters with a minimum 3/8 inch separation from the text above; and edges of raised characters must not be sharp or abrasive. GISI Marketing Group produces all tactile elements in-house, including raised lettering and Grade 2 braille, with the precision required to meet these specifications consistently across every sign in a project.

Mounting location and height are among the most misunderstood ADA signage requirements and getting them wrong is one of the most common compliance failures. For tactile signs identifying rooms or spaces, the standard requires mounting on the latch side of the door (the side with the door handle); the bottom of the tactile characters positioned between 48 and 60 inches from the finished floor; a clear floor space of 18 by 18 inches in front of the sign, outside the swing of the door when open 45 degrees. Where no wall space exists on the latch side, specific alternative mounting locations apply. Our installation team is familiar with these requirements and mounts every ADA sign correctly for its specific door and wall configuration.

These terms are sometimes used interchangeably but carry an important practical distinction. ADA compliant signage meets all applicable federal requirements under the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design, including correct tactile elements, braille, finish, contrast, mounting location, and height. ADA accessible is a broader term that sometimes refers to signage that supports accessibility goals without necessarily meeting every technical specification. For example, a sign with large, high-contrast characters but no braille would be considered ADA accessible signage. For legally required signage in commercial facilities, compliance with the 2010 Standards is the standard that matters. Our team will always tell you clearly which specification applies to your project and build to that standard.

ADA standards require Grade 2 braille, also referred to as contracted braille, on all tactile signs. Grade 2 braille uses a system of standardized abbreviations and contractions that reduce the overall length of text while maintaining readability for proficient braille readers. It is significantly more complex than Grade 1 (uncontracted) braille, which represents each letter individually. Since 2016, the Braille Authority of North America (BANA) has designated Unified English Braille (UEB) as the official braille standard in the United States, replacing the previous English Braille American Edition. All braille produced by GISI Marketing Group is Grade 2 UEB, ensuring that our signs meet current federal requirements and are readable by individuals who use braille for navigation.

The 2010 ADA Standards specify precise dimensional requirements for braille dots to ensure consistent tactile readability. Each braille dot must measure 0.059 inches (1.5mm) in diameter at the base and protrude 0.025 inches (0.6mm) from the sign surface. Dots must have a domed or rounded shape. Flat or pointed dots do not comply. Within a braille cell, the center-to-center distance between dots in the same row must be 0.090 to 0.100 inches; the center-to-center distance between dots in the same column must be 0.090 to 0.100 inches; and the center-to-center distance between corresponding dots in adjacent braille cells must be 0.241 to 0.300 inches. Braille must be separated from the tactile text above it by at least 3/8 inch and from any raised borders or decorative elements by the same minimum. Our raster braille process consistently meets all these dimensional tolerances.

ADA braille has specific capitalization rules that differ from standard written text. In braille, uppercase letters are used only before the first word of a sentence, proper nouns and names, individual letters of the alphabet, initials, and acronyms. The tactile text on an ADA sign, by contrast, must be uppercase. This means the raised letters and the braille below them follow different capitalization conventions. Braille must be positioned below the corresponding raised text; for multi-line text, braille is placed below the entire text block rather than line by line. These are details that require careful attention during translation and production. Our experienced team handles the braille translation as part of the sign production process. You provide the text, we ensure the braille is correct.

We handle braille translation as part of our standard ADA sign production process. You provide the text as it should appear on the sign, including room names, numbers, labels. In response, our team produces the correct Grade 2 UEB braille translation for each sign. Braille translation for ADA signage is not simply a phonetic or letter-by-letter conversion. It requires applying the contraction and formatting rules of Grade 2 braille correctly. Errors in braille translation can make signs unreadable or misleading for braille users, which defeats the purpose of the sign and creates a compliance issue. Getting it right requires expertise, and it’s a step we take seriously on every project.

Raster braille is one of the most widely used and reliable methods for producing ADA-compliant tactile braille on interior signage. The process involves precision-drilling small, high-tolerance holes into the sign substrate at the exact locations required by the braille translation, then inserting small spherical plastic raster braille beads into those holes. The beads protrude above the surface with the domed profile required by ADA standards, creating the tactile dot pattern that braille readers use to navigate. The result is a clean, durable, ADA-compliant braille element that is integral with the sign material rather than an adhesive overlay. Raster braille is fast to produce, dimensionally accurate, and appropriate for the full range of substrates used in interior ADA signage.

Yes, we produce raster braille entirely in-house using our Colex Sharpcut system equipped with a dedicated braille drilling add-on. We drill the braille dot holes directly into the sign substrate with the precision tolerances required by ADA standards, then machine-insert the raster braille beads to complete each sign. Because braille production happens in our facility alongside printing, routing, and finishing, we control the full manufacturing process for every ADA sign we produce. There are no third-party braille suppliers involved, no outbound shipments to a specialty shop, and no additional lead time for the braille step. For clients with time-sensitive projects, facility-wide sign programs, or ongoing ADA signage needs, our in-house capability translates directly into faster turnaround and simpler project management.

When braille production is outsourced to a third-party specialty shop, every project involves more vendor handoffs, more coordination, more lead time, and more opportunities for errors to occur between steps. When we produce braille in-house, we catch and correct any issue immediately. Beyond error control, in-house production means faster quotes, faster proofs, and faster delivery for projects of any size. It also means a single point of accountability with one team that owns the sign from substrate selection through completed installation. That’s the kind of partnership our clients count on.

Our Colex system with the braille drilling add-on works with the full range of substrates used in interior ADA signage. Common options include acrylic (the most widely used material for ADA interior signs), Rowmark and similar plastic laminates, aluminum composite material, painted aluminum, PVC board, and wood composites. Substrate selection for ADA signs involves more than aesthetics, encompassing material thickness, surface hardness, and the ability to accept and retain the raster bead without cracking or deforming under use are all relevant factors. Our team will recommend the right substrate for your sign program based on your facility environment, aesthetic requirements, and budget. Samples are available upon request.

Most often yes, and this is a common project type for us. When a facility is expanding, renovating, or simply needs to bring existing signage up to ADA compliance, visual consistency with what’s already in place matters. We can match substrate material, color, finish, typeface, and overall design language to integrate new compliant signs seamlessly into an existing system. If your existing signs are not currently ADA compliant, we can also conduct a signage audit and recommend a phased replacement plan that prioritizes the highest-traffic or highest-risk areas first. Our goal is a facility where every sign is both compliant and visually cohesive.

Yes, and facility-wide programs are where our in-house production capability delivers the most value. Multi-room, multi-floor, or multi-building sign programs involve large quantities of unique signs, each with specific room names, numbers, and braille translations. Managing that at scale through outside vendors creates significant coordination risk. With production entirely in-house, we manage the full program, sign-by-sign content, braille translation, substrate preparation, printing, routing, braille drilling, bead installation, finishing, and delivery or certified installation. We facilitate signage programs for office buildings, healthcare facilities, educational campuses, and hospitality properties. If you have a large program, let’s talk about scope, phasing, and how we structure delivery to minimize disruption to your operations.

Absolutely not. This is a common misconception. ADA standards define what a sign must do (be readable by touch and by sight, meet contrast and finish requirements, include correct braille) but they leave significant room for design expression within those parameters. We produce ADA-compliant signs in a wide range of colors, materials, shapes, and visual styles, from clean, modern office aesthetics to warm wood-toned hospitality environments to bold branded interiors. Compliance and design quality are not in conflict. Our design team works within ADA parameters while creating signs that genuinely reflect your brand and enhance your interior environment. The most effective ADA signage programs are ones where the compliance elements feel designed, not bolted on.

Yes. ADA standards require high contrast between characters and background and a non-glare surface finish, but they don’t dictate specific colors. Your brand palette can almost always be used effectively within ADA requirements. We will identify color combinations from your system that meet the 70% contrast standard and use them consistently across your sign program. Brand logos and graphic elements can be incorporated on the sign face as well, provided they don’t conflict with the required clear zones around tactile characters and braille. Our design team handles the compliance verification as part of the layout process, so you don’t have to navigate the technical constraints yourself.

Certain ADA signs are required to include standard pictograms. For example, the internationally recognized symbols for restrooms (male, female, and accessible), accessibility (the ISA wheelchair symbol), and specific life safety icons. These pictograms must meet minimum size requirements (6 inches high minimum field) and must be accompanied by a text descriptor below them. Beyond the required standard symbols, your signage system can incorporate custom graphic elements and brand-aligned illustrations in areas that don’t conflict with the compliance zones. Our team will identify which pictograms are required for each sign type in your facility and build them into the design at the correct size and position.

Yes. Our Colex Sharpcut system makes custom shapes practical at any quantity. ADA signs are commonly rectangular, but they don’t have to be. Rounded corners (required by ADA standards, signs must not have sharp edges), radius corners of varying sizes, custom geometric shapes, and unusual formats are all achievable through our digital cutting process without the cost of custom dies. The sign shape must still provide the clear area required around tactile characters and braille, and must not create sharp edges that could injure someone reading by touch. Our design team will verify compliance for any custom shape before production.

Yes, our team generates variable content utilizing state-of-the art layout software. A facility with 50 uniquely numbered rooms needs 50 unique signs, each with different text and a different braille translation. Managing that variation efficiently requires a production system where content changes don’t require starting over from scratch. Our workflow handles variable text and braille across large sign sets without the per-sign cost penalty that some production methods carry. We track every sign in a project against a content schedule, including room name, room number, braille translation, mounting location. Delivery or certified installation can be organized by floor, zone, or installation sequence to support your facilities or construction team.

If your building was constructed or significantly renovated after 1991, when the original ADA Standards took effect, it should have ADA signage in place. However, the 2010 Standards for Accessible Design updated many requirements, and older signage installed under previous standards may not fully comply today. Common compliance failures we see include signs mounted on the wrong side of the door, signs mounted at incorrect heights, insufficient contrast between text and background, the wrong type of braille (Grade 1 instead of Grade 2, or flat dots instead of domed), and missing braille on signs that require it. If you have questions about your existing signage, our team can conduct a walkthrough assessment and provide a compliance evaluation. We’ll tell you clearly what passes, what doesn’t, and what the priority corrections are.

ADA compliance is enforced through the Department of Justice and can be triggered by a complaint, an audit, or a lawsuit. Non-compliant signage can result in civil penalties, required remediation at your expense, and reputational exposure, particularly in industries where public accessibility is closely scrutinized such as healthcare, hospitality, and education. The good news is that signage is among the more straightforward accessibility issues to remediate. The signs can be replaced or corrected without structural changes to the facility. Our team can produce replacement signs quickly, and our certified installation team can mount them correctly. Getting into compliance is a manageable project when you have the right production partner. We’d rather help you get ahead of it than respond to a complaint.

Yes. Our certified installation team installs the ADA signs we produce throughout Oregon and Washington. Correct ADA sign installation is as important as correct sign production. A compliant sign mounted on the wrong side of the door, at the wrong height, or without the required clear floor space is still a non-compliant installation. For facility-wide programs, we can coordinate installation floor by floor or in phases to minimize disruption. Installation is quoted separately from production.

Yes, and the earlier in the project we’re involved, the better the outcome. ADA signage planning in the early design phase ensures that wall surfaces, mounting locations, and door configurations are designed to accommodate compliant sign placement without costly retrofits later. We work well with architects, interior designers, facility managers, and general contractors. Our contribution to a new construction or renovation sign program typically includes: a complete sign schedule (every sign type, location, and content requirement); design development for the sign system within ADA parameters and your brand; production; and installation coordination. For clients undertaking a significant construction or renovation project in Oregon or Washington, we’d welcome an early conversation about your signage scope.