ADA
What Every Business Should Know About Braille Signs
For millions of visually impaired Americans, navigating a public building can be a challenge. Simple tasks like finding the restroom, identifying a conference room, or locating the nearest exit rely heavily on clear, tactile communication. This is why the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) mandates specific signage standards for all public facilities. Compliance is not […]
What Are Restroom Signs? Regulations and Best Practices
Restroom signs are visual markers that identify bathroom facilities and communicate accessibility, gender designation, and directional information to building occupants. Under federal law, these signs qualify as permanent room identification, which means they’re subject to specific ADA requirements for tactile characters, Braille, contrast, and mounting location. This guide covers the main types of restroom signs, federal ADA and California Title […]
ADA Wayfinding Signs: Standards, Types, and Installation Guidelines
ADA wayfinding signs combine visual and tactile elements to help everyone navigate buildings and outdoor spaces, including people with vision impairments. These signs feature raised characters, Grade 2 Braille, high-contrast text, and non-glare finishes, all designed to meet Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility standards. Getting wayfinding signage right involves more than picking signs that look […]
Subway accessibility wasn’t a priority for newly-renovated Brooklyn station
Here in New York, public transportation is integral to daily life. Most of us must descend multiple flights of stairs or hop on an escalator to get to our train, after which the whole process repeats itself on the other end and then again at the end of the day. This is all fine for […]
For people with disabilities, inaccessible county fair bathrooms are a huge problem
From riding rickety roller coasters to gorging on the funnel cake, there is nothing like a good county fair. For vendors or community activists, fairs are ideal opportunities to set up a booth to sell items or champion a cause. As hubs of both entertainment and community, it’s vital that everyone has access to these […]
The MoMA displays new accessible icon as art
A new, more active accessibility sign for people with disabilities is on display in the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City. The updated version of the traditional accessibility icon will be displayed through February 2015 as part of the museum’s “A Collection of Ideas.” The new design, pushed forward by the Accessible […]
Wheelchair accessibility violations bring luxury buildings under scrutiny
Manhattan’s top federal prosecutor has sued a leading New York City developer for violating wheelchair accessibility regulations. According to U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, developer Related Companies has failed to make two of its buildings compliant with the Fair Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). While the developer announces a deadlock, the lawsuit forbids […]
One Carleton student’s fight for campus accessibility earns national attention
Did you attend a college surrounded by hills, or in the case of yours truly, loads of mini-hills on one giant hill (hi, Brandeis)? Recall the dread you felt when you learned your new dorm was on the sixth floor? These situations make coming and going from your room or walking to class a full-on […]
23 years after the ADA, Amtrak stations still inaccessible
The National Disability Rights Network reveals that several of the country’s Amtrak stations remain inaccessible for people with disabilities. A report published by the network on the 23rd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) discloses Amtrak’s inefficiencies. The ADA advocates and allied groups, who visited Amtrak stations in July and August this year, […]
DIY movement supplies accessibility ramps to Toronto businesses
A Toronto nonprofit is pioneering a do-it-yourself movement to make stepped entrances accessible throughout the city. So far, volunteers have constructed more than 400 brightly colored ramps in Toronto and other Canadian cities using donated materials and following guidelines offered by the nonprofit StopGap, reports CityLab. Luke Anderson, StopGap’s co-founder, told CityLab that the project […]