--- title: "IS YOUR BUSINESS SIGNAGE ADA COMPLIANT? A PLAIN-LANGUAGE GUIDE FROM FASTSIGNS" url: https://burnaze.com/article/1c12fa15-3f6f-4c56-99dd-c3f942fb3c6d source: "Franchise Dictionary Magazine" original_url: https://franchisedictionarymagazine.com/is-your-business-signage-ada-compliant-a-plain-language-guide-from-fastsigns/ author: "Paul Zboichyk" category: "Signs" industry: "Business Services" segment: "Signs" published: 2026-07-18T02:12:27.000Z modified: 2026-10-31T11:59:29.002Z image: https://franchisedictionarymagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Fastsigns-1.jpg --- # IS YOUR BUSINESS SIGNAGE ADA COMPLIANT? A PLAIN-LANGUAGE GUIDE FROM FASTSIGNS **TL;DR:** FASTSIGNS has published a guide to help business owners check if their signage is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements. The guide breaks down the federal requirements for tactile lettering, braille, contrast, and mounting height into a simple checklist. *By Paul Zboichyk, originally published in Franchise Dictionary Magazine on 2026-07-18. [Read the original](https://franchisedictionarymagazine.com/is-your-business-signage-ada-compliant-a-plain-language-guide-from-fastsigns/).* ## Story Many business owners assume their signage is compliant simply because it looks professional. In reality, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) sets specific, measurable standards for text height, contrast, braille placement and mounting location. FASTSIGNS has published a plain-language guide so business owners can quickly check whether their existing signage meets these requirements. The ADA requires that buildings open to the public be accessible to individuals with disabilities, including through signage. Signs identifying permanent rooms and spaces, including restrooms, stairwells and exits, must meet tactile and visual standards so they can be read by individuals who are blind, have low vision or use a wheelchair. Non-compliant signage creates legal risk and signals to visitors that accessibility is not a priority. Because signage compliance is measured down to fractions of an inch, it is also one of the easiest things for a business to get wrong without realizing it. Non-compliant signage can lead to complaints, legal exposure and costly retrofits, on top of making spaces harder to navigate for visitors with disabilities. Fixing signage proactively is almost always cheaper than fixing it after a complaint. - **Contrast:** Background and text colors must contrast clearly. - **Font:** Sans-serif lettering only, no decorative features. - **Braille and tactile text:** Required on any sign identifying a permanent room, placed below the text and centered, with at least 3/8″ of space from other sign elements. - **Pictograms:** If used to identify a room, must be paired with tactile text. - **Character height:** Raised letters must be uppercase, 5/8″ to 2″ tall. - **Character spacing:** 1/16″ to 1/8″ minimum, 1 1/5″ maximum between characters. - **Mounting height:** Tactile characters between 48″ and 60″ above the finished floor. - **Mounting location:** On the latch side of the door, never on the door itself; nearest adjacent wall if latch-side space is unavailable. - **Clearance:** Minimum 3/8″ between text and the sign’s edge. > “As a global leader in business signs and graphics solutions, FASTSIGNS created this guide to give owners a clear, practical way to check their own signage before it becomes a bigger issue,” said FASTSIGNS Vice President of Marketing Theron Andrews. “The easiest way to ensure ADA compliance is to work with a local FASTSIGNS franchise to make sure your signs are compliant from the outset, without any guesswork needed.” FASTSIGNS designs and produces ADA-compliant signage, customized to match a business’s brand identity, including braille, tactile lettering and pictograms, and reviews specifications for compliance before production begins. The company also offers regulatory and safety signage for stairwells, elevators, fire exits, entryways and parking lots. It must meet standards for contrast, sans-serif font, tactile lettering, braille placement, pictogram use and mounting height and location, all together. Only signs identifying permanent rooms or spaces, including restrooms or exits, require tactile and braille elements. Temporary signs generally do not. On the latch side of the door, with tactile character baselines between 48″ and 60″ above the floor. Never mount directly on the door. Yes. It can result in complaints and legal exposure, which is typically costlier than addressing compliance upfront. Codes vary state to state, and local requirements must be met to ensure compliance. In addition to local fines and penalties, there are also federal statutes regarding ADA compliance. If a business is investigated by the Department of Justice for an ADA violation, it can face federal civil penalties, with first-time violations capable of exceeding $100,000. Yes, FASTSIGNS quality assurance processes ensure that all orders are produced accurately and free of errors, including ADA signage specifications. ## Entities - General (sector) - Franchise Dictionary Magazine (publication) - Paul Zboichyk (person) - FASTSIGNS (company) - ada compliance (topic) - Department of Justice (regulator) - Theron Andrews (person) - business accessibility (topic) - signage regulations (topic) --- Originally reported by Paul Zboichyk, Franchise Dictionary Magazine (https://franchisedictionarymagazine.com/is-your-business-signage-ada-compliant-a-plain-language-guide-from-fastsigns/). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/1c12fa15-3f6f-4c56-99dd-c3f942fb3c6d).