When you consider that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires all public buildings to use interior signage with tactile lettering and Braille, the list of potential customers that a sign maker can sell to is phenomenal. Schools, colleges, hospitals, nursing homes, hotels, government agencies, corporate offices and virtually any business or publicly accessible building has to comply with government regulations regarding ADA signage for disabled or visually-impaired people. And if industry insiders are correct when they say you can expect a 200-300 percent profit or more, depending on the job, the idea of creating these types of signs becomes more than just a little appealing.
In July 2004, the ADAAG underwent a comprehensive update, including several changes that affect the sign industry. For example, previously simple serif typestyles such as Times New Roman were allowed, but under the new guidelines only sans serif styles can be used for tactile lettering. Also banned are any italic, oblique, script and other serif typestyles.
In addition, Braille dots must now have a domed or rounded surface and the rules for the spacing between dots and Braille cells have also changed. Other changes with this update involve requirements for raised borders and other decorative elements and sign mounting rules. Once you familiarize yourself with the ADA regulations, be sure to check your state laws regarding Braille as some states, such as California, have their own sign code standards.
Getting to Know Braille
Braille is a coded system of tactile raised dots organized into cells consisting of one to six dots. Each cell represents a different letter of the alphabet. Vision impaired people are taught to read Braille by rubbing their fingers over the raised dots. There are three common grades of Braille, and each is used for different purposes.
Grade 1 Braille is letter-for-letter translation and is the method commonly taught in elementary schools. This type of Braille is not used on ADA signage in the U.S., however, it is recommended in some other countries such as Australia.
Grade 2 Braille, sometimes referred to as “literary Braille,” is based on Grade 1 but also includes over 200 abbreviations and contractions of commonly used phrases and words. This shorthand approach makes the message quicker to read because fewer dots are used to convey the same information. ADA regulations require Grade 2 Braille, and this is the only type of Braille permitted on signage in the U.S.
Grade 3 Braille is also a shorthand version but includes many additional contractions (over 300). This type of Braille is not used in publications or in the production of accessible signage but rather is primarily used by individuals for personal note taking.
Braille Translation Software
The first step in creating Braille signage is to convert the message into the appropriate Braille format. Braille translation software is used to convert text to ADA-specified Grade 2 Braille. Today, most engraving machine manufacturers include a Braille translator in their engraving software packages, including Gravograph Inc. (Duluth, GA), Vision Engraving Systems (Phoenix, AZ) and Xenetech Global Inc. (Baton Rouge, LA). In some cases, you may need to purchase translation software separately as an add-on option. Duxbury Systems Inc., Westford, MA, is one supplier that offers translation software for all types of Braille in numerous languages.
Braille translation software has improved over the years and is now available in over 25 languages. The software works with a Grade 2 Braille font which is essentially no different from standard engraving fonts except that they utilize a system of dots organized in a rectangular cell for the letters and numbers. Today’s software is very easy and convenient to use and it comes with all of the ADA-compliant Braille parameters built in, including the most recent changes. The software has a built-in safety feature which doesn’t allow you to change the height or width of the Braille font. This prevents users from changing the dot size or the spacing between the Braille dots to ensure that the Braille will meet ADA sign regulations.
To use a translator, you simply type in the text in a standard engraving or TrueType font, click on “translate” and the software automatically translates the message into Braille dots that can be placed on your sign layout just like any other text. In most cases, the guidelines require lower case text translated into Braille to prevent adding unnecessary Braille. Exceptions include using upper-case letters for the first word of sentences, proper nouns and names, individual letters of the alphabet, initials and acronyms.
After converting the text to Grade 2 Braille, you use your rotary engraving machine and a special Braille cutter to drill small holes into the sign material. The Braille circles in your sign layout are used for the drill points and the Raster drill cutter, which is a specially-designed parallel cutter, is used to create straight sides on the drill hole. Small beads (Rasters) are then inserted into the holes using either a manual or automatic insertion tool. The tool consists of a tube that holds the Braille beads and a spring-loaded assembly that dispenses the beads or “spheres” one at a time into the drilled holes.
You can use the Braille insertion tool to manually insert Braille beads by pressing the tool into each hole to dispense a bead. Another option allows you to use one of the automatic Braille dispensing and insertion devices that are now available, making the sign-making process even easier and more efficient. Accent Signage Systems offers the Auto-Raster Deluxe and Braille-Oz Pty. Ltd., Queensland, Australia, also sells an automated Braille bead inserter. These devices can be used with many computerized engraving machines and routers in conjunction with your Braille translation software to automatically insert the beads.
After drilling the holes with your rotary engraver, simply install the automatic insertion device on the engraving machine and rerun the job. The device automatically dispenses and inserts the beads into the sign material to create the Braille. Some machine manufacturers, including Vision, Roland DGA and Gravograph, now offer an offset bracket that can be mounted onto the spindle assembly of your engraving machine to hold the insertion device, saving you the time of having to install and uninstall it for each job. The offset parameters for the position of the bracket can be entered into the Braille software when the unit is first installed. Accent Signage Systems also offers an optional Auto-Raster compressor accessory kit (air compressor sold separately) to provide air pressure hookup that helps dispense the beads in dry, static environments.
Raster Braille can be used on a variety of sign materials including plastic, acrylic, wood, brass, aluminum, steel and laminates. If the sign substrate is metal or another solid material that does not expand and contract, you need to apply an adhesive to hold the Braille beads in place; no adhesives are needed for plastic or acrylic sign substrates.
The Braille beads are available in various materials and colors. For example, UV stable acrylic beads come in black, white and clear, while solid stainless steel and solid brass are also available. Plastic beads are the most popular for most interior signage applications. Steel and brass beads are typically used on metal substrates, e.g. for a stainless steel elevator panel. Combining different bead materials with different sign substrates allows you to create more interesting and aesthetically appealing sign designs based on your customer’s preferences.
Accent Signage Systems offers several different kits to get you started creating Braille signage with the Raster Braille method. The company’s Raster Pen License Kit includes the insertion device, special cutters for drilling holes and profiling raised lettering, 10,000 acrylic Raster spheres, a manual that provides tips for creating signage, a CD-ROM with sign layouts, samples of frame colors, a weeding tool and a sign cleaning brush.
To create the raised lettering portion of the sign, you need to select outline fonts that meet ADA requirements for sans serif lettering (without tails, with square corners). The ADA guidelines also require that the tactile lettering be raised 1/32" from the sign surface.
Creating raised lettering is a straightforward procedure using your engraving machine. The process typically involves using two pieces of ADA sign material. One serves as the sign substrate or background and the other is an adhesive-backed 1/32" thick appliqué material. To create tactile raised lettering on a sign, place the adhesive-backed material on top of the background material and use your engraving machine and a special profiling cutter to profile the raised lettering slightly deeper than the material thickness, e.g. .035", to cut through the adhesive. Then remove the excess appliqué material by lifting it off and weeding the center portions of characters, leaving the raised lettering on the background material.
The ADA requirements are very specific in terms of what goes on the sign and they are also specific in terms of the signage material. ADA regulations do not require that signs be a specific color, which gives sign makers some leeway in sign design, e.g. creating a signage system that is in a complementary color scheme to a building’s architecture. In addition, the previous ADA guidelines required a contrast ratio of 70 percent between the tactile lettering and the background. The new guidelines have been revised and while they still call for contrast, it has been defined as using “light characters on a dark background or dark characters on a light background.”
The required ADA portion of the sign also must be made of “eggshell, matte or other nonglare” materials. Note that reflective materials can be used to add to the sign’s aesthetic appeal, but the ADA portion of the sign must be made of a nonglare material.
Although the sign material requirements have become somewhat less stringent, the problem some people run into, of course, is determining whether a particular material meets the contrast and glare requirements. The contrast may look correct but it may or may not meet the requirements. And while you can use a glossimeter to determine the reflectivity of the material, it is doubtful that very many sign makers have one of these devices.
Thankfully, engraving material suppliers have taken the guesswork out of selecting ADA-compliant materials for you. Most suppliers now have an independent line of ADA materials and guidelines to help you and your customers choose the correct material. For example, Rowmark LLC, Findlay, OH, has created the ADA Alternative line that includes ADA Substrate for the background (available in 1/16" and 1/8" thicknesses) and ADA Appliqué (1/32" thick) for the raised lettering. Both of these materials are made of single-ply modified acrylic, can be laser or rotary engraved and feature a matte finish that meets the ADA’s nonglare requirements. Rowmark also offers Ultra Mattes and Reverse Engravable Ultra Mattes that are popular choices for ADA signage. In addition, you can find color contrast charts for materials on Rowmark’s website that allow you to easily select appropriate color combinations.
Gravograph also offers a full line of ADA-compliant sign materials. The GravoTac line includes 1/16" and 1/8" substrate materials and 1/32" self-adhesive appliqué materials. The company also offers rotary cutters for creating raised lettering and Braille as well as an ADA Signage how-to guide.
Rotary engraving is the primary method used to create ADA-compliant signage, but there are other methods that can be used with varying degrees of success. For example, laser engraving can be used to create raised lettering and symbols on ADA signage using the same appliqué process used with rotary engraving. The laser does a beautiful job of cutting through the single appliqué layer without harming the substrate.
It’s possible to do raster-like Braille using a laser, however, many users have reported problems achieving consistently good results. Using the Raster Braille process, the holes in the material must have accurately cut straight sides to hold the bead in position. A laser engraver does not produce a straight-sided hole but rather one that is larger at the surface and smaller at the base. Also, the beads must be a specific height above the substrate material surface. With a rotary system, you can set a specific cutter depth and when the beads are inserted, they will rest at the bottom of the hole, resulting in the appropriate bead height. With a laser system, variations in substrate material density and material flatness can produce different depths and, therefore, would not be ADA-compliant.
When the ADA was first passed, photopolymer signage gained a lot of recognition as a method to create compliant signage. Photopolymer is a photosensitive compound that hardens when exposed to UV light. For sign making purposes, this compound is applied to a base substrate. An ADA sign layout, including Braille and raised lettering, is output to a film negative that is placed on top of the photopolymer sheet and placed in a UV processing unit. Areas of the image that are exposed to UV light harden and the unexposed areas are washed away leaving image areas in relief of the background.
Since the ADA has been amended to require Braille dots that are domed, there is some discussion in the sign industry as to whether this method is still suitable. Some industry insiders claim that the photopolymer process produces Braille dots with a flat surface while others claim the method is easily capable of creating rounded dots by altering the artwork. In any case, this method does require additional equipment and supplies, including a system for creating film negatives, a UV exposure unit and a washout tank.
Sandblasting is the process of using compressed air to force a stream of abrasive to etch material. In the case of ADA signage, the background of the sign is etched away, leaving raised lettering and Braille. However, it is very difficult to achieve rounded Braille with this process and, in most cases, it is no longer being used as an ADA sign making method.
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