Introduction
The ADA and signage?  discussion of the Americans With Disabilities Act usually focuses on employment and accessibility issues.  In fact, a four-page article in the September, 1991 issue of American Libraries entitled "What Every Librarian Should Know About the Americans With Disabilities Act," failed to mention signage at all.  (Note:   The legislation regarding signage is Title III, Section 4, "Removal of Communications Barriers")

Yet signage is the most visible aspect of the ADA.  You can look around and notice who is in compliance with their signage—and infer from this which institutions are probably in compliance with other services and treatment of people with disabilities.  You might even infer from these symbols which institutions are aware of, and sympathetic toward, people who don't fit in the categories of "majority," "average," or "normal."

By now you've probably noticed some signs that are a result of ADA: upright handicapped parking signs in addition to the painted spaces in parking lots; raised letters and Braille dots on rest room signs in Target stores, Wal-Mart, and other national chains; and the same tactile signs on room numbers in hotels, hospitals, and office buildings.  But what about libraries?  What have we done to our signage to comply with ADA?  Well, what should we have done by now?

I'd like to discuss this subject in three parts: new signs that need to be added to libraries; signs that need to be changed in order to comply with ADA; and signs that should be removed.  Within each part I'll describe what you must do to comply with ADA, and what you can do to make your library a more accommodating place for people with disabilities, and everyone else.
 

New signs that need to be added to libraries
New signs that you must add include the international symbol of accessibility (ISA) at the entrance to your library, if it is accessible by handicapped persons.  If any entrance is not accessible you must provide directions to an accessible entrance.

Signs designating permanent spaces must include tactile lettering (i.e., lettering that is a minimum of 1/32" thick) in all upper case (captials), 5/8" to 2" tall, and Grade 2 Braille.  Permanent spaces are not defined by the law, but it is generally accepted that these include rest rooms, stairs, and elevators in any building.  Although it is not required by law, symbols are frequently used for these signs. The ISA symbol is required at all accessible rest rooms, however.  All symbols must have tactile text and Grade 2 Braille below the symbol.

Permanent spaces also include classrooms, offices, meeting rooms, auditoriums, as well as the non-public areas of a library: rooms with electrical and mechanical equipment, custodians' closets, storage rooms.  What do you do about those?

The law says that each of these rooms shall have its room number displayed 60" from the center of the sign to the floor, on the same side of the door as the handle, and far enough to the side of the door frame that a person reading the sign from 3" away will not be hit by the opening door.

The need for Braille lettering
So much for the letter of the law.  You are probably asking yourself right now "What is Grade 2 Braille?" and "Why are we doing this?"  The Braille alphabet is made up of one cell for each letter of the alphabet.  Each cell can have up to six dots, something like a domino.  when Braille is printed or embossed on the page, it takes up more space than printed words, and of course, you cant write anything on the back side of a page.  consequently, Braille takes up a lot of space.  there is a set of 189 abbreviations and contractions that are use in Braille for common words and word endings which reduces the space and reading time needed for Braille text.  This abbreviated version of the language is called "Grade 2 Braille."

But why Braille?  In a population of nearly 45,000 students, faculty, and staff at Arizona State University, there are only eleven people who read Braille.  these amazing people find their way around campus pretty well without room numbers, and they already know where the rest rooms, elevators, and stairs are. Wouldn't it be cheaper to orient each student to the campus as we have been doing in the past?  Why do they need Braille numbers and labels if they don't even use them?

I put these questions to the wise and talented individual on our campus who woks with all of the vision impaired students through our campus disabled Student Resources Center.  his answer was twofold: First, when sighted students have a class in 101 Murdoch Hall, they follow maps or instructions to get there, and as they enter the room, the can look above the door to see that the room they are entering is, indeed , numbered 101.  Blind students do not have this assurance.  They will not know where they are unless they ask someone, or unless someone from DSR affixes a Braille label on the door frame, hoping that no one peels it off.  so the numbering of rooms in Braille will give blind people the assurance that they have reached their destination, something sighted individuals have long take  for granted.

The second part of the answer is more involved, and more fascinating.  The reason that there are so few Braille readers on our campus is a consequence of changes in technology and educational theory.  Twenty-five years ago, with the advent of the cassette tape recorder, there was a shift in the education of blind students.  It became much easier to record books for the blind than it was to reproduce books in Braille.  simple equipment mad it easier for readers and listeners.  The immediate comprehension of the recorded word was favored over the tedious process of learning to read Braille.

But recent research comparing the retention of what is learned by reading Braille versus retention of information learned by listening shows Braille to be far superior.  Tapes are linear, you can't go back and review certain bits of information.   It's difficult to follow instructions or procedures on tape.  And how can you learn to write?

In addition to the change in educational theory, there is also a chanage in technology that goes along with the story.   Optical scanners can now be used to convert text into Braille with a mimimum of time and effort.  At ASU any student who needs a text or reading matterconverted into Braille can have it done overnight by DSR staff.  In a process that's similar to photocopying, the book is scanned, the information goes through a computer progrram, and the pages are reproduced in Braille by an embosser driven by the computer.   so now Braille is easier to produce than recorded tapes.

Of the blind student population in the United States today, eighty percent are unemployed.  Of those who are gainfully employed, 85% read Braille.  These are the people who have the highest education, are the most successful, and are also the most vocal on issues affecting the blind population.  These are the people fighting for a revival of Braille, and who caused the government to include Braille requirementts in the ADA legislation.

New library signs that will help everyone
Getting back to library signage, here are some suggestions for new signs that will help everyone:

Floor plans on every floor.  Be careful that they are oriented correctly, not just mass produced and hung upside down or sideways.  Floor plans can be done with computer aided design programs such as Adobe Illustrator.  They can be easily updated on disk and printed by a laser printer.  Photocopy machines can greatly enlarge the floor plans, which can be hung in large picture frames (using non-glare glass) opposite elevators or stairs on every floor.

Building directories on every floor.  People shouldn't have to go back to the entrance to find out which floor they need to visit next.  Again, use computer software to update the directory, enlarge the printout by photocopying, and provide a directory in another large picture frame next to the floor plans.

Non-emergency exits signs.  People can get turned around very easily in massive, open library stacks.  emergency exits signs will lead them to fire stairs when they really want to find the front door.  Walk through your library and see where you may need to place signs leading to the stairs or elevators.
 

Changes in signs that are required by the ADA
We now move to changes in signs that are required by the ADA.  To begin with, all signs are required to have a sharp contrast between the colors of the letters and background, and a non-glare finish.

The type face (or font) of the lettering must have a width to height ratio of 3:5, a stroke width to height ratio of 1:5 - 1:10, and be san serif or simple serif.  That is just as complicated as it sounds, but the society of environmental Graphic Designers has simplified this requirement by providing a list of acceptable type fonts.  The list includes Helvetica, Century Schoolbook, times, Palatino, and several others that are commonly used.  Incidentally, Helvetica Medium is the easiest type to read tactilely.

If you don't have a good contrast between the letters and backgrounds, of if the finish is shiny, or if the type is tall and skinny or short and fat, you will have to repaint or re-letter your signs.  Before you do, here's another requirement to keep in mind:  All overhead signs must have letters at least 3" high, and the signs must be hung with a minimum clearance of 80".  Practically speaking, one line of 3" type, with appropriate 3" margins above and below, will come to 9", plus 80" clearance, and a minimum of 1" for hardware, or 90".  Two lines of type will require 94 1/2" to 96", or an 8 foot ceiling.  In other words,  you cant' have more than two lines of type on an overhead sign if you have 8 foot ceilings.  So you must practice word economy without confusing people.

Changes to library signs that will help everyone
Since you will probably end up changing some signs, here are some more suggestions that aren't required but will really help all users of your library.

Make all signs look alike.  Signs that all have the same colors and type style will come to be recognized by library users, who will then look for them when they need information.

Place signs at decision points.  Studies have shown that people look for information only when a decision is to be made.  signs that aren't in the right places will be ignored.

Use larger type where possible.  Labels on file cabinet drawers, periodical shelves, and some end ranges were made in the past using a typewriter.  make these labels easier to read by re-doing them on a computer word processing program:  scale up the size of the font and switch to bold Helvetica to make them as readable as possible from the farthest distance.  the new labels will be easier to read, and lessen the need to stoop or bend over to see what is written below eye level.

Get rid of the glare.  A big complaint by the visually impaired students at ASU is glare on signs causing them to be more difficult to read.  Unfortunately, all directories are considered "temporary" by the ADA, and so every glassy faced directory in the library and elsewhere, is exempt from the matte finish requirement.  It is possible in some cases to replace glass or acrylic sheets with non-glare, matte finish materials.  We intend to replace the fronts on all our library directories, but we won't get any help from he campus ADA team since this is not a requirement for compliance with the ADA.  In the future, avoid purchasing any sign holders, bulletin board cases, picture frames or directories that have a glare finish.

If you have clear, shiny protective covers over labels on range finders, periodical shelves, file cabinet drawers, or elsewhere, look to see if there is a glare problem.  Consider replacing the covers with matter finish material or removing them altogether.
 

Library signs that must be removed
Now that you've added signs and changed others to comply with ADA, it's time to get rid of some signs.  The only ones you must get rid of are the ones that you couldn't change to meet ADA requirements.

Library signs that should be removed
After you've disposed of ADA-induced obsolescence, there is something you can to that will greatly help all who enter your library.

Get rid of the sign clutter.  Let go.  The fwer signs the better.  If you overwhelm people with too many signs, they won't read any of them.  Research has shown that people spend about eight seconds reading a sign, and they prefer to read a sign and make a decision while still moving rather than stopping to read.  So if they aren't absolutely necessary, and especially if they are not working to produce the desired results, take the signs down.  You will find that the library is neater and more efficient with the new signage I've just recommended, and less stressful with all the signage clutter removed.
 

Conclusion
In closing I would like to reflect on the spirit of the ADA, the law requiring the removal of barriers to the disabled.  The ADA addresses the needs of the mobility and sight impaired in our country, but no the undetermined needs of an estimated 20% of the population having some form of disability.  No one has written laws or produced guidelines for us to follow to make the removal of all the barriers a reality.  And yet we are charged with accomplishing this task.

The ADA can be seen as flexible or vague, depending on your degree of optimism.  It has been said that the only way to prove you are in compliance is to win a lawsuit brought against you, and the ADA has been called "The Lawyers' Full Employment Act."

To succeed with the "must do" tasks in library signage, prioritize the signage changes bases on the extent of the changes needed and the cost involved.  Build these priorities into your ongoing maintenance and construction plans.  Follow through and document the changes, both for legal purposes as well as to plan for future facilities costs.

Keep in touch with representatives of groups of disabled users you are trying to help.  Find out what they need or want, and tell them what you are going or intend to do.  Keep communication open.  There should not be any surprises.  At ASU there have been about half a dozen complaints filed against the University (none regarding the library), all of which were corrected satisfactorily so the suits were dropped. That is how the ADA is intended to work.  The government wants people to step forward and identify themselves and their needs so that they can be addressed.

Back to the  "can do" part of library signage.  Increase your awareness of the problems associated with disabilities.

Get to know the situations confronting the disabled.  Observe the, talk to them, listen to them.  Subscribe to an online bulletin board list and read their comments and complaints; ask questions.

Become more aware of different kinds of disabilities.  You're in the library all day.  Look up something and read about it.  Share with others what you've learned.

Become more aware of issues facing the disabled.  Did you know that the move toward graphic interfaces and "mouse" controls on computers, such as Macintosh and Windows, is a threat to blind users who type and read by touching Braille keys?   Did you know about the revival of Braille?  These issues have implications for library management and decision making.

No matter what your job is in the library, no matter what your responsibility is for ADA compliance, you've probably come to realize by now that this legislation has created a process, not a project.  We can work at it and make progress, but will never finish bringing our libraries into compliance.  An that's as it should be .  We will never finish building our library collections or checking out books or answering reference questions. And we will never finish adapting our libraries to meet the needs of all users.