My Fixed-it Friday photos from last week raised a great “Quick Question”…
Is braille signage required for doors that are equipped with delayed egress locks?
The US Access Board’s Guide to the ADA Accessibility Standards is a fantastic resource, and Chapter 7 of the guide covers signage. Additional information about accessibility requirements for signage is also available in the Commentary edition of ICC A117.1 – Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities.
The standards address two basic types of signage, signs that comply with the visual requirements of the standards and those that comply with the tactile requirements. Both are intended to assist people with vision impairments. Tactile signage generally includes both raised letters and braille – a written language in which characters are represented by patterns of raised dots that are felt with the fingertips.
The standards list specific locations where braille is required, for example, elevators, stairways, rail stations and platforms. Regarding the means of egress, the standards require tactile signage at exit doors:
- ADA Standards: Exit Doors. Doors at exit passageways, exit discharge, and exit stairways shall be identified by tactile signs complying with 703.1, 703.2, and 703.5.
- ICC A117.1: Tactile signage at exits. A sign stating EXIT in raised characters and Braille and complying with Sections 703.3 and 703.4 shall be provided adjacent to each door to an area of refuge providing direct access to a stairway, an exterior area for assisted rescue, an exit stairway, an exit ramp, an exit passageway and the exit discharge.
One interesting thing to note is found in the ADA Guide…Tactile requirements primarily apply to signs typically located at doorways because doorways provide a cue for locating signs by touch.
So…what about delayed egress signage? The model codes require doors equipped with delayed egress locks to have a sign on the door stating “Push [pull] until alarm sounds. Door can be opened in 15 [30] seconds.” Does this signage require raised letters and braille?
Both the I-Codes and the NFPA codes are clear…the signage required for delayed egress locks must comply with the visual character requirements of ICC A117.1. This signage is not required to comply with the requirements for tactile signage, so raised letters and braille are not required by the model codes for doors with delayed egress locks.
Two things to keep in mind…
1) State and local codes may differ from the model codes and the referenced standards. There may be jurisdictions where braille signage is required for doors with delayed egress locks, even though it is not required by the model codes.
2) The adopted codes set the minimum requirements. It would be acceptable to meet both the visual and tactile requirements of the accessibility standards, as long as the signage complies with the requirements of the adopted codes regarding the text and location of the sign.
For more information on the visual character requirements of ICC A117.1, refer to Decoded: Requirements for Door-Related Signage.
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My experience leads me to feel the tactile sign requirements, while harmless, do not deliver safety. I was in charge of hospital safety, building and grounds maintenance, security and telecommunications function for over a million square feet for over 35 years. On many days I was working during at least part of all three 8 hour shifts. The corridor patterns of this type of structure does not lend itself to a sightless or badly sight impaired person to feel their way around the structure trying to locate a sign. In 35+ years I never saw the tactle signs being touched by someone. There was without fail a sighted person there to guide them to their destination and back.
I do not say stop trying to assist but have a healthy skepticism that tactile signs are an answer. I wonder if someone could develop a sign that when approached would deliver it’s message audibly (like that novelty “Billy the Bass”).
Thanks for sharing your valuable insight, Jerry! You might be onto something with your Billy the Bass audible signs!
– Lori