Part 3 of 3 on ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) Signing requirements
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Part 3 of 3 on ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) Signing requirements
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Part 3 of 3 on ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) Signing requirements

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Without doing your homework, creating and selling ADA signage can be intimidating even to long-time engravers; and it requires some education on your part. In addition to learning all the ADA signage regulations, you also need to learn about Braille—what it is and how to incorporate it onto various types of signs.

As an engraver you need to be familiar with all of the ADA specifications relating to sign making because your potential customers may not necessarily know these themselves. For example, customers may, and probably will, request fonts or color combinations that don’t meet the ADA standards. You should be able to point out these problems and steer them to the correct solution. Partnering with a distributer like JorLink can make the transition to ADA signage easier by relying on their expertise.

Braille will be one of the terms you’ll need to learn inside and out. 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 (not used in ADA signage) is letter-for-letter translation and is the method commonly taught in elementary schools. 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 (also not used in ADA signage) is likewise a shorthand version but includes many additional contractions (over 300). This type of Braille is primarily used by individuals for personal note taking.

Your first step in creating Braille signage is to convert the message into the appropriate Braille format. Braille translation software can convert text to ADA-specified Grade 2 Braille. Today, most engraving machine manufacturers include a Braille translator in their engraving software packages, including EngraveLab Expert Bundle with Roland Equipment,Gravograph Inc., Vision Engraving Systems, and Xenetech Global Inc. In some cases, you may need to purchase translation software separately as an add-on option. Cadlink with their EngraveLab Expert or Pro Software along with Duxbury Systems Inc. are supplies 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. Today’s software is very easy and convenient to use. 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. Compliant pictograms for stairs, restrooms, etc., are typically not included in the Braille translator software, but these are available from most engraving equipment suppliers. Accent Signage Systems includes symbol templates on a CD-ROM in its Raster Braille equipment kit.

Raster Braille is the fast and user-friendly rotary engraving process. This method allows you to create rounded dots that meet the ADA guidelines for dot dimension, spacing, height and shape and the result is an overall clean, uniform appearance. The Raster Braille method is patented and trademarked by Accent Signage Systems and, therefore, you need to purchase a license to use their system.  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 that 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 Roland DGA, Vision,  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. 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.

Remember any public access building has a need for Braille signage, so this means the market opportunities are endless for engraving shops. If you can locate businesses and organizations that are involved in new-building construction, this is one way to get your foot in the door. You can also contact architects and construction companies to help locate some of these potential customers. School districts and state and federal governments are also good places to market Braille signage. Actually anytime you’re delivering posters or other signage to public buildings, look around. Does some of the ADA signage need replacing or updating? There’s a potential customer! In today’s economy, with minimal investment, interior ADA signage can be one of the highest return-on-investment products that you offer.

For a more detailed description of ADA signage requirements, Please download the following Reference document. 

https://www.jorlink.com/Portals/0/ADA_Quick_Ref_JorVer121514.pdf

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