A Guide to ADA-Compliant Fonts for Signage (2024)

By Mike Shabluk | February 20, 2024

As you probably know, signs must meet a lot of requirements to be considered ADA compliant. But one of the most critical and often misunderstood is the presence of an accessible font. The rules about ADA-compliant fonts for signage are pretty complex. So, it’s no surprise that end users and sign professionals alike can get confused.

At Erie Custom Signs, we get it.

That’s why we’ve created a helpful guide about ADA-compliant fonts for signage that addresses general rules, FAQs, and more.

By the end, you’ll discover the case, style, and size requirements for fonts used on signage. As a result, choosing the right font will become a much easier task. More importantly, you can ensure those with limited vision can easily read ADA signs in your or your client’s building. And that is the ultimate goal.

Why Using ADA-Approved Fonts on Signs Is Important

The purpose of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is to prevent discrimination against those with disabilities. ADA signs must be designed with people who are visually impaired in mind. That way, they can read the signs with ease and enjoy equal access to the building.

To illustrate the importance of ADA-approved fonts, here’s a scenario for you…

You’re trying to read a sign with small, ornate lettering from a distance. You squint your eyes in an effort to focus on the words, but the message is still unclear. You start walking toward the sign, eventually closing the distance and ending up mere inches away.

Attempting to read such a poorly designed sign would be frustrating for someone with 20/20 vision, let alone an individual with 20/200 or less.

What would be challenging for you would be much more difficult for someone with severely limited vision. If a person is unable to read a sign, they could miss out on important information about the following:

• How to navigate the building
• Where to go in case of emergency
• Whether a given area is off-limits

Plus, there’s the not-so-small matter of legality. Failure to comply with ADA rules (yes, even minor issues such as font) can result in a business suffering legal and financial consequences. As with all features required to be compliant, signage must be carefully designed and fabricated, considering ADA guidelines every step of the way.

Ultimately, using an ADA-compliant font on signs ensures accessibility for people who are blind or visually impaired and protects businesses.

What Are the Rules for ADA-Compliant Fonts for Signage?

The 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design outline various criteria that must be met for compliance, including those related to signage. In fact, the rules for ADA-compliant fonts on signage are very strict. ADA signs are required to use sans (without) serif fonts. These are fonts that include a smaller line to finish off the main stroke of a letter, like at the top and bottom of “M.” In short, block characters—letters, numbers, punctuation marks, and typographic symbols—are required by law.

However, the requirements for ADA-compliant fonts are even more detailed than that. They also factor in character style, size, case, height, and more.

Here are the general rules for raised characters on identification signage:

• 703.1 General. Signs must comply with 703. Where both visual and tactile characters are required, either one sign with both visual and tactile characters or two separate signs—one with visual and one with tactile characters—shall be provided.
• 703.2 Raised Characters. Raised characters must comply with 703.2 and be duplicated in braille complying with 703.3. Raised characters shall be installed per 703.4. Advisory 703.2 Signs designed to be read by touch should not have sharp or abrasive edges.

Below are the specific requirements for raised characters, along with explanations for each.

Depth

• 703.2.1 Depth. Raised characters shall be 1/32 inch (0.8 mm) minimum above their background.

This just means that all important text must stick out a minimum of 1/32” from the sign.

Why?

It allows people with reduced vision to read the information on the sign through touch. Note that this is a different requirement from braille, which is necessary for people who are blind.

Case

• 703.2.2 Case. Characters must be uppercase.

All characters on a sign should be uppercase, and lowercase should be avoided.

Why?

Uppercase letters stand out more. The consistency in size also allows visually impaired people to read the text on the sign more comfortably.

Style

• 703.2.3 Style. Characters must be sans serif. Characters shall not be italic, oblique, script, highly decorative, or of other unusual forms.

All letters and characters are required to be in a sans serif font that has straight edges, without little hooks or decorative edges.

Why?

Overly stylized fonts can be tricky to read, especially from a distance. Those with plain styles, on the other hand, are less likely to cause confusion.

Proportions

• 703.2.4 Character Proportions. Characters shall be selected from fonts where the width of the uppercase letter “O” is 55 percent minimum and 110 percent maximum of the height of the uppercase letter “I.”

All raised text on signs should be in an ADA-compliant font with the correct proportions. The width of the uppercase “O” should be between 55 and 110 percent of the height of the uppercase “I.”

Why?

If the proportions are off, it can be difficult for someone with limited vision to read the text clearly. The characters may appear to blur together.

Height

• 703.2.5 Character Height. Character height measured vertically from the baseline of the character shall be 5/8 inch (16 mm) minimum and 2 inches (51 mm) maximum based on the height of the uppercase letter “I.”

The ADA guidelines define compliant font sizes by height, requiring characters to be between 5/8 inches and 2 inches tall based on the uppercase “I.”

Why?

This ensures the text is big enough for someone to read comfortably from a distance.

Stroke Thickness

• 703.2.6 Stroke Thickness. The stroke thickness of the uppercase letter “I” shall be 15 percent maximum of the character’s height.

This means that the character’s weight should be no more than 15 percent of its height.

Why?

Stroke thickness should be consistent to ensure the text is clear and can be read even by a vision-impaired person.

Character Spacing

• 703.2.7 Character Spacing. Character spacing should be measured between the two closest points of adjacent raised characters within a message, excluding word spaces. Where characters have rectangular cross sections, spacing between individual raised characters shall be 1/8 inch (3.2 mm) minimum and 4 times the raised character stroke width maximum. Where characters have other cross sections, spacing between individual raised characters shall be 1/16 inch (1.6 mm) minimum and 4 times the raised character stroke width maximum at the base of the cross sections, and 1/8 inch (3.2 mm) minimum and 4 times the raised character stroke width maximum at the top of the cross sections. Characters shall be separated from raised borders and decorative elements at a minimum of 3/8 inch (9.5 mm).

On ADA signs, the individual characters should be spaced between 1/8 inch and 4 times the stroke for rectangular cross sections, spaced between 1/16 and 4 times the stroke at the narrowest part of nonrectangular cross sections, and separated at least 3/8 inch from borders.

Why?

If characters are spaced too close together, they can become crowded, making the text illegible. If they’re spaced too far apart, not all the important information may fit on the sign.

Line Spacing

• 703.2.8 Line Spacing. Spacing between the baselines of separate lines of raised characters within a message shall be 135 percent minimum and 170 percent maximum of the raised character height.

This means that spacing between lines of characters should be between 135 and 170 percent of the height of the characters.

Why?

As with characters, lines of text need to be appropriately spaced so those with reduced vision can read them. Having enough distance between lines avoids any accidental overlap.

FAQs about ADA-Compliant Font Guidelines

As mentioned, there are many rules about proper font application with ADA signage. Even after reading them all, it’s not uncommon to have lingering questions about ADA-compliant fonts for signage. To help you out, we’ve addressed a few FAQs below.

1) Are All Fonts ADA Compliant?

No, they’re not. ADA sign guidelines are very specific, and not all font types meet the requirements for signs. Times New Roman, for example, isn’t compliant for raised characters. So, it can’t be used for the raised text on a room identification sign.

2) Is a Larger Font ADA Compliant?

The short answer is yes. A larger font is required on all ADA signage to achieve compliance. However, it’s important to highlight that the font size for raised characters should be between 5/8 and 2 inches high for it to be ADA compliant.

3) Does All Text Have to Be Sans Serif?

Under 703.2.3 of the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design, all important text on identification signage (such as the name of the room) must be sans serif with no italics or overly decorative lettering. However, if a business wants to add a logo containing a unique font, this is acceptable.

4) Do the Above Rules Apply to All Types of ADA Signage?

As noted previously, the rules above are specific to raised characters on identification signage. Most of the requirements, including line spacing and proportions, also apply to visual characters on directional and informational signs. But there are some differences.

Here are some additional guidelines for visual characters:

• Visual characters can be in uppercase, lowercase, or a mix.
• Characters must be of a conventional form and not have unusual styling.
• Stroke thickness of the uppercase “I” must be between 10% and 30% of the character’s height.
• Spacing between characters should be between 10% and 35% of character height.
• Character height is based on the uppercase “I” and varies depending on the sign’s placement.
  • When the height from the floor to the character is 40 inches to 70 inches, and the horizontal viewing distance is less than 72 inches, the minimum character height is 5/8 inches. When the horizontal viewing distance is 72 inches or more, the minimum character height is 5/8 inch plus 1/8 inch per foot of viewing distance above 72 inches.
  • If the height from the floor is 70 inches to 120 inches, and the viewing distance is less than 180 inches, the minimum character height is 2 inches. When the viewing distance is increased to 180 inches or more, the minimum character height becomes 2 inches plus 1/8 inch per foot of viewing distance above 180 inches.
  • If the height from the floor is more than 120 inches and the viewing distance is less than 21 feet, the minimum character height is 3 inches. When the viewing distance is more than 21 feet, the minimum character height is increased to 3 inches plus 1/8 inch per foot of viewing distance above 21 feet.

Note: When visual characters comply with the rules set for raised characters and are accompanied by suitable braille, the above rules don’t need to apply.

5) Is Bolder Better When It Comes to Font?

Actually, no. Most people assume a bold font would help text stand out more. However, choosing one that’s too bold can make the text appear blurry, especially for those with limited vision. That’s why business owners and sign fabricators are cautioned against selecting an overly bold font.

A good example of a bold font that doesn’t meet ADA guidelines is Bauhaus 93.

6) Is Cursive ADA Compliant?

No, cursive is not considered an ADA-compliant font for signage. The guidelines specifically mention that script should not be used for raised characters. So, using cursive for important text on identification signs is prohibited.

7) What Are the Consequences of Not Using an ADA-Compliant Font?

Though the misuse of font may seem like a minor issue regarding ADA compliance, it can negatively affect a business. By installing a sign that doesn’t have the appropriate font, businesses can be hit with ADA-related lawsuits or fines. That’s why it’s so important to choose a suitable font for ADA signage in the design phase.

Examples of Popular Compliant Fonts

Despite providing detailed visual and raised character requirements for signage, the ADA doesn’t explicitly state what fonts are permitted. The only style guideline is that fonts must be sans serif and not italic, oblique, script, highly decorative, or otherwise unusual. However, that’s enough to provide a good idea of what can be considered ADA-approved fonts.

Sans serif fonts are as plain and straight as possible, increasing the ease of readability.

Examples of the most accessible fonts that meet the above criteria include the following:

• Arial
• AvantGarde Md BT
• Avenir LT Std
• Century Gothic, Regular
• Franklin Gothic
• Frutiger LT
• Futura Std
• Futura MdCn BT
• Gill Sans Std
• Helvetica
• Interstate-Regular
• ITC Stone Sans
• Optima
• Montserrat
• Myriad Pro
• Rotis Sans Serif Std
• Swiss 721 BT
• Trebuchet MS
• Verdana
• VAG Rounded

Resources for Finding the Most Accessible Fonts

If you’re wondering where to find ADA-approved fonts, the good news is you don’t have to look very hard. There’s no shortage of resources online to download fonts if you need additional sans serif options. Just look through the choices available and determine which best fits your or your client’s branding.

Here are some resources worth checking out:

• DaFont.com
• 1001 Free Fonts
• FontSpace
• Font Squirrel
• 1001 Fonts
• Google Fonts

If you’re downloading fonts to a computer running Windows, make sure to save all fonts to the C://Windows/Fonts folder on your computer. They will automatically install when saved to that location. That means you will be able to use them on any program that fetches fonts from your computer, from Microsoft Word to Photoshop and InDesign.

Tip: Working with a sign shop that has a graphic designer on staff makes finding an eye-catching, ADA-compliant font a lot easier. And doing so can ensure that your or your client’s new signs not only improve accessibility for all visitors but also complement the existing décor.

Takeaway

It’s true the rules surrounding ADA-compliant fonts are complex. However, failing to use the correct size, style, spacing, and type could result in a sign being noncompliant. That’s why it’s crucial to learn and apply the guidelines. In doing so, you can avoid leaving your business or your client’s business vulnerable to noncompliance issues. If you’re still unsure about the types of ADA-approved fonts you can and can’t use for your next signage project, rest assured you can count on Erie Custom Signs. In addition to being ADA experts, we use state-of-the-art software that automatically spaces letters and notifies us if a font is not compliant. Plus, we offer various sign options that include a list of available ADA-approved fonts, making your decision that much easier. Check out our sign packages today!

Filed Under: ADA Signage Tagged With: ADA Compliance, ADA design, fonts