Chicago, IL – ADA Signs

Chicago, IL – ADA Signs

If you own a business, manage an office, or are in charge of the appearance and upkeep of a building, you’ve probably heard of ADA signs. At least, you should have heard of ADA signs. If you hold any of the positions mentioned above or have a similar role, you could be in charge of ensuring that your place of work has the proper ADA signs it requires. But what are those? Which ADA signs do you need? Why do you need them? Just what are ADA signs?

The Americans with Disabilities Act

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 is a United States federal law that prohibits discrimination based on disability. This civil rights law has had numerous effects and repercussions and affects how people living with disabilities are treated in numerous settings and scenarios. A major intention of the law is to make as much of everyday America accessible to people living with disabilities. And a big part of making places more accessible has to do with having the proper signage.

ADA Compliance

ADA signs are signs that businesses and public places install in order to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. It should be noted that ADA signs must comply with more than just the 1990 US federal law. Many states and municipalities also have their own ADA regulations by which businesses and public places must abide. For example, let’s say that you manage an office with a public lobby in the Chicagoland area. You must ensure that your office and lobby comply not only with the Americans with Disabilities Act federal law of 1990, but also with all relevant Illinois State Laws, and any municipal bylaws and regulations put forth by Chicago, Skokie, Schaumburg, Orland Park, or wherever your office happens to be. And not only is having ADA signs the right thing to do, there are also penalties for not being ADA compliant. If you are not ADA compliant, your business can be fined up to and in excess of $50,000.

ADA Signs

This all covers the law and history behind ADA signs. But what exactly are ADA signs? Literally, what are they? What do they look like? To answer these questions, here are some examples of ADA signs:

• Braille signs
• Handicap signs
• Wheelchair signs
• Handicap bathroom stall signs
• Wayfinding signs directing people to accessible services and areas such as ramps and elevators

Which ADA Signs do I Need?

At this point, you’re probably wondering about which ADA signs you personally need. Do you need all of them? Some of them? None of them? This is a question that is impossible to answer impersonally. The answers to these questions depend on where you are, the size of your business or office, and other questions such as whether or not your business is open to the public (clients, customers, etc.) or just for staff.

ADA Signs in Chicagoland

If you manage an office, a lobby, a building, a retail store, or any other public place in the Chicagoland area and would like to learn what you need to do to be ADA compliant, please contact SIGNificant Graphics. We have helped countless Chicago businesses get the ADA signs they need.