• Welcome to the new and improved Building Code Forum. We appreciate you being here and hope that you are getting the information that you need concerning all codes of the building trades. This is a free forum to the public due to the generosity of the Sawhorses, Corporate Supporters and Supporters who have upgraded their accounts. If you would like to have improved access to the forum please upgrade to Sawhorse by first logging in then clicking here: Upgrades

ADA & Electronic Signage in the (Educational) Classrooms

Builder Bob

Builder Bob

Sawhorse
Joined
Oct 17, 2009
Messages
2,414
Location
Sunny SC - Coastal (not Charleston or Myrtle Beach
We have a mild discussion concerning the use of a message board, speaker, and flasher for a project under construction. The question was raise about the height of installation of the sign. After receiving feedback, the viewing distance for the height of the electronic display for message sign allows for approx. 21 feet of sight distance based on the Capital Letter T.

The question: May a classroom only have one of these installed in a classroom or should two be installed to ensure that all students and teachers are within 21 feet of the sign in case of message notification. The explanation given to us from the company was that if the speaker and/or flashers went off, the person could move towards the signage.

I am not sure that meets the intent of ADA and ensuring people of disabilities can merge fluidlessly with mainstream classrooms.

Fairly neat sign - text, speaker, and flashers for notification powered off of ethernet -
allows display of date/time/ emergency situations (weather, lock down, etc.)

Not a required emergency life safety system but more of a public information message board for daily classroom operations.
upload_2019-7-3_13-46-51.png
 
Last edited:
So glad you have raised this issue. I have tried to point this out with regards to fire alarms and shooter announcements to the deaf.
 
It should be OK as long as it has speakers and strobes that flash a different color or pattern than fire strobes. It's probably best to mount it in the same height range as ADA requires for strobes.
 
Codes often take a while to catch up to reality. This shouldn't be used for fire alarm notification unless it meets NFPA 72, but I don't see other notification being a problem as long as it can't be mistaken for a fire alarm.
 
This will not take place of fire alarm notification purposes - mainly as an aid to display pertinent information to the teachers without having to let the entire school hear little johnny is a car rider... with the added bonus of notification for lock down, tornado, etc. which do not have any requirements per the code per sec...
 
See https://segd.org/sites/default/files/SEGD_2012_ADA_White_Paper_Update.pdf
and
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5433805/

Note that ADAS 216.3 for accessible signage is specifically scoped for "signs that provide direction to or information about interior spaces and facilities". Builder Bob said the information posted would be about daily classroom activities, not about the room or space itself. Therefore ADAS is silent on the subject.

Basically, with a changeable electronic display board, we are assuming this is not building-code-required signage, therefore it is up to the programmer of the board to make it work.
There are some guidelines as to typeface, contrast (object vs. background), but guidelines does not mean code, because it the information conveyed is not required by code.
Note that within ADA, there is a concept of "auxiliary aids and services", where you can make arrangements for a visually impaired person to get on the phone with someone who can read the sign aloud to them. In the case of the classroom, the teacher can be assigned to do this.

As a thought experiment, look at ADAS 810.7 for rail station P.A. systems. It requires P.A. system announcements to be available visually - -but it does not require visual announcements to be broadcast on the P.A.
ADAS 810.8 has visual clocks (nonpermanent information) for rail stations, and it generally requires:
1. Contrast of an unstated percentage
2. Compliance with ADAS 703.5

When you look at ADAS Table 703.5, it says that 3" high letters are acceptable when the horizontal viewing distance is 21 feet or less; add 1/8" height for every foot greater than 21 feet. Bottom of sign should be min 40" AFF.
Example: if the back of the class is 29' away from the visual display, then the letters would be 3" + ((29-21)x 0.125) = 4" high.
Again, this is not required by ADAS, but it does give you an idea of what is considered readable by persons with limited visual acuity.

Lastly, ADAS does require that signs (or any other wall protrusion) that are within a path of travel be installed to protrude 4" or less from the wall, when mounted below 6'-8" AFF.

Hope this helps.
 
Last edited:
Builder Bob said:
This is purely a ADA compliance issue.
Click to expand...
Then it is not your responsibility
Somewhere along the line you will go from being a code official to being the "designer" and then the finger pointing will start if someone with ADA authority determines it is wrong.

Similar to an undersized floor joist when the contractor says to the inspector "just tell me what size to use" he went from inspector to structural designer if he tells the contractor what size floor joist to use.
 
Yikes said:
See https://segd.org/sites/default/files/SEGD_2012_ADA_White_Paper_Update.pdf
and
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5433805/

Note that ADAS 216.3 for accessible signage is specifically scoped for "signs that provide direction to or information about interior spaces and facilities". Builder Bob said the information posted would be about daily classroom activities, not about the room or space itself. Therefore ADAS is silent on the subject.

Basically, with a changeable electronic display board, we are assuming this is not building-code-required signage, therefore it is up to the programmer of the board to make it work.
There are some guidelines as to typeface, contrast (object vs. background), but guidelines does not mean code, because it the information conveyed is not required by code.
Note that within ADA, there is a concept of "auxiliary aids and services", where you can make arrangements for a visually impaired person to get on the phone with someone who can read the sign aloud to them. In the case of the classroom, the teacher can be assigned to do this.

As a thought experiment, look at ADAS 810.7 for rail station P.A. systems. It requires P.A. system announcements to be available visually - -but it does not require visual announcements to be broadcast on the P.A.
ADAS 810.8 has visual clocks (nonpermanent information) for rail stations, and it generally requires:
1. Contrast of an unstated percentage
2. Compliance with ADAS 703.5

When you look at ADAS Table 703.5, it says that 3" high letters are acceptable when the horizontal viewing distance is 21 feet or less; add 1/8" height for every foot greater than 21 feet. Bottom of sign should be min 40" AFF.
Example: if the back of the class is 29' away from the visual display, then the letters would be 3" + ((29-21)x 0.125) = 4" high.
Again, this is not required by ADAS, but it does give you an idea of what is considered readable by persons with limited visual acuity.

Lastly, ADAS does require that signs (or any other wall protrusion) that are within a path of travel be installed to protrude 4" or less from the wall, when mounted below 6'-8" AFF.

Hope this helps.
Click to expand...

You are basically repeating in a technical format a conversation I have had with numerous educators in the North. They are a little more progressive when it comes to ADA compliance as they are ADA regulated.

Thank you for confirmation of the conversations I have been having.

BB
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top