So, the heavily discussed date of March 15, 2012 is finally upon us. The dilemma for some states of whether to use the 1991 or 2010 ADA Standards is now a mute issue, as all states must now minimally adhere to the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design.

We emphasize the word minimally because we cannot assume that the 2010 Standards will precisely apply to all cities and states in all instances. Although the 2010 Standards are now considered the foundation for accessibility codes for all states, there will be some instances in which a city/state has more stringent accessibility codes in place, but first must meet the requirements of the 2010 Standards. For this reason, even after March 15 it is still very important to know your local code contacts and online resources such as the Reed Construction Data Building Codes section to confirm the accessibility codes being enforced.

In addition, it’s important to save the links to the two following resources for quick reference, and they are both included within the 2010 ADA Standards themselves.  The ADA Signage Scoping Requirements provide guidance regarding signage exemptions, required signs, and references to guidelines that apply based on specific building elements or functions. The specific ADA Signage Guidelines are what we have seen over the past few years in anticipation of March 15, 2012, including guidelines for tactile, Braille, visual characters, installation, and pictograms.

Having code reference, scoping requirement and signage guideline information readily available, in addition to our usual go-to resources, will help us all navigate effectively through this final piece of transition from old to new ADA Standards.

For more information on ADA, and for a helpful reference guide on ADA guidelines for architectural signage, click here.

Also, be sure to check out our recent post of regulatory signs as well as our InfoSeries: Regulatory Signs and Messages for Architectural Environments.