Signs of the Times - April 2013 - (Page 6)
ST UPDATE
By Steve Aus t
News for a broader perspective
Toji’s Take
In the March issue, ST published (see page 62) an article about ADA
signage as a follow-up to the one-year anniversary of the adoption of
Standards of Accessible Design (SAD) regulations. We also highlighted a
proposal under consideration for the American National Standards Institute’s
(ANSI) A117.1, the Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities Standards,
which would mandate a 70% color contrast and a light-reflectance value
(LRV) of 45 for all ADA-compliant signage. Even if the proposal wasn’t
adopted into the SAD, ANSI A117.1 regulations would receive widespread
adoption into building codes. Thus, it would become a de facto standard.
As noted in last month’s article, the International Sign Assn. (ISA) and
the Society for Environmental Graphic Design (SEGD) oppose the colorcontrast proposal, claiming the lack of viable combinations would create
undue design and production hardships.
Sharon Toji, vice president of H. Toji and Co. (Long Beach, CA), authored
the color-contrast proposal and has been a vocal leader in advocacy for
the disabled. In the interest of equal time, we’re publishing her insights
about the proposal.
Why did you serve as author and
advocate for the ANSI A117.1 color
and contrast standard?
Enough ANSI members thought it was
important that they established a
Contrast Subcommittee. The standard
is the same that ANSI submitted for
the last A117.1 cycle. Code officials
have asked for a standard of measurement for LRVs that is applicable
for many different surfaces in the
architectural field. I believe this standard addresses that. We’ve asked ISA
and SEGD to participate in the committee, but they refused and, instead,
seek to refute the committee’s findings.
By no means am I the primary
advocate for the standard. People
who suffer from color blindness
and other visual impairments have
long complained about the vagueness
of the current (color contrast) standard. A member of the Access
Board’s technical staff commented
that, in an accessibility focus group
that gathered visually impaired individuals, the lack of contrast was the
primary concern mentioned.
Why has 70% been chosen as the
minimum amount of contrast allowed?
The 70% threshold is used as the
minimum contrast throughout
much of the world. Sometimes, it
is expressed as a difference of 30
points of LRV minimum rather than
as 70%, but 30/70 appears to be
the bottom line. Virtually every
piece of published literature
mentions the 70% minimum or
some variation.
After having commissioned
research on the subject, the U.S.
Access Board published the following statement in 2006: “Where luminance contrast was 70% or greater,
approximately 95% of participants
were able to see detectable warnings
from 8 ft. away. Detectable warnings
that provided at least 60% contrast
could be seen by 92% of participants from the same distance.”
We could ask, “Why 70%, and
not 69?” Throughout the code,
you’ll find exact minimums,
maximums and ranges. Although
they’re often based on research or
Correction
The 3-D design for bluemedia’s promotional banner for Phoenix’s
Legends Entertainment District was developed by Hamburg, Germanybased ShapeShifter Media. ST apologizes for the error.
6 SIGNS OF THE TIMES / APRIL 2013 / www.signweb.com
practical experience with people
with various kinds of disabilities,
none are proposed as the perfect
number. To create a measurable
standard, you have to choose one
that will satisfy the needs of as large
a population as possible. It’s worth
noting that SEGD urges its members
to follow the 70% standard and LRV
formulas as guidelines.
How and why did you choose 45 as the
minimum LRV for the lighter hue in a
color combination?
All numbers are slightly arbitrary,
because there will always be people
who can use an architectural element that’s not quite so stringently
controlled, and then there are
those who can’t. To arrive at 45 as
a standard, we tested many color
pairings and made a representation of combinations that would
be forbidden, and those that would
be allowed. We made up small signs,
with 5/8-in.-tall characters and
various contrast values and LRVs,
mounted them at 60 in. on center
and laid down measuring tape. At
the American Council of the Blind’s
annual convention, we had visually
impaired attendees walk forward
until they could read the characters.
The most easily read combinations
all had contrast that measured at
least 70%, and an LRV between 40
and 50, so 45 seemed a reasonable,
minimum figure.
Why aren’t lighting requirements
specified in the proposal?
Lighting is important, but lighting
in many venues is difficult to control.
Even if we developed standards for
lighting that require a certain number
of footcandles, we couldn’t be sure
that lights would be on or functioning, or if something in front of
the sign would obstruct visibility.
Someone may vandalize a sign, or
the sun might be too bright or too
obscured by clouds. These same
external factors impact many of
a building’s accessibility-related
amenities.
http://www.signweb.com
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Signs of the Times - April 2013
Signs of the Times - April 2013
Contents
ST Update
Cut Your Ink Costs
Technology Update
Vinyl Apps
Strictly Electric
LED Update
Software Update
Technology Review
Technology Review
Sign Museum News
New Products
The 2013 International Sign Contest
Leasing Equipment
The ISA Sign Expo 2013 Preview
Industry News
Advertising Index
Editorially Speaking
Signs of the Times - April 2013
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