Those of us in the media are often quick to bash organizations for making short-sighted or obtuse decisions, and often ignore or don’t realize when they get it right. Here, I’d like to take a moment to commend the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) for voting down a proposal to make 70% color-contrast a requirement for Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-compliant signage. The International Sign Assn. (ISA) and the Society for Experiential Graphic Design (SEGD) collaborated in lobbying ANSI to defeat the proposal. In addition to requiring a 70% color-contrast threshold, the proposal would’ve also stipulated a light-reflectance value (LRV) of 45 (the LRV is a measurement of the visible, usable light when reflected by a surface when illuminated), 5/8-in. character height for raised letters and 1/8 in. minimum spacing between raised characters.
ANSI standards are observed in the creation of International Building Codes, which serve as the basis for ADA accessibility guidelines. ANSI touts 70% as a recommendation, but numerous color combinations fall below that standard, yet provide ample contrast. And, TheLandofColor.com nicely summarizes an LRV’s function: “LRV is a guideline. A relative point of reference for predicting how light or dark a color will look and feel once up on the walls. It is not a set standard by which to choose colors.” The passage relates to paint, but the broader context that the LRV measurement is not an infallible color-brightness standard reasonably applies to ADA signage as well.
Teresa Cox, president of APCO Signs (Atlanta) and ISA’s representative during the ANSI process, said, “We are in favor of developing a standard that manufacturers and code officials understand support and comply with willingly. “Site conditions, particularly the type and intensity of lighting, have great impact on perceived contrast. Following that formula without considering site conditions would allow combinations that do not have enough contrast, and prohibit others that are perfectly legible when appropriate lighting is provided.”
However, this probably isn’t a settled issue. The proposal has been brought before ANSI before, and likely will again. Advocacy on behalf of the sign industry is one of the most important reasons to belong to and support its associations. If we don’t speak for ourselves, the often-fervent voices of those with anti-signage agendas are more likely to prevail.