Signage

ADA/ABA compliant sign with raised lettering and Raster-Braille™

New Hermes patented method for engraving raise-letter signage

New Hermes patented method for engraving raised-letter signage

General signs

ADA/ABA Signage: Perhaps the largest change in government signage requirements is a direct result of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Architectural Barriers Act (ABA). The ABA, similar to the Americans with Disabilities Act, applies to all Federal Facilities that are intended for use by the public or where individuals with disabilities might be employed. Specifications for sign visibility and assistance for the blind are clearly laid out in both acts. On November 8, 2005, the GSA adopted new standards based on the United States Access Board's updated Architectural Barriers Act guidelines. These new ABA standards, known as the Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS), took effect on May 8, 2006, and applied to all federally-funded facilities, except residential, postal, and military facilities. Since then, similar standards have been adopted by the Departments of Housing and Defense and the U.S. Postal Service.

Soon after the passage of the ADA in 1990, New Hermes engineers developed a patented system for producing raised-letter signage using engraving machines. A recent addendum to the ADA requires dome-shaped Braille "dots"; the traditional routed process no longer meets the requirements. Accent Signage (www.accentsignage.com), also a GSA contractor, worked with New Hermes in the 1990s to develop its patented Raster-Braille™ system, which pops beads into a pre-engraved pattern of holes, creating attractive and durable, as well as fully-compliant ADA/ABA signs. Many government agencies have relied on New Hermes machines, materials and processes to help ensure full ADA/ABA compliance.

Other advancements New Hermes has developed to address government signage issues include an injection-molded modular frame system that's flexible and tamper-resistant, and engraving-specific software for fast setup and "job saves" for repeated projects.

Signage Tools: Examples

IS6000, 7000, 8000 – large table (24 x 16, 32, or 48 inches) rotary engraving systems for engraving many signs at once
GravoStyle 5 engraving software
Auto Raster™ — attachment that inserts Raster™ Braille beads, on the same run as cutting the signs
GravoTech M40 Rotary Engraver – 12 x 8 in. engraving area, smaller signs one at a time
Raster™-Pen – for inserting beads by hand
Quick-Click engraving software (included with M40)
GravoTac 2-ply plastic material, for New Hermes' patented raised-letter signage process
Complete line of indoor and outdoor plastics and metals, modular frames and accessories