Don all tactile signs have to use Helvetica?
No. There are no specific type faces specified by the ADA guidelines, or by the ANSI standards. Helvetica is just the most well-known sans serif type face, and has been widely used for signs. Some people may have taken its popularity to mean that this font is required, but this is not the case. Unfortunately, for tactile readers, Helvetica is not the easiest type face to read. Its popularity also tends to give signs an “institutional” look, which may not suit the style of the building at all. There are many other attractive and easy to read sans serif type faces that can add some individual character to ADA signs.
Related Questions
- How do we decide which tactile communication strategies (e.g., coactive signs, sign on body, tactile signs, touch cues, object cues, textured symbols) to use with a child who is deaf-blind?
- Who is the municipal official who signs off or approves the redemption of a PDC?
- Why use sans serif fonts for tactile signs?
