Uplift Access: Uplifting Accessibility In and Beyond Unitarian Universalism

UPLIFT Access: World Braille Day is January 4th

By Gretchen Maune

As I write this, it’s a frigid one degree outside and the day after the inauguration. With climate catastrophes and alarming news bombarding us from all sides, it’s more important than ever for our congregations and buildings to serve as sanctuaries of radical welcome for all.

Ensuring that everyone can navigate your space—whether they are sighted, have low vision, or are blind—is part of fostering an accessible and welcoming environment. Our buildings serve as homes for hope-filled Sunday services, small group ministries, OWL classes, community clubs, and much more. As members and guests arrive to attend these events, Braille and tactile signage ensure that everyone can find their way, whether they’re dropping off their child, visiting an office, or taking a bathroom break.

I recently received a question from the Accessibility Task Force of the Unitarian Universalist Church in Eugene interested in learning more about Braille and tactile signage. You can frequently find these high-contrast signs identifying info like bathrooms and room numbers, and I couldn’t get around without them! After losing my vision, but before learning Braille, the raised, tactile letters and numbers that are a part of each sign helped me immensely. Going places with these signs meant I could safely be out in the community, and not have to worry about getting lost. Now, having learned Braille, the ability to briefly brush my index finger over the bumps is how I find the door I need down a hall of multiple rooms.

World Braille Day, celebrated since 2019, is on January 4th to raise awareness of this reading method crucial to blind people across the globe. If you haven’t already done so in your congregation, I would recommend installing these ADA-compliant signs around your church building for all meeting rooms, offices, bathrooms, etc.

ADA Signage Installation and Location

The US Access Board Technical Guide (opens a PDF) provides key information for the placement of ADA signage:

  • Raised characters and braille on signs must be located 48 inches minimum above the finish floor or ground surface, measured from the baseline of the lowest tactile character, and 60 inches maximum above the finish floor or ground surface, measured from the baseline of the highest tactile character.
  • This location is convenient for tactile reading…A clear floor space 18 inches minimum by 18 inches minimum must be centered on the tactile characters. This placement of the clear floor space provides unobstructed standing space at the sign for reading by touch. This space must be free of any protrusions to a height of 80 inches.
  • For safety, the space must be located beyond the arc of any door swing to a 45° open position. This effectively sets a minimum, but not an absolute, distance of tactile signs from out-swinging doors. While the clear floor space must be centered on the tactile characters, signs can be located varying distances beyond the door swing.”
     
    • “If there is no wall space on the latch side, signs must be located on the nearest adjacent wall.”
    • “For double-leaf doors with one active leaf, the sign must be located on the inactive leaf. If each door has an active leaf, the sign must be located to the right of the door.”
  • While there are many venders that produce ADA signage, Fast Signs and Take form are just a couple you might consider.

Let’s create spaces where no one gets lost (unless it’s in a deep conversation). We put love at the center when we recognize that access needs are human needs and community needs.