Do ADA elevator landing directories require raised character tactile lettering or just visual contrast?

ADA elevator landing directories require high visual contrast and non-glare finishes but are explicitly exempt from raised tactile lettering and Braille under Section 216 of the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design.

Specifiers frequently over-engineer directory packages by mandating tactile photopolymer or raster beads on building directories, adding unnecessary fabrication expense. Under federal accessibility standards, permanent room identification requires tactile characters, whereas multi-tenant directories and directional wayfinding boards only mandate visual accessibility standards. Consult local building code officials to verify any regional amendments that exceed federal baseline rules.

If you only do one thing: Specify matte, non-glare substrates like acrylic or aluminum with at least 70 percent visual contrast between text and background, skipping raised tactile lettering on landing directory listings.

• Code exemption: Section 216.2 of the 2010 ADA Standards explicitly exempts building directories, menus, and temporary signs from tactile character and Grade 2 Braille requirements.
• Finish standards: Sign faces must feature a non-glare, matte finish under ADA Section 703.5.1 to eliminate specular reflection from overhead commercial corridor lighting.
• Visual contrast: Characters must contrast sharply with their background, maintaining a minimum 70 percent Light Reflectance Value (LRV) difference using dark text on light backgrounds or light text on dark backgrounds.
• Typography specs: Directory text requires sans-serif typefaces with character stroke thickness between 10 and 30 percent of character height, avoiding decorative script or italic styling.
• Mounting and scale: Visual character height must scale according to viewing distance per Section 703.5.5, requiring a minimum height of 5/8 inch (16 mm) for visual characters viewed from a horizontal distance of 72 inches or less when mounted 40 to 70 inches above the finished floor (AFF).
• Substrate fabrication: Commercial directories typically utilize direct-printed aluminum panels or vinyl on 1/4-inch matte acrylic to allow modular tenant updates without re-milling tactile elements.

• Watch out for: Confusing elevator jamb floor designation signs with landing directories, as elevator hoistway door jamb signs strictly require raised 2-inch tactile characters and Braille centered between 48 and 60 inches AFF per ADA Section 407.2.3.1.
• Watch out for: High-gloss clear acrylic backer panels or polished metallic lettering, which fail accessibility inspections due to glare regardless of color contrast.
• Watch out for: Condensing typography below a 3:5 width-to-height ratio to pack extensive tenant lists onto a single floor directory board.

Calculate the maximum line-of-sight viewing distance across the elevator lobby floor to establish your directory font height before finalizing substrate dimensions.