The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) laws for menu boards and displays commonly found in quick service resturants can be difficult to use for people with impaired vision. The graphic on the right is representative of these installations. Unfortunately, the 2010 ADA Standard does not mandate any provisions for these installations. In fact, there is an exception in the 2010 ADA Standards specifically for these menu boards and displays.

2010 ADA Standard 216.1, [Signs] General, states, “Signs shall be provided in accordance with [Standard] 216 and shall comply with [Standard] 703. EXCEPTIONS: 1. Building directories, menus, seat and row designations in assembly areas, occupant names, building addresses, and company names and logos shall not be required to comply with [Standard] 216.”

2010 ADA Standard 703 goes into great detail regarding sign design including character size and spacing, line size and spacing, height of signs above the finished floor, and much more. But none of that applies to menus. Some menu boards are so crowded with information and lit up like a christmas tree as to be very difficult for many individuals to read. See the photo below for a representation.

Large font, photos of the different food products offered, and effective color contrast are some of the main issues to consider when designing a menu board or display. Owners and operators of restaurants would do well to welcome the disabled community into their facility by incorporating the guidance in Standard 703 into their menu board design.

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If you observe a building that is not ADA compliant and you would like to know how to proceed, please see the link at What To Do When A Building Is Not ADA Compliant or Accessible.

ADA Inspections Nationwide, LLC, offers ADA/ABA/FHA accessibility compliance inspections for buildings and facilities, as applicable to the different laws, and expert witness services with respect to ADA/ABA/FHA laws for building owners, tenants and managers. Also, ADAIN offers consulting for home modifications as a CAPS consultant for people wishing to age in place in their homes. For a complete list of services please see ADAIN Services.

Thank you.