Operate a hotel in one of the United States territories? Ever wondered what U.S. interior signage requirements look like outside the 50 federal states and the District of Columbia? Ponder no more! In this article, we will explain the logistics of interior signage in U.S. territories.
About Interior Signage in U.S. Territories
As you may know, the United States currently holds five inhabited territories, to include Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. Not only does the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design apply to the continental United States, it also applies to U.S. territories as well. According to 42 USC § 12103(2), for the purpose of defining applicability, U.S. territories fall into the same legal category as U.S. states. This means that when a particular territory requires accessibility signage for its public accommodations, it will simply follow the interior signage requirements like any other U.S. state. Considering many overlapping issues, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) will stand positionally above other signage requirements.
While you may derive many other interior signage requirements from sources such as building codes, fire codes, and local ordinances, it is important to first refer to what requirements are needed under the ADA. The reason the ADA plays such an important role in all areas of interior signage is because the Design Standards apply to the use of a public accommodation, which means that if a sign assists a hotel guest in navigating the facility, for example, then that sign falls within the scope of the visual standards of the ADA. For example, when your guests find themselves walking into an interior stairway, they will refer to the identification signs therein. Although stairway identification signs have the dual purpose of assisting the local fire department in emergencies, the signs must meet or exceed the ADA’s minimum visual text rules, which is already build into local fire codes.
Visual text requirements are only half of the interior (and exterior) signage concerns. Whether a sign must have raised text and braille in the territories depends on the room or space in question. Rooms or spaces that are permanent must include the application of tactile elements. Furthermore, the necessity for ADA-compliant signage begins outside in the parking lot and garages. Exterior signage includes handicap parking signs, directionals, and tactile signs at accessible entrances.
HOTELSIGNS.com Tip: Learn more about what interior signage is required in public accommodations.
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Constructing a new hotel property and in need of a lot of signs? Whether you are located within the federal U.S. states, in one of the U.S. territories, or in another country altogether, we are equipped to outfit your facility with interior signage! For independent hoteliers, browse our 50+ sign collections and 20+ sign types. For branded hotels, head to our Hotel Brands page to locate your brand, and then get started on finding the signs you need. At HOTELSIGNS.com, you can expect full compliancy with local, state, and ADA requirements while shopping the best interior signs there are. If you have any questions about sign requirements, please contact us at 800.322.8426 or emailus@hotelsigns.com. We can’t wait to hear from you!