ADA compliant fonts
There is no approved font list. A font complies if it passes the tests in the Standards: sans serif for raised characters, conventional forms for visual ones, the uppercase O 55–110% as wide as the I is tall, and an I stroke of 15% max (raised) or 10–30% (visual) of its height.
The tests, side by side
| Test | Raised characters | Visual characters |
|---|---|---|
| Style | sans serif | conventional |
| Banned forms | italic, oblique, script, decorative | italic, oblique, script, decorative |
| Case | uppercase only | any |
| O width vs I height | 55%–110% | 55%–110% |
| I stroke vs I height | 15% max | 10%–30% |
| Letter spacing | 1/8 in min, 4 × stroke max | 10%–35% of height |
Sections: raised characters 703.2.3, 703.2.4, 703.2.6, 703.2.7; visual characters 703.5.3, 703.5.4, 703.5.7, 703.5.8.
How to check a font in five minutes
- Set an uppercase I and O at a large size, say 10 inches, in the exact weight you plan to use.
- Measure the height of the I. That is 100 percent.
- Measure the width of the O. Divide by the I height: it has to be between 0.55 and 1.10.
- Measure the stroke width of the I. Divide by the I height: 0.15 or less for raised characters, 0.10 to 0.30 for visual characters.
- Set a real message at the real size and measure the tightest gap between letters (often L–T, T–A or A–V). For raised characters it must be at least 1/8 inch; for visual characters 10 to 35 percent of the height.
The measurement is on the font as set, not on its name. The same family can pass in Regular and fail in Bold or Condensed, and a passing font can fail after it has been condensed to fit a sign.
Keep a short list of fonts you have measured, with the weights that pass for raised and for visual work, and build every tactile template from it. Clients' brand fonts are the usual trouble: they can often be used for the visual line while the tactile line uses a plain sans serif, as two separate sets of characters on the same sign.
Which kinds of fonts pass
Plain grotesque and neo-grotesque sans serifs (the Helvetica, Arial and Univers style) in regular or medium weights usually pass for both raised and visual characters once spacing is opened up. Geometric sans serifs with very round O shapes can exceed 110 percent. Condensed and compressed faces usually fall under 55 percent. Anything script, italic, outlined, stencilled or distressed fails for both. For visual-only text, a conventional serif face can pass: the ban is on unusual forms, not on serifs.
Separating the jobs gives more freedom. If the sign carries its visual information in separate characters, the raised characters can be as small as 1/2 inch and need not meet finish and contrast rules, and the visual characters can be in any conventional font, including mixed case.
Questions
Is there an official list of ADA compliant fonts?
No. The 2010 Standards set measurable criteria (style, the width of the O against the height of the I, and stroke thickness) and any font that meets them complies. A font sold as "ADA compliant" still has to be checked at the weight and spacing you actually use.
Is Helvetica ADA compliant?
Regular and medium weights of Helvetica and similar grotesques generally pass the proportion test and the stroke limits for visual characters. For raised characters the stroke must be 15 percent or less of the height, which bold weights usually exceed, and spacing has to be opened up to at least 1/8 inch. Check the exact weight.
Can I use a serif font on an ADA sign?
For visual-only characters, yes, if it is conventional in form: the rule bans italic, oblique, script, highly decorative and unusual forms, not serifs (703.5.3). Raised characters must be sans serif (703.2.3).
What font is used for braille on ADA signs?
Braille is not a font choice in the same sense: it must be Grade 2 contracted braille with dots sized and spaced to Table 703.3.1. Braille fonts only map characters to cells; the text has to be translated to Grade 2 first and the output checked against the dot dimensions.
Last checked against the source text 2026-09-25. Section numbers refer to the 2010 ADA Standards unless marked otherwise.