Hello! Regarding heights for exhibits and interpretive signage -- or any activity for that matter. The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 has very specific guidelines for placement of these things. If someone is in a wheelchair, a table top or counter top must be between 28" and 34" high, so that people have enough knee clearance when they pull up under the table in their wheelchair. Knowing that height can also help determine the height of an exhibit. Never just speculate. Please take the time to do it right -- and find the right resources. Here are a few: To the best of my memory, signs should be mounted with the centerline 60" from the floor. raised characters should be between 5/8 and 2" hihg with high contrast (usually light print on a dark background is best -- character heights pertains to room numbers and rest rooms and exits), Brailled text of signage is also helpful -- or offer an alternative format with a booklet in Braille AND in large print for visitors. If you are using a pictogram, it must be accompanied by raised characters and Braille. Directional and informational signs, if mounted above 80", must have letters at lest 3" high, with high contrast and non glare finish. The ADA is divided into five titles: ADA TITLE 1:: Employment (any organization with 15 of more employees falls under this rule to provide for staff who need reasonable accommodation. ADA TITLE II addresses all state and local government activities; TITLE III is the section that most often affects musuems, as it covers all public accommodations. TITLE IV addresses telecommunications (phone and TV access for people with hearing and speech disabilities, in addition to req uirements for closed captionaing of federally funded public service announcements. TITLE V covers miscellaneous provisions. You can download a checklist to superficially assess your accessibility at http://www.adaptenv.org/publications/checklist-pdf.pdf. Other resources: Architectertural and Transportaion Barriers Compliance Board (800) USA-ABLE. US Dept of Justice ADA Information line at (800) 514-0301. You also need to review at least two other documents when you are making things accessible (and this holds true for ALL visitors, since someone in a wheelchair is about the same height as some children in elementary school) --- FOR ADULTS; Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) for Buidings and Facilities -- is a document filled with drawings, heights, depths and widths for clearances of everything you might want to know. FOR CHILDREN: the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board has issued the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines for Buildings and Facilities: Building elements designed for children's use -- This was printed in the Federal Register on Tuesday, January 13, 1998. I believe it is also on the Dept of Justice website. (there is also something just out on the accessibility guidelines for children's play areas --so check that out as well) STATE LAWS: you should also check with your local and state agencies -- since each state has different laws addressing accessibility. And it is your responsibility to know that laws, since you must follow the MOST stringent of the laws (if you have a choice between local, state and federal). Another excellent resource is a subscription from the Thompson Publishing Group in Washington DC. They publish and ADA compliance guide and send ongoing updates and newsletters filled with information. I believe their customer service number is (800) 677-3789. I know that sometimes all of these requirements seem like a hassle, but remember that it is better and cheaper to do it right the first time than have to rip something out and spend a fortune retro-fitting something after the fact. I am off to teach in Torun, Poland for three weeks. If anyone has questions about this, please contact me AFTER November 20th at [log in to unmask] Kind regards, Terrie Terrie Nolinske, Ph.D. www.tniconsultants.com [log in to unmask] TNI Consultants in Professional Development 930 North Boulevard Oak Park, Illinois 60301 708. 386. 1331 -----Original Message----- From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Betsy Martinson Sent: Wednesday, October 30, 2002 8:32 AM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: UV Plex Mandy, I can't help you with the UV Plex, but when it comes to setting the heights for exhibits you can try this: sit in a chair next to your exhibit and see how well you are able to view the objects and labels. Imagine this is the perspective of someone in a wheelchair. Then move to your knees ... imagine this is the viewpoint of a child. If you have difficulty seeing everything you want to see, so will that visitor audience. I realize that it's difficult to make every exhibit perfect for every visitor, but this will help you relate to the experience of the height-challenged visitor. Betsy Martinson Education and Events Coordinator Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave 987 1/2 Lookout Mountain Rd. Golden, CO 80401 303-526-0744 ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes). ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).