The SEGD ADA Task Force: A Critical Need
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SEGD’s ADA Task Force
The SEGD ADA Task Force is a vital entity within the Society for Experiential Graphic Design (SEGD) that sits on the U.S. Access Board Council. The task force is made up of one principal voting member and two supporting advisors who work to safeguard the laws and regulations surrounding accessibility in the built environment.
The SEGD ADA Task Force gives our community a voice at a Federal level, and contributes to industry progress by upholding and enhancing accessibility codes for the built environment.
Accessibility Codes & Policies
The laws and policies surrounding accessible building codes, policies, and governing boards are complex and ever-evolving. Two key standards in this field are the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the International Code Council’s A.117.1 Standard for Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities (ICC A.117.1). The SEGD ADA Task Force plays a critical role in writing, reviewing, interpreting, and voting on codes to uphold and enhance accessibility in the built environment.
Code changes rendered through the U.S. Access Board affects the implementation of key elements within the built environment. One example of the task force’s critical work is their current review of a proposal to increase the minimum required height of tactile letters from 5/16” to 1” cap height. The task force conducts a rigorous process to identify, illustrate, and outline best practices for communicating and designing compliant and accessible spaces. The SEGD Task Force developed the SEGD 2012 ADA Update manual, the current standard used daily by the wayfinding, signage and experience design experts.
Future Forward
The SEGD ADA Task Force was re-established in 2022 working tirelessly in collaboration with our peer organization the International Sign Association (ISA) and plays a crucial role in advancing accessibility and inclusion for all within the built environment. Their work ensures that new regulations are informed by the experiential design community and that accessible and usable spaces are designed and implemented for all. And in turn, the experiential design community has a voice in voting on and defining the latest laws and regulations.
Join the SEGD ADA Task Force
To learn more about the opportunities to contribute and support the SEGD ADA Task Force, please reach out to Jessica Schrader, George Lim, and/or Simon Majarian.
SEGD ADA Task Force Current Members
Jessica Schrader, Senior Project Manager at Entro, is the SEGD NYC Chapter co-chair and the Principal Voting Member of the SEGD ADA Task Force.
Simon Majarian, Associate Principal at SKA Design, is an SEGD Los Angeles Chapter co-chair and SEGD ADA Task Force Member.
George Lim, Founding Partner/Creative Director of Tangram Design, is an SEGD Angel Award Honoree, SEGD ADA Task Force Member, former SEGD Denver Chapter Co-Chair, and former SEGD Chapter Liaison. George also helped develop the SEGD YDS and the SEGD Academic Task Force.
SEGD ADA Task Force Founding Members and Current Advisors
Ken Ethridge, Business Development Manager at ASI, is a two-time SEGD Angel Award Honoree and SEGD Distinguished Member. Ethridge co-authored the SEGD ADA White Paper and represented SEGD to the ANSI 117.1 standards committee on site and building accessibility since 1993.
Chris Calori, Founding Partner of CVEDesign, is an SEGD Fellow and SEGD Distinguished Member. Calori co-authored “Signage and Wayfinding Design: A Complete Guide to Designing Environmental Graphic Design Systems”