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UFAS 4.28, 4.30 & 4.34; 24 CFR 8.22

Lesson 7: Alarms, signage, and units for hearing and vision impairments

UFAS 4.28, 4.30, 4.34 · 14 practice questions

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Reading

This lesson turns to two building elements that matter most to residents who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, or have low vision: alarms and signage, covered in UFAS Sections 4.28 and 4.30. It also covers the provisions inside Section 4.34 that carry hearing- and vision-impairment features into dwelling units, and the HUD scoping rule, 24 CFR 8.22, setting how many units in a HUD-funded housing project need those features at all. None of this is optional detail on a GCHS project: an alarm a resident cannot hear or see, or a sign a caseworker cannot read by touch, fails the person it was built for exactly when it matters most.

Audible alarms: how loud is loud enough (4.28.2)

Section 4.28.2 does not just say an alarm must be audible; it sets a measurable threshold. Where an audible emergency alarm is provided, it must produce a sound that exceeds the prevailing equivalent sound level in the room or space by at least 15 decibels, or that exceeds any maximum sound level with a duration of 30 seconds by 5 decibels, whichever is louder. Sound levels for alarm signals may not exceed 120 decibels. In practice this means an evaluator cannot sign off on an alarm just because it makes noise; the noise has to clear the ambient sound in that specific space by a defined margin, and it has to stay under the ceiling that would make the alarm itself a hazard.

Visual alarms: flashing frequency and exceptions (4.28.3)

Section 4.28.3 requires that, where provided, electrically powered, internally illuminated emergency exit signs flash as a visual emergency alarm in conjunction with the audible alarm. The flashing frequency of a visual alarm device must be less than 5 Hz, a ceiling meant to keep the signal from triggering photosensitive seizures. Two exceptions apply: a visual alarm device mounted adjacent to an emergency exit sign may substitute for a flashing exit sign, and a specialized system using advanced technology may replace the specified visual system if it provides equivalent protection to people with disabilities.

Auxiliary alarms in accessible sleeping accommodations (4.28.4)

Section 4.28.4 covers a narrower but very practical case: accessible sleeping accommodations, the kind found in shelters, group homes, or transitional housing GCHS may touch through disaster recovery work. Each accessible sleeping accommodation must have a visual alarm connected to the building's emergency alarm system, or a standard 110-volt electrical receptacle into which such an alarm could be connected. Either way, instructions for use of the auxiliary alarm or connection must be provided. A hardwired connection is not the only compliant answer; a properly located outlet and clear instructions satisfy the requirement too.

Signage: legibility, contrast, and the accessibility symbol (4.30.2 to 4.30.5)

Section 4.30.2 requires letters and numbers on required signage to keep a width-to-height ratio between 3:5 and 1:1, with a stroke width-to-height ratio between 1:5 and 1:10. Section 4.30.3 requires characters and symbols to contrast with their background, either light on dark or dark on light. Section 4.30.4 covers raised characters for tactile reading: raised at least 1/32 inch, sans serif, at least 5/8 inch high but no higher than 2 inches; raised symbols follow the same 1/32-inch minimum. Section 4.30.5 requires accessible facilities that Section 4.1 says must be identified to use the International Symbol of Accessibility, displayed as shown in Figure 43. The contrast rule in Section 4.30.3 covers symbols as well as characters, so it applies to the symbol too.

Where a sign goes: mounting location and height (4.30.6)

Getting the words right on a sign does not help if nobody can find it or reach it. Section 4.30.6 requires that interior signage be located alongside the door on the latch side, mounted at a height of between 54 inches and 66 inches (1370 mm and 1675 mm) above the finished floor. A sign mounted on the hinge side, or mounted outside that height band, is a common field finding on older buildings and does not satisfy the section even if the sign itself is otherwise correctly designed.

Hearing- and vision-impairment features inside the dwelling unit (4.34)

Section 4.34.2, the minimum requirements list for an accessible dwelling unit, carries the alarm rule into housing directly at item (10): emergency alarms as required by 4.1 and complying with 4.28.4 must be provided in the dwelling unit. Section 4.34.4, consumer information, adds the paperwork side of that same feature. For owners and occupants, item (3) requires notification that the dwelling unit is equipped to have a visual emergency alarm installed. For the party responsible for adaptations, item (5) requires instructions for installing a visual emergency alarm system, if the unit is equipped for that installation. Read together, 4.34.2(10) and 4.34.4 mean a unit built as adaptable rather than immediately, fully accessible still has to carry an alarm arrangement that meets 4.28.4, either a visual alarm or a receptacle for one, with the paper trail telling a future occupant or contractor how the unit is equipped and how to finish the job. HUD's definition of adaptability in 24 CFR 8.3 makes the same point: wiring for visible alarms may be installed, with the alarms added when the unit is made ready for a hearing-impaired occupant.

How many units: the 24 CFR 8.22 two percent rule

UFAS sets the technical design of an accessible unit; it does not say how many units a project needs. That scoping question is HUD's, under 24 CFR 8.22. Section 8.22(a) requires new multifamily housing projects, including public housing and Indian housing projects, to be readily accessible to and usable by individuals with handicaps. Section 8.22(b) sets the numbers: a minimum of 5 percent of total dwelling units, or at least one unit, whichever is greater, must be accessible for mobility impairments, and an additional 2 percent, but not less than one unit, must be accessible for hearing or vision impairments. Section 8.22(c) lets HUD require a higher percentage or number, on request from an affected recipient or a state or local government, supported by census or other current data showing a need. The 2 percent figure is a floor, and a separate count from the 5 percent mobility figure, not a subset of it.

Key numbers

4.28.2 audible alarms: exceed ambient by 15 dB, or exceed any 30-second maximum sound level by 5 dB, whichever is louder; never exceed 120 dB. 4.28.3 visual alarms: flash rate under 5 Hz. 4.28.4 auxiliary alarms: visual alarm tied to the building system, or a 110-volt receptacle plus instructions. 4.30.2 character proportion: width-to-height 3:5 to 1:1, stroke 1:5 to 1:10. 4.30.4 raised characters: 1/32 in minimum raised, 5/8 in to 2 in high. 4.30.6 mounting: latch side, 54 in to 66 in above the floor. 24 CFR 8.22(b): 5 percent of units (min. 1) for mobility impairments, plus an additional 2 percent (min. 1) for hearing or vision impairments.

Sign mounting height and alarm placement on a dwelling unit wall A wall elevation with a height ruler from 0 to 84 inches. A door is shown with a sign mounted on the latch side within the 54 to 66 inch band required by Section 4.30.6. Near the ceiling, a combination audible and visual alarm device is shown with callouts for the 4.28.2 audible threshold, exceeding ambient by 15 decibels or a 30-second maximum by 5 decibels, capped at 120 decibels, and the 4.28.3 visual flash rate of under 5 Hz. 84 in 66 in 54 in 0 in DOOR SIGN latch side, 54-66 in Alarm device 4.28.2 / 4.28.3 Audible (4.28.2) Ambient + 15 dB, or 30-sec max + 5 dB, whichever is louder Never exceed 120 dB Visual (4.28.3) Flash rate under 5 Hz Exit sign or adjacent device 24 CFR 8.22(b): new HUD-funded multifamily housing 5 percent of units minimum (or 1 unit) accessible for mobility impairments Additional 2 percent of units minimum (or 1 unit) accessible for hearing/vision impairments Unit alarm requirement: 4.34.2(10), complying with 4.28.4 HUD may require a higher percentage under 8.22(c) where data supports it
A sign mounted outside the 54 to 66 inch band, or on the hinge side, does not satisfy 4.30.6 even when the sign itself is correctly designed.

Why this matters for GCHS

GCHS runs into every one of these numbers on real jobs: swapping a smoke alarm during an accessibility modification and confirming it is still tied to a visual alarm or has a receptacle ready for one, checking that a replacement unit sign actually sits on the latch side within the 54-to-66-inch band rather than wherever the old sign happened to be, and, on any new-construction or substantial-rehabilitation HUD project, working out how many units in the building need mobility features and how many separately need hearing- or vision-impairment features under 8.22(b). Getting the 5 percent and 2 percent figures confused, or treating them as the same pool of units, is the single most common scoping mistake on a HUD-funded multifamily job.

Practice questions

1. Under Section 4.28.2, how loud must an audible emergency alarm be relative to ambient sound?

  1. Exactly 10 decibels above ambient, no more and no less
  2. Any audible sound is sufficient
  3. Exceeding the prevailing ambient sound level by at least 15 decibels, or any 30-second maximum sound level by 5 decibels, whichever is louder, capped at 120 decibels
  4. 120 decibels minimum regardless of ambient conditions

2. What is the maximum flashing frequency for a visual alarm device under Section 4.28.3?

  1. Less than 5 Hz
  2. Less than 60 Hz
  3. Exactly 10 Hz
  4. There is no frequency limit

3. Under Section 4.28.4, what are the two acceptable ways to provide an alarm for an accessible sleeping accommodation?

  1. Only a hardwired connection to the building alarm system is acceptable
  2. A visual alarm connected to the building emergency alarm system, or a standard 110-volt receptacle for one, with instructions provided either way
  3. A telephone in the room is sufficient by itself
  4. No alarm is required in sleeping accommodations

4. What width-to-height and stroke ratios does Section 4.30.2 require for sign characters?

  1. Width-to-height between 3:5 and 1:1; stroke width-to-height between 1:5 and 1:10
  2. Width-to-height between 1:2 and 2:1, with a stroke ratio of 1:3 to 1:5 for raised characters only
  3. Width-to-height exactly 1:1 for every character; stroke width-to-height exactly 1:10
  4. Any ratio is acceptable as long as the sign is legible

5. Under Section 4.30.4, what is the required height range for raised characters used for tactile reading?

  1. 3 in. to 6 in. high, raised at least 1/4 in. above the sign surface
  2. 1/32 in. to 1/2 in. high, in a serif typeface for legibility
  3. At least 5/8 in high but no higher than 2 in
  4. Exactly 1 in high, no exceptions

6. Under Section 4.30.3, what contrast rule applies to characters and symbols on required signs, including the International Symbol of Accessibility?

  1. The symbol must always be raised 1/32 in. and drawn in a sans serif typeface
  2. Light characters on a dark background, or dark on a light background
  3. No contrast requirement applies to symbols, only to letters and numbers
  4. Only blue-and-white color schemes are acceptable on any accessible sign

7. Under Section 4.30.6, where and at what height must interior room signage be mounted?

  1. On the face of the door itself, at any height the installer finds convenient
  2. Alongside the door on the hinge side, mounted at exactly 48 in. above the finished floor
  3. Anywhere within the room, at standing eye level and within 12 in. of the door frame
  4. Alongside the door on the latch side, 54 in. to 66 in. above the finished floor

8. What does Section 4.34.2, item (10), require inside an accessible dwelling unit?

  1. A telephone with a TTY jack in the living area and in each sleeping area
  2. Emergency alarms as required by 4.1, complying with Section 4.28.4
  3. No alarm requirement applies inside dwelling units, since the building system covers them
  4. A working doorbell with a flashing light connected to it, and nothing else

9. Under Section 4.34.4 consumer information, what must an owner or occupant be told about a unit built for adaptability rather than immediate full accessibility?

  1. Only the manufacturer's warranty information for kitchen appliances
  2. The unit's original construction cost
  3. Nothing; adaptable units carry no notification requirement
  4. That the dwelling unit is equipped to have a visual emergency alarm installed, among other adaptable features

10. A GCHS-managed new-construction HUD multifamily project has 100 total dwelling units. Under 24 CFR 8.22(b), how many units must be accessible for persons with mobility impairments, and how many additionally for persons with hearing or vision impairments?

  1. 5 units for mobility impairments, plus 2 more units for hearing or vision impairments
  2. 2 units for mobility impairments, plus 5 more for hearing or vision impairments
  3. 7 units total, with no distinction between the two groups
  4. 10 units for mobility impairments only; hearing and vision impairments are not separately scoped

11. Under 24 CFR 8.22(b), what is the minimum number of units required for hearing or vision impairments even on a very small project?

  1. None; the 2 percent figure has no floor
  2. 5 units regardless of project size
  3. Not less than one unit
  4. Only required on projects of 500 units or more

12. Under 24 CFR 8.22(c), can HUD require more accessible units than the 5 percent and 2 percent figures in paragraph (b)?

  1. Only if the project is federally owned; HUD may never raise the figures for a federally assisted project
  2. Only for projects outside the United States, where HUD sets separate percentages by country
  3. No, 8.22(b) sets an absolute ceiling that can never be exceeded
  4. Yes, HUD may set a higher percentage or number where census or other current data show a need

13. GCHS is retrofitting an older shelter's sleeping rooms and cannot economically wire every room into a central alarm system. Does 4.28.4 allow another option?

  1. Yes, a standard 110-volt receptacle for a visual alarm is acceptable, with instructions provided
  2. No, a hardwired connection to the building system is the only compliant option in any accessible sleeping room
  3. No, UFAS does not apply to shelters, so no alarm option is required at all
  4. Yes, but only if the resident supplies their own alarm with no GCHS involvement

14. A GCHS field inspector finds a unit sign mounted on the hinge side of a door, 70 inches above the floor. Does this satisfy Section 4.30.6?

  1. Yes, because 70 inches is within an acceptable range for tall doorways
  2. No, but only because of the height; hinge-side mounting is always acceptable under Section 4.30.6
  3. Yes, height and side do not matter as long as a sign is present at the door
  4. No; it must be on the latch side, 54 in. to 66 in. up, and this sign fails both

Glossary

Audible alarm
An emergency alarm sound that must exceed ambient sound by 15 dB, or a 30-second maximum by 5 dB, whichever is greater, capped at 120 dB, under Section 4.28.2.
Visual alarm
A flashing emergency alarm device, capped at under 5 Hz, required in conjunction with an audible alarm under Section 4.28.3.
Auxiliary alarm
The visual alarm or 110-volt receptacle required in an accessible sleeping accommodation under Section 4.28.4.
Latch side
The side of a door opposite the hinges, where required room signage must be mounted under Section 4.30.6.
Raised character
Tactile lettering raised at least 1/32 in, 5/8 in to 2 in high, required under Section 4.30.4 for signs read by touch.
International Symbol of Accessibility
The standardized accessibility symbol that Section 4.30.5 requires on accessible facilities identified under Section 4.1, displayed as shown in Figure 43.
Consumer information
The notifications and instructions required under Section 4.34.4 telling an occupant or contractor how a unit's adaptable features, including a visual alarm, are installed or activated.
Two percent hearing/vision units
The additional 2 percent of units (not less than one) that 24 CFR 8.22(b) requires be accessible for persons with hearing or vision impairments, separate from the 5 percent mobility figure.
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