How
to get a street sign, A Story
I
have two wonderful, beautiful kids. My kids, like many other children, have
special needs. Both of my kids have been diagnosed with a rare, but not unheard
of, a genetic mutation called Ushers Type2. This means that both of my children
have hearing loss, and will eventually go blind. We've been blessed to have as
much support as we have, from family, friends, and our community. However, kids
grow and like any other kid, mine want to go outside and play in our front
yard. So we decided to get a sign put up for their safety.
Getting
a deaf/hard of hearing sign was our first choice of signage. We soon
however came to realize that our wonderful community didn't support this, or
really any signage. Months upon months of research, reach out, and frustration
finally led us down a path of realizing how little support our small community
does for our special needs children outside of key areas.
For
parents who may have of need to find signage for the safety of their children,
I would suggest looking into the laws and bylaws of your community. If you have
an HOA, start here. You will probably need to have any signage approved first.
Find out the requirements, or if there are any rules about what can be
displayed even on your front lawn.
If
you are in a community that does not have an HOA, your next step is your city
if you are within the boundaries of one. Contact your city
ordinance office and tell them you are wanting to know what signs are
preapproved and the laws surrounding street signage. If you are in a smaller
city, you may be able to talk directly to your representative or even the
department of Roads & Signs.
If
you don't fall in the city limits, like us, you will next need to go to your
county. Get in contact with your Roads & Signs department. This might fall
under transportation, or fall under engineering. Find out who is in charge of
signage in your area and what signs are preapproved. If you are lucky enough to
find out your County supports your needs the next step is finding out what it
takes to get one installed, it may be as simple as putting in a request!
Another
option with your county is finding out who your representative is and
contacting them directly! Explain your situation, and ask them to find out what
the laws are regarding your situation. It may even prompt them to update some
of these laws!
Finally,
see what your state has to say about signage. Every state is different, and
while we have a national benchmark for street signage there is nothing
about it that supports special needs.
Don't
give up hope, and see what other solutions you might come across. We were in
the process of petitioning for a speed hump in our neighborhood when our sign
was finally approved. Be willing to adapt, but hold steadfast. It took us
upwards of a year to finally get our sign!
Mother
of 2 amazing special needs children,
Nicole Nicholson
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