When you’re running a business it’s essential to ensure you’re helping to make it accessible for those with disabilities.
This is beneficial both for customers and employees with disabilities and for helping to build a positive reputation for your business. Below, we’ve listed some of the best ways to help make your business more accessible for those with disabilities.
Wheelchair Ramps
Installing wheelchair ramps is one of the best ways to help make your business more accessible and is often a requirement for many new businesses to help them meet accessibility guidelines.
This is especially true for older properties that are often more difficult for people in wheelchairs to access and aren’t fitted with other helpful accessibility tools such as lifts or ramps instead of steps.
Installing Lifts
This leads us to another helpful way you can significantly improve accessibility in your business premises. If you own a multi-story property, consider if it would be possible to install a lift as an alternative to stairways. Not only does this help those in a wheelchair, but it also helps those with reduced mobility due to age or injuries. You can either choose to install a regular elevator, or a lift specially designed for wheelchair users, which can often be easier to install in older properties.
Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles
Another great way to help improve the experience of your customers and employees with disabilities is by investing in wheelchair accessible vehicles. This is especially important if you’re running a business such as transportation, taxi services, or if you’re involved with local groups and days out. Choosing from used wheelchair accessible vehicles can help to reduce the cost while still offering a great range of different vehicle options.
Installing Tools To Help With Blindness Or Reduced Vision
For those with blindness or reduced vision, investing in tools to help make your business more accessible to them can be a great way to help them. There are a number of different ways to achieve this, from installing markers on the floor to help guide them through the property, to signs featuring braille text to help them navigate where they need to go and understand different departments. Information boards or computers featuring audio descriptions are also helpful tools for those with blindness or reduced vision.
Improving The Accessibility Of Your Business Website
Finally, it’s worth covering the importance of ensuring your business website is also accessible for those with disabilities. Your website is often the first impression potential customers will get of your business, so it’s important to make a good first impression. Featuring an audio description on your website helps to make it easier for those with reduced vision to learn more about your business and important information they might need to know. Regularly review your website to locate areas in which you could feature more of these accessibility-friendly tools and ask for feedback from customers on what they would like to see changed.
