Accessibility is something that every business owner or facility manager should take seriously. Customers with disabilities often feel marginalized by businesses who only do the bare minimum to accommodate their needs, which can mean lost revenue and reputation for your company. If you want to provide a safe, welcoming environment for everyone, accessibility should be a first priority.
The ADA has certain requirements that every facility must meet to make it accessible. However, there are many additional ways in which you can make your business more friendly to customers or tenants with disabilities. Some of the areas which you should may most attention to include:
- Parking Lots
- Building entrances
- Bathrooms
- Table or bar seating
- Walkways and aisles
- Signage (they should be visible and available in braille)
- Emergency exits
- Registers and checkout lanes
- Pools and other guest accommodations
Staff training is also crucial to making your facility accessible. No matter what industry or service you’re in, you will need to be prepared to assist those with disabilities in a manner that is respectful and mindful of their different needs. For example:
- You can make your facility service dog friendly, and train your staff on the appropriate questions to ask those with service dogs.
- Train staff to ask before providing assistance to those with disabilities. They may need to read information, escort customers through the facility, or answer TRS phone calls. Make sure they know how to handle these situations respectfully.
- Ask for customer feedback to improve your accessibility
MaintenX helps businesses improve their facilities in every way possible. We provide preventative maintenance services for accessible accommodations and can help you build a better facility for those with disabilities. To learn more about our services, contact MaintenX today!
