Is Your Business ADA Compliant?

In business, it's simply good practice not to make people feel excluded from your establishment. But are you unknowingly turning customers away?

 

54 million - This is the number of Americans who have a disability, according to the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Government Census.

By age, this breaks down to:

• 5 % of children 5 to 17 have disabilities (or, 1 in 20)
• 10 % of people 18 to 64 have disabilities. (or, 1 in 10)
• 38 % of adults 65 and older have disabilities. (or, roughly 2 in 5)

The best way to ensure that you are meeting the needs of every customer is to familiarize yourself with the ADA guidelines for your type of business:

ADA Requirements Checklist - Restaurants
ADA Requirements Checklist - Hotels
ADA Requirements Checklist - Retail Stores
ADA Requirements Checklist - Existing Facilities
ADA Requirements Checklist - New Lodging Facilities

And don't forget, some of your employees may need special accommodations, too:

ADA Requirements Checklist - Employees 


Some people find it difficult to anticipate what a disabled person might need, or even how to properly interact with a disabled personm which is why you might find this helpful:

7 Steps For Making Your Customers With Disabilities 

Feel Welcome     

With a little research and possibly some modifications, your business can become a place where each customer feels valued, respected, and welcome. And isn't that how we'd all like to feel?