04 January 2013

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:

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?



 




 

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