If you want to serve the community, it’s vital to serve everyone. People with disabilities deserve to enjoy the benefits and services many people take for granted. That’s why the Americans with Disabilities Act was created. If you aren’t sure that your business is helping differently abled people as well as it could, here are a few basic bits of information about how to ensure your business is ADA compliant.
Offer Assistance
The first step is making sure people with disabilities have the same access to your services as those without. In short, make reasonable modifications to the way you conduct business. They can be as simple as letting customers know you’re available to serve them. You could also read signs and labels for the blind, access products on high shelves for customers in wheelchairs, and so forth.
Sometimes, you can make physical changes. If you’re a landlord or property manager who rents out spaces for residential or commercial use, you need to provide FHA and ADA-compliant community mailboxes.
Service Animals vs. Others
A business like your own might ban animals indoors for different reasons. If you prepare and sell food, for example, animals in your establishment might present sanitation issues. Pets can also be disruptive or pose a safety hazard for the pet, owner, and other customers. However, you should make exceptions for service animals.
A service animal is trained to help a person with a disability. A seeing-eye dog, for example, or a dog that warns and protects a person experiencing an epileptic attack are common service animals. “Emotional support” animals are not covered by the ADA. Otherwise, a service animal must be permitted to enter your business unless it is in training.
Keep Communicating
You should be prepared to communicate with customers. While it would be ideal to have a sign language interpreter on staff, you should be able to communicate with people who use American Sign Language (ASL) through written notes or electronic communication systems. Digital communications should have a large-type version for people with vision impairments. Also, you can provide braille signage around your facility. Prepare to deal with relay systems, as well, where a third party communicates what a customer or client might need by phone.
Equal Access
Here’s one more general tip on ensuring your business is ADA compliant. It should be easy for people to get around your property. That includes the parking lot! For every 25 parking spaces, there should be one accessible parking space near a wheelchair-accessible entrance. If there are steps leading into your building, install a ramp. Also, ensure doorbells are no more than four feet above the ground. When you look out for your customers, they’ll appreciate it!
AVAC: Where the Pipe Curves
This is the final installment in my notes from the December 2nd, Operations Advisory Committee meeting, following “An Emergency, Apparently” and “Rust Is Funny Until It Isn’t”.
