An important area that every business owner needs to consider is accessibility. Making sure that your business is accessible for the disabled community is important for many reasons and could help your business to be more successful. Providing the most basic form of access is law under the 2010 Equality Act but a business should go further than this to make sure that anyone with a disability can have an easy, smooth and enjoyable experience with your business.

So, how can you make your business more accessible for the disabled community?

Toilets

Businesses that have public toilet facilities must have either a separate toilet that those with a disability can use or at least one toilet in the restroom suitable for use for someone with a disability. This will involve having space for a wheelchair to manoeuvre as well as grab rails and low sinks.

Pathways

One of the most important areas to address is creating spaces that those with a disability can use to easily get around the premises. This will include having ramps, clear isles with plenty of space either side, wide-open spaces and lifts if you have multiple floors. If you can add bright neon signs on these pathways it would be an added bonus for you. Keep wheelchair users in mind at all times and think about how much space is required when they are turned around.

Signage

Having signs around the business is smart for everyone as it is the quickest and easiest way to communicate a message. Having important aspects of the business marked with a clear sign can make it much easier for everyone while also ensuring that people know how to react in an emergency. There are many signs to include, such as fire exits, hazards, fire doors, disabled toilets etc.

Easy-To-Use Doors

Automatic doors are helpful to have but these can be expensive to install so you may not be able to have every single door be automatic. A good alternative is to have staff available to help people access the business premises and this is a good way of forming a connection with the potential customer too.

Disabled Parking

Having disabled parking spots near the front of the business building is important as it can make it much easier for anyone with a disability to visit your business. Keep in mind that they may be arriving in large wheelchair accessible vehicles from places like Allied Mobility so the space needs to be large and in a safe area.

These are the main areas that you will need to address in order to make your business more accessible for those with a disability. This can make it much easier for those with a disability to visit your business and have a smooth, easy experience which could help you to attract more customers, improve your brand reputation and provide a better shopping experience for all.