How to Ensure your Business is Disability-Friendly

All businesses are required by law to ensure their company provides the same opportunities for disabled customers and employees as it does everyone else. However, many businesses across the UK are still failing to make the necessary adjustments required to provide a fair and equal service; albeit unknowingly.

If you want to ensure your business is disabled friendly, below you’ll discover the top factors to consider.

How accessible are your premises?

One of the key considerations you need to make is access. Just last year, it was reported that a staggering 54% of disabled people had great difficulty gaining access to shops. Not only is this going against the Discrimination Act 1995, but it’s also losing these businesses a lot of money.

When thinking about access, consider the size of the doors, as well as the actual entrance to the building. Is the only way to access your business via steps? If so, you will want to consider adding an alternative ramp entrance.

Even the size of the aisles and the way the premises are laid out should be wide enough to accommodate wheelchairs. If you provide toilets, there should be at least one disabled toilet option too. This should include a hand rail, an emergency pull-cord and it should be spacious enough to fit a wheelchair user and a carer inside.

Finally, a low counter would be an excellent investment for wheelchair users. If you don’t have the budget or the space to implement this, you should at least ensure your card reader works in numerous parts of the store so wheelchair users can use it in a more convenient location.

These are the main adaptations you’ll need to make to ensure disabled customers and employees can enter and navigate the building comfortably.

Specialised vehicles

If you employ drivers, one way to ensure you aren’t discriminating against the disabled is to provide a specialised disabled vehicle. They’re not as expensive as you might think and companies like Allied Fleet , can custom-design their vehicles to suit the majority of disabled drivers.

Many disabled people are able to drive safely and comfortably provided they have an adapted vehicle. So, this may be something you’ll want to consider implementing into your business.

Overall, these days it is extremely important to ensure your business is disability-friendly. If you’re concerned about the money it will cost to implement the changes required, it is worth seeking advice from local authorities. You may be entitled to a grant or loan which would help you afford to make your business more accessible.