Is Your Business Disability Friendly?

As a business owner, you’ll know how important health and safety is as well as being inclusive and disability friendly. There are many things that you need to be aware of to comply with legal requirements for disabled persons. However, this is not just about the law; it’s about looking out for your visitors, clients and employees as well. Many business owners do this by taking out disability insurance policies to support workers who have to take days off because of their condition – after which it will kick in after a waiting period. As for looking out for visitors and clients, you will want to comply with disability law and regulations in a manner that lets them feel welcomed. Disabilities are varied and thus different factors have to be considered. Read on to see how you can make your business go beyond disability law compliant to disability-friendly.

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Entrances And Exists

Your first port of call in making your business more disability friendly should be to check your entrances and exits. You want to make sure you provide an access ramp for wheelchair users, with a car parking space nearby. This way, you shouldn’t have any issues with anyone entering or exiting your building.

Disabled Access Ramps

Access for persons with disabilities is one of the most important things that you need to consider. If you have any stairs, for example, to enter into your building. You may need to consider adding an appropriate ramp. Companies like Ramp World can help you to select a ramp that suits the access points in your buildings.

Disabled toilets

In a public building, you should have at least one bathroom that is accessible for wheelchair users. There are legal requirements that you must comply to when fitting a disabled toilet. You need to think about safety rails, and a means to contact someone in case of an emergency, amongst other things. Make sure your disabled bathroom is clearly labeled and up to standard.

Hazards

As a business, you’ll want to make sure you keep anything hazardous out of harms way. Health and safety hazards should be something you’re always thinking about in a work environment. Hazards also mean anything that could cause something harm to people in your building. If you have anything that could cause harm to someone with visual impairments, you want to make sure they won’t get hurt. Use high-visibility markings to identify anything that could be, for example, at head height.

Stairs And Lifts

Stairs and elevators must also be suitable for disabled users. If your stairs are old or difficult to climb, you want to make sure that you have a suitable lift. There are different options for lifts that you can choose. Whichever option you choose, make sure it’s clearly labeled and easy to access for any disabled person.

Seating

Seating is critical particularly if your business is something such as a restaurant. It’s also essential for offices where you hold meetings with visiting clients and partners. If someone in a wheelchair enters your building, you want to make sure there is somewhere suitable for them to sit. You also need to ensure table heights are adjusted for them to have the necessary access.

Wheelchairs are not the only concern when it comes to disability. Make sure you’re thinking about visually or hearing impaired visitors and staff in your building too. You want to make sure that you’re aware of any disabilities that may affect the way your employees work. If you’re aware of anything, make sure you correct it as soon as possible.