Building accessibility is a widespread problem for various reasons. Some business owners think it’s too expensive for what it’s worth to make their building more accessible, and they often don’t worry about meeting accessibility standards since they are enforced so lightly. In many situations, it requires a voice from a person with disabilities or an organization advocating on behalf of people with disabilities to prompt change. Whether it’s a single business or multiple businesses in your city that don’t see accessibility as a priority, here are some things you can consider doing to prompt changes to be made.
Bring Up Accessibility Concerns With Business Owners
Sometimes business owners have legitimate reasons for not having an accessible building. For one, they may not understand accessibility standards completely. They may also think they have to renovate their entire building, which can ruin their budget. Simply talking in a sophisticated manner with a business owner may bring to light some of the accessibility concerns with their establishment. If they know installing a wheelchair ramp can make a world of difference for a person with disabilities, they may be more inclined to do it if it means they won’t have to renovate the entire building.
Discuss Enforcement Of Accessibility Issues With Code Officers
Not all business owners will look at accessibility reasonably when you approach them about it. If you aren’t comfortable going public with actions that need to be taken with certain businesses, then consider speaking with organizations that will advocate on your behalf. You could also have a confidential discussion with local code officers to alert them about specific businesses that don’t follow accessibility standards. Since accessibility is not widely enforced, it takes a voice to be heard to prompt changes to be made in some situations.
Businesses Can Take Proactive Steps For Accessibility
Business owners themselves can take proactive steps to make their space more accessible. Often being more educated on the topic is all it takes to get started and understanding what possible renovations will entail. There’s even an ADA guide business owners can use to help them learn the laws, regulations, what to prioritize and much more. No one wants a business to struggle financially as a result of making their business more accessible. But people do appreciate the effort in creating a more accessible environment, even if it means just installing a wheelchair ramp at an entrance.
Next Day Access works with business owners all the time to help improve their accessibility. Whether you want to renovate your entire establishment to make it completely ADA compliant or if you want to do a little at a time, we have the solutions to help. A person with disabilities wants to live their life as normally as possible, but they often need assistance from others to do so. If your building could use some upgrades to be more accessible for everyone, contact us today to see how we can help.
