If you’re going to take advantage of all of the skilled workers and customers that are waiting out there in the world, then it’s vital that you break down any barriers that might prevent them from accessing your premises. These barriers can often be unseen, but that doesn’t make them any less damaging.
Here, we’ll run through some of them, and consider how they might be dealt with.
Mobility
When most people think of disabled access, they think of wheelchair access. That means ramps serving as an alternative to staircases, and it means elevator access to the upper stories of your premises. If you’re running a shop, it might also mean rethinking the items that you store up and out of arm’s reach, as well as keeping the aisles wide enough to accommodate wheelchair-users. If your business comes with a car-park attached, then keep at least one space reserved for wheelchair users. This is especially important in historical car parks which weren’t built with wheelchair users in mind. If you’re providing company cars, then make sure that wheelchair-friendly vehicles, such as those provided by Allied Mobility, are made available.
Lighting
Partially-sighted visitors might struggle to navigate your premises if the lighting isn’t clear. While low lighting can create a particular atmosphere in your workplace, and there’s some reason to suppose that reducing ambient light levels outside of working hours might actually help to safeguard your employee’s mental health, it’s essential that everyone can see where they’re going and read any important signage you might have around. Speaking of which…
Signage
Having clear and legible signage will help your visitors, customers and staff find their way around. Don’t compromise legibility for aesthetic reasons. The worst offenders here tend to be stylised toilet-door signs, but this principle should be applied throughout the business, including on internal paperwork: fonts should be legible! To make life easier for visually-impaired people, consider incorporating braille into key signage around the business.
Training
If you find that you are frequently having to deal with customers with special requirements, then investing in training for a few key members of staff might prove worthwhile. Courses in sign language might be ideal, but this tends to be a long-term investment. But even basic awareness and sensitivity can make an appreciable difference to the experience of your customers.
Subtitle Your Online Content
The internet can provide a range of valuable promotional tools, including the ability to spread video content. By paying a little extra to put subtitles into your videos, you’ll make sure that those with hearing problems can get the message. Also, since many people will be watching your content with the sound off, this is a step that will confer broader benefits, too.
