Why Being Handicapped Accessible Matters?

Answer 1

Laws and the demands of the marketplace require that all places of business be handicapped accessible. But what does being handicapped accessible mean? And how does being handicapped accessible help an organization?

As a rule-of-thumb, building is handicapped accessible when it can be wheelchair-tested. Can a wheelchair-bound customer enter the structure without assistance? Once inside a building, all of the features available to walking customers must be provided to the wheelchair-bound customer. In a bank, are the teller windows low enough that a person in a wheelchair can interact with the bank staff? If a restroom is available for customer use, this restroom must be handicapped accessible. If stairs are present in the structure, there must also be ramps available.

The Americans with Disabilities Act requires that all public buildings, including apartment blocks, must be handicapped accessible. (The only exceptions are for historical buildings.) This means that organizations and companies which do not make their structures handicapped accessible are open to civil lawsuits from the disabled, as well as criminal fines.

While some in the business community might look upon handicapped accessibility laws as just more red tape, the reality is that handicapped accessibility is good for business. Being handicapped accessible results in more business, and is pleasing to customers, including customers who are not handicapped themselves.

The aging American population means that growing numbers of Americans will join the ranks of the handicapped. This is a portion of the market that no business can afford to ignore. By not making its structures handicapped accessible, customers can be lost.

For example, imagine Lynn. A devoted mother and grandmother, Lynn's family would like to take her out to dinner. However, due to hip replacement surgery, Lynn must use a wheelchair for several months. Lynn and her large family must eat in a restaurant that can accommodate a person in a wheelchair. A restaurant that is not handicapped accessible will lose not only Lynn's business, but the business of Lynn's large family. Even when Lynn is not present, members of Lynn's family may feel uncomfortable eating at a restaurant that cannot accommodate Lynn's disability.

Handicapped accessibility involves making basic changes to the structure and layout of spaces in order to accommodate those with disabilities. Businesses which do not strive to make their places of business welcoming to the handicapped often suffer because of this. Building modifications which make structures handicapped accessible more than pay for themselves. Moreover, being handicapped accessible is a firm requirement of federal (and often local) law.