5 Ways to Make Your Business More Accessible

Posted by Annie Bremmins on June 22, 2018

Photo by Ann H from Pexels

By Invalifts

Today’s blog contribution comes from Invalifts, a company whose products have been used in buildings throughout the UK, such as shops, museums and universities. Their lifts are specially designed to fit into difficult spaces or small floor plans, therefore providing much better accessibility in buildings, especially in the workplace! Read on for their five easy ways to help make your business more accessible, to establish a safer workplace for everyone.

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Current figures show that over 10 million people in the UK are living with a disability; however, it seems a lot of businesses still don’t provide disabled access. Not only is this inconvenient for the customer, it’s a lot of potential business you will be losing out on! Sometimes businesses can be unaware of how to adapt their buildings to make them more convenient for visitors, without it costing the earth. So, we have put together a list of our top five tips on how to make your business more accessible.

Make Sure You Have Clear Signs

People need to be made aware that your business is disability & low mobility friendly, so displaying signs around your business premises showing accessible entrances, areas and services will come in handy to customers.

If the main door to the building isn’t the disability access, make sure that there is clear direction to which door is. Disabled parking spaces can make visits easier; potentially meaning they will be likely to return. Making people aware that you offer disabled parking and other helpful services, such as disabled toilets or a customer lift, can be especially important – all contributing to a pleasurable customer experience.

Ramps & Automatic doors

It may be off-putting to someone who struggles to walk to be faced with a mammoth mountain of stairs just to enter a building, let alone get between floors inside it.

By adding ramps to your building structure, both internally and externally, it makes the process of getting around a lot more suitable for those who are less able. Automatic doors are useful for those who find it hard to move heavy doors, especially for those using a wheelchair. This also grants people more independence, as they won’t have to rely on assistance to get in and out of the building.

To view Ability Superstore’s range of portable ramps, click here.

Installing a Lift

If your building is multi-story, this may also be unattractive for some customers. But installing a lift will mean they can easily access different levels and floors with confidence. A common reason for some commercial premises failing to provide a lift is because they believe there isn’t enough room, or that it will be a costly figure to install. With new and dynamic solutions being created, it is now easy for any building, even older structures, to offer a customer lift. A Platform Lift is a reasonably priced option which requires little space or building works. They are reliable, quiet and economical solutions which have no requirement for a machine room or lifting beam.

Invalifts are Platform Lift specialists – offering a wide range of products suitable for both private homes and commercial spaces. Visit their site for lift solutions for your business.

Well-lit Spaces

Locations such as restaurants are often dimly lit to create a romantic or casual atmosphere, which can make things difficult with the increased risk of trips or bumps, as well as difficulty reading the menu. For a good customer experience, ensure your building is well lit with consistent overhead lighting, which makes it easier to navigate, and overall much safer.

Printed Materials

There are over 2 million people with sight problems in the UK. Having Braille (additionally to written text) on important documents such as business cards and menus helps those who are blind or have impaired eyesight. It may also help to include pictures on menus to assist those who are deaf-mute or hard of hearing, as they may be looking for a visual explanation of what to order. Another handy feature some businesses take advantage of is publishing their full menu on their website, so customers can decide what they’d like to order before they visit.

These accessibility adaptions don’t have to be expensive but could benefit your business massively. By implicating even a couple of these tips, you will see a great difference in customer satisfaction and a returning customer base. In making things easier for people living with a disability, it also makes life easier for the elderly and families with pushchairs. Over 3.3 million families use pushchairs whilst shopping or visiting attractions in the UK, suggesting the extent of the market you will be supporting.

Making your business accessible makes life easier for everyone and in short, makes for good business sense.

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If you have any tips for other readers or want to share your opinion about accessibility, get in touch either via our Twitter or our Facebook. Thanks again to Invalifts for the great contribution!