Having a shop that is accessible is something that many small business owners think is overly expensive to set up. However, with a bit of know-how relating to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and a bit of a redesign of your store’s layout, you will be able to serve customers with disabilities and even have staff who will have an environment more suited to their needs. Here is a rough guide on what you need to do.
Lifts
An interesting trend among small businesses in more hipster parts of the USA is that they tend to have either an upper or a lower floor, providing more space for the merchandise. If this sounds like the premises that you have, then it can be easily made more accessible by installing commercial stair lifts or even wheelchair lifts. Just be sure to get trained up in basic maintenance for these lifts, as the last thing you want is a lift being misused and breaking down.
Ramps
If you want to make your ships attractive to potential staff and customers who may not have the mobility to use stairs, you need to have a ramp installed outside your store.
Much like the shops being spread over multiple levels, you may have drops in your store, where the back part is lower than the front. For ease of access, it is worth having an immovable ramp installed to help staff and customers navigate that space comfortably.
Widen the Aisles
You can spread the aisles in your store to allow space for potential wheelchair users to get around with ease, and without knocking into things. Ideally, you should aim to keep the doors to your shop at around 36 inches wide, to help most wheelchair users to comfortably pass through. So, it is worth breaking out a measuring tape to check that your aisles are also 36 inches wide.
Door Assistance
For stores and shops, having a sliding door fitted is usually the ideal solution for people who use wheelchairs or have other mobility issues. Automatic doors, which can be opened with the touch of a button, are also ideal, but make sure that there is a step-free threshold to allow for ease of access. Just be sure to have any automatic doors installed by professionals to ensure that the fittings meet safety standards based on your state.
Toilets
If you are the manager of a clothes shop, you are not likely to need a toilet for customer usage, but you may need one for staff. Making your shop’s toilet accessible for people who use wheelchairs, walkers, or have mobility issues will typically involve making the doors wider, as well as installing a push button to open the door. You will need to ensure grab rails are fitted around the toilet to help people ease themselves out of the chair and onto the toilet, and be sure to have an alarm pull, just in case there is an emergency.
