Partner Article

Is your Business Accessible to Disabled Customers?

You would never knowingly put up barriers that prevent able-bodied customers from accessing your business. But all across the country, thousands of establishments are failing to make minor adjustments in order to make their establishment accessible to those with disabilities.

A fifth of the population has some kind of disability that affects where they go, what they do and where they spend their money everyday. That number jumps to one third when you look at the 50 - 64 age group. If you take into account the families, friends and carers of disabled people too, you arrive at a group with an estimated spending power of £80bn. Yet much of this market remains largely untapped due to problems arising from poor accessibility.

According to research by DisabledGo, thousands of high street shops are failing to provide decent access for those with a disability. This includes both improvements that may be a little costly, such as wheelchair access or the installation of a hearing loop, but also low cost improvements too, such as basic training for staff on how to attend to customers with a disability, a designated space for those with a wheelchair accessible vehicle and contrasting visual markers for trip hazards. It doesn’t need to cost the earth to make life easier for your disabled customers, but it can make a whole world of difference.

While everyone is aware of the importance of access for disabled people to physical buildings, few people are aware of the need to make their website accessible for disabled people too. Many disabled people prefer to shop online rather than visit a physical building, yet certain website design choices make it difficult for people with disabilities to use. For instance, if I am selling a walking stick online and upload an image without a text description, people with visual impairments will be unable to use a text-to-speech translator to help them understand what is being sold. You can read a more complete guide to web accessibility for disabled people here.

While there are good moral and business reasons to make your website accessible to those with a disability, there is a good legal reason too. Under the Equality Act of 2010, business owners are legally obligated to take reasonable steps to make both their place of business and their website accessible to those with a disability. The Royal National Institute of the Blind People (RNIB) has already taken legal action against two major companies for failing to make their website more accessible to those with a disability, and decided to settle out of court without naming those involved. Wasting time and money dealing with avoidable blunders is the last thing that you want your staff to be doing.

Many companies have taken reasonable steps to widen their access to those with disabilities, and in doing so have both broadened their potential customer base and reduced their vulnerability to legal action. As our population ages, businesses will find that a larger proportion their customers will be affected by some form of disability. The businesses that are best able to meet their needs are the ones that will have the most success in the future.

Author Bio: Dave Jones is the Director of Mobility Nationwide, a family-run business who are dedicated to helping people find the right wheelchair accessible vehicle for their lifestyle. In addition to Dave’s 30 years of automotive experience, Mobility Nationwide have been industry leading specialists for over 10 years, supplying vehicles throughout the UK.

For further information please contact Dave Jones at MOBILITY NATIONWIDE

Tel: 01824 707773 Email: info@mobilitynationwide.co.uk Web: www.http://wheelchairaccessiblevehicles.com/

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Dave Jones .