Creating a business that’s open and welcome to all adds largely to your bottom line—not to mention it’s more society-conscious. The fact is that restaurants made to cater to the disabled are few and far in between, which means that there’s a whole market just waiting to be tapped. If you’re thinking about being the person who finally makes it happen, then here are some tips that should help you get started:
Increase Accessibility
You can check out and buy disability ramps. Install them in your business location, making it possible for people in wheelchairs to move in and out of your establishment. The same holds true for people who make use of canes or other aids to help them with walking. The presence of these ramps is like an invitation to wheelchair users, telling them that the rest of the establishment is also accessible.
Train Your Employees Well
Don’t forget to invest in proper employee training. Teach your employees how to properly talk and transact with someone who has a disability. Good rapport with the employees is one of the top reasons why people come back to an establishment. Since you’ll likely train your employees on proper conduct in the workplace, it only takes small adjustments or additions to accommodate those who have disabilities.
Use Automatic Doors
Opt for doors that open automatically, therefore making it easy for disabled individuals to come in and out of the building. If you don’t have the finances for this, you can always have a doorman handle the job or, at the very least, make use of doors with levers instead of doorknobs.
Keep the Spaces Wide
Keep in mind that wheelchairs are often wider than the typical person. This means that you’ll have to maintain spaces that accommodate wheelchairs. Keep your tables, chairs, and walkways separated enough that you can easily seat in a wheelchair without any major changes in the overall placement of the tables and chairs. If you can have an area specifically for people bringing their helper pets with them, then this will be perfect.
Employ People with Disability
It also helps if you can employ people with disability in your business. Studies show that this can help promote acceptance in the community, and this can also be seen positively by disabled customers. To help employees with disability, you can set up certain tech installations to promote communication between your people and the customers.
Have a Disabled-Friendly Bathroom
Of course, let’s not forget the necessity of a bathroom, especially for people who are disabled. Don’t just think of people in wheelchairs but also elders or people with limited movement. Hence, it makes sense to put up handlebars that can make it easier for individuals to gain leverage.
Of course, these are just some of the things to bear in mind when establishing a business that caters to all types of customers. Remember to make adjustments as needed and treat your customers well to benefit from the marketing of word of mouth. Note that the ultimate goal of setting up a disabled-friendly establishment is to create an environment wherein disabled customers have as much autonomy as possible.
