The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life—employment, transportation, public accommodations, and telecommunications. For small business owners, it's crucial to understand what the ADA requires in order to provide equal access and opportunities for individuals with disabilities. Here are a few key points about following ADA guidelines while running a small business.
Know Your Obligations
The ADA's requirements aren't always one-size-fits-all, though some requirements are imposed across the board for all businesses. It's important to research how the ADA applies to your specific business and the obligations it imposes on you as a business owner. In particular, you should want to understand the ADA Standards for Accessible Design, which outline specific requirements for accessible facilities, including entrances, parking, restrooms, and signage, as well as accommodating service animals or aids.
Make Your Business Physically Accessible
To make your business accessible, you may need to provide wheelchair ramps, accessible parking spaces, wide doorways, grab bars in restrooms, and wide routes throughout your facility. For example, all aisles should be at least three feet wide, and if the aisle is more than 200 feet long, it must be six feet wide.1 Maintain the pathways to be free from obstacles and hazards that could impede mobility.
Provide Accommodations for Employees
Your workplace policies and practices should also comply with ADA requirements for accommodating employees with disabilities. You must make reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities to perform their job duties effectively. This effort might mean providing assistive technology, modified work schedules, or accessible workspaces.
When you're making ADA accommodations for an employee, the most critical step is to ask the employee what they need. Don't assume that a particular modification would be the most effective way to help your employee do their job. Instead, follow their lead.
Train Your Staff
Your staff should be familiar with ADA requirements and how to interact respectfully and effectively with customers and employees with disabilities. Provide regular training on disability awareness, communication techniques, and procedures that help accommodate individuals with disabilities. Staff should be equipped to serve and accommodate customers with service animals and disability aids that comply with state and federal legislation.
Communicate Accessibility Features
Clearly communicate your business's accessibility features by displaying signs showing where accessible entrances, parking spaces, restrooms, and amenities are located. It's also a good idea to provide information about accessibility on your website and in marketing materials.
Make Your Business Digitally Accessible
There are various guides available online that give tips and tricks for accessible website design. With a few minor tweaks, you should be able to make your website compatible with screen readers. You should provide alternative text for images and use a high-contrast design to display your website in a format that is navigable by visually impaired people.
Seek Professional Guidance
Consider working with accessibility professionals, ADA consultants, and disability rights organizations for guidance on how to check to see if your business complies with ADA requirements. These professionals could provide valuable insights and recommendations tailored to your specific business needs.
Important Disclosures:
This material is for general information only and is not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual.
All information is believed to be from reliable sources; however, LPL Financial makes no representation as to its completeness or accuracy.
This article was prepared by WriterAccess.
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Footnotes
1 How To Make a Retail Store ADA Compliant
https://www.stronggo.com/blog/how-make-retail-store-ada-compliant