Simple ways to make your business more accessible

Ensuring your business is as accommodating as possible for everyone doesn’t need to involve drastic changes, but even simple tweaks can make a world of difference to your visitors, customers, and the way your business is received.

Here, we list some of the minor alterations you can make both to your environment and your service, as well as the bigger, more permanent changes.

 

Quick fixes 

Space
Does your office, café or shop allow enough room for a wheelchair to get through? This change could be as simple as moving round a few tables, or might take a little more planning.

Signs 
Do you offer clear direction as to where everything is? Consider signs in a large print with contrasting tones to mark out toilets, entrances, exits and other rooms. You may also offer information in an alternative, larger format.

Welcome
If you run a café, let your customers know that you can deliver food and drink to the table, or if you own a shop, be clear that someone is on hand for hard to reach items if needs be. Being aware of any challenges your customer or visitor might be facing means you can address them from the outset.

 

Long-term solutions

If budget and circumstances allow, you could consider a permanent ramp with a doorbell so visitors can alert you if they need assistance, alongside an accessible toilet and lower counters.

Automatic doors mean that you don’t need to rely on a member of staff being free to open the door for someone, but they can be expensive.

One alternative option would be to look at power-assisted doors, or even just fitting long door handles which cover a wider height range.

 

Ready to make big changes?
Don’t forget to tell your insurance provider of any changes you make to your premise which may affect your policy.