Your goal as a business owner is likely to reach a broader customer base, which involves making your products and services accessible to all. However, people living with disabilities or mobility challenges can face difficulties if your facility is inaccessible. After all, one in four Americans live with a disability, and about 12 percent of U.S. adults have serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs.
If the population of Americans with a disability cannot access your business, how will you cater to their needs and expand your customer base?
The good news is you can open your doors to a wider customer base by getting familiar with ADA requirements for businesses to become more inclusive to a larger audience, regardless of their limitations. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law in 1990 to prevent discrimination based on disability, and this law continues to play a significant role today.
Learn more about ADA requirements for businesses and how to make your business ADA compliant to create an inclusive and comforting facility.
What is ADA in Business?
The first thing you need to understand when getting familiar with ADA business requirements is what does ADA compliant mean for businesses? The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was enacted in 1990 to prohibit discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including employment, transportation, and public accommodations. The ADA sets business guidelines to ensure equal access and opportunity for people with disabilities.
Following ADA requirements for businesses will bring you closer to an inclusive and accessible environment for all individuals looking to do business with you. Whether you own a hotel, a retail store, or a gas station, creating an environment where everyone is welcome will expand your customer base and improve your reputation. This can include a ramp in the entrance, elevators to move between floors, bathrooms with sufficient space for wheelchairs or other mobility aids, and clear signages.
Compliance vs. Accessibility
Compliance and accessibility are often used interchangeably during construction, renovation, or conversations about ADA friendly products. Although compliance and accessibility are both crucial for an organization, the terms refer to different situations.
ADA compliance for businesses refers to a business’s obligation to legal and industry standards and guidelines to ensure that they operate within boundaries defined by authorities. On the other hand, accessibility focuses on creating inclusive experiences for individuals with disabilities so that everyone can access and use the products or services regardless of their impairments. While compliance ensures that organizations meet ADA requirements for businesses, accessibility goes beyond compliance to embrace the principles of equal access and user-centered design.
How to Meet ADA Business Requirements
Meeting ADA requirements for businesses is the first step towards creating an inclusive environment and becoming ADA compliant. Consider the following steps to meet ADA business requirements.
Get Familiar with the ADA
Research and understand the ADA guidelines and requirements, especially the section on public accommodations. This will give you a solid foundation to begin making your business accessible.
Conduct an Accessibility Audit
Assess your business premises, website, and any other platforms or services you provide to identify potential barriers that may hinder access for individuals with disabilities. This can be done in-house or by hiring an accessibility consultant specializing in ADA compliance. This step is particularly helpful because your ADA requirements may vary depending on your business. For example, the ADA requirements for retail stores differ from hotels or resorts. A hotel or resort will need ADA bathrooms with shower stalls accessible to all, but a retail store might be more focused on the toilet, as they don’t typically have showers in stores.
Staff Training
Educate your staff about ADA requirements and how to provide excellent customer service to individuals with disabilities. They should be knowledgeable about accessible features in your business, how to interact with customers with disabilities, and how to assist in emergencies.
If you’re a small business owner looking to fund staff training or other elements of ADA compliance, you might be eligible for ADA grants to help make your organization compliant with ADA Federal regulations.
Freedom Showers Products for an Accessible Bathroom
The bathroom is one of the most critical areas in a public setting, so it’s important to get familiar with ADA requirements for businesses when creating a comfortable bathroom that welcomes all guests. Here are some products Freedom Showers offers to help you meet ADA business requirements when renovating your bathroom.
Roll-in Shower with a Seat
The bathroom can pose many risks for seniors or individuals with disabilities, so it’s important to meet shower ADA requirements for businesses to create a comfortable bathing environment. This involves installing a roll-in shower to replace traditional bathtubs that can be tricky to get into.
You should also get familiar with ADA shower seat requirements before installing any products. ADA shower seat size requirements are dependent on where they are being installed. Contact our team of accessibility professionals to discuss the correct size seat for ADA compliance for commercial and public buildings, ensuring that your ADA requirements for businesses are met.
Grab Bars
To meet ADA requirements for businesses, your facility’s public bathroom should include ADA grab bars in different corners of the space, such as in the shower, near the toilet seat, and around the sink.
The ADA grab bar height requirements can vary depending on where you place them and the type of bathroom you are renovating. For example, the ADA requirements for retail stores will differ from a hotel, as a hotel will require more grab bars in the space to meet ADA business requirements.
Other Shower Accessories
Freedom Showers offers more shower accessories to help you meet ADA business requirements, such as a handheld shower kit with a glide bar, and curtain rod with U-cup holders. We offer every product you need to create an inclusive and accessible bathroom for your customers. Our dedicated customer service team can help you browse our extensive list of products to help you find the ones that best suit your needs.
Becoming ADA Compliant
A significant element of ADA requirements for businesses involves education on the matter. Learn how to become ADA compliant and contact Freedom Showers accessibility professionals to find the ideal products for compliance. We create products to meet ADA compliance for businesses so you can confidently choose the right products!