As a business owner or manager, it is important to be aware of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and how it can benefit your company. This legislation is designed to protect disabled people from discrimination in the workplace and beyond. Understanding these protections will help you create a safer place for your employees, customers, and visitors. Your website is also a critical link in upholding ADA compliance. If your website isn’t properly designed for accessibility, it can be used against you legally. There are tools on the web such as accessiBe that can help with compliance.
There are many benefits of ADA compliance for your business. If you have a retail location, consider these points:
You will have access to a larger pool of applicants for positions in your company if you advertise that your business is an equal opportunity employer and encourages people with disabilities to apply. This will also help you find the best possible candidate for the job.
Goods or services are offered at your business in exchange for money, so it is fair to state that they should be accessible to everyone. If you ignore ADA compliance, not only will your company lose potential customers, but lawsuits can be filed against you if someone with disabilities is unable to access your place of business.
As a business owner, you should want to abide by this law for legal and humanitarian reasons. By knowing your customers and creating an inclusive environment, you will create a better shopping experience and help break down any barriers that may exist between people with disabilities and those who do not have them. Providing equal opportunities for people with disabilities will help your business grow.
With mandatory ADA compliance, you are creating a safe shopping environment for all customers. Every step that you take to make your business accessible will improve the overall experience of every shopper who visits it. For example, if someone in a wheelchair is unable to enter your store due to steps leading up to the entrance, he or she may feel discouraged from entering. Having a ramp instead of steps will make the customer feel welcome and will improve your sales.
When you choose to be ADA compliant, you are also choosing to be a part of a growing movement that is working towards equality for everyone. The law was created with people in mind, so take steps to help enforce it. By creating an accessible environment, you can help to break down the barriers that people with disabilities face every day in the “regular” world.
The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) requires employers to reasonably accommodate their employees’ known physical or mental limitations. This means that if a job applicant is otherwise qualified for the position but has a disability that would prevent them from performing one or more essential functions of the job without reasonable accommodation, an employer must provide some kind of accommodation unless it can show doing so would cause an “undue hardship.”
An important term to understand is “reasonable accommodation,” which refers to the actions employers are required to take in order to provide equal employment opportunities to employees with disabilities. This includes, for example, making modifications or adjustments that enable an employee to perform essential job functions; “modifications” in this context means physical changes to the work environment (e.g., adding a ramp for wheelchair users), while “adjustments” refers to things like changing application procedures or providing readers or interpreters. Accommodations must be made on a case-by-case basis since the nature of a person’s disability, and their specific job duties will determine what type of adjustment or modification is necessary.
