Business Owners

5 Tips for Business Owners to Get More Customers Just by Accommodating Wheelchair Users

Get a portable ramp! Plain and simple. Most ramps are under $500 and will pay for themselves in new and repeat business in no time at all. Portable lamps are lightweight (around 30 lbs) and easy to store. There is nothing more discouraging to a wheelchair user than not being able to go into a store or restaurant simply because of a pesky step or 2. If you only have a simple single step, there are smaller, inexpensive solutions available.
‘Reasonable accommodation’ is just that – reasonable accommodation. Going through a kitchen to get to the main part of a restaurant is not a preferred method of entering, however, if it’s clean and a clear path, it just might have to do (make sure that you have a spectacular meal on the other side!). Needing to use an elevator in an attached building to reach the restaurant is perfectly acceptable. In the Metro NYC area, old structures are common, but could be made accessible easily without ruining the integrity of the building.
Remember, your efforts to make life easier for a customer using a wheelchair to enter your business is not just for “wheelchair users”. It assists other customers with walking mobility problems, parents with strollers, and even your delivery drivers!
A wheelchair user having an excellent experience with your business will promote positive referral to friends and family. Even if a purchase is not made by the intended target of your efforts (perhaps your decor store just wasn’t to her taste), the fact that she could easily enter the store will give her first-hand knowledge which she can share with others. The personal knowledge of your business along with the goodwill from your efforts will be returned tenfold. As you know, great word of mouth is priceless.
Don’t forget the bathrooms! If a fully ADA-compliant bathroom facility is not an option for your restaurant/bar/salon/etc, a good faith effort of strategically placing stalls and/or allowing the guest who uses a wheelchair to use the staff bathroom is an easy solution. Finally, if the restroom facility is simply not wheelchair accessible, check to see if one of your (non-competing) neighbors will allow you to send guests to them if the need arises.