Dealing With Disabilities in a Welcoming Business Way

Dealing With Disabilities in a Welcoming Business Way

By Carina Elgin

As the American population ages, the number of people with physical, mental, and non-apparent disabilities continues to grow. And welcoming them makes good business sense, especially in a tourist-friendly town like Middleburg.

Longtime resident Lori Daly, president of Diversifi Consulting Group, recently presented an important and informative workshop to local businesses in town on “The ADA and Welcoming Your Customers.” Diversifi educates companies and individuals on disability awareness, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace and throughout communities.

Lori Daly speaking at her recent workshop discussing businesses dealing with disabled customers.

Photo by Carina Elgin

Hosted by Visit Middleburg and the Town of Middleburg, the September workshop focused on businesses understanding the importance of making their establishments more accessible and welcoming to people with disabilities. These customers represent 25 per cent of their potential market, and have significant spending power.

Daly also is a Mid-Atlantic ADA Leadership Network Trainer and Chair of the Loudoun County Disability Services Board. She’s planning to offer more in-depth workshops in Middleburg.

At her recent session, she spoke of The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), passed in 1990, and how this civil rights law defined the rights of people with disabilities to access all goods and services.

Costs to remove barriers can be minimal, such as providing a ramp for wheelchair access into a store, rearranging tables, and repositioning shelves. She reemphasized that making minimal changes can greatly expand business and benefit everyone.

New construction and renovations must meet certain regulations, but Daly said that even businesses in older buildings must show an awareness of the ADA and make an effort to remove existing barriers.

The Department of Justice oversees ADA requirements and Daly said DOJ “does realize that it may be too expensive to fix all obstacles at once, but expects that you’re trying.”

If a complaint is filed, it’s important for businesses to have a record of what they have done to improve accessibility, including, Daly added with a smile, “attending workshops like these.”

Many fixes are easy, and both landlord and business owners can get tax incentives, Daly noted. She encouraged businesses to assess affordable priorities right away.

“There are professionals who can help you,” she said. “Start by thinking about simpler, but important things, like hand railings and portable ramps.”

She also suggested accessible door hardware, making those doors easier to open, and installing buzzers for people who might need help getting in. Even if restrooms can’t be made fully compliant, grab bars will help, and customers can be directed to the accessible public bathroom Middleburg constructed off Liberty Street.

Daly recommended that sandwich boards not block the sidewalks. She added that old multistory buildings do not have to install expensive elevators if goods and services can be provided in another way. She also suggested business owners be open to moving meetings, offering services downstairs, or bringing items for sale down to the customer.

Also, it’s important to become knowledgeable about service dogs. Only dogs actually trained to do tasks to help their human are granted access to places pet dogs cannot be taken.