All businesses must comply with the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) by making their business premises accessible for people with disabilities. Failure to comply has legal and business consequences.
About 16% of the UK adult population has some kind of disability. This rises to 45% of adults over the state pension age. If these customers cannot access your building, you are losing sales. It has been estimated that disabled and elderly people spend £60bn a year, so anything that puts these customers off trading with you can be costly.
What’s more, DDA noncompliance penalties can be expensive and could lead to the closure of your business. If a person has an accident due to noncompliance, your business could be sued.
Making your business compliant to DDA does not have to be expensive. Ramps are required, but in areas that are not often used by disabled people, inexpensive portable ramps are fine. Doors should be lightweight and easy to open. Safety signs need to be highly visible and all exits clearly marked.
For the hearing impaired, audiovisual fire alarms can be installed. To help the visually impaired, strong colour contrast on physical features such as counter edges can help.
If your customers need to fill in written information, provide easy-grip pens for arthritis sufferers.
By paying attention to the needs of disabled and elderly people, your company will have an image of caring for all customers. This means that your business brand is looked on favourably by both disabled and nondisabled customers.
