relocating with a disabled child
Why Installing A Wheelchair Ramp Is The Best Option For Making Your Small Business ADA Compliant
Kristin Jimenez
If you're a small business owner, you know that making renovations to your building can be tough. And if you're in the middle of renovations and an unexpected legal problem pops up, you may find yourself in a very difficult situation. The standards do vary, but if you're renovating your business, you may find yourself in a situation where your new construction must comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act. In short, you need to make your business accessible to wheelchairs. If you do need to make your business wheelchair compliant, you'll probably discover that adding a wheelchair lift is the most efficient way to handle this. Here's a look at just a few of the advantages.
Reason #1: A wheelchair lift takes up the least amount of space A wheelchair lift takes up much less space than a traditional elevator. And if you only have a two story building (or even a just a one story building with steps), an elevator is impractical anyway. An inclined wheelchair lift can be used to move up a small flight of steps, and a vertical lift can be used to move from one story to another.
Reason #2: A wheelchair lift is easier to navigate than a ramp
Just installing a ramp at your business would likely make it ADA compliant, but by going a step further and installing a lift, you're accomplishing more. For starters, you're showing that customers in wheelchairs are important to you. If a customer feels like you're making a special effort to earn their business, they'll likely give it to you. In addition, many times it's tough for someone in a wheelchair to navigate a ramp. If they don't have the use of their upper body, a ramp won't do much good.
Beyond wheelchair users, a ramp is often tough for walkers to navigate as well. Many people would rather walk down steps, including those who have mobility problems. Someone that uses a cane would easily prefer stepping down a few times over the prolonged slope of a ramp.
If you're in a position where you need to make your business accessible to people in wheelchairs, consider the addition of a lift. It takes up the least amount of floor space and it's more comfortable for just about everyone involved. Take the time to consult with a professional installer (such as one from Accessible Solutions), and you'll have a perfectly upgraded business in no time.
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Moving to a new state has changed my family's lives in many ways. I have a disabled daughter that has many special needs and it was challenging to find all of the disability services that we had at our old home. I spent days online and on the telephone trying to track down the information that I needed to care for my daughter. If you are in a similar situation, keep reading. Here, you will find a list of resources that proved to be very helpful in making such a big transition with our daughter and the rest of the family.