Almost a quarter of Canadians live with some type of disability. Living with a disability can be challenging, even if disability accommodations are extensive.
Disability accommodations were first rolled out on a large scale in Canada in 2010. This was when Canada adopted the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This convention recognizes the differently-abled as entitled to equal treatment and necessary accommodations.
Proper accessibility for business is important for more than legal reasons, though. The differently-abled community has a lot to offer businesses as customers and employees. We'll discuss the benefits of accessibility for business in this article.
More Customers
Many Canadians live with disabilities of all kinds. Not providing accommodation could cause more than just legal trouble. It could also be the difference between a failing and a successful business.
One of the other benefits of accessibility is that it can give you an edge over your competition. There's often a certain amount of accommodations required in a business. Doing more than expected can help you attract more customers.
For instance, you could add a barrier-free bathroom to your business. This will help make it as wheelchair accessible as possible. Adding automatic doors will make it easier for those in wheelchairs to use your services.
Larger Employee Pool
Greater accessibility will also give your business access to a larger candidate pool. When a new position opens up, you'll have plenty of applicants to choose from. Hiring people with disabilities can provide many benefits to a company.
People with disabilities often struggle to get work. The pandemic has only made that worse. For this reason, differently-abled workers tend to stay at a job longer when they get one.
People also tend to view the differently-abled as far less capable than they are. The truth is that the differently-abled community offers a lot of talents and unique perspectives.
Studies have suggested that those with autism might possess better pattern recognition. In addition to their talents, the differently-abled also have passive benefits in the workplace. Customers often have better opinions of businesses that hire those with disabilities.
Avoiding Legal Trouble
We've mentioned that legal problems shouldn't be your only reason to create an accessible workplace. That being said, it's still an important reason.
You are technically discriminating and breaking the law if you don't provide the necessary accommodations. You can be charged a hefty fine for this, even if you're only charged once. New businesses are already facing steep odds, so the last thing you need is legal trouble.
Benefits of Accessibility for Business
Providing accessibility for your business is an essential step towards greater success. We've discussed some of the benefits of providing disability accessibility in this article, but there are others that we may not have considered.
Suppose you're looking for products and services to improve your accessibility on our site. We encourage you to call us at Southwest Doors and Hardware to book an appointment. We'd be more than happy to help.