Accessibility is good for business

October is Disability Employment Awareness Month. We encourage you to explore resources that support greater levels of accessibility in your organization and across employers in your network.  The following piece, supplied by the Ontario Ministry for Seniors & Accessibility outlines why investing in accessible workplaces isn’t just an investment in inclusivity, but better business and economic outcomes. It also outlines a variety of resources available for businesses to help develop their accessibility practices.

There are an estimated 3.8 million people in Ontario (over the age of 15) who have at least one disability, and this number is anticipated to grow as the population ages. This is a large and often overlooked group of consumers, especially when you consider this number doesn’t include family and friends of people with disabilities.

Reducing barriers for people with disabilities and providing accessible customer service can increase a business’s share of this consumer market, provide access to a broader pool of talent when recruiting employees, and boost a business’s brand and reputation among customers.

Making businesses more accessible is generally easier and less costly than most people realize. And, the Government of Ontario has free resources that can help you develop and enhance accessible customer service practices in your organization to help boost your bottom line.

Tips to get you started:

Businesses can implement straightforward, low-cost accessibility practices to attract customers with disabilities and their family and friends. The first step is to make sure every person in your organization is trained to provide accessible customer service.

Examples of simple actions you can take now, include:

• Bringing products outside for customers if they can’t enter your business
• Welcoming support persons and service animals that may accompany your customers with disabilities – everyone wants to feel welcomed
• Communicating via pen and paper with anyone who has a hearing disability.

Other helpful tools and resources:

Whether you are new to accessibility or have extensive experience making your business accessible, there is a wide range of free accessibility resources that you can use.

These resources provide information about how to implement accessibility practices, hire people with disabilities and meet legal requirements under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005.

Training for employees and volunteers:

Support to help you meet your legal training requirements for employees and volunteers is available through AccessForward – a website with training modules, templates and resources for trainers.

This free interactive tool allows your employees to undertake training at their convenience. Training can be done online, or you can download or print information and share it with your employees.

Stay informed on the latest news:

Stay informed by subscribing to the Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility’s quarterly accessibility e-newsletter called the AODA Toolbox. This provides accessibility updates, new resource information and success stories. By reducing barriers for people with disabilities and providing accessible customer service you are not only helping to build a more accessible and inclusive province for everyone, you are also helping to build your business and cement its reputation as a truly inclusive place.