In this episode of Accessibility Solutions Podcast Season 3, Linda Hunt talks about:
The importance of making businesses accessible with the Portable Ramp Program.
Real-world examples of lost business opportunities due to inaccessible storefronts.
The growing market of customers with disabilities, includes 22% of the general population and 40% of those over 65.
How municipalities with historic downtowns can implement cost-effective portable ramps to improve accessibility.
Practical steps businesses can take to promote their accessibility and attract more customers.
About the Host:
Linda Hunt Is an Award-Winning Accessibility Consultant, Speaker and Author. She is the CEO of Accessibility Solutions and an Advocate for all things related to accessibility.
Linda is the Treasurer of Citizens with Disabilities – Ontario, a member of the Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Professional Network and a Certified Community Champion on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol.
Linda first became a person with a disability in 2004 since then she has been an active and engaging speaker to groups on a variety of accessibility topics.
In addition, Linda is a business owner. Along with her husband Greg they have operated Grelin Apparel Graphics for over 30 years.
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Transcripts
Intro:
Welcome to the Accessibility Solutions Podcast, hosted by Linda Hunt, an award winning accessibility consultant, speaker, and author. With over 30 years experience in senior management rules and indeed passion for creating inclusive environments, Linda brings us unmatched expertise and credibility to our discussions. Join us as we explore the transformative power of accessibility and inclusion in today's world. Through captivating conversations, Linda shares her wealth of knowledge, provides practical solutions, and sheds light on the latest trends and investments in the field. Whether you're a business owner or disability advocate, or simply curious about the world of accessibility, this podcast is your go to resource. Get ready to unlock new perspectives, breakdown barriers, and embark on a journey of empowerment. Are you ready to create a more inclusive world? Let's begin! Welcome to the Accessibility Solutions Podcast.
Linda:
Hi, this is Linda, and thanks so much for joining this episode of the Accessibility Solutions podcast. Today we're gonna talk about a program that Accessibility Solutions has recently launched. And it's a program that I have felt has been needed in many communities for a number of years, at least as long as I've been in a wheelchair. And it is, it's a Portable Ramp Program. So I, a business would want to take advantage of a portable ramp program is that as people are walking down a sidewalk and they want to come into your business, your business has one staff, then a person in a wheelchair or perhaps someone pushing a stroller or someone that's using a walker may not be able to navigate into your store or your restaurant. If you have just one step, however, a Portable Ramp Program would allow you to merely put out a portable ramp on demand. And you and those people that would normally just end up walking by your business or your restaurant being welcome to come in and to spend money in your establishment. 22% of the population has a disability and over the age of 65, that number goes up to 40%. Many of these people are interested in the product, services that you have to offer, but if you have a barrier to accessing your facility, then they are not able to come in and spend money in your establishment, which is really a lost business opportunity. If they can't get in, then the other issue is that what I call their sphere of influence or the family and friends that they may be with also are not gonna come in and they're gonna move on to the next business that is accessible and they're gonna spend their money there. And so this is a percentage of the population that in my mind, no business can afford to overlook. I had an experience lately where I was at the Byward Market in downtown Ottawa. We're talking about a fairly well known tourism destination in our capital city. And I was actually amazed at the amount of cafes, bistros, and small shops located in the Byward Market that were not accessible. They had one step to get in and that really, I think, opened my eyes. And for the number of years that I've been in a power wheelchair, I would never have thought that going into somewhere like the Byward Market in Ottawa, which is such a well known tourism destination, would have been as inaccessible as it was. But what the real lost opportunity for those businesses was not only was I able to take in their businesses. And in the case of my first experience as I was wandering around the Byward Market with a friend of mine was that we ended up passing so many small interesting cafes and bistros that we would have gone into. We were looking for a place to go for dinner. It ended up going to a chain restaurant that I could have gone to in my hometown because that was the only restaurant that we could find at that point that was accessible, which was really a lost opportunity. First, from the standpoint of probably 10 or 12 interesting looking cafes or bistros that week passed along the way, which they'd have a portable ramp, would have been easy for me to get into, but also didn't allow me to experience the ambience or the uniqueness of the Byward Market. And so it was a lost opportunity for both of us, for those businesses that I didn't get to spend my money there, and also for me as a person with the disability that requires a ramp to or barrier-free access to a business in order to come in. And in my case, I would have enjoyed some of the local establishments versus, as I said, ending up being at a chain restaurant because it was the only thing that we could find for dinner that evening that was accessible. I find a lot of municipalities that have historic downtowns, they are historic buildings and they do quite often have one step to get into. But that does not mean that there could not be a solution from an accessibility perspective where those businesses could be accessible. With the Portable Rant program that Accessibility Solutions offers, it's really just an aluminum folding ramp. You put a sign in your window just saying that you have a ramp available if someone is coming. If it's a restaurant, for example, and that they're making a reservation, and I know whatever I call to make a dinner reservation, I always have to ask if the restaurant is accessible. But imagine that business being able to say, yes, we are accessible because we have a portable ramp that we can put out. And so it could either be put out in advance in case of a restaurant where you're making rest dinner reservations or a sign in the window that merely says we have a portable ramp available for people who require it. In the case of perhaps a shot and then getting that portable ramp, oh, which is really just an aluminum folding suitcase type ramp. And, and putting it up on that one step, now you've opened your, first of all, you've made your business accessible and you've opened your business up to that 22% of the population that otherwise would not have been spending money in your establishment. So the solution to one or two steps, to me, I just think it's such a lost opportunity for businesses not to consider this and from a municipalities perspective for them not to embrace this as at the municipal level where critical infrastructure in terms of putting a permanent ramp on every single individual building is gonna be very costly. But one portable ramp that could potentially be shared with a business improved area or with a number of different businesses or could be just one individual business investing in the portable ramp, again, having either the signage having it on their website that they are accessible or if someone is calling in the case of a restaurant to make a reservation, just knowing that someone with success to their business will be coming and having that portable ramp out and available, very cost effective solution to allow businesses to become accessible and also to be very inclusive for allowing anyone, and also for them to be inclusive so that everyone can enjoy access to their goods and services as, as they should be. So if you or your municipality could take advantage of this horrible ramp program, I invite you to head over to our website www.solutions4accessibility.com and look under our Accessible Municipalities for our Portable Ramp Program. I would be happy to have a discussion with any business group that's interested in the portable ramp program and or a municipality that may be considering how they can just take one small step towards making perhaps their historic downtown or a business area in their municipality fully accessible for persons with disabilities. So thank you for joining the Accessibility Solutions podcast this week and until our next episode, cheers!
Outro:
Thank you for joining us on the Accessibility Solutions podcast hosted by Linda Hunt. We hope these discussions have inspired you and provided valuable insights into the world of accessibility and inclusion. If you're ready to take the next steps in creating an accessible and inclusive environment, we invite you to book a personalized accessibility solutions consultation with Linda. As an experienced accessibility consultant, Linda will work closely with you to develop innovative solutions tailored to your unique needs and challenges. Together, you'll navigate the complexities of accessibility regulations, explore inclusive design principles, and implement practical strategies to ensure equal access for all. Don't miss this opportunity to make a real difference. Visit our website at www.solutions4 accessibility.com, and that's the No.
4. So solutions4accessibility.com. Schedule your consultation today. Let's transform your space into an inclusive and welcoming environment for everyone. Thanks again for listening to the Accessibility Solutions podcast. Stay tuned for more empowering episodes as we continue our journey towards a more accessible world.
