Making the Miami Workplace Accessible to Disabled Individuals
If you’re a Miami business owner, you will probably be aware of the need to make your premises accessible for people with disabilities or physical handicaps. This requirement is not only enforceable for your customers, but for your staff as well. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 specifies that no-one must be discriminated against, in the sense that they must not be excluded from having right of access to or enjoyment of your premises, for having a disability.
That said, a high proportion of disabled people are unemployed. This may be for many reasons, including of course the fact that the specific disability may mean that the person is unable to work, but even for those who can work, the rate of employment is low. This has a significant impact on our productivity and economy. Despite many companies claiming that they are in favor of equal opportunities, how many actually put this into practice when it comes to disability at work? A study in 1995 by Jones and colleagues (Percept Mot Skills 1995; 81:911-919) found that even people who did not consider themselves to be discriminatory against disabled people, felt uncomfortable working with them, and that men and older people felt more uncomfortable that women.
Another research project in Finland in 1999 (Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation 1999; 9:4) studied physically disabled persons at work and discovered that far fewer accessibility modifications were made in the workplace compared to at home. A disabled person does, of course, have greater freedom in choosing the decoration, layout and modifications made to their own home, but given the amount of time that a full time employee spends at work, and the fact that it is mandatory for accessibility modifications to be made in the workplace, it is somewhat surprising that this was the case. Things may have changed in the last few years, but the problem of unemployment amongst the physically disabled may still be attributed to a lack of access to work or at work.
Making your place of work accessible for disabled people can be somewhat costly, but since most ADA compliant modifications are required by law anyway, and funding may be available, it’s time to think about making changes. Depending on the nature of your business, there will be different options and products that are available and appropriate for your needs. Disabled office workers will require different accessibility strategies to those who work in a factory or on a farm for example. Your Miami ADA modifications should also take into account the different types of disability – we automatically tend to think of the “disabled” as being those in wheelchairs, but in reality the term “disability” encompasses things like blindness, deafness, someone who uses a walker or cane, or someone who has missing limbs, so simply installing wheelchair ramps and an adjustable height desk may not be enough.
Seeking the advice of an expert occupational adviser or mobility equipment supplier is essential, as they will not only recommend the best modifications to put in place, but they will also help you to put them into place in accordance with the ADA. Your local Miami remodeling contractor can also be of help, as sometimes contractors offer building inspections and remodeling services geared towards ADA compliant standards.
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