As a business owner, one of your primary goals is to make your small business accessible to all your customers, especially people with disabilities. This is where the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) enters the picture.
Primarily, the ADA refers to a federal law that protects persons with disabilities while doing everyday activities in all business establishments, including shopping, dining out, or even receiving medical care. This law also mandates every business owner to provide ample accommodations to people who are disabled. These may include the placement of proper signage around your business premises.
If you’re running a business, keep reading to know more about a few reasons why having proper signage installed within your business is extremely important.
Improve Your Branding
Placing ADA-compliant signage can significantly impact your business branding. It can also help attract more customers by sending a clear message that your company values and honors the rights and needs of persons with disabilities.
With the installation of proper signage around your business site, you can show them that they’re welcome and that they form part of your family. This kind of relationship you establish with them can undeniably boost your branding efforts while being compliant with ADA guidelines.
If you want to customize signage that reflects your brand and style, hiring a reputable ADA-compliant signage company can be a great idea. They can work at providing you with the best manufacturing and installation services for your sign project.
Help Your Customers Navigate Your Business Quickly
Your customers will always look for the easiest and quickest way to access and navigate your business. This is especially true for customers who are dealing with mobility problems such as those who are blind, mute, or deaf. For this reason, proper customized signage around your premises is essential for them so they can quickly locate or know more about your products or services.
From your parking lots and walkways to bathroom locations, sink heights, flooring materials, and many more, you can install signage at these areas to guide people with mobility difficulties to different areas of your company building. That’s the reason why most ADA-compliant business signages are made from high-contrast, tangible letters and even from Braille lettering to make sure they’re easy to read.
Moreover, the more you place attractive and creative signage within your small business, the more you establish trust among your disabled customers. Consequently, you’re able to increase your revenue over time.
Prevent Your Business From Being Wrangled Into Lawsuits And Fines
While the comfort, safety, and well-being of your customers are your primary concern, it’s also essential to take your compliance with ADA law seriously. In other words, your inability to comply with the regulations set forth by the ADA law can get your company in big trouble.
For example, your failure to install proper signage within your small business can bring about lawsuits and other legal trouble. Sometimes, you’ll have to pay hefty fines and penalties. However, dealing with these problems can cost you more money, time, and energy. And in extreme cases, your company may be asked to stop its operations.
Because of these unfortunate situations, it’s crucial to have proper signage in place to make sure you’re ADA-compliant, which in turn can keep you and your business safe from any legal impediments that may come your way.
On the other hand, being ADA-compliant means you need to follow some guidelines and requirements. These may include:
- All permanent areas and spaces inside your business are required to have business signage.
- Each business sign should be installed appropriately with its baseline mounted between 48 inches at the lowest point and 60 inches at the highest point.
- For signs to be installed next to a single door, they should be attached against the wall that is closest to the handle side of the door.
- When it comes to double doors, the signage should be mounted to the right side of the right-handed door.
Keep Your Customers With Disability Safe And Away From Harm
Depending on the type of small company you run, the installation of proper signage is essential for your business, especially for the safety of your customers who have disabilities. Aside from physical navigation, business signs are there to keep them safe and away from harm.
For instance, you need to install signage in certain areas to indicate to disabled customers what they have to do or any equipment they have to wear before proceeding to any of the premises. These signs will also serve as your warning to them about any safety risks and other workplace hazards that may arise within your business place.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to disabled customers, small business owners like you should give importance to the installation of proper signage to ensure convenient and quick navigation of your office and other areas within your company premises.
So, if you’re not sure whether proper signage should be installed on your premises, keep these reasons in mind to help you make a sound decision that benefits your company for a long time.
