How To Improve Accessibility For People With Disabilities

6.4 million people have a disability in Australia. However, businesses and organisations still fail to provide disability accessibility. People with disabilities should be able to participate in daily life without barriers. In this blog post, we discuss strategies of how to improve accessibility for people with disabilities in businesses and organisations. 

There are many barriers’ people with disabilities face in businesses and organisations. Statistics show that people with disabilities are at a higher risk of experiencing discrimination, compared to people without disabilities. People with disabilities are also less likely to be employed or when they are employed, there are no accommodations made for them. They also must try to navigate through poorly designed environments and are sometimes restricted access to places due to no accessibility. These problems can lead to people with disabilities well-being and mental health suffering. 

So, what are some ways on how we can improve disability accessibility? Firstly, businesses and organisations could hire more people with disabilities, as they can think outside the box as they have learnt to live in a world that was not designed for them. They could also provide accommodations for people with disabilities. For example, if a person has problems with hearing, they can be provided with subtitles, if they have problem with their vision, they can be provided with an audio option or braille, or if they have difficulty with bright light, the lights could be dimmed.

Businesses and organisations could also design an environment with the idea of everyone in mind. They could start by asking people with disabilities for assistance, as people with disabilities have experienced firsthand on what environments are best for them in their daily life. Businesses and organisations could also test their products and services on everyone before they sell them, to ensure everyone can have access to them. 

Overall, disability accessibility has been shown to improve people with disabilities mental health and well-being. Disability accessibility also helps to create an inclusive environment for people with disabilities, where they can feel comfortable and accepted.