Ways to Make Your Workplace More Accessible: Lifts, Automatic Doors and More

As a business owner, it’s important to make sure your workplace is accessible for everyone. Often, offices aren’t always accessible to people with disabilities and this can make accessing work difficult for those who rely on mobility aids. It’s important to create a work environment that makes people with disabilities feel safe, supported and acknowledged - and this means altering your office space to meet their needs.

There are lots of things you can do to make your workplace more accessible. Some alterations can be made in just fifteen minutes, whereas others require you to rethink the layout of your workspace. In fact, the UK government states that employers must have reasonable adjustments to make sure workers with disabilities, or physical or mental health conditions, aren’t substantially disadvantaged when carrying out their jobs.

To make sure your workplace is accessible, functional and welcoming for everyone, we’ve put together different ways you can make your office more accessible.

Automatic doors

Installing automatic doors wherever possible is a simple way to make your workplace more accessible. While many offices only have automatic doors on the outside of the building (or in the entrance), installing them throughout your workplace will make things easier for those unable to open doors by themselves. This is especially important for rooms with doors that stay closed most of the time, such as meeting rooms, break rooms and individual offices.

Some employees may not have full use of their arms; installing automatic doors will ensure they can easily access different rooms and parts of the building without having to rely on others. This will help employees feel independent and supported in their workplace.

Wide hallways and door frames

All employees should be able to get through hallways and access different parts of the building comfortably. Tight doorways and hallways can be difficult to get through for those using a mobility aid such as a wheelchair or scooter, so it’s important you have wide hallways and doorframes in the office. In fact, having any cramped spaces in the workplace can make it difficult for people to move around, so it’s best to make sure work areas are as spacious as possible.

Lifts

Lifts are a simple but very effective way to ensure people can easily and freely move between floors in the workplace. Some people may not be able to take the stairs; installing a lift will ensure your employees can access every floor comfortably. Lifts can boost the confidence of members of staff with mobility issues, allowing them to move around the building with ease.

In addition, if you have clients or customers visiting your premises, you should never assume that they can use the stairs. It’s important to provide lifts so that people feel independent and comfortable in your workplace.

When installing a lift in your commercial building, make sure you choose a reliable and reputable installer like ADL Lift Services.

Adjustable tables and desks

Your employees should be able to sit comfortably at different workstations in your office. Height adjustable desks are appearing in more and more workplaces, but they allow you to do more than just move between sitting and standing while working.

Adjustable desks are suitable for people who use wheelchairs or a scooter; not all wheelchairs and scooters are the same height and therefore what works for one employee may not work for the next. Investing in adjustable height desks ensures those with wheelchairs and scooters at different heights can easily adjust it to the right height so they can continue to carry out their job comfortably.

Bigger bathrooms with handrails

It’s important your bathrooms are big enough for someone with a wheelchair, scooter or walker to move around in with no problems. Standard bathroom cubicles aren’t big enough for people to move around in with a mobility device, so it’s important you have an accessible disabled bathroom available for those who need it.

In addition, handrails should be installed in the bathroom to assist those who need them. Handrails can make it easier for people to move around and reduces the risk of slips and trips. It’s also absolutely crucial that people using mobility devices and aids can reach the sink, handles, soap and hand dryer.

Look beyond the furniture

Often, when creating a workplace that is accessible for everyone, people just think of the furniture. However, to create a workplace that is truly accessible, inclusive and functional, you need to look beyond the physical space. There are lots of different tools and pieces of equipment to explore that can make working easier and more comfortable for employees.

Assistive technologies are a great way to ensure your employees can work efficiently and productively. These types of tools include screen readers, voice recognition programs, enlarged keyboards and closed captioning. In fact, there are lots of people who could benefit from these types of assistive technologies in your office, even if they don’t identify as disabled.

For example, people with poor eyesight or older people may appreciate a screen enlargement application on their computer to make working easier. Screen readers may also be helpful for those who struggle with their hearing.

Train and educate employees

Again, to create an inclusive workplace, you need to look behind the physical adjustments you can make. In order to promote an accessible workplace for everyone, each and every one of your employees needs to be on board and ready to learn.

Provide employees with adequate training on how to create an inclusive and accessible office. This way, employees will know exactly what they can do to contribute to a better working space for everyone - and they’ll be clued up on how to do their bit.

There are lots of different practices employees can carry out to create a better work environment. For example, those doing a presentation should send out the slides and notes before the presentation, giving everyone time to review the information. As some people rely on enlarged fonts or screen readers, this can be particularly helpful. The front seats of a presentation should be reserved for those who are hard of hearing or who rely on lip reading.

Include this type of training when onboarding new employees and training them on other aspects of the business, such as health and safety or fire safety training. This will ensure that right from the start, your employees are doing their bit to create an inclusive and accessible workplace for everyone.

ADL Lift Services: one of the leading lift companies in Scotland

If you’re in need of a reliable wheelchair lift company in Scotland, you needn’t look further than ADL Lift Services. Unlike other lift companies in Scotland, we offer a personalised service to our clients. We work with many different lift manufacturers and can create bespoke arrangements for you, along with maintenance and service agreements to meet your needs.

Our wheelchair lifts are some of the best in the area; our team of experts work hard to provide quality products at a competitive price. At ADL Lift Services, we offer tailor-made disability solutions to suit the needs of your employees or clients, but also comply with relevant legislation.