Disabled Shopping Tourism Made Easy
Disability affects a third of the total population of the world, whether directly or indirectly. Businesses who disregard this huge chunk of the market find themselves at a great disadvantage. That is why it is highly recommended that they ensure commitment to accessibility standards by getting evaluated by a Certified Access Specialist. If you own a business and need the opinion of an expert, you can read here for more information: https://adacompliancepros.com/hire-a-casp/
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
The ADA is a civil rights law enacted in 1990 to protect persons with disabilities from discrimination. They experience this discrimination by way of loss of access to public goods and services. Since the ADA has been in effect for more than 3 decades now, there is a heavier expectation for businesses to be more adaptive to the needs of individuals with disabilities. While the ADA is law, compliance is not a prerequisite for many industries before they commence operations. Instead, those responsible for violations face punishment in the form of fees and statutory damages paid for each and every claim.
Disabled Shopping Tourism
One of the rights of persons with disabilities protected by the ADA is the right to travel. Today, lots of businesses thrive due to the support and demand of tourists and for America, a quarter of these are people who experience limitations in ability.
In the U.S., tourism is a 1.1 trillion dollar industry. And in this industry, shopping is an integral part of the chain. When we travel, aside from taking pictures, we also love to take keepsakes in the form of merchandise and various souvenirs. Due to the huge impact of the tourism industry on the country’s economy, it becomes paramount to ensure that it adapts to the rising needs that the law now addresses especially in terms of accessibility.
Certified Access Specialist (CASp)
One good way of keeping your ear to the ground is by actively getting feedback from your customers especially those who might require further help to enjoy your services. But this remedy alone is not enough.
Disability laws are distinctly complicated for the layperson. Furthermore, they get updated from time to time and approved measures from a few years ago may be outdated by the time you read it. While the contractors you might hire may be familiar with accessibility standards defined by the Department of Justice, the best authorities in this matter are still Certified Access Specialists.
Although CASps are hired voluntarily, the evaluations you can procure from them become an official record. And while CASp reports do not 100% guarantee you from getting sued for an ADA violation in the future, they do come with their own benefits. You can think of them as one of the easiest investments you can make for your business.
Recommendation
Laws and standards undergo change all the time. The layout of a store can go through a lot of transformation even in a short period. To ensure that you are adhering to the most up-to-date standards, it may not be enough to have one CASp assessment for your business for the duration of its operations. If your establishment has not been visited by an expert for some time, you might want to rectify this by getting in touch with one soon.
