Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/1451559
L i s te n to T h e A B M P Po d c a s t a t a b m p.co m /p o d c a s t s o r w h e reve r yo u a cce s s yo u r favo r i te p o d c a s t s 79 The ADA requires that small businesses remove architectural barriers in existing facilities when it is "readily achievable" to do so. Readily achievable means "easily accomplishable without much difficulty or expense." example, I was not required to put in a ramp when I made interior changes to my office and updated the exterior door, because that would have been a large and difficult expense as compared to the size and income of my business. Reasonable efforts to accommodate and assist people with disabilities that are not huge financial burdens to your small business may include: • Adding accessible parking spaces with appropriate signage • Installing handrails and safety equipment in restrooms • Using an electric table that lowers • Removing physical barriers (furniture, displays) and widening aisles and pass- through areas Again, there's an ethical discussion here. Even if an effort may not be considered reasonable, if you can make your physical space more accessible, we believe you should try. Your Online Presence Making your massage practice accessible goes beyond your physical space. It's also important to ensure your business is inclusive and accessible online. This is especially vital because many prospective clients of differing abilities will often get information about you online before reaching out or booking an appointment, and the experience they have on your website will influence their level of trust and comfort with you. TAKEAWAY: All businesses must comply with Title III of the ADA. There is also an ethical consideration—it is good and right to do everything we can to make massage accessible to everyone, and that includes people with disabilities. Physical Space The "ADA Standards for Accessible Design" was originally published in 1991 and updated in 2010. Compliance does not mean you immediately need to make massive changes to your office. But if you make construction updates or certain physical changes to your space, you must comply with the most recent regulations. Here's an example: When I expanded my office space, it involved adding a few new doorways. Those new doorways were required to be a minimum of 32 inches wide. I did not need to change all the existing doorways in my office, but the new doorways needed to meet that requirement. I found the most helpful information to understand Title III came right from the ADA update primer. (Really, go nerd out on that). The ADA requires that small businesses remove architectural barriers in existing facilities when it is "readily achievable" to do so. Readily achievable means "easily accomplishable without much difficulty or expense." This requirement is based on the size and resources of a business: Businesses with more resources are expected to remove more barriers than businesses with fewer resources. 3 So, a large spa that's been around for 20 years and does $800,000 of business a year could be compelled to finally install a ramp to the front door. Your very small part- time massage business will not be required to install an elevator to your second-floor office in an old renovated house. As an There are a few key elements you will need to consider to ensure your website is accessible and ADA compliant. One element is how accessible your website is to people who are visually impaired. These individuals often use screen readers to interact with websites, and the tools they use need to be able to get as much information as possible from the site. While the text on your website might be readable, you will also need to make sure images have the proper embedded text that gives context about the image. This is called alt text (short for "alternative text") in strict website code terms, and most website management platforms will let you add this text to any image easily. The alt text should tell the story of what the image is. For example, instead of just "tree," the text should be something like "A tall, mature tree in an open meadow with the sun shining in the background." You don't need to include "An image of" since all images are, well, images. The screen reader will read this text upon encountering the