Tips for businesses

Duration 00:01:16

Audio-described transcript

Jane Britt:

Audio description: A blonde woman with pink glasses, earrings and jacket. She is wearing a white shirt and holding a cane. She is standing in a foyer.

Transcript: When I’m included in society as someone with disability, when someone else takes that into account – it feels like I belong, that I’m a member of that community that is valued, ah that I’m respected and that, you know, I have a valuable contribution that I can make to society.

I’m deaf blind and they come in and say ‘let’s see how we can make this so you can see it, and hear it’, then I feel like they have respected me as a person and my entire identity.

An example for me was that a local café asked me how it would be most accessible for me to pay. So we decided between ourselves that they would bring the terminal to me so that I could tap and pay at the table without me having to use my cane and navigate a space where I don’t know what obstacles are there and, um, go to a counter and potentially use a terminal where I don’t have the vision to be able to use the touch screen. So it was a way of making me feel like I was part of my community, that I went back to that café every day because they specifically decided to address my needs as someone with disability.

Accessible communication is smart business. It means you can reach more customers and customers that feel valued are more likely to return and recommend your business to others.

It can also be hard to know where to start.

Check out our top tips and easy to implement ideas to make your business communication accessible.

  • Promote your business in ways that reach your whole community.
  • Create large print versions of documents like menus that can be read by people with low vision.
  • Ensure your website is accessible so everyone can learn more about the products and services you offer.
  • Ask customers what they need and work with them to meet those needs. Remember that access looks different for everyone.
  • Offer staff training on accessible communication.

Find out more