How to Make Your Office Accessible

One in five adults, or 64 million people in the United States, report having a disability of some kind. Of those, 35%, or 22 million people, are of working age, according to the American Institutes for Research.

An accessible office is one that is welcoming to all employees and visiting clients, and accommodates a range of needs for those in the building. As a business or property owner, you may be required by law to create or enhance accommodations to make your office a comfortable environment for everyone using it.

An accessible office is not only necessary, but has been shown to provide benefits to employers that implement them, too. Survey data from the Job Accommodation Network (JAN) found that "employers reported providing accommodations that resulted in such benefits as retaining valuable employees, improving productivity and morale, reducing workers' compensation and training costs, and improving company diversity."

Business owners should check with their local and state government to ensure office space is in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, passed to prevent discrimination against individuals with disabilities in hiring and employment as well as in their access to public entities and accommodations.

The Office of Compliance offers a checklist for business owners to ensure all office space is ADA-compliant. Business owners can also access JAN's Workplace Accommodation Toolkit, which provides guidance on how to go above and beyond basic compliance requirements to make workspaces more accessible. When in doubt, it is always helpful to consult an expert when it comes to your individual workspace.

Key considerations for making your office accessible to people with disabilities include:

• Doorways and entries that are wide enough for wheelchairs or other mobility aids.
• Flooring material, such as carpet pile, is low enough to accommodate wheelchairs.
• Furniture that allows for wheelchair access or easy use, or is height adjustable.
• Building elevators.
• Handicap-accessible bathrooms.
• Other considerations such as automatic doors, gender neutral bathrooms, braille signs, etc.

Doors and other entries. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, ambulatory (difficulty walking or climbing stairs) disabilities are most common among U.S. workers.

Doorways should be at least 32 inches wide to permit the entry of an individual in a wheelchair or other motorized transport. If there is a double door, then collectively the entryway must be at least the minimum width. All doors must be easily opened with a push; ADA-compliant doors either open automatically or require no more than five pounds of force to open. For automatic doors, there are also requirements for where and how high the operable buttons are placed.

If there are stairs leading up to the entrance of a building, a ramp will make it accessible for employees and visitors in wheelchairs. While the slope of the ramp is dependent on how the entrance is situated, it stands to reason that if a ramp is too steep to walk up, it will be even more difficult to navigate in a wheelchair.

Hallways, lobbies, and other open areas. If your floors are covered, the carpet pile must be less than ½ inch to allow for easy movement for people in wheelchairs. Keeping an open layout and making sure your areas are not overcrowded with furniture will allow those in wheelchairs to maneuver more easily. Keeping walkways clear is also essential so that those with vision impairments can navigate easily.

Wall-mounted objects, such as lighting fixtures, shelving or water fountains, for example, should not protrude more than four inches from the wall, and if they do the leading edge must be less than 27 inches above the floor to accommodate wheelchair access. Any protruding objects should also be detectable for those with a vision impairment using a walking stick or cane.

Furniture. When arranging furniture in your waiting area, make sure there is enough room for a person to navigate a wheelchair. Tables in conference rooms and other public areas should be at least 27 inches high so that a person in a wheelchair can fit his or her knees comfortably underneath.

Aside from ADA compliance, there are some common-sense approaches to making office furniture accessible. For reception areas, an information desk should be low enough so a person in a wheelchair can easily be seen by the receptionist sitting behind the desk. Additionally, armless chairs and couches can provide comfortable seating for employees and visitors of all shapes and sizes.

You may also want to consider ergonomic furniture, such as work desks, that can be custom-adjusted to each employee or change height as necessary.

Elevator access. If your office has multiple floors, you may already have an elevator. Not all elevators are made the same, however. Taller buildings will likely have elevators meant for frequent use and/or have a higher passenger capacity. Some older buildings may have elevators that are intended for occasional use only. If yours is the latter, be sure to hang signage that clearly states it is for limited access only. You should also note how long the elevator doors take to close, and program them accordingly to ensure proper time for someone to safely get into the elevator.

Restrooms. Restrooms must be ADA-compliant, meaning the entryways are accessible and non-automatic doors require less than five pounds of force to open. Grab bars must be installed behind and to the side of at least one toilet stall and be mounted between 33 and 36 inches above the floor. Sinks must also be installed at an accessible height.

Additional or Individual Accommodations. You may have to make necessary accommodations that will vary by employee and their specific needs. Some things to consider include: enlarged keyboards; screen readers or closed captioning capabilities; voice recognition programs; and braille signage throughout the building.

Not all accessibility requirements involve persons with disabilities or mobility issues. When making your office welcoming to all people, it's important to keep transgender individuals in mind as well.

Gender-neutral bathrooms. Not every individual identifies with the gender assigned at birth. Gender-neutral bathrooms make it comfortable for everyone in your office, whether they are current employees or visiting clients. You can add a gender-neutral sign to a single-room bathroom, or you can plan an upgrade to full doors for a row of toilets in an existing bathroom.

Changes and upgrades to office accommodations will require some careful thought for business owners. In your effort to be more inclusive for your employees and clientele, it is important to review local, state, and federal regulations to ensure you are meeting the minimum requirements for compliance.

This article was edited by Lauren Shanesy.