There could be good news for America's more than 54 million disabled men, women, and children. Many American companies are looking for ways to help them find pharmacies, hospitals, schools, hotels, restaurants, and shops that are easy to get to so they don't have to struggle to find them.
Since many baby boomers are now in their 60s and are having more health and mobility problems, there will probably be a big jump in the number of Americans who only want to spend their money at places that can help them with their mobility needs. A good customer experience will also be a big part of getting the millions of dollars that this growing market of baby boomers spends.
The Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA, was passed in 1990 to protect people with disabilities and make sure they can use all facilities equally. After more than 15 years, many people with disabilities still don't understand why they can't go to the places they want to.
Ingersoll Rand's Security Technologies Sector made a strategic business unit for automated openings to help businesses get ready for the ADA. Ron Ratell, who runs the unit and is in charge of marketing for the ADA, thinks the problem is that people don't know about it.
"Many small and medium-sized business owners don't know that their building doesn't meet ADA guidelines," said Ratell, whose company specialises in automated openings and also owns the Schlage brand of commercial and residential locks, which are the most popular locks for homes and apartments in the U.S.
"Most of the time, a business owner doesn't know they aren't following the law until a person with a disability gets hurt or makes a complaint. This reactive approach forces business owners to spend too much time and money defending themselves and their businesses, even though the building's entrances don't meet ADA standards "added Ratell.
Ratell said, "Another problem is that many business owners don't know where to turn for help with ADA issues or that there are tax breaks that can help them bring their businesses up to the standards that are needed."
At the moment, there are two major tax incentive programmes that businesses can use to help pay for the cost of making the changes that the Americans with Disabilities Act requires. The first is a tax credit that can be used to make changes to buildings, buy new equipment, or pay for services. The second is a tax break that can be used to make changes to buildings or transportation. You can find out more about these ADA tax breaks at www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/taxpack.htm.
Ratell's company also helps business owners make their buildings accessible to people with disabilities by offering a wide range of consulting services and "turnkey" solutions. Ingersoll Rand's Automated Openings Business Unit has solutions for all kinds of openings that need to be easy to use. These options include lever door handles, push-and-pull door handles, mechanical door closers and mechanical exits, as well as powered door operators. Powered door operators can range from "push-and-go" systems that help pedestrians open the door to systems that open and close the door on their own.
To find the right solution for your openings, you must know how the opening is used, the fire and life safety codes, and the ADA accessibility requirements. There are optimised solutions to close the gap between the business goals of the owner and ADA accessibility.
Ratell says that the Americans with Disabilities Act Home Page (www.ada.gov), the National Organization on Disability (www.nod.org), and the United States Access Board are all good places to start if you have questions about how the ADA affects you or your business (www.access-board.gov).
