As our attitudes toward disability shift, we are becoming a society that more fully integrates our facilities with impaired people in all sectors of life. The stereotype that disabled persons can't work or live a normal life is gradually dispelling. More and more businesses and organizations are adapting to this new norm by hiring people with a range of disabilities and allowing wheelchairs in the workplace.
Small and confined corridors in buildings, difficult-to-navigate parking lots, and even going shopping or visiting friends and family are all common problems that wheelchair users face. Uneven surfaces or steep hills make it impossible to self-propel a manual wheelchair and need the usage of an electric wheelchair.
Employees who use wheelchairs should be able to maneuver about the office without having to worry about impediments like tight entrances, stairs, or insufficient restroom facilities getting in their way. Making workplace adjustments to allow for easy access can have a significant impact on how a disabled employee performs and feels at work.
In 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was enacted. It safeguards disabled people's civil rights as well as their access to basic services. All office buildings and business establishments are required by law to make their amenities freely accessible to people with impairments. All employees must work in a safe workplace, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). It also establishes workplace norms for wheelchair accessibility.
Here is a shortlist of things we should aim to change in the workplace to accommodate wheelchairs.
Parking should be available.
People in wheelchairs and other disabled employees should be able to park near the entrances. If employees want assistance in getting to the facility, transportation vans are available. At least one of these areas should be located near each of the building's entrances. Place the universal disabled person's sign and highlight each space with a different color of paint. The number of parking places allocated to disabled personnel is determined by the number of spots available in the parking lot. Many firms have agreed that two allocated places for disabled employees for every 50 spaces is a reasonable ratio.
Ramps for Wheelchair Users Entering the Workplace
Portable Wheelchair Ramp by Karman
Access ramps should be installed at all entrances so that wheelchairs can easily enter and exit the facility. The ramp inclination must have a slope of 1:16 to 1:20, according to the Americans with Disabilities Act Buildings and Facilities Guidelines. At steeper ramps, handrails should be present to allow wheelchair users to pull themselves up. Motorized lifts can be installed as an alternative to ramps.
Make sure the entrances are wide enough.
Make care to take measurements of existing doorways and entranceways. This will evaluate if they fulfill the ADA building requirements' recommended 36-inch width. To give extra room between the door and the doorway, use specialist door hinges. Alternatively, you might pay a contractor to expand the doorways for you. Certain rules should be followed by all doorways throughout the facility. Office doors, storage doors, conference room doors, and bathroom entries are all examples of this. Doors should also swing inwards rather than outwards to make it easier for those in wheelchairs to open them.
The minimum width of any entry must not be less than 28 inches wide, according to OSHA. Stairways should be at least 22 inches wide. This stipulation has frequently been overruled by the ADA. To accommodate wheelchair access, they have stipulated that halls be at least 44 inches wide.
Wheelchair-accessible restrooms in the workplace
Establish at least one handicap restroom stall in each restroom in the building for wheelchairs in the workplace. Bring in a contractor to build more stalls or link two stalls together to produce this necessary space.
In the Workplace, More Space for Wheelchairs
If a disabled employee chooses to work in an office chair, provide more space to store a manual or electric wheelchair. Make a larger cubicle or office space so the employee may shift from the wheelchair to the office chair. A wheelchair, desk, office chair, and other office items should all be able to fit in the space.
Wheelchair-Friendly Evacuation Routes
Occupational safety and health requirements in the workplace demand that exit routes be marked and well-maintained so that all employees, including those who use wheelchairs, can leave the premises as swiftly and safely as possible. Where the departure route is too steep or slanted for the wheelchair user, a ramp must be built. Stipulations further stipulate that each escape route door must be free of any decorations or signs that obscure the visibility of the exit route door.
Some of the most gifted employees may suffer from a variety of disabilities. While visually impaired people just require special computer equipment, the needs for wheelchairs and even electric wheelchairs in the workplace are significantly more diverse.
We must take the steps necessary to make the workplace more accessible to wheelchair users. In an office setting, non-disabled people rarely recognize how easy it is to take things for granted.
In the workplace, there should be a sense of fairness and justice. All of your accessibility efforts will be for naught if you or your workers are unable to see beyond the person's impairment and are unwilling to adjust to the new surroundings.
How to Make Your Workplace Accessible to Employees in Wheelchairs
Specifications for Handicapped Showers • Wheelchair Resources - Disability and Discrimination
Wheelchair-Friendly Office Ideas
Getting Ready to Return Home in Your New Wheelchair