Under the Disability Discrimination Act, many businesses are obliged to improve their disabled access. If you can change your building to make disabled access easier, and that change is reasonable, you will be expected to carry it out.
The definition of reasonable is fairly broad, but the change must be affordable and cost effective, and it should yield marked benefits for disabled people. Improving access is one of the most straightforward ways you can comply with the Disability Discrimination Act.
Why Improve Access?
The most obvious answer to this point is that changes are sometimes required under law.
When it’s not a legal requirement, access for disabled people makes sense on many levels:
- It broadens the appeal of your business, getting more customers through the door.
- The business can hire disabled employees, widening the potential pool of talent it can use.
- It improves the image of your business; disabled access and facilities makes it clear everyone is welcome.
- Other people benefit from the alterations and access improvements. Parents with young children are bound to notice the improvement in access too.
How Bifolds Help the Disabled
Bifold doors offer the ideal solution to access challenges. In commercial premises, bifolds can turn a small, awkward doorway into a fully open space. They are suitable for hotels, pubs, restaurants, youth clubs, office buildings and shops, providing there is a suitable wall to install them.
Additionally, bifold doors can often be fitted with the aluminium runner sunk into the floor, or protruding only very slightly above floor level, depending on the setting. This flush installation makes it very easy for someone in a wheelchair to cross the threshold safely. The rest of the frame is made from reinforced steel for strength and durability.
And because bifolds glide smoothly, they are easy for disabled people and other visitors to open and close.
The versatility of bifolds means that they can be manufactured to match your existing windows and doors, and they sport a range of safety features that keep your business assets safe. We can fit anti-drill cylinder locks, anti-snap and anti-bump upgrades, and multi point locking systems.
Bifold installation need not disturb your existing guests and they can be installed in relatively small spaces. Our installers take care to clean up after themselves, ensuring that your existing floor coverings and materials are not damaged. This helps your business to get back to normal as soon as possible.
Explore Your Options
This summer, a brand new set of bifold doors could make a massive difference to your customers’ enjoyment of your premises. In addition, bifolds could make access easier and encourage a more diverse range of customers to flock through the doors.
For more information about the benefits of bifolds, speak to Your Price Bifolds today. Thanks to our experience and contacts, we can source bifold doors at market-leading prices, helping you comply with the law for a very affordable cost. Speak to us about your needs today; there’s no obligation to buy, and you may find that complying with the law is less hassle than you expected.
