• The U.S. Census Bureau’s 2002 Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) found that there are 51.2 million people with disabilities in the United States. More than one in six people in this country are potential customers for businesses that are accessible to people with disabilities.

• More than one in six people in this country are potential customers for businesses that are accessible to people with disabilities.

• Millions of people with disabilities regularly travel, shop, and eat out with family and friends.

• The large and growing market of people with disabilities has $175 billion in discretionary spending, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, more than four times the spending power of tweens (8-14 year-olds), a demographic sought after by businesses.

• An Open Doors Organization study estimated in 2003 that diners with disabilities would spend $35 billion in restaurants that year and the number was expected to grow and it has. The study also found that more than 75 percent of people with disabilities report that they eat out at restaurants at least once a week.

• The New York Times reported that spending by travelers with disabilities exceeds $13.6 billion annually.

• AARP says that four million Americans turn 50 each year and that people age 50 and older spent nearly $400 billion in 2003. This age group often seeks out businesses that offer better lighting, less ambient noise, and fewer stairs.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 is the most comprehensive federal civil rights law that protects qualified individuals with disabilities from discrimination and provides for equal access and opportunity.

The ADA reflects a recognition that the surest path to America's cont. vitality, strength and vibrancy is through the full realization of the contributions of all of its citizens. Source:

ADA Handbook – Preamble(askjan.org/media/adahandbook/PREAMBLE.html)

Title III of the ADA covers public accommodations, commercial facilities, examinations and courses related to licensing or certification, and transportation provided to the public by private entities.

A place of public accommodation is a facility whose operations affect commerce and fall within at least one of the following categories: Places of lodging (e.g., inns, hotels, motels) (except

for owner-occupied establishments renting fewer than six rooms);

Establishments serving food or drink (e.g., restaurants and bars);

Places of exhibition or entertainment (e.g., motion picture houses, theaters, concert halls, stadiums);

Places of public gathering (e.g., auditoriums, convention centers, lecture halls);

Sales or rental establishments (e.g., bakeries, grocery stores, hardware stores, shopping centers);

Service establishments (e.g., laundromats, dry-cleaners, banks, barber shops, beauty shops, travel services, shoe repair services, funeral parlors, gas stations, offices of accountants or lawyers, pharmacies, insurance offices, professional offices of health care providers, hospitals);

Public transportation terminals, depots, or stations (not including facilities relating to air transportation);

Places of public display (e.g., museums, libraries, galleries);

Places of recreation (e.g., parks, zoos, amusement parks);

Places of education (e.g., nursery schools, elementary, secondary, undergraduate, or postgraduate private schools);

Social service center establishments (e.g., day care centers, senior citizen centers, homeless shelters, food banks, adoption agencies); and

Places of exercise or recreation (e.g., gymnasiums, health spas, bowling alleys, golf courses).

Places of public accommodation have four specific requirements under the ADA:

Remove barriers to make your goods and services available to and useable by people with disabilities, to the extent that it is readily achievable to do so- i.e., to the extent that needed changes can be accomplished without much difficulty or expense.

Provide auxiliary aids and services so that people with sensory or cognitive disabilities have access to effective means of communication, unless doing so would fundamentally alter your business' operation or result in undue burdens.

Modify any policies, practices, or procedures that may be discriminatory or have a discriminatory effect (unless doing so would fundamentally alter the nature of the goods, services, facilities, or accommodation of your business.)

Ensure that there are no unnecessary eligibility criteria that tend to screen out or segregate individuals with disabilities or limit their full and equal enjoyment of you business.

For Vision Impairments: High-contrast flooring in traffic areas Easy-to-locate check-out lanes, perhaps with

brightly colored lines on the floor leading to them. Large-print price tags, or Braille on the shelves for

commonly-stocked items. Provide a talking UPC barcode reader to be

checked out by patron upon entering store. http://www.aph.org/, www.maxiaids.com

Have a handheld CCTV available for customer use in identifying merchandise and prices.

Spotlights or track lighting in dark and constricted areas.

For Physical Impairments: Wide, unobstructed aisle, avoiding

stacks of inventory or other obstacles. At least one wheelchair-accessible

checkout line, with lower counter to sign checks and receipts.

Avoid thick rubber mats or carpeting which may prove to be a hazard.

Train staff to assist disabled persons with lifting and carrying items out.

For the Deaf and Hard of Hearing: A sign on the front door indicating the

presence of an ASL-skilled or at least ASL Alphabet-capable employee.

A writing pad at the registers for clerks to write on when communicating with deaf customers.

Making sure employees know to speak directly to a hearing-impaired person, not to their companion.

Flashing smoke and fire alarms to alert a deaf customer of emergency. www.maxiaids.com

These are just a few suggestions which can greatly enhance the universal access to a store or business.

Just asking a disabled patron the question “Is there anything we can do to make your shopping easier?” will go a long way toward making that customer comfortable and welcome in your establishment.

The answers are often surprisingly simple.

Source: http://www.atnet.org/how-to/business-mods/retail-business-accessible.php , Author Mark Carlson, ATS, ACB

Physical access to a restaurant involves many of the same challenges as those posed by the architecture of retail businesses.

Once inside, the environment of a restaurant poses different challenges than most retail stores.

Some suggestions to make a patron with a disability feel welcome: Provide sensitivity training for staff who deal

directly with patrons. Many independent living centers can provide in-service training to educate staff on how to address a person with a disability and serve them with respect.

For instance, servers should address the person directly and not ask their companion about their needs.

Offer help, but don’t assume it’s need it.

When possible, allow disabled patrons to choose heir own table.

Change the seating arrangement to fit the needs of a person with a walker or wheelchair, not the other way around (e.g. remove chairs to allow them access to the table.)

If a service dog is present, don’t insist or suggest the patio or outside seating. Service dogs are trained to remain under

the table. It is not a violation of the Health Code for

them to be in a restaurant.

For blind or visually impaired patrons, some suggestions: Ask if they need anything. Use the ‘clock face’ method to orient patrons.

“Your glass is at eleven o’clock and the salt and pepper is at one o’clock.”

Braille menus can be made by contacting: http://www.terrareproductions.com/contact_staff.php

Provide a large-print plain text menu. When the food is served, again using the ‘clock

face’ method, tell them the location of food on the plate.

Keep in mind that the blind patron may be paying. Keep a ‘signature card’ on hand.

This is a small stiff card with a window for a signature.

It will help ensure the patron signs in the correct space.

When returning change, name each denomination separately as you hand it to them.

For patrons with physical disabilities, a few tips:

If a patron with physical limitations needs specific cutlery or tableware, they will usually have it with them.

They will know what their limitations are and will ask for help if needed.

Provide plenty of room between tables so wheelchair users can navigate to and from their table without disturbing other diners.

Some suggestions for Fast Food Restaurants: Have a printed menu with the same items as on

the menu board for persons with visual impairments.

Have the electronic credit card keypad at an easily-accessible level, with tactile keys.

Offer to bring the food to the table. Return currency while naming the denominations. Always ask if they need anything else and give

them your name. Offer to bus the table for them. This goes a long

way to making a patron with a disability feel welcome and respected.

Source: http://www.atnet.org/how-to/business-mods/restaurant-accessible.php , Author Mark Carlson, ATS, ACB

There are tax incentives available to help make places of business accessible. SMALL BUSINESS TAX CREDIT: IRS CODE

SECTION 44, DISABLED ACCESS CREDIT

Small businesses that in the previous year earned a maximum of $1 million in revenue or had 30 or fewer full-time employees may take an annual tax credit for making their businesses accessible to persons with disabilities.

The credit is 50 percent of expenditures over $250, not to exceed $10,250, for a maximum benefit of $5,000. The credit amount is subtracted from the total tax liability.

The credit is available every year and can be used for a variety of costs such as:

sign language interpreters for employees or customers who have hearing impairments;

readers for employees or customers who have visual impairments;

the purchase of adaptive equipment or the modification of equipment;

the production of print materials in accessible formats (e.g., Braille, audio tape, large print);

the removal of barriers, in buildings or vehicles, which prevent a business from being accessible to, or usable by, individuals with disabilities;

Source: http://ipv6.dol.gov/odep/pubs/fact/tifpba.htm

Expenses must be paid or incurred to

enable a small business to comply with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

The tax credit does not apply to the costs of new construction, and a building being modified must have been placed in service before November 5, 1990.

Businesses can claim the Disabled Access Credit on IRS Form 8826.

ARCHITECTURAL/TRANSPORTATION TAX DEDUCTION: IRS CODE SECTION 190, BARRIER REMOVAL

All businesses are eligible to take an annual deduction for expenses incurred to remove physical, structural, and transportation (i.e. vehicle-related) barriers for persons with disabilities.

.

“The term architectural and transportation barrier removal expenses means an expenditure for the purpose of making any facility or public transportation vehicle owned or leased by the taxpayer for use in connection with his trade or business more accessible to, and usable by, handicapped and elderly individuals.” (26 USC )§190(b)(1).

Businesses may take a tax deduction of up to $15,000 a year for expenses incurred to remove barriers for persons with disabilities. Amounts in excess of the $15,000 maximum annual deduction may be depreciated

The deduction is available every year. It can be used for a variety of costs to make a facility or business- owned, public transportation vehicle more accessible to and usable by persons with disabilities. Examples include the cost of: providing accessible parking spaces, ramps,

and curb cuts; providing telephones, water fountains, and

restrooms that are accessible to persons in wheelchairs;

making walkways at least 48 inches wide.

The deduction may not be used for expenses incurred for new construction, or for a complete renovation of a facility or public transportation vehicle, or for the normal replacement of depreciable property.

Small businesses may use the credit and deduction together, if the expenses incurred qualify under both Sections 44 and 190.

Example: If a business spent $12,000 for access adaptations, it would qualify for a $5,000 tax credit and a $7,000 tax deduction.

To obtain forms and publications visit the IRS website: www.irs.gov

Or call 800-829-3676 (voice); 800-829-4059 (TTY) to order necessary forms & publications: Form 8826 (Disabled Access Credit) & Publication 535 Business Expenses (tax deduction).

Information about tax incentives provided here may be reviewed in full at United States Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy, http://ipv6.dol.gov/odep/pubs/fact/tifpba.htm

Federal and New York State governments provide incentives to private-sector businesses for hiring individuals with disabilities.

Participating employers are compensated by being able to reduce their federal and/or state income tax liability.

These workforce programs help incentivize workplace diversity and facilitate access to good jobs for New Yorkers with disabilities

Federal Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) Provides businesses with a first year tax credit up to

$2400 of the first $6000 in wages paid to a eligible worker with a disabilitywww.doleta.gov/business/incentives/opptax/

NYS Workers with Disabilities Employment Tax Credit (WETC) Businesses can claim a State tax credit of up to $2,100

of the first $6,000 in wages paid to a eligible worker with a disability during the second year of employment.www.labor.ny.gov/businessservices/EDSU  |  http://www.acces.nysed.gov/vr/business/save_money/tax_credits.htm

By linking the WOTC and WETC, New York State businesses can receive a total tax credit of $4500 for each employee with a disability over a two year period.

New York State Empire Zone Tax Credits Provides certified employers whose businesses

reside in an Empire Zone, a NY State tax credit of up to $15,000 over 5 years.

The Empire Zone program is designed to stimulate economic growth in the most distressed areas of New York State.

By offering financial incentives and community-based workforce enhancement, the program has become a catalyst for new business development, existing business expansion and job creation. www.labor.ny.gov/businessservices/EDSU