Business Case
Welcoming customers with disabilities
Situation Room
Scenario 1: The Irish Pub meets the Kelly family
The 25 members of the Kelly family span several generations, from great-grandchildren to great-grandmothers. Amongst its members, a few family members have disabilities, just like about 25% of all families in the United States, according to the US Census Bureau. The great-grandmother uses a wheelchair, one of her adult children is blind, and a grandchild is autistic.
They have a big dinner out once a year and are looking for a restaurant that can host them all. The family’s first choice was the Irish Pub—younger family members had heard great things about it. One of the cousins called the pub to ask about space and accessibility. The manager was excited about hosting such a large party, but he had some concerns. He called his waitstaff together to go over the family’s needs.
Think about it. What needs to happen?
The Kelly family’s visit is a great business opportunity for the pub. The manager is sure that his waitstaff can make the experience a good one for the family. The pub is already accessible, with a ramp and wide aisles, but clutter and re-arranged tables sometimes reduce access. The manager reminded the staff of the importance of leaving a “clear path of travel” for people to move through the restaurant using wheelchairs (at least 36 inches wide). He also spoke about offering to review the menu with patrons to ensure they know the food options available. Finally, he reminded the team that substitutions on menu options are common practice.
The takeaway
Customer service is the key (see Tool 2: Customer Service). As a result of good customer service, the Kelly family visit was a success! The accommodations offered by the restaurant were not overly costly, but because they went the extra mile, the Irish Pub has 25 satisfied and loyal customers.
Scenario 2: Franco family photography
The Franco family has owned and operated a photography studio for years. The owner inherited the business from his father and has since grown the studio to include shooting community events. It’s a family affair, and the owner’s daughter, Faith, is one of the primary artists in residence. Faith has four children; her youngest son has a disability. The business has been struggling to make a profit, and if it can’t find more customers, it may have to lay off Faith.
Think about it. What needs to happen?
Faith considered what market segments might have growth potential for the studio. She realized that most of the studio’s current customers—and most of the people in the studio’s photos—did not appear to have a disability, and she researched how many people in her region have a disability using the DisabilityStatistics.org website.
She decided to get permission to take photos at a community event where children with and without disabilities gathered for outdoor fun. She took photos of all kinds of kids and all kinds of families. After these were posted on the studio website, several new customers reached out for services: new customers with all kinds of kids and all kinds of families. The business growth has made a world of difference to the photography studio, and it is now profitable.
Through creative marketing, the Franco family sent a message to their customers that they wanted to work with everyone in the community. They did this by simply posting authentic images of the whole community. Posting those photos signaled that all were welcome.
The takeaway
Drawing in new markets and new customers can be essential to the success of a small business. Embracing diversity in its many forms, including disability, can create opportunities for a small business to grow.
The scenarios, including all names, characters, and incidents portrayed on this page are fictitious. No identification with actual persons (living or deceased), places, buildings, or products is intended or should be inferred.