dID you know that many businesses are not fully accessible?
To ensure an accessible community, The Flagstaff Group, through the Disability Inclusion Discovery (diD) Program, offers access audits as a service for businesses on the NSW South Coast. This service facilitates a local community of inclusion and opportunities for people with a disability.
Why Accessibility?
An access audit provides insights into the accessibility and usability of a workplace measured against codes, legislation and standards. An access audit can greatly assist in identifying the key aspects and areas of a business that need to be addressed to provide ‘access for all’.
The audit process identifies:
Accessibility in work premises and public places goes beyond providing disabled parking and accessible toilet facilities. Access covers interpretation of information, vision and hearing assistance, balance, cultural differences and mobility concerns. Examining these issues on the site through an access audit can ensure that your workplace is accessible and safe for all. This planning makes good long term business sense.
Types of Audits
There are two types of access audits that are offered:
- Access Audit: Provides a detailed report and identifies access, barriers and solutions. This process can be undertaken across an entire premises or on specific areas/elements such as public places or wayfinding.
- Access Walk and Talk: A high level (not detailed) walk for small business through with the auditor recording key access issues. Useful for short term event access considerations that are not the normal proceedings for the business space.
Please note, your assigned Auditor will determine the scope of the audit required for the site and job.
Employment Readiness
It is necessary for business owners and site managers to be aware of their responsibility to provide equitable and dignified access to their premises with services and employment opportunities accessible for all people.
This aligns with employment readiness, ensuring the work premises are fit for carrying out their intended practices, while allowing access for all.
Expected outcomes
The auditor’s role is to identify these access barriers and issues within the premises and provide recommendations with actions to follow that will remove these barriers to proper access.
You will receive
- A meeting with the auditor to discuss your needs
- Auditor walk through and workplace access study for small business
- A report on recommendations on improvements for access
- Consultation on the report
- Recommendations will assist with customer service and employing people with a disability.
It is important to note that these recommendations will align with the codes, legislation and standards and as such will not ‘dilute’ the necessary changes if such an update is difficult or costly to implement. The auditor will not provide design specifications or construction advice for works to be carried out.
Would you like to have an access audit?
Access audits are required to be undertaken by an accredited auditor.
As part of the diD program The Flagstaff Group has a team of employees trained in performing workplace audits.
If you would like more information about having your business assessed, please contact us on 02 4272 0203.
