When I was working retail in my twenties, the companies I worked for often complained of government safety and ADA (Americans with Disabilities) regulations.

One rule in particular was to do with aisles being four feet wide. The owners’ stance was compliance. When the store was inspected, everything was cool, but on a daily basis there were stacks of boxes narrowing the pathways and large items blocking the ramps. At the time, I barely thought about it because it didn’t affect me personally. I and the gift shop/pharmacy were I worked at should have paid better attention because many of our customers were elderly or sick, since a major portion of the business was selling medicine, and required more accommodations. The owners complained that as a small establishment they shouldn’t have to comply, but to the customers, it must have felt like their businesses wasn’t important or valued.

As I have aged myself, and even as a mom pushing around strollers, I have become more aware the situation. Some buildings have elevators, but they aren’t well marked, or hidden down darkened hallways. Ramps, viewed as unsightly or added after the main construction, are often located in the backs of buildings and sometimes behind locked doors and empty to back alleys and dumpsters.

There are other requirements for online businesses such as alternative text for photos. Special software reads them and gives people with visual differences access to understanding.

Spoken language is another type of accessibility. Our neighborhood is predominantly Hispanic and if the businesses nearby aren’t owned by Spanish speakers, they usually employ someone who does.

All these things are done so that the highest amount of people can be included. Even though most businesses and organizations fulfill their legal requirements, it becomes pretty clear which ones are doing it to comply and which ones are doing it with an attitude of welcome.