How your brewery can be open to all
Being inclusive is a process with no deadline. It can seem overwhelming but small actions can have a big impact on your community. Being humble, helpful and open-minded is a great place to start.
Here are some easily implementable ways for your brewery to demonstrate awareness of inclusivity and therefore expand your community:
- Train staff to identify and aid to customers who may need support.
- Only hire staff that treat everyone with the same level of respect.
- Be patient with customers and allow for extra transaction time as needed.
- Talk directly to people, even kids and those who may have support people with them.
- Designate bathrooms as unisex rather than gender specific.
- Offer a large-print version of the menu.
- Offer a picture version of the food menu.
- Make readers / magnifying glasses available for customers.
- Provide ample light for people to see well.
- Offer ASL tours of your brewery.
- Install handicap bars in the bathroom.
- Have a changing table in all bathrooms.
- Provide booster seats for children.
- Install a changing station for babies in the restroom.
- Design your taproom to be wheelchair / stroller accessible (wider aisles and walkways).
- Designate handicap parking.
- Add directional and other permanent signage in braille.
- Post signs that let your customers know service animals are welcome.
- Consider language – “accessible” as opposed to” handicapped.”
- Accept calls made through a telecommunications relay service to accommodate people who are deaf.
- Solicit customer feedback about ways your brewery can better meet the needs of the community.
Click here for more Inclusivity and Diversity resources.
