We are excited to share that SARA completed VisitAble’s Advocate+ certification.
Why VisitAble VisitAble is a disability inclusion firm that offers disability awareness and inclusion training + certification incentivization to help organizations serve and attract visitors, clients, and employees with disabilities. Achieving VisitAble’s “Advocate” certification sends a powerful message conveying dedication to being an inclusive organization and creating more equitable and inclusive experiences for people of all abilities. How It Went "The SARA staff members have been enthusiastic about improving disability inclusion and have been an absolute pleasure to work with. We were impressed with the fact that SARA went above and beyond our usual certification criteria to gain accessibility feedback to improve the employee experience on top of the visitor and client experience!" --VisitAble
What We Learned VisitAble training provided informative education modules with examples and recommendations applicable to SARA. Many were simple changes to our facilities and practices that could greatly increase the accessibility of SARA's office and services. An Example VisitAble recommends describing and documenting the route visitors may take from the location's accessible parking spaces to the front door. This helps visitors assess the physical accessiblity based on their specific needs before they arrive at the location. When we looked at our office location, we noticed a few things:
There are four accessible parking spaces with sidewalk access.
There are two entrances, one is wheelchair accessible. Neither are marked as such.
There is no automatic door at either entrance.
There is no exterior signage to help visitors contact the offices within the building for assitance with the door or otherwise.
Adding information about this and other points of accessibility to our website can help visitors plan their trip to SARA and inquire about accomondations in advance of their visit.
We learned so much more than this! We are working our way through a list of recommendations as a result of our training and assessment. Many of the recommendations are easy to make adjustments, some are equipment purchases, and a few we have asked for our landlord's help on. So far, our land management company is receptive and responsive to our update requests especially when provided the documentation from our work with VisitAble. Learn More If you are interested in learning more about SARA's certification, click this link. If you would like to hear more about our experience with VisitAble or if you would like to be connected with the VisitAble Team to learn about what they could do for you, please email Bass Wolf at bass@saracville.org