Our Business is for Everyone
Contact
To find out more about the Welcoming Business Program please contact 5559 4800.
The Welcoming Business Program seeks to work in partnership with local organisations, businesses and the community around the issue of access for all people regardless of age and abilities.
As potential customers, people will make choices about your business based on how easy it is to use. Improving access benefits people with disabilities, parents using prams or strollers, older people, delivery people or shoppers with heavy bags. In fact, good access benefits everybody.
This Welcoming Business Program updates the former green sticker program.
Download the Welcoming Business Brochure here
Download the Welcoming business flyer here
Download the Welcoming Business checklist here
Download the Welcoming Business Best Practices here
Why become a Welcoming Business?
By becoming a Welcoming Business or Welcoming Environment, your business or organisation can achieve a range of benefits, including:
- Improving services to customers generally
- Reduce discrimination in a proactive way
- Reducing likelihood of complaints being made
- Responding to the needs of potential customers and attracting, as well as retaining, new customers
- Promotion of your business/organisation as a Welcoming Business or Welcoming Environment
- Welcoming Business logo will be promoted through various websites and publications
What is a Welcoming Business?
A Welcoming Business is a business that is committed to ensuring safe and easy access for everyone, including older people and people with disabilities and is endorsed by Warrnambool City Council’s Welcoming Businesses Program.
To receive Welcoming Business endorsement, your business must satisfy a set of minimum standards relating to physical access, communication and customer service. Most of these standards are consistent with the Australian Standards for access and mobility.
The standards that must be adhered to are:
- Main entrance must be free of any steps that are more 5mm high
- Main entrance must be at least 800mm wide
- Aisles within the business must be at least 1000mm wide
- Where toilets are provided, one must be an accessible toilet
- Height of manual door handles must be between 900 – 1100mm
- Doors should be easy to open and not require excessive force
- Signage promoting accessible facilities within the business should be prominent
- Communicating with Everyone” booklet must be distributed to staff
- Staff should be proactive in accommodating older people and people with a disability