Welcome to MAKING YOUR BUSINESS ACCESSIBLE, a 4 part video series, featuring Yannick Benjamin of Contento Restaurant.

60 million Americans live with a disability, and making your business accessible to everyone will increase profits, affirm inclusivity and convey your support for the disabled. The American Disability Act (ADA) has four priorities that guide you on how to do this. We’ll show you what they are in our new 4-part video series MAKING YOUR BUSINESS ACCESSIBLE. Yannick Benjamin, along with business partner George Gallego who are wheelchair bound, worked from first person experience to make their restaurant, Contento inclusive. In each episode Yannick will show you how they did this, and how you might do the same for your business.

Videos by @tellingstoreinc

Introduction Video

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“The owners of Contento started with the idea that people with disabilities should be able to go anywhere in the dining room with almost no fuss. They ended up doing more than removing barriers”, Pete Wells, NY Times, December 2021 “NY’s Top Ten Restaurants of 2021.”

Besides receiving the NY Times accolade of being named the #4 new restaurant in NY, The Managing Partners of Contento, Yannick Benjamin and George Gallego have made the dining experience enjoyable for everyone, including those with disabilities. #Accessibility is not only a right, it’s also profitable since “60 million people in the U.S. live with a disability…and they WANT to spend their money!”

Making your business accessible to 60 million more people will increase profits, affirm inclusivity and convey your support for those living with a disability. We’ll teach you how in our new 4-part video series MAKING YOUR BUSINESS ACCESSIBLE, which premieres next week on February 7th. In each episode Yannick Benjamin will guide us through how Contento restaurant was made accessible to everyone and how you might do the same for your business. Make sure to follow, subscribe, like, and share.

Enjoy this first video on your journey to make your business welcoming to all!

Priority 1: Getting through the door

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“As I write each week’s restaurant review, I call an owner to ask whether somebody in a wheelchair would be able to enter the dining room and enjoy a meal.”
NY Times food critic Pete Wells “Accessibility Is a Right, This Restaurant Treats It That Way.”, August 2021

A common problem for those who are wheelchair bound is whether they can get through the front door!…. A barrier free entrance includes having a #ramp and a door wide enough for a wheelchair to gain #access. Having a portable ramp available is a sensible low cost alternative.

Here’s what you do: Post a sign with a phone number outside the entrance. Your customer can call and request a ramp to enter your business.

And here are ramp requirements:

Ramps may have a maximum slope of 1:12.
Ramps must be a minimum of 36 inches wide. …
All edges must be protected to keep anyone from slipping off.
All ramps shall have top and bottom landings as wide as the ramp itself and at least 60 inches long.

Landing size must be at least five feet square.

Priority 2: Restrooms

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“The restroom itself, she declared “a dream,” with several grab bars and a touchless sink, soap and towel dispenser.” Ms. Beth Wiesner as quoted in “Accessibility Is a Right, This Restaurant Treats It That Way.” NY Times food critic; Pete Wells August 2021

What would you do if you went to a restaurant and found that you couldn’t fit inside the bathroom? Or could not maneuver once you were inside?

That’s why inclusivity is so important. For people with a disability, this is a common occurrence. Potential customers phone ahead and ask several questions to determine if their evening will be an enjoyable experience. Some of the questions are whether the bathroom can accommodate a wheelchair. You could lose a customer if they cannot go to the bathroom!

For an inclusive bathroom, you should ensure you have a door wide enough for a wheelchair to fit through. The entrance should be at least 32 inches wide, and once inside the space should be able to accommodate a full wheelchair turn. A sliding door will make it easier for everyone to enter, even those customers who aren’t wheelchair bound. If you have a traditional door that swings open, it should open at 90 degrees.

The toilet seat should be 17” – 19” above the floor. And the sink should have a knee clearance of 27” to 30” wide and 11” to 25” deep. This will allow a wheelchair to slide comfortably under the sink. And as Yannick explains, having a touch-less sink and paper towel dispenser is not as expensive as you think.

Priority 3: Access to Goods and Services

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“Word has gotten around. The first time I ate there, I arrived right behind a diner in a motorized chair. She maneuvered into a spot at one end of the bar that was lower than the rest — wheelchair height.” NY Times food critic Pete Wells “Accessibility Is a Right, This Restaurant Treats It That Way.”, August 2021

The first of its kind: A section of the bar low enough for someone in a wheelchair to sit at the bar and enjoy a drink. “That’s what hospitality is all about”, says Yannick Benjamin. 60 million Americans live with a disability, and want to go out and enjoy themselves. Once the disabled community is aware that your business is inclusive, watch your customer base grow….

Priority 4: Remaining Barriers

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Being wheelchair bound is one of several disabilities. For the visually impaired, or someone living with conditions that limit their mobility, accommodations can be made at a reasonable cost. For instance, did you know that there’s a library that will convert your menu to braille for free? Here is the information:

Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library
40 West 20th

Or if you are too busy and cannot get there, please be sure to include a QR code on your menu. This allows the menu to be read back to someone. Another consideration is to have adaptive flatware available for those who have limited mobility in their hands.

We hope that this series has created more awareness on the disability community and the importance of inclusivity. And perhaps it’s inspired you to make your business more inclusive. Look for our next series of videos that will focus on the sister business of Contento, #TheAxisProject; a gym and community space at 2162 3rd Ave. in East Harlem. Dedicated to serving those who live with a disability. Peace, love and respect to all…

(Videos by @tellingstoryinc)

Credits:
Contento (@contentonyc)
Yannick Benjamin (@yannickbenjamin)
George Gallego (@gg_contento)
CM Diana Ayala (@cmdianaayalanyc)
Union Settlement (@unionsettlement)
East Harlem Working Together (@eastharlemworkingtogether)
NYC Dept of Small Business Services (@nycsmallbiz)
#TheAxisProject
United Spinal Association (@unitedspinal)
Mt. Sinai Spinal (@mountsinaisci)
NYS Restaurant Association (@nys_restaurant_association)
NYC Hospitality Alliance (@thenycalliance)
Mayor's Office on Disabilities (@nyc_disabilities)
@Nytcooking

Visit Contento online

Contento
88 East 111th Street
New York, NY 10029