Braille and Large Print Menus
Qualified people with disabilities perform assembly, packaging, and inspection tasks for local employers.
In a time when "accessibility" and "inclusiveness" have become important elements of doing business, many restaurant owners are choosing to make their establishments more welcoming to people who are blind or visually impaired by offering Braille and large print menus. Not only is this simply the "right thing to do," but when you offer a Braille/large print menu to a customer who is blind or visually impaired, you are creating a sense of goodwill in the community that you can be proud of. Consider this:
Prevent Blindness America reports that more than 30 million adults over 40 suffer from a leading eye disease such as cataract, diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration and glaucoma. Often these diseases affect a person’s ability to read the size and style of print found on menus. The number of people affected by these diseases is expected to double over the next 30 years as baby boomers age.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires restaurants to make reasonable accommodations to offer the same quality service to people with disabilities as their other customers. Offering Braille/large print menus to customers is an easy, cost-effective way for you to comply.
Kevin Clifford, who has been blind since birth and sometimes feels frustrated in restaurants, says, "It feels great when I go into a restaurant and I’m offered a Braille menu. It makes me feel like they respect me as a person. Plus, I get to read about all the items on the menu and make my own decisions."
An ADA tax credit may be available to restaurants that provide Braille/large print menus to their customers; please check with your tax advisor for details.
Vision & Vocational Services, a nonprofit serving the blind and visually impaired for more than 80 years, has the skill and expertise to translate your menu into Braille and large print, taking care that your restaurant’s branding is preserved with an attractive cover for sighted guests. Plus, when you support Vision & Vocational Services’ Braille translation service, you can rest assured that your business has helped to support a rehabilitation center that helps people with visual and other disabilities to live more independent lives.
Please call Vision & Vocational Services at (614) 294-5571 for more information about how we can help your business meet the accessibility needs of the future.
