When I first joined Lashings Auto as a parts and service vendor three years ago, I’ll admit I didn’t think much about accessibility beyond ramps and wide doorways. I was so focused on making sure our brake components fit tight, our paint matched perfectly, and customer orders arrived on time that I missed a huge part of what makes a business work: serving every single customer, no matter their abilities. It wasn’t until a regular, a guy named Tom who uses a wheelchair after a spinal cord injury, pulled me aside last spring that I started rethinking that. “Your shop’s doors swing inward,” he said, “and the counter’s too high for me to reach. I can wait outside, but it’d be easier if I could come in.” That comment stuck with me, and over the last year, I’ve worked side by side with our Lashings Auto team, disabled customer advocates, and even a local wheelchair user group to turn our business into something more accessible. Today, when people ask me, “Is Lashings Auto accessible for people with disabilities?” I don’t just answer yes—I can walk them through the changes we’ve made, the hurdles we still face, and why accessibility isn’t just a box to check, it’s how we do right by every customer who walks through our doors. Lashings Auto
Let’s start with the basics, because that’s where most accessibility gaps start. When I first started, our main entry door was a standard inward-swinging unit that weighed about 25 pounds. Tom couldn’t push it open with his chair, and even if he could, there was a ½-inch threshold that caught the wheels of manual wheelchairs and mobility scooters. We first swapped that out for a 3-foot wide, outward-swinging door with a push-button opener—this small change alone doubled the number of disabled customers who came through our front door in the first month. Next, we fixed the threshold, shaving it down to a flush transition that meets ADA standards (the American with Disabilities Act, for context, which sets guidelines for accessible public spaces) so wheelchairs and scooters glide in without catching. But we didn’t stop there. We heard from deaf customers who struggled to hear our bell above the door, so we installed a visual door alert system that flashes a bright light when someone enters. For customers with low vision, we added high-contrast signage with large, sans-serif fonts and numbered our service bays so they can easily find their way. We also adjusted our service counter—lowering it from 42 inches to 30 inches, with a clear knee space underneath, so a customer in a wheelchair can sit right across from our service advisors and go over their vehicle needs without having to shout or lean over a gap. Those changes are the easy parts, I think. The parts that make physical access work for most people, at least on a surface level.
But accessibility isn’t just about doors and counters. It’s about understanding that disability isn’t one-size-fits-all. I learned that early on when Maria, a customer with multiple sclerosis who uses a cane some days and a mobility scooter others, told us our service bays were set up on a concrete floor that was uneven in spots, making it hard to maneuver her cane when she was waiting for her car. We didn’t have to redo the entire floor—just filled in the small dips and added non-slip, tactile paving in the service area so she can tell where the floor transitions from the waiting room to the bay. We also started offering curbside pickup and drop-off for anyone who can’t easily navigate the parking lot, which is a big win for customers with chronic pain or mobility issues. Last month, a customer with arthritis in her hands told us she struggles to turn the key in her vehicle’s ignition, so now we offer a complimentary temporary key fob for anyone with a mobility-related disability—something we never would have thought of if we hadn’t asked our customers what they needed.
That’s the key, right? Accessibility isn’t something you impose on a business; it’s something you co-create with the people who need it. Last year, we partnered with a local disability advocacy group to run a free workshop for our entire Lashings Auto team. We brought in speakers who are deaf, blind, use wheelchairs, and have chronic conditions like fibromyalgia to talk about what works and what doesn’t. One speaker, a woman who is blind, told us she’d avoided auto shops for years because most don’t have braille signage or employees who know how to guide a blind customer without touching them uninvited. So we added braille labels to all our service counter drawers and our parts bins, and trained every advisor on how to offer verbal guidance instead of physical assistance unless asked. Another workshop attendee, a veteran with PTSD, talked about how loud noises can trigger anxiety, especially in auto shops with power tools and air compressors. We adjusted our shop hours to limit loud work before 9 a.m. and after 6 p.m., and added quiet hours every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. for anyone who needs a calmer space to wait. Those changes haven’t just made Lashings Auto more accessible for disabled customers—they’ve made it better for everyone. My own mom has bad knees, and she loves that the counter is lower now. My teenage son, who has ADHD, appreciates the quiet hours on Saturdays when he brings his car in for oil changes. Accessibility, it turns out, is a benefit for all, not just a niche group.
Of course, we’re not perfect. No business is, and I’d be lying if I said that. We still have a few service bays that are too narrow for larger mobility scooters, which means occasionally we have to help a customer park their scooter in a wider bay. Our restroom is accessible, but we recently learned that the automatic hand dryer is too loud for customers with sensory disabilities—we’re already budgeting to replace it with a quieter model next quarter. We also don’t offer sign language interpretation for our staff yet, though we do have a video relay system for phone calls, and we’re working with a local college to offer sign language classes for our team. The biggest gap we’ve found is in our online presence. Our website is usable, but it’s not optimized for screen readers, which means blind customers can’t easily look up service prices or schedule appointments online. That’s a top priority for us this year. We’re working with a web developer who specializes in accessible design to fix that, and we’re also adding a section to our website that outlines all our accessibility features, so disabled customers can know exactly what to expect before they even visit our shop. I think it’s important to be transparent about the work that’s left to do, because accessibility is a journey, not a destination. You never stop learning, never stop improving, never stop listening.
As a vendor for Lashings Auto, my role in this accessibility work has been equal parts hands-on and supportive. I supply not just parts, but also advise our clients on how to make their spaces more inclusive. Lashings Auto has always been open to feedback, which is why we’ve been able to implement so many changes over the last year. We’ve worked with their leadership to create an accessibility task force made up of team members, disabled customers, and advocates, and we’ve helped them set measurable goals—like making 100% of their service bays accessible by the end of 2025, and optimizing their website for screen readers by mid-2024. It’s rewarding work, because I know that when a disabled customer walks into Lashings Auto now, they don’t have to feel like an afterthought. They’re treated like any other customer, with the same respect and attention to their needs.
I’ve heard too many horror stories from disabled people about auto shops that charge them extra for “accessibility services,” or ignore their needs entirely, or act like their disability is an inconvenience. That’s why what we do at Lashings Auto matters. A car is more than just a way to get from point A to point B—it’s freedom, it’s independence, it’s the ability to go to work, to take kids to school, to go to doctor’s appointments. If a disabled person can’t access an auto shop, they can’t keep their car running, which means they lose that freedom. That’s the reality we’ve had to confront, and it’s why every change we’ve made has been worth it. Last month, Tom—the same guy who pointed out the door problem a year ago—came in to pick up his new tires. He pulled me aside, and his chair had no trouble navigating the wide entry, the low counter, and the flat thresholds. “I brought my niece with me today,” he said, “so she could see that places like this exist, places that don’t make you feel like you don’t belong.” That’s the moment I knew all the hard work was worth it.
If you’re a disabled customer looking for an auto shop that actually prioritizes accessibility, or if you’re a procurement manager or business owner interested in learning more about how Lashings Auto approaches accessibility, I’d encourage you to reach out. We’re always looking to partner with other businesses, disabled advocates, and community groups to make automotive services more inclusive for everyone. Accessibility isn’t a competition, and it’s not something to be ashamed of—it’s a responsibility, and it’s how you build a business that serves the whole community. Whether you have questions about our current accessibility features, want to share feedback, or are interested in collaborating, we’re here to listen and to work with you.
Accessibility in public spaces isn’t just about meeting legal standards, though those standards are important. It’s about empathy. It’s about putting yourself in someone else’s shoes—whether those shoes are a pair of manual wheelchair wheels, a pair of arthritis-afflicted hands, or a pair of ears sensitive to loud noise. At Lashings Auto, we’ve learned that over the last few years, and we’re still learning. We have more work to do, but we’re committed to doing it right, because every customer who walks through our doors deserves to feel welcome, respected, and able to access the services they need. The question isn’t just if Lashings Auto is accessible for people with disabilities—it’s how we can keep making it more accessible, and how we can help other businesses do the same.
Metal Cam Buckle References
- American with Disabilities Act (ADA) Standards for Accessible Design, 2010
- National Federation of the Blind, Guidelines for Accessible Public Business Spaces, 2022
- Wheelchair Mobility International, Accessibility in Automotive Service Facilities, 2021
- U.S. Access Board, Technical Assistance Manual for ADA Accessibility Requirements, 2019
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