Accessible Outdoor Dining in Madison, WI

Outdoor dining is one of the highlights of summer in Madison and it is essential that everyone can join in on the fun. DMI, through its Beyond Compliance Subcommittee, in cooperation with the City of Madison’s Streatery program and Access to Independence, is starting the conversation around accessible outdoor dining in downtown Madison. Accessibility doesn’t just benefit people with disabilities. It makes life easier for everyone.

Join This Conversation on Social Media.
All stakeholders, including restaurant patrons, are encouraged to join in on this conversation on DMI’s FacebookLinkedIn, and Instagram pages. You are encouraged to share these videos on your social media. DMI has prepared example social media posts for restaurants and example social media posts for other businesses, governments, nonprofits, and individuals.

Accessible Dining Video Series

Below is a series of short videos. Each video shows real examples of inaccessible dining that patrons with disabilities have experienced and examples of what restaurants should do to make dining accessible. The actors in the videos are DMI staff, Beyond Compliance Subcommittee members, and members of the local disability community.

A special thank you to DMI staff, DMI Beyond Compliance Subcommittee members, Big Dreamers United, Ancora Coffee, Lucille, Access to Independence, and especially members of the disability community for helping make these videos.

Respectful Communication

Address people directly, whether they have a disability or not.

What went wrong? In the first part of the video, the server only addressed the diner who was not deaf, and not the individual with a disability. The server also referred to the person with a disability as “that person”. Both of those actions by the server led to the person with a disability feeling frustrated and not valued. Both actions also assumed the person with a disability was incapable of ordering for themselves, which is an incorrect assumption.

Takeaway: Address people directly, whether they have a disability or not.

What went right? In the second part of the video, the server directly addressed the person with a disability, which led to the person feeling seen and valued.

Additional resources:
National Institutes of Health: 10 Tips for Working with a Sign Language Interpreter

Menus

Make menus easy for everyone to read using simple fonts, larger text sizes, and high contrast. Provide alternative formats and ensure every customer is offered one.

What went wrong? In the first part of the video, the customer found the menu difficult to read, making them feel frustrated and no longer interested in ordering.

What went right? In the second part of the video, the customer was given a menu with pictures of the food, which made it much easier for them to use and provided a much better experience for the customer.

Takeaway: Menus can be challenging to read for various reasons, including poor contrast, small text size, and complicated fonts. Restaurants should make menus easy for everyone to read using simple fonts, larger text sizes, and high contrast. Including photos of each menu item and using plain language are best practices.

Additional resources:
Get Braille: Accessible Restaurant Experiences
BrailleWorks: Serving Diners with Visual Disabilities
GrubHub: How to Run an Inclusive Restaurant
Access to Independence: A Madison nonprofit that can help with accessible menus

Paths of Travel

Include ramps to provide access for people using mobility devices and for everyone to access street-level dining areas.

What went wrong? In the first part of the video, the restaurant does not have a ramp, so customers cannot get from the sidewalk to the street level, where the tables are located within the dining area.

What went right? In the second part of the video, the restaurant has a sturdy and safe ramp with the appropriate slope installed, and the customer can easily move from the sidewalk to street level without assistance.

Takeaway: Not including basic access to outdoor dining areas denies various disabled customers access to restaurants. Ramps provide access for people using mobility devices and make it easy for everyone to access street-level dining areas. As a bonus, ramps make things easier for servers carrying lots of food and drinks!

Additional resources:
US Access Board: Scoping and technical requirements for accessible routes in the ADA Standards

Restrooms

Restaurants should offer an accessible restroom, and those without should provide a reasonable and accessible alternative.

What went wrong? In the first part of the video, the restaurant does not have an accessible restroom and the server is rude to the customer by dismissing the customer’s concerns.

What went right? In the second part of the video, the restaurant offers an accessible restroom, and the server shows the customer how to get there.

Takeaway: Everyone needs to use the restroom and that means everyone needs to be able to access the restroom. Restaurants should offer an accessible restroom, and those without should offer a reasonable and accessible alternative.

Additional resources:
US Access Board: Requirements in the ADA Standards for toilet rooms
US Access Board: Requirements in the ADA Standards for portable toilet units

Service Animals

Service animals are not pets. Service animals can go places other animals cannot, including places with “no pets” policies.

What went wrong? In the first part of the video, the server pets the working service dog, then refers to the service dog as a “pet” and says the dog is not welcome in the dining area, violating the Americans with Disabilities Act.

What went right? In the second part of the video, the server notices that the dog is a service animal and does not pet it. The server knows that service animals are allowed in dining areas and asks if the customer has a preferred space. The server also asks if the dog would like water and points out where the dog can use the bathroom if needed.

Takeaway: Service animals are not pets. Service animals are allowed to go places that other animals are not, including places with “no pets” policies.

Additional resources:
City of Madison: Laws around service and support animals

Seating

Restaurants should ensure that customers can easily access table and seating options throughout the dining area, even if they use a mobility device.

What went wrong? In the first part of the video, the chairs and tables are so close together that the customer cannot get her mobility device through to her table. The tables are also so close together that there is no room for the person using the mobility device to sit at a table.

What went right? In the second part of the video, the restaurant has spaced tables and chairs far enough apart so people using mobility devices can easily get through. The server then provides the customer with a table that they can access.

Takeaway: Restaurants should always have enough space in the seating area for people, including those using mobility devices, to get to and from their tables. They should also ensure that customers can easily access table and seating options throughout the dining area even if they use a mobility device.

Additional resources:
US Access Board: Requirements in the ADA Standards for dining surfaces and work surfaces

Beyond Compliance Partners

Access to Independence logo
Big Dreamers United logo
City of Madison logo

Learn More

About DMI

DMI’s inclusiveness initiatives including the Beyond Compliance Subcommittee.

City of Madison’s Disability Rights & Services Program

Accessibility consultation and technical assistance services by Access to Independence

Google Maps: How businesses can list accessibility attributes