Visit A Private Venue In Advance Of Your Event To Check The Accessibility

When you're booking a private venue at a restaurant for an upcoming family function, such as an anniversary or engagement party, a work gathering, or any other type of event, it's useful to visit in person and evaluate the space. There are lots of things to consider, including the menu, the prices, the size of the space, and how private it is. If your group of participants includes one or more people with mobility challenges — perhaps someone who uses a walker and someone else who uses a wheelchair — you'll also want to check the venue's accessibility. Here are some specific factors to look at.

Access To The Room

Every restaurant and event space needs to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, but the reality is that some spaces do better jobs than others. The first thing to check is the access to the room from the front of the restaurant. For example, it might be down a wide hallway that approaches the lobby of the venue, or it might be at the back of the building and accessible only by moving across the main dining area. Think of those in your group who struggle to get around and evaluate whether the access to the room will be suitable for them.

Space Between Tables

Private venue rooms have different setups, but you'll usually find that they contain several tables and chairs. Some layouts work better than others, so it's important to give some thought to how well someone in a wheelchair might be able to get around the room. For example, will this person need to sit closest to the door because it's difficult to sit elsewhere, or will he or she have the ability to move anywhere in the room and take a position that he or she desires? If necessary, you can ask someone at the restaurant in advance of your event if the room could be set up in a different manner.

Path To The Bathrooms

Depending on the size of the restaurant, there might be separate bathrooms for those who rent the private event space to use. Or, it may be necessary for you and your guests to use the standard bathrooms at the restaurant. Whatever the case, you'll want to assess the path between the private venue room and the bathrooms so that you can determine how easily someone with mobility challenges can make this trip. You want to select a space in which someone won't find it difficult or daunting to travel to the bathroom.


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