Businesses must create inclusive, welcoming spaces. Not only is some level of accessibility mandatory by ADA standards and federal regulations, but businesses that actively go above and beyond to incorporate such measures can attract and keep top talent more successfully than those that do not. What is the best way to accomplish this? While there are plenty of options, businesses often fail to consider their décor, including how digital wall coverings can impact their employees’ experiences.
Yes, the type of walls in the building can change a business’ accessibility and inclusivity, often in ways that are not immediately obvious. If your business wants to invest in a more robust workplace culture and a stronger team, consider how wall coverings can support that effort without breaking the bank.
Accessibility in Wall Coverings
Wall coverings are a type of functional decoration, typically made of vinyl, that can be customized to suit a business’ needs. From texture to color and more, wall coverings are highly adaptable.
However, where most businesses see the opportunity for interesting color combinations or the ability to feature a big replica of their logo on the wall, smart companies leverage these wall coverings for their accessibility benefits as well.
Sound control
Custom wall coverings can be made with more than just images or colors in mind. They can also come in a range of textures, from a light dimpling to a brick-like surface and more. Textured wall coverings effectively reduce ambient noise because they do not have the smooth, pristine surface of a glossy covering.
The texture captures more sound waves to prevent them from bouncing back into the room. As a result, employees benefit. Any workers who are hard of hearing can enjoy greater clarity in their conversations when background noise and echoes are reduced.
Additionally, studies show that employees who work in a quiet location experience less fatigue and burnout than those in noisy offices.
Navigational aids
For employees and customers, being able to get where they are going promptly is paramount. Wall coverings can utilize smart patterns and even more obvious directions to guide people to their destination. From arrows pointing to certain locations to a more subdued horizontal pattern extending into the distance, wall coverings draw the eye toward the right place to go, thus serving as navigational aids.
Comfort
Wall coverings are not just for aesthetics; they are also functional. The thick, high-quality vinyl adheres well to walls and helps limit temperature transfer between the interior and exterior of the building through those walls.
This insulating effect can be especially important for some employees, like those with arthritis who struggle with fluctuations in temperature or joint pain when the room becomes too cold.
Making Wall Coverings Inclusive
Accessibility is a key player in a business’s decision to reinvent its interior. However, there is no need to stop there! Inclusivity is another valuable aspect to consider, and wall coverings can help bolster this foundational element of the workplace as well.
Customization for diversity
Custom wall coverings are highly effective at showing off a company’s diversity initiatives, allowing companies to incorporate their values into the designs. For instance, a company may choose to create more subdued, color-appropriate wall coverings for its prayer room compared to the rest of the office.
If wall coverings incorporate signage (such as the navigational aids mentioned above), businesses can utilize multiple languages to get the point across.
Incorporating culture
A robust office will be made of people hailing from a wide variety of cultures. Celebrate these cultures within the makeup of the office itself. For example, a wall covering could feature beautiful mosaic patterns from a specific culture represented in the office (or an international company with whom the business works frequently).
Create together
One of the most powerful ways to foster inclusion in an office using wall coverings is to allow the entire office to create one together. Bring the entire workforce into the process.
Offer opportunities for them to describe not only the décor they want to see but also the décor they would find the most valuable and useful. Synthesize their commentary to create a wall covering that encapsulates a little bit of everyone.
Embrace Digital Wall Coverings for an Inclusive and Accessible Business
Companies looking to create inclusive and accessible business environments can do so through DEI initiatives and more, but they can also leverage custom wall coverings in unexpected ways.
If you want to take full advantage of the benefits of wall coverings but aren’t sure where to start, contact Tree Towns to share your goals and receive guidance on the types of wall coverings that can work for you.