Fender Bender talked accessibility

D&S Automotive led the discussion

For years, the Paterniti family has been sensitive to the needs of people who require special access or environments. As the owners of D&S Automotive, the Paterniti family has taken steps to ensure that a visit to one of our auto body repair shops is an all-inclusive experience. D&S Automotive’s former sister company, M.C. Mobility Systems, was on the front lines of the accessible vehicle market. By extension, D&S Automotive also wanted all of our locations to be easy to navigate for those with spatial and maneuverability concerns. Our team at D&S Automotive takes neurodivergent (an atypical neurological state) inclusivity seriously. This inclusion extends to those with variations in their social skills, attention span, moods, learning process, and other mental functions. When Fender Bender wanted to cover this topic for their article, Making Your Shop More Accessible to All, they turned to our very own CJ Paterniti, President of D&S Automotive, for some advice. 

At D&S Automotive, we take accessibility seriously and we’re happy to share our advice for making accessible spaces for both employees and customers alike.

Here are just a couple of things that we do to make our locations accessible for all who visit: 

• We provide comfortable waiting spaces for all. Being an accessible shop means taking into consideration all those who may visit. For the sake of neurodivergent customers, it is important to consider what factors may cause an issue. Harsh lighting, loud noises from the garage, and strange smells may be easy for a neurotypical client to ignore, but these types of occurrences can be incredibly difficult for neurodivergent customers. That’s why we aim to make our customer spaces as accommodating as possible at D&S Automotive.
• We communicate differently. At D&S Automotive, we understand that not everyone communicates in the same way. While for some, just talking through a fix for their vehicle is enough. For others, that same approach may not make sense. For some, it is much easier to comprehend what work is being done by actually walking around a car and pointing out the repairs. We want our customers to understand the work that is being done on their car so that they can have confidence that their repair is being handled properly. That’s why we try to communicate in the best way for our customers.

At D&S Automotive, the comfort of our customers is our priority. We never want someone to feel uncomfortable based on the environment at any of our locations or due to poor communication. That’s why we were so happy when Fender Bender allowed us to speak on such a meaningful topic and why we were so proud to be featured on such a prominent website. At D&S Automotive, we strive to make our locations as accessible as we can so that all of our customers can have an enjoyable experience in our auto body repair shops. If you’re looking for accessories or need body work on your car, please get in touch.