Appreciation post: A client in a wheelchair taught me more about my station setup than any class

I was at my salon in Portland last month, and I had a new client who uses a wheelchair. I thought my station was fine, but when she rolled up, I saw right away the mirror was too high and my tools were spread out on a counter she couldn't reach. I had to grab everything for her, and it felt awkward for both of us. She was super nice about it, but I felt terrible. That night, I measured everything. I lowered a side mirror to 40 inches high, put my most-used shears and combs in a rolling cart I can pull close, and got a longer, flexible hose for my shampoo bowl. Now I think about access with every new client booking. Has anyone else had to change their space for better client comfort?

3 comments

3 Comments

barnes.stella26d ago

My friend Jake runs a small barbershop in Seattle. He swapped out his heavy fixed chair for a lighter one on locking wheels after a regular client mentioned his bad knee. It cost him maybe two hundred bucks and took ten minutes to set up. Now he says he can adjust the height and angle for anyone without them having to ask.

claire87226d ago

Did you find any other changes that were surprisingly easy to make? I bet a lot of us have small fixes we just haven't noticed yet.

ruby31026d ago

Reading about that barbershop chair from @barnes.stella reminded me of a story from a local cafe. They just put a cheap rubber mat near the sink where staff washes dishes, said it cut down on leg pain almost right away. Sometimes the fix is literally under your feet and you don't see it. It's wild how a tiny bit of comfort can make a whole day better for someone.