The city and the New York Academy of Medicine are being urged to make their properties more senior-friendly and accessible. But businesses are not exactly jumping to accomodate senior citizens, as some of the recommended changes are expensive or difficult to implement, Crain’s reported. The city-wide campaign wants seniors — who make up a significant portion of the population in the area — to be better served by local retail.
Recommended accomodations include installing ramps, additional seating and easier-to-open doors, and providing free glasses of water
Not everyone is pleased. “When you start looking at the physical structure — changing lighting and doors, adding ramps — that’s a massive cost to a small retailer today,” Michael Londrigan, chairperson of the fashion merchandising department at LIM College, told Crain’s. [Crain’s]