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Age Friendly Business Certification Program

Summary

The Age-Friendly Business Certification Program is a program of the Age-Friendly Cleveland Initiative, jointly created by the Cleveland Department of Aging and the Better Business Bureau Serving Greater Cleveland. In feedback received during the Age-Friendly Cleveland Planning Process, older adults stated the need for accessible businesses. Over one-quarter of outreach questionnaire respondents identified long lines as a challenge they face in public buildings; 51 percent reported the lack of public seating areas. It was out of these comments that the Age-Friendly Business Certification Program was born, with the goal of making business accessible to those of all ages and abilities, intentionally focusing on the needs of older clientele. Businesses that are located (if brick-and-mortar) or operate (if service-based) in the city of Cleveland are invited to apply to become Age-Friendly Certified via a short form on the Better Business Bureau Serving Greater Cleveland website, which asks questions such as “What types of product or services does your business offer?” and “How many employees do you have? How many of those employees engage with consumers?” After the application is received, AARP volunteers will then schedule a time to evaluate the age-friendliness of the business in four categories – physical environment, staff and personnel, customer experience, and marketing. If the business has a physical storefront, AARP volunteers will complete their evaluations in-person to assess the building’s accessibility. If the business is service-based, volunteers will look at such factors as whether or not the contracts are written in a readable font and size, and if they are clearly worded. After the evaluations are completed, feedback will be given to the applicant with comments on the current state of the business regarding accessibility and age-friendliness, as well as advice and suggestions on how to improve. The final step is an hour long, business-wide interactive aging sensitivity training hosted by Cleveland Department of Aging staff members to help the business owner and employees better understand the experiences of older adults. The session includes a visual presentation as well as activities meant to mimic the physical difficulties many older adults face. One activity involves navigating the office space – including doors and bathrooms – with a walker and heavy bags. Another activity centers around finding and dialing telephone numbers while wearing vision impairment glasses, while a third uses rubber bands and latex gloves to restrict hand movements while completing day-to-say activities such as filling out forms, counting change, opening pill bottles and containers, and sorting objects meant to simulate medicine. All staff members are welcomed and encouraged to participate in the sessions. Training sessions are based around the business’s schedule, and can either be held at the Better Business Bureau Serving Greater Cleveland office or at the business itself. After the training is complete, the business is official given its Age-Friendly Business Certification. The certification package includes a vinyl cling for the business window, a listing on the Better Business Bureau Serving Greater Cleveland website, the ability to use the Age-Friendly Business logo on digital and print materials, and a feature at future Department of Aging events. While a business need only be certified once, there is a reoccurring $75 fee each year to cover administrative costs. Says Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson, “This [program] moves us one step closer to ensuring seniors can actively participate in their communities and stay connected as they age.”Age-Friendly Cleveland Business Flyer_FINAL with crop BBB and City of Cleveland Launch New Age-Friendly Certification for Local Businesses Age-Friendly Booklet_FINAL with crop (2)

Website: https://www.bbb.org/cleveland/programs-services/age-friendly-business-certification

Key facts

Main target group: Older people in general

Other target group(s): Business Owners

Sector(s): Labor

Other sector(s): Workforce

Desired outcome for older people:
Be mobile

Other issues the Age-friendly practice aims to address:
  • Ageism
  • Accessibility
  • Ageing in place
  • Inclusion
  • Participation

Contact details

Name: Mary McNamara

Email address: mmcnamara@city.cleveland.oh.us

Age-friendly practice in detail (click to expand):

Engaging the wider community

Project lead: Other

Others involved in the project:
  • Civil Society Organisation

How collaboration worked: The Age-Friendly Business Certification program could not be possible without the Better Business Bureau Serving Greater Cleveland. The Better Business Bureau is a nonprofit organization with local offices throughout the United States and Canada who furthers their mission of “marketplace trust” by accrediting and grading business based on the Better Business Bureau’s confidence of said businesses’ trustworthiness. The Better Business Bureau Serving Greater Cleveland is not only a crucial partner but is also the lead on the program. It is the Better Business Bureau Serving Greater Cleveland that is certifying the businesses as age-friendly rather than the Cleveland Department of Aging. The certificates are sent on Better Business Bureau Serving Greater Cleveland letterhead, and all the program information is virtually hosted on their website. The annual $75 fee collected from each Age-Friendly Business is used to offset their administrative costs. It is important to note that businesses do not have to be Better Business Bureau accredited to apply to be age-friendly certified. Another important partner is the AARP volunteer program. The volunteers are essential, as they are the ones who determine the accessibility of businesses and provide an older adult’s perspective. Both partners are valued and necessary.

Older people’s involvement: Older people were involved in the age-friendly practice at multiple or all stages

Details on older people’s involvement: Older people were directly involved in the planning process. During initial focus groups used to inform the Age-Friendly Cleveland Initiatives, older adults specifically stated that there is a need for accessible businesses. It was this feedback that led to the creation of the Age-Friendly Business Certification program. Now that the program is up-and-running, older adults working through the AARP volunteer program are the ones evaluating businesses’ age friendliness.

Moving forward

Has the impact of this age-friendly practice been analysed: No

Do you plan to evaluate your age-friendly practice? Yes

Feedback:
All businesses certified in the initial round of Age-Friendly Business certifications were excited about the program and enjoyed the training process. One business took to social media to announce their new age-friendly status, saying “We’re enthusiastic about being able to better serve our clients and the community through this program.” Additionally, Better Business Bureau Serving Greater Cleveland president Sue McConnell said, “The Age-friendly Business initiative will encourage and assist Cleveland businesses to address the needs of older customers.

Expansion plans:
We plan on expanding the program through training and certifying more age-friendly businesses. We would like to see age-friendly business districts across the city, and for the age-friendly business logo to become a meaningful, widely-recognized indicator of accessibility for Cleveland residents.. It is our hope that the certification will become ingrained in the Cleveland community, and that Cleveland residents will choose businesses based on whether or not they are age-friendly.

Looking back

Reflections:
In our experience, finding the right partner for the program is key. When we began the process of creating the Age-Friendly Business Certification Program, we were highly reliant on internet searching and information sharing. Utilizing the Age-Friendly network, we found and copied the concept of a partnership with a community-based business convener from a similar program in Colorado, a state in Western USA. As a city department, we knew we needed an external lead for the program. The Better Business Bureau Serving Greater Cleveland maintains a like mission of assisting older adults. The partnership was crucial, and we encourage others looking to start an age-friendly business certification program of their own to explore that route as well, and to utilize the Age-Friendly network to share and discuss ideas.

Challenges:
It was initially challenging for the program to gain traction, especially at brick-and-mortar stores. To address this, we have increased marketing of the program, a tactic we will continue for the foreseeable future.