Accessibly Yours: Accessibility in the Service Industry

Picture yourself going day to day, your calendar is booked and busy. Then, one day, you get behind the wheel and are involved in an accident that changes your relationship with accessibility and mobility, forever. 

“Four years ago, a car accident changed my mobility forever and started the journey that led me here.”

Meet Pat (Patrick) Groninger (they/he).

Patrick is a proud trans man who introduces themself as a nerdy, food-and-drink-loving hospitality weirdo living with disabilities. Pat’s life consisted of participating in women’s sports, coaching, creating art, bartending, and “general debauchery.”

He is the founder and owner of Accessibly Yours (AY). 

I have had the pleasure of photographing Pat and documenting their interviews on accessibility with local businesses in the Denver area. Their story, along with the work that they are doing to build both awareness and overall accessibility within our communities, is incredibly important. Because of this, I invited him to share more of his story with OFM. 

“Long story short, thanks for being here, and welcome to Accessibly Yours.” – Pat

What inspired you to start this business?

An accumulation of life experience and love for the service industry. I was a bartender for 12 years before I got in my accident and my eyes were opened to exactly how minimal standards are for accessibility and inclusion. I was trying to go to my favorite places to eat and drink and sometimes couldn’t get in the door or the bathroom. Being a trans man adds to that in a different way. Additionally, watching covid eat away at small businesses and accessibility really pushed my motivation as well. When it rains, it pours – and a storm was brewing. I had no choice but to see life differently, and without it Accessibly Yours would not exist. I’m thankful for all of it.

What problem or need does your business aim to solve?

Where do I begin? The hospitality industry is chock-full of holes in accessibility for many reasons. From physical accessibility issues with entrances and the vast majority of bars having no space for wheelchair users (among other reasons for a shorter bar area), to the lack of knowledge about how to serve a diverse population and there being no service to assist in helping business navigate becoming accessible. We aim to fill the gaps and create a new standard by being the feet on the ground and hands on deck.

What’s the meaning behind the name of your business?

Accessibly Yours is a business built to serve the needs of the industry and the people who look to enjoy it. It is meant to be a reminder that we are a company built by you, for you. I want to be as accessible as the business I created, and I want people to know that serving them means the world to me.

What services do you offer?

Certification Program Is our main service. This is open to bars, restaurants, hotels, and other hospitality businesses who are, or aspire to become, accessible and inclusive. 

Assistance with Accessible and/or Inclusive Aspirations: depending on what they need in order to be certified.

Employee Training Program: think TiPs for accessibility and inclusion.

Business Listing: the certified businesses will be listed with search capabilities for customers to be able to trust that their needs will be met.

What makes your business unique compared to others in the area? 

AY is focused on the business side of accessibility. We get how hard it is to run a business, especially in this space, and we are here to help the owners and managers build accessible spaces so they can keep running the show. Let us do this work, so you can do yours.

Who is your ideal customer? 

Any hospitality business who is ready to commit to accessibility and inclusion. If you are ready to learn, grow, and work together I want to work with you. Even if you have no idea where to start or if you know that your building has restrictions that will make this hard—Reach out and we will do what we can.

How do you hope people feel when they interact with Accessibly Yours?

Simple answer? Seen, heard, and valued. I want them to know that their feedback is valued; their needs are seen, and concerns are heard. I want people to call me if they have questions, if they want to work together, or just want to grab lunch.

Why did you choose the Denver community to start in?

This is my home. I’m a fifth-generation Colorado local, and I love this state. Expanding from here speaks to who I am and where the whole idea started.

How has the community responded so far?

Everyone I have talked to and involved with the business have been incredible. People see the need for this and want to see it flourish; I couldn’t ask for a better response so far. Business owners have connected me with others they believe would be interested or helpful, offered to help, and are spreading the word about AY.

Are there any local partnerships or collaborations you’re excited about?

I have an ever growing list of businesses I hope to partner or collaborate with. I have gotten a lot of feedback about how hotels have issues in this area so I am excited to work with hotels. My background is heavy in the local beer industry so working with breweries is high on my list as well.

How do you plan to stay involved with the community?

I want to start hosting gatherings where the community can come and enjoy time together as well as give suggestions, feedback, and teach us more about what their needs are. I know that the more this grows the more we will understand about how to connect with the community, and I intend to make it clear that we want to be involved in any opportunity to connect, be it social media, virtual meetups, in-person, etc…

What has been the biggest challenge in getting started?

The need to feel like everything is perfect before pushing it out. Obviously this is a business built on being accessible, so I am constantly worried about missing or forgetting something that may lead to an accessibility issue.

What’s been your proudest moment so far?

Conducting my first interview with my long time friend Kelissa at Goldspot Brewing may be my most proud so far. I do not historically love being in front of the camera, and my neurodivergence being put out like that made me very nervous. The next one was with the owners of Town Hall Collaborative, Lauren and Denise, and how supportive they have been has really helped my confidence and my ability to speak to the necessity of AY.

Have there been any unexpected surprises or lessons along the way?

I learn a new lesson everyday. The whole journey has been an education in education, what I know vs how much more I have to learn. Plus the general level of education that exists about accessibility in the industry. The biggest surprise so far? That there seems to be an underlying desire for something like AY to exist. Everyone I have talked to has had at least one question or idea that they have been waiting to have a platform to explore.

What’s next for your business in the coming year?

Grow, learn, adjust, and grow some more. It’s time to rev up and get going. Once we have a good database of certified businesses, I’ll be creating an app for customers to navigate wherever our businesses are found!

Are there any upcoming events or launches you’d like to share?

The website is just about live, and I will be announcing a launch party very soon! After that I want to host the first community gathering.

What local spots do you love when you’re not working?

Well this is tough, I really enjoy Golden Mill, Goldspot, and Town Hall Collaboration obviously, Odell at Sloans, and Little Machine Beer.

Who is your favorite musical artist?

I don’t know if I have a strong favorite. I listen to a wide variety of music including brass jazz, hip hop, rock, bass EDM, punk and I love movie scores. I have been listening to a lot of Little Simz, Doechii, John Williams scores, and jazz lately.

If people want to know more about Accessibly Yours, how and where can they find that information? 

Go to our website; follow us on Instragram @accessibly.yours, or email us at allaccessfam@gmail.com.

All photos by Becky Duffyhill; check out my other work here!