Serving Up Inclusive Design: Yannick Benjamin’s Contento NYC (Season 3, Episode 1)

  By JANET ROCHE & CAROLYN ROBBINS Edited by: Andrew Parrella Guest: Yannick Benjamin Photos Credit: Mikhail Lipyanskiy Photography We all love to go out to a nice restaurant and enjoy a fine meal, but it isn’t always easy for someone with a disability. A poorly thought out space can make for an uncomfortable or unsafe experience for those patrons. Enter Contento NYC… great food, great wine, and a great space for all, whether you have a disability or not. Going beyond the ADA basics, what challenges did they face, and what solutions did they cook up to to lessen the limitations and still provide the best service?  IDP talks to Yannick Benjamin, owner of Contento NYC, to bring you a taste of what it takes to create a restaurant design without barriers. Guest: Yannick Benjamin, is a restaurant owner and disabilities advocate. His passion for advancing opportunities for those living with disabilities led him to create two organizations (Wheeling Forward; Wine on Wheels) that both bring awareness and best practice solutions to the hospitality industry, and far beyond. – References: • Yannick Benjamin – Instagram: @YannickBenjamin • Contento NYC – Instagram: @ContentoNYC • Wine on Wheels – Instagram: @wineonwheelsNYC • Wheeling Forward • ADA Standards for Accessible Design • Lidia Celebrates America: Overcoming the Odds, A Restaurant Without Barriers • ‘Dining with Dignity’ – Adaptive Flatware • Bluet – Maine Wild Blueberry Sparkling Wine • Jean Paul Viollet – Adaptive Sommelier Tray Transcript: Contento NYC: Serving Up Inclusive Design Guests: Yannick Benjamin (Music 1/ Show Intro) Janet: In this series we will be discussing specific examples of design techniques that make a positive difference for people living with certain human conditions. Carolyn: The more a designer understands the client and or the community the more effective and respectful the design will be. — INTRO: Janet: Welcome to Inclusive Designers Podcast, I am your host, Janet Roche… Carolyn: and I am your moderator, Carolyn Robbins… Janet: Carolyn, we have such a wonderf...