There are approximately 2.7 million potential visitors with disabilities in the UK that regularly travel (and millions more abroad), it's an extremely loyal market with a huge spending potential. Taking steps to be more accessible shows that as a tourism business you are aware of the importance of being open to everyone.
Accessibility is about far more than accommodating wheel chair users, there are a wide range of simple things you can do to make your property more accessible to customers with hearing, visual and mobility impairments too.
To read more about the business potential and the importance of becoming more accessible to all, download:
Accessible Tourism: Making it work for your business (PDF)
VisitEngland have produced a brochure entitled ‘Easy does it' to help tourism businesses meet the expectations of visitors with accessibility needs. The brochure breaks down the visitor journey into six stages: from attracting the visitor to book, to once they have returned home.
‘Easy does it' is packed full of ideas that are simple and low-cost, for example the provision of information such as contact details for your local Shopmobility scheme or accessible taxi firm.
To download the brochure, view an eBook, or request a hard copy, click here.
View the case studies below to find out how two south west based tourism businesses have taken steps to become more accessible.
VisitEngland have also put together some useful videos detailing the economic benefits of accessible tourism including case studies of an accomodation provider and the National Theatre. To view the videos please click on the links below.
Welcome to Excellence run a ‘Welcome All' course at venues across the South West that aims to give you and your staff an insight into how to meet the expectations of people with disabilities and special needs.
To download a course syllabus for more information, click here.
To search for south west 'Welcome All' course dates, click here.
The North West RDA has generously provided access for south west businesses to a brand new online training course entitled 'Profit through Access'.
Designed for tourism businesses - and free for your use - it will help you attract a wider range of visitors and improve your profits. The course will help you:
To register to use this free online resource, visit www.tourismnortheast.co.uk
The National Accessible Scheme can benchmark accommodation providers' levels of accessibility against national standards and award appropriate ratings for mobility and/or hearing and/or visual impairments.
The NAS is available for serviced, self-catering, hostel and campus properties; and holiday, touring and camping parks. There are many benefits of joining:
Exclusively for accommodation providers that have been quality assessed by the AA or Quality in Tourism, the NAS have waived their joining fee for 2010 / 2011!
For more details, click here.
For more information on the NAS, and to apply, click here.
One Step Ahead is the mobility entry level standard of the National Accessible Scheme and is based on the needs of older and less mobile visitors - those who can happily climb a flight of stairs but who will benefit from a few added services and facilities around your business.
Even if your business has steps to the front door or no ground floor bedrooms you can still achieve this standard and can enjoy many of the benefits listed above.
To download a PDF which includes more details on the standard and a check-box action plan of things you can do around your property to help you obtain it, click here.
Tourism for All UK is a national charity dedicated to standards of world class tourism which are welcoming to all. Their website is the UK's central source of holiday information for people travelling with access needs.
Tourism Businesses can join for a small annual fee of around £35. For this you get access to advice, free online training for all your staff, a regular newsletter and a host of other benefits and discounts. For more information go to: tourismforall.org.uk/Business-membership
The Equality Act 2010 in effect from October 1st 2010 replaces all the pre existing anti-discrimination laws with a single Act. Tourism businesses should familiarise themselves with their obligations. For example, the requirements to make 'reasonable adjustments' have been strengthened in the new Act, therefore service providers must take steps to address barriers that impede disabled visitors. Find out more.
Comments
Ian Stuart, Stuart Line Cruises
We fully support providing accessible attractions for all visitors.This can be difficult to accomplish on a passenger boat with restricted space but we try our utmost to ensure that visitors with disabilities can enjoy at least one of our many trips
Comment made: Thursday 1st October 2009
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