Making your venue accessible

A small investment of your time, energy and money now will create a strong benefit all round. The size of the UK population that requires venue accessible support is growing, have a look at these few suggestions that we have seen as we have visited attractions with our children and family members ourselves, or seen as we’ve trained in venues that have shown us their innovative ideas.

1. Is your website accessible? Do you have easy to access disability friendly information on your front page or a clear link to a page on your website that’s easy to see? Is the content clear, up to date and able to be fulfilled?
2. Are your staff up to date with their disability and equality training? Do they know your accessibility policies? Are your customer service team able to answer questions around the services and support that you provide? Are they aware of the correct terminology and confident on how to support families within a moment of upset, distress or requiring support to problem solve a situation?
3. Are you easy to find? If you offer a tourist attraction that is accessible for people who have a disability, their family and their carers, can people find you? When we are looking to plan a day out we are looking for specifics and we are looking for easy access. Shout out about yourself on sites where we look for reviews.
4. Are your signs clear? Are your signs in images? Do they stand out so that they are easily visible? Signs are great boundaries that help us feel safe, guided and on the right track so to speak. When a place is crowed and over stimulating it can be difficult for some people to navigate, on top of this if they feel confused and unsure about which way to go it can add to the stress. Positive signs can ease anxiety and allow individuals to feel more in control.
5. Do you have a guide of your attraction? Does your guide highlight the accessibility information?
6. Do you have menu’s written in larger font using a font like Ariel?
7. Do you offer payment by card reader machine and is your card reader on an extendable wire for wheel chair users to have easy access too?
8. Are your isles clear? Doorways clear and wide for wheel chairs users to easily get through? Are your ramps available and in good working order?
9. Looking out for our carers. Guide dogs are working animals and tirelessly ensure their owner is safe, can you place dog water bowls down in appropriate areas so that they can have a drink?
10. There has been a lot of press coverage recently about disability access and toilets. What are your toilets like? Is there room for a wheel chair to turn? For a carer or family member to be in there to support if necessary? Is there room for an adult to be changed?

Why make your venue accessible?

• 212 billion pounds make up the disability pound in the UK? That’s a lot to miss out on.
• The common shared vision of a tourist attraction / venue is to support individuals and families to make memories, have great days out; people with a disability want this too.
• Over 3 million families within the UK use a push chair for their babies / infants. Slopes, ramps, doorways, isles and child friendly areas are important.

Many businesses today are seeing how creating a venue that is accessible makes good business sense but above all it create inclusion. Inclusion of staff who have a disability and inclusion of visitors / customers who live with a disability.  There is so much information within easy reach to begin making some positive changes. Feel free to call us now to support you with assessments to advise on changes and adaptions, training for management and staff and training your staff to be a trainer or champion themselves. Visits Unlimited deliver a package that creates confidence around inclusion so that you can deliver an amazing experience for everyone.