Disabled travellers to benefit from new accessibility rating system

Thursday, 25 Jul, 2002 0

A new accessibility rating system is to be implemented in the UK so that disabled travellers will have clear information about what facilities are available when they make their holiday plans.

The new National Accessible Scheme for hotels, guest houses and self-catering accommodation, aims to encourage the tourism industry to provide a more accessible environment for the UK’s estimated nine million people with disabilities.

The new standards cover three types of impairment: mobility, visual and hearing. Each is represented by a symbol that can be displayed on signs outside the accommodation and used in promotional literature and marketing materials. An assessor who will rate the property against four different levels for mobility and two each for visual and hearing impairments, will visit accommodation owners wishing to join the scheme.

Announcing the new standards to the trade at the Britain Visitor Centre in London, Tourism Minister Kim Howells said: “Customer opinions and expectations have changed radically since the creation of the old accessibility standards. The new National Accessible Scheme is a big step forward in providing disabled tourists with the best possible service.”

Welcoming the initiative, English Tourism Council (ETC) Chairman Alan Britten said: “Improving access to tourism accommodation is good for tourists and good for business. In England alone, 2.7 million disabled people regularly travel. Many more are deterred by uncertainty about what they can expect. These new standards will improve the quality of accommodation, make holidays for disabled people more enjoyable and open up a market worth many millions of pounds to tourism businesses.”

The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) requires tourism providers to take reasonable steps to make their facilities and services accessible to disabled people, whether as guests, visitors or employees. The Act comes fully into force by 2004. The ETC said meeting the standards of the new National Accessible Scheme will not guarantee compliance with the DDA, “as this would be a matter for legal interpretation”. However, it said that achieving the standards will embrace the spirit of the Act as well as going a long way to help businesses to provide a more accessible environment and offer customers an informed choice.

In order to help accommodation owners wishing to achieve the new access standards, ETC has developed an information pack, which includes tips and guidance on simple, common sense changes that can be taken to improve accessibility. The ETC has also set up is a new business-to-business website to provide those involved in the tourism industry with a link to information on accessibility issues – www.accessibletourism.org.uk

The new National Accessible Scheme will be launched to consumers later in the year.

** See this week’s TravelMole Site of the Week: Abletogo.com
“This recently launched site aims to allow disabled and elderly people to search for hotels, guesthouses and self-catering accommodation that suit their specific needs. It was set up by a team of two, both of whom are disabled, with a history of working as disability advisors. They also wrote a popular guide to pubs, clubs and restaurants, and have used their experience to create this site.”