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Easy access tips

Easy ways to improve access and quality. Many businesses can easily increase accessibility through simple, low-cost alterations. Some can be done while replacing equipment.

The meaning of the word 'Accessible'

When checking for the meaning of the word ‘Accessible' in the on-line Thesaurus the following meanings came up:

  • Easy to get to / Nearby
  • Available / Reachable
  • Easily reached / Handy
  • To hand / Open
  • Within reach / Manageable

The following adjective ‘Comprehensible' and its meanings also appeared:

  • Understandable
  • User-friendly
  • Easy to use
  • Clear
  • Straightforward
  • Simple

And the adjective ‘Approachable' with the following descriptions:

  • Affable
  • Genial
  • Friendly
  • Welcoming

Please do bear these words in mind when you look at your business and how accessible it is.

Here are some top tips:

  • Check if public telephones are fitted with inductive couplers so that people who use hearing aids can use the handset. Most modern phones have this facility
  • Ensure that at least some telephones are available with large buttons and a flashing light when Big Button Telephonethe phone rings. These phones are easier for people with arthritis, dexterity  problems and visual impairments. Popular models include the one shown in the picture from BT - details can be found on their website under Age and Disability:              http://www.btplc.com/inclusion/index.htm 
  • Have a portable 'vibrating alarm' available on request for guests who may have difficulty in responding to an audible fire alarm
  • Specialist equipment required by guests with a disability is often available locally for hire through Social Services, the Red Cross or Disability Information Advice Line (DIAL)
  • Ensure that there is at least one copy of the menu in large print and offer to read the menu if appropriate
  • At a reception/entrance desk, paper and pen should be available for guests with hearing difficulties
  • Use large-print guest information and registration forms
  • Accept assistance dogs (eg: for visually or hearing impaired people) in bedrooms and public areas
  • Use coloured glassware and jugs to make it easier for visually impaired people to see what they are using
  • When changing signage, incorporate clear typeface, contrasting colours, non-reflective and well-lit information. Easy to read, head height wall signs not only assist people who are partially sighted, this could also make it easier for people who cannot easily hear or make themselves understood at busy reception times. Tactile and Braille information should be at a height that can be reached
  • When decorating, ensure that door surrounds/frames are in contrast with the wall and door and that there is contrasting door furniture. Ensure that steps are distinguishable through contrasting brightness
  • Where there is not a low reception, ensure that a low desk is made available and that reception staff approach the guest rather than leaning over the desk
  • Avoid an all-white finish in bathrooms and public toilets. Provide coloured towels where there is white furniture so that visually impaired guests can find them more easily
  • Ensure that blocks are available for raising the height of beds
  • Trim any overhanging plants or hedges along pathways
  • If appropriate to your reception/entrance area, display a 'hoot car horn for attention' sign or have your phone number on a sign
  • When talking to a wheelchair user, don't lean on the wheelchair as this is part of the user's personal space
  • If someone looks as if they need assistance, offer it, but wait for them to accept before you help
  • When taking bookings, always ask about a guest's particular requirements that you might need to know - for example, do they need a vegetarian or other special diet, do they have a disability, will they be arriving early? In this way, taking care of a disabled guest is simply an extension of the way you take care of all guests.Tap Turners
  • Tap turners will help those with manual dexterity difficulties. These examples can be found from about £6.00 per pair on-line at: http://www.keepable.co.uk/
  • Disabled people are individuals like everyone else. Don't make assumptions about their abilities or needs.
  • VisitBritain have produced a guide called 'Easy does it’. It is packed full of ideas that are simple and low-cost, including the provision of easy to find information such as contact details for the local Shopmobility scheme or accessible taxi firm. Improved accessibility benefits a wide range of the population from dad with a bad back, to gran with a hearing aid, a new mum with a pram or a teenager with a broken leg!  Implementing just a few of the ideas suggested in the brochure will help to enhance the quality of experience for many and in turn not only meet, but exceed guest expectations. Click here to view and download Easy Does It. Alternatively you can request a free copy by emailing qad@visitbritain.org

(Last Updated: 16-07-2008)