Access in Tourism

Access Library

Here you can browse the full range of documents, downloads and videos available throughout the Access in Tourism pages.

Get Started

• Easy does it
  An excellent introductory business guide from VisitEngland packed full of ideas that are simple and low-cost. A must read for all looking to improve access
  
• Profit through Access - promotional video
  Video introduction explaining Profit through Access – a free online training course to help tourism businesses attract a wider range of visitors and improve profits

• Profit through Access – online course
  Start the Profit through Access free online training course. During the course businesses will develop an access statement and action plan.
  
• Feeling the crunch?
  VisitEngland has announced a special offer for the National Accessible Scheme available to all existing VisitEngland Quality Scheme participants
  
• Welcome to Excellence Training Leaflet
  This national leaflet gives details of the Welcome to Excellence courses including Welcome All
  
• National Accessible Scheme Access Consumer Research
  VisitEngland research identifying the needs, expectations and experiences of disabled people and their carers in selecting accommodation for a short break or holiday
  

The Benefit to Business

• Easy does it
  An excellent introductory business guide to accessibility packed full of ideas that are simple and low-cost. Produced by VisitEngland

• Profit through Access - promotional video
  Video introduction explaining Profit through Access – a free online training course to help tourism businesses attract a wider range of visitors and improve profits
• Welcome to Excellence training leaflet
  This national leaflet gives details of the Welcome to Excellence courses including Welcome All

 Understand the DDA

• What do guest accommodation owners need to know?
  A Disability Rights Commission guide (now the Equality and Human Rights Commission) to help smaller guest accommodation businesses to become as accessible to as many visitors as possible
  
• A practical guide for small businesses and other small service providers
  A Disability Rights Commission guide (now the Equality and Human Rights Commission) to help small businesses find ways of providing better access to goods and services for disabled customers
  
• Theme Parks and Attractions and the Disability Discrimination Act 1995
  A Disability Rights Commission guide (now the Equality and Human Rights Commission) to help owners of theme park and visitor attractions find ways of providing better access to goods, facilities and services
  
• A practical guide for taxi and private hire services
  A Disability Rights Commission guide (now the Equality and Human Rights Commission) primarily aimed at drivers and companies operating taxis and private hire vehicles or cars
  
• A practical guide for tour coach operators
  A Disability Rights Commission guide (now the Equality and Human Rights Commission) aimed at providers of non-scheduled bus and coach services, offering good practice advice in serving disabled customers
  
• A practical guide for scheduled buses and scheduled coaches
  A Disability Rights Commission guide (now the Equality and Human Rights Commission) aimed at operators of scheduled bus and coach services offering good practice advice in serving disabled customers
  
• A practical guide for the retail sector
  A Disability Rights Commission guide (now the Equality and Human Rights Commission) to help retailers find ways of providing better access to goods and services for disabled customers
  
• A practical guide for breakdown recovery operators
  A Disability Rights Commission guide (now the Equality and Human Rights Commission) to help breakdown recovery operators in serving disabled customers and potential customers
  
• A practical guide for rail services
  A Disability Rights Commission guide (now the Equality and Human Rights Commission) offering good practice advice to Train Operating Companies (TOCs) and others in serving disabled customers and potential customers
  
• Guidance on accessibility of large hotel premises and hotel chains – PAS 88
  This guide from the British Standards Institution provides information for large hotel premises seeking to meet the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995
  
• Organising accessible events
  A Disability Rights Commission guide (now the Equality and Human Rights Commission) to help event organisers and other service providers to make events and associated services more accessible and inclusive
  
• Bringing the DDA to life for publicans
  A Disability Rights Commission booklet (now the Equality and Human Rights Commission) to help publicans understand their duties under the DDA
  
• Code of Practice
  This Code – produced by the Disability Rights Commission (now the Equality and Human Rights Commission) - describes the duties imposed by specific parts of the DDA and gives practical guidance on preventing discrimination
  
• Code of Practice – Supplement (Transport)
  This Code – produced by the Disability Rights Commission (now the Equality and Human Rights Commission) - helps to explain the effect of including transport vehicles within the DDA
  
• DDA better business pack
  This Department for Work and Pensions booklet focuses on the most important things to know about the DDA
  
• Know your rights – Assistance dog owners
  A Disability Rights Commission leaflet (now the Equality and Human Rights Commission) giving guidance on the rights of Assistance dog owners

Communicate Clearly

• See it Right, RNIB
  RNIB’s practical and achievable guide to most of the official Web Content Accessibility Guidelines checkpoints
  
• How to be a web-savvy accommodation business
  Includes a helpful chapter on making sites accessible.

• See it Right accessible website audit
  How to prepare for an RNIB website audit, including details of accessibility standards, how they should be applied when developing a website and the RNIB audit process
  
• Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), Website Accessibility Initiative (WAI)
  The definitive and internationally accepted guidelines for accessible websites
  
• A guide to commissioning accessible websites – PAS 78
  Guidance on the steps that should be taken to commission accessible websites produced by the Disability Rights Commission (now the Equality and Human Rights Commission)
  
• RNIB’s clear print guidelines
  RNIB guidelines on designing printed information that is accessible to people with sight impairments
  
• Good signs – improving signs for people with a learning disability
  A Disability Rights Commission report (now the Equality and Human Rights Commission) focused on the impact of signage in the built environment for people with a learning disability
  
• National Trust Access guide 2009
  Consumer guide showing how the National Trust presents access information for its attractions
  
• English Heritage access guide
  Consumer guide showing how English Heritage presents access information for its attractions
  
• Scandic Access brochure
  An example of how hotel chain – Scandic Hotels - is informing its customers about their approach to accessibility
  
• National Theatre website
  An example of how a London theatre is presenting accessible information online including giving the user the ability to change the content to a hi-vis colour scheme
  
• How to produce information in an accessible way
  Social Care Institute for Excellence guidelines about producing accessible information, including use of text, images, photographs, symbols, video, DVD and audio
  
• Example of step-free route information using pictures - Adelphi Theatre
  Enabled London has produced access maps for a selection of London Theatre venues, showing journeys with step-free access and a time bar to indicate travelling times
  
• Enabled London
  An example of an online accessible leisure guide for people with disabilities in London 
   
  

Easy Guide to Access Statements

• Profit through Access - promotional video
  Video introduction explaining the free online course - Profit through Access - which helps businesses write an access statement and develop an action plan
  
• VisitEngland access information
  Advice on compiling access statements, including a template and sample access statements  

Gain a National Rating

• One step ahead
  VisitEngland has refreshed the entry-level mobility standard of the National Accessible Scheme. ‘One step ahead’ will help you increase the appeal of your business to older and less mobile visitors - even though you may have steps to the front door or no way of providing a ground floor bedroom.
  
• National Accessible Scheme Benefits and Advice
  An introduction to VisitEngland’s National Accessible Scheme and how it can benefit an accommodation business and their guests
  
• Feeling the crunch?
  VisitEngland has announced a special offer for the National Accessible Scheme available to all existing VisitEngland Quality Scheme participants
  

• National Accessible Scheme - VisitEngland

  • National Accessible Scheme access consumer research
    VisitEngland research identifying the needs, expectations and experiences of disabled people and their carers in selecting accommodation for a short break or holiday
  • Find out more about the National Accessible Scheme
    More details on the NAS and how to apply 
  • See how the National Accessible Scheme can benefit visitors
    Details of how the NAS helps visitors
    

• Serviced, Self-Catering, Hostel and Campus Accommodation

  • National Accessible Scheme standards booklet
    For Serviced, Self-Catering, Hostel and Campus Accommodation. Gives information on the standards for Hearing Impairment, Visual Impairment and Mobility Impairment.
  • National Accessible Scheme self survey forms
    For Serviced, Self-Catering, Hostel and Campus Accommodation. To help businesses move towards joining the National Accessible Scheme, they can carry out their own audit using these NAS self-surveys:
    - Mobility 1 and Mobility 2
    - Mobility 3I, Mobility 3A and Access Exceptional
    - Hearing 1, Hearing 2, Visual 1, Visual 2
    
• Holiday, Touring and Camping Parks and Caravan Holiday Homes
  • National Accessible Scheme standards booklet
    For Holiday, Touring and Camping Parks and Caravan Holiday Homes. Information on the standards for Hearing Impairment, Visual Impairment and Mobility Impairment.
  • National Accessible Scheme self survey forms
    For Holiday, Touring and Camping Parks and Caravan Holiday Homes. To help businesses move towards joining the National Accessible Scheme, they can carry out their own audit using these NAS self-surveys.
    - Parks Mobility 1 and Mobility 2
    - Parks Mobility 3I, Mobility 3A and Access Exceptional
    - Parks Hearing 1, Hearing 2 Visual 1, Visual 2
    - Caravan Holiday Homes Mobility 1 and Mobility 2
    - Caravan Holiday Homes Mobility 3I, Mobility 3A and Access Exceptional
    - Caravan Holiday Homes Hearing 1, Hearing 2 Visual 1, Visual 2
    

Case Studies and Good Practice

• Sonja Gregory – The Hytte, Bingfield, Northumberland. Gold Winner of the Tourism for All award at the 2008 North East England Tourism Awards
• Tom Keating – Blue Badge Guide and owner of Personalised Touring Services
• George Muirhead – Locomotion: The National Railway Museum at Shildon. Bronze Winner of the Tourism for All awards at the 2007 North East England Tourism Awards
• Iain Watson and Alisdair Wilson, Discovery Museum, NewcastleGateshead. Gold Winner of the Tourism for All award at the 2007 North East England Tourism Awards
• Video case studies - Five businesses explain how they made their business more accessible: Christine Brown - The Old Manse, Chatton; Chris Calvert - Bamburgh Castle; Lisa Jeffries - The Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle; Kate Hodgson - Mill Byre & Mill Granary, Ingleton; Christine Liddle - Birkheads Secret Garden & Nursery
• Imperial War Museum North - A Welcome All case study for an attraction
• The Hytte – A Welcome All case study for self- catering accommodation
• The Nurse’s Cottage – A Welcome All case study for accommodation and restaurant
• West Quay – A Welcome All case study for a shopping centre
• Tourism – For everyone
  Department for Work and Pensions case study and tips about useful ways and benefits of making a tourism business more accessible
• Hospitality – For everyone
  Department for Work and Pensions case study and tips about useful ways and benefits of making a hospitality business more accessible
• Retail – For everyone
  Department for Work and Pensions case study and tips about useful ways and benefits of making a retail business more accessible
• Café case study
  A Disability Rights Commission case study (now the Equality and Human Rights Commission) of a café providing hints and tips about how to improve access to premises and the services on offer
• Newsagent case study
  A Disability Rights Commission case study (now the Equality and Human Rights Commission) of a newsagents providing hints and tips about how to improve access to premises and the services on offer
• More Department for Work and Pensions case studies - tourism
  Read more tips and case studies for the tourism sector
• More Department for Work and Pensions case studies - hospitality
  Read more tips and case studies for the hospitality sector
• A good practice guide for the arts
  A guide to increasing participation in the arts, offering practical solutions to access for disabled people as artists, audience members, spectators, participants and employees
  - Part 1
  - Part 2
  - Part 3
  - Part 4
  - Part 5