Euan’s Guide - a disabled access charity known for EuansGuide.com, a disabled access review website – have released their annual Access Survey and the results make for seriously grim reading.
The survey was taken by 7,500 people, making it the largest survey of its kind in the UK. Of these 7,500 people, 98% self-identify as disabled.
Some of the results included in the survey are particularly damning and highlight the importance of not only accessibility, but for venues to understand what ‘accessibility’ actually means - it’s often more than simply a wheelchair ramp.
For example, 72% of respondents said that they found accessibility information on a venue’s website to be misleading, confusing, or inaccurate and considering that 91% of respondents said they try to find disabled access information about a new place before visiting, there is potentially a lot of lost opportunities for new customers and visitors in venues across the UK.
Poor Accessibility Is Restricting Disabled People Even More
When venues don’t put accessibility at the forefront of their concerns for customers and visitors, it impacts many of them greatly. 74% of respondents agreed that they had suffered from disappointing trips or even cancelled plans entirely due to poor accessibility. 57% of respondents struggled to get around venues ands 41% couldn’t get into venues to begin with.
Disability isn’t just limited to mobility, though. 25% of respondents found venues too overstimulating and 37% couldn’t access toilets that suited their requirements.
What Can You Do To Improve Accessibility?
We spoke to the Euan’s Guide Managing Director, Antonia Lee-Bapty who said:
“Our advice would be not to say things are fully accessible because everyone’s needs are different - so what does fully accessible even mean? At Euan’s Guide, our advice is to be as straightforward as you can with your disabled access information – make sure you say what you do have in terms of accessible facilities, and include photos where you can as these often do all the talking.
“Not having disabled access information will probably mean people will go elsewhere. Please provide accurate information to avoid wasted time, energy and money.”
22% of the UK population is disabled and prioritising accessibility and what that actually entails is vital for any venue looking to be entirely inclusive.