Introduction
One in four people in the UK are disabled. That's over 16 million people. The Glamping Industry does a lot to make itself welcome to all but there are a number of small changes that site owners can make to enhance their offer. Not only is this the right thing to do, it widens the market of people who will want to come and stay. That is both disabled people and their friends and family, who have just as much of a right to a holiday as everyone else. It is worth nothing that in England 43% of people who identify as disabled didn't take a holiday in the past 12 months compared to 32% of the rest of the population.
It's a lot of people and a big market.
Disability and impairments can take many forms. Only 7% of disabled people use a wheelchair. Disability may be physical of mental. It may involve hearing loss or sight impairment. It could be someone using crutches after an operation. It may be a long term illness. It might be a family member with dementia or a child with autism. Thinking about what you can offer to help improve the access to, and use of, your site for these various challenges, can make a big difference to a lot of people. They also have, collectively, over £14 billion of spending power - known as the Purple Pound.
Barriers for the Disabled Traveller
There are environmental, digital and attitudinal barriers to disabled people going on holiday:.
- I couldn't get into the venue
- There was no accessible toilet
- There was not suitable parking
- I couldn't participate
- There were no alternative formats
- I couldn't get around the site
- There were no public transport links
- The environment made me feel uncomfortable
- The facilities weren't what I was expecting
- Staff attitudes
- Inaccessible website
The Pillars of Accessible Tourism
- Customer - make sure you are welcoming, genuine, honest and consistent.
- Place - make sure your site and infrastructure is easily usable for everyone
- Information - make sure your information is clear, truthful and consistent.
PLUS
- Employment - employ disabled people.
Not every site is going to be able to address all of the pillars and the degree to which you can may be constrained but remember this quote:
“Understanding and empathy can’t remove physical barriers but they can go a very long way to mitigating them”
What can I do? Top Tips.
- The number one top tip is to download the VisitEngland Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Toolkit.
- Focus on information. (95% of disabled people check on accessibility before they book and 77% have not visited a venue because this information was absent.
- Evaluate your website to ensure this information is easily found. Why not create an Access for All page listing what you do and do not provide.
- Ensure your website can be used by people with visual impairments. This might mean following Website Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and advising users how to activate accessibility features available in most browsers and operating systems.
- Create a disability and inclusion assessment of your site, and develop an action plan and timeline of the things you want to do.
- Get a Detailed Access Guide from AccessAble AccessAble to promote what facilities you do have available.
- Train yourself and any staff in disability awareness.
- Appoint an Accessibility Champion and encourage accessibility ambassadors.
- Actively recruit staff who identify as disabled/living with disability.
- Gather insight and feedback from customers with accessibility requirements / local disabled people / accessibility professionals.
- Include images of disabled people in your marketing.
- Provide designated accessible parking spaces and drop-off areas.
- Provide a step-free entrance (may include a ramp or lift).
- Provide a hearing loop.
- Provide accessible toilets and ideally a Changing Places facility.
Not every business can do everything but remember this quote from disability campaigner and businessman, Martyn Sibley:
“Fear of saying the wrong thing, doing the wrong action, making a mistake. I say let’s get brave. Let’s act. Let’s get some things wrong. Let’s make a positive difference to disabled people and create an inclusive world”