Disabled Access Day

Get
Involved!
Disabled Access Day
Venue Pack
www.disabledaccessday.com
We’ve put together this information pack to help you prepare for the big day on 12th
March 2016. If you have any questions about any of the information contained in this
pack please email [email protected] or call us on 0131 510 5106.
What is Disabled Access Day?
Disabled Access Day is all about encouraging disabled people to visit a place they’ve
never been to before - whether that’s a cinema, coffee shop, museum or anywhere
else.
The first ever Disabled Access Day happened on the 17th January 2015, initiated by
a group of disabled people and their friends and sponsored by Euan’s Guide. The day
ended up being a lot bigger than initial expectations! A total of 261 venues across
eleven countries signed up, from local coffee shops to national museums. Venues of
all sizes took part.
Over 1000 disabled people and their friends and families got involved in a range of
activities on the day. From British Sign Language demonstrations to backstage tours
there were lots of activities taking place across the UK. Feedback in the lead up to,
during and post event suggests that the day gave people a reason to, and in some
cases, the confidence to try somewhere new.
My partner and I are both disabled and will go to the cinema on Saturday. It
will be the first time in 8 years that we have been to the cinema. There’s a
small cinema in our town, that we will try to access.
Pleased to get out and about with my disabled daughter, her quality of life is
much improved if we go places and do things!
C
Nick
We know there are tonnes of great accessible venues out there, we also
know that many of them don’t shout about it! Disabled Access Day is the perfect
day to engage with new people and start (or continue) promoting all the accessible
facilities at your venue.
So whether it’s a special event or a good old fashioned welcome - get involved this
Disabled Access Day and help us make it even bigger and better than last year’s
event.
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Top 10 Tips:
Making Your Venue More Accessible
Disabled Access Day might seem like a while away but time will fly! So here are some
top tips for preparing for the day:
Train your staff
Our reviewers repeatedly tell us that their best experiences have come from great
staff and excellent service. A large part of being accessible is to be as friendly and as
helpful as possible: be welcoming to customers and aim to make sure that nothing is
‘tricky’ - instead offer the best solutions to any issues that may arise.
Your staff may need some support regarding accessibility as they may have limited or
no experience of disabled access before. Enable your staff to feel confident, and not
anxious, by providing training which leads to a warm welcome for everyone. Ensure
that staff know how to provide help and assistance – even if it is a small gesture such
as carrying coffee to a table. Good access is not just about facilities, it’s also about
being friendly and inviting.
And make sure your staff know that your venue is involved in Disabled Access Day
2016 so that they’re able to promote it to your customers too!
Test equipment
Sometimes equipment that’s been installed to make your venue more accessible
is neglected or forgotten. For example Induction Loops are a helpful piece of
equipment but to be effective they need to be
regularly tested and you need clear signage
so people know they’re available. Platform
lifts are another accessible feature that are
often easily forgotten about, especially if not
regularly used. Make sure there is regular
maintenance and that routes to and from the
lift are clear at all times.
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Create a regular maintenance schedule to ensure that hearing loops, along with any
other technology you have to improve accessibility are regularly tested and clearly
sign posted to ensure that customers can make the most of the facilities available.
Look at your information
When providing information it is important to make sure it is accessible. Take a look
at everything your venue has from leaflets to signage. Does your website clearly
explain the accessibility of your venue and is it easy to find? Do you have large print
versions of menus in your café? Is there a BSL video which welcomes visitors to your
attraction and tells them what to expect? If you don’t have these facilities already
Disabled Access Day is a great day to launch your new accessible information and
signage.
Now might also be a good opportunity to look at the information that is provided for
staff and ensure that accessible formats are also available for them.
Check your signage
Once people have arrived, signage is really important to help them navigate through
your building. When it comes to signs, high
contrast text and clear directions are best.
Signs which have a wheelchair symbol and
an arrow can be confusing. It is better to
have a sign which says ‘wheelchair access
to the cafe’ accompanied by an arrow. Don’t
forget to place signs intended for wheelchair
users in places that are visible from a seated
position. Where would people want to go
when arriving or when they are leaving? Is
the exit clearly signposted? Are wheelchair
accessible evacuation routes signposted?
What are your toilets like?
They are not always glamorous but they
are often a deciding factor when people are
researching for places to go. Simple adjustments can make a huge difference. For
example, removing surplus or oversized bins and other non-essentials will increase
the amount of space wheelchair users have to manoeuvre.
4
If you have a toilet with a red emergency cord make sure that it’s accessible and not
tied in knots or hard to reach (it should hang freely all the way to the floor). Euan’s
Guide launched their Red Cord Campaign to raise awareness about this and you
can order a card to attach to your red cord via their website (www.euansguide.com/
redcord). This will ensure it remains accessible to those who may need it.
Be creative with your space
Like people, wheelchairs come in all different shapes and sizes, and wheelchair users
need to be able to move around your venue in order to enjoy their experience and see
what’s on offer. Aim to keep your floor space free of obstruction and have a clear path
around the room. It’s good to have enough room in aisles for a wheelchair user and
for somebody to pass. Remember to consider sightlines as well and whether or not a
wheelchair user will be able to see what is coming up ahead.
Aim to keep your venue as bright as possible – dark environments can make it difficult
for visually impaired visitors to read information or notice important signage. Where
light levels are important for your environment, you can always illuminate signs. The
London Canal Museum cleverly installed buttons for visually impaired visitors to turn
on a timed light so that they may view light sensitive artefacts.
Write an access statement and list on Euan’s Guide!
People are unlikely to assume that your venue has good access, so it is a good idea
to tell potential visitors about your facilities. Before visiting a new place for the first
time, disabled people will often look for information about what to expect when
they arrive, including whether your space includes features such an accessible toilet,
level access or good signage. Information about parking and public transport is
particularly helpful as well. If people can find this information, they are more likely to
visit – and don’t be surprised if they return again and again!
VisitEngland and VisitScotland have handy online tools which can help you to write
your access statement. Once you have an access statement add it to your website
so it’s easy for people to find the information. Where possible have a contact person
who can be contacted directly and answer any access questions.
5
Euan’s Guide is a disabled access review
website and app; venues taking part in Disabled
Access Day are asked to list their venue on the
site. Listing a venue takes between 5 and 15
minutes, you will be asked a range of questions
about your access, staff training and transport to your venue.
Engage with your customers
Include your customers by talking to them and finding out from personal experiences
how you can improve access in your venue. Invite feedback on accessible features
that your customers look for or use, and encourage them to share their experiences
by reviewing on Euan’s Guide. It may be a nice gesture to offer an incentive or thanks
for their time, such as loyalty card stamps or a free sample for example. Use this
feedback to make adjustments to your venue, where possible, in time for Disabled
Access Day. Some small changes can make a big difference and be straight forward,
easy to implement and cost effective all at the same time.
Fill up a water bowl
Visitors may be visiting your venue with an
assistance dog. Be inclusive by offering to pour
the dog some water; visitors may feel pressured
to leave if their dog has gone a long time without
something to drink. You can order a water bowl
from Euan’s Guide – they’ve been going down a
treat with our canine friends!
Sign up to our e-newsletter
To receive up to date information about what’s going on as well as tips and ideas
make sure you’re signed up to our e-newsletter. You can sign up over on our website:
DisabledAccessDay.com.
You can also keep up to date with developments on Twitter
(@Access_Day) and Facebook (fb.com/DisabledAccessDay).
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How do I register my event?
It’s as easy as 1,2,3…



Sign up for Disabled Access Day
List your venue on Euan’s Guide
Plan and promote your event
Register on Euan’s Guide (if you haven’t already)
Euan’s Guide is the disabled access review website and app and is the main sponsor
of Disabled Access Day 2016. For your event to feature on the Disabled Access Day
website you need to register on Euan’s Guide by going to the ‘list a venue’ page, it will
take between 5 and 15 minutes to add your venue and you can always come back and
add more information at a later date if you don’t have it all to hand. You will also be
asked to add photographs so people know what to expect – pictures of your toilets
are particularly useful! Once you’re done hit submit and our moderators will work
behind the scenes so your venue goes live on the site as soon as possible.
Add an event to your Euan’s Guide Listing
Once you’ve received an email to confirm your venue is live all you need to do is log in
to your account and add an event. To do this go to your profile, scroll to the bottom of
the page and you’ll see your venue where you can click ‘add event’. Complete all the
information and make sure you tick the box at the bottom of the form so that your
event appears on the Disabled Access Day website.
Go to DisabledAccessDay.com
You’re finished! If you go to the ‘Event Search’ on the Disabled Access Day website
and type in the location of your event you will see it appear in the search results!
Wasn’t that easy?!
Now all you need to do is start promoting your event!
If you have any questions about the sign up process please email
[email protected].
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Frequently Asked Questions
I want to get involved but I’m not quite sure what my event will be yet –
what do I do?
No problem, you can still add your venue to the list of participating venues by adding
a Disabled Access Day event to your Euan’s Guide profile but for now you can just
put in some holding text. For example, “We are busy planning activities for Disabled
Access Day 2016, check back soon for more information.” You can log in and edit the
text when you know more about what will happen on the day.
Why do I have to register with Euan’s Guide?
Euan’s Guide is the main sponsor of Disabled Access Day – it’s a review website and
app that aims to empower people by providing information that will give confidence
and choices for getting about. By registering on Euan’s Guide people who are
searching for information on access for your venue will be able to find accurate
information about what to expect. It’s a great way to demonstrate your commitment
to accessibility and gain an insight into how accessible your venue is as you build up
reviews and receive feedback. Disabled Access Day is the perfect day to encourage
people to submit reviews of your venue!
Can I add other events to Euan’s Guide?
Yes of course! The more events you can add the better! Follow the same steps for
adding your Disabled Access Day event - you just don’t need to tick the box at the
bottom of the form. Events now and in the future will then appear in the ‘what’s on’
tab on your venue listing.
Got another question? Just send us an email ([email protected])
or call us 0131 510 5106, we’re happy to help!
Visit us at
www.disabledaccessday.com
Follow us on
twitter.com/access_day
Disabled Access Day is sponsored by Euan’s Guide - www.EuansGuide.com
Euan’s Guide is a disabled access review website and app
and is a charity registered in Scotland (SC045492).
Like us on
fb.com/
DisabledAccessDay