As a supplier of disabled lifts for stairs, it should be fairly obvious that we consider disabled access to be a matter of the utmost priority, and because of that it saddens us when we hear stories where UK disabled access is less-than-ideal. One such report has recently surfaced in relation to the UK tourism industry, with a survey revealing that almost two thirds of the UK’s most popular tourist attractions remain inaccessible to wheelchairs even today.
UK Tourist Attractions
According to The Telegraph, it is actually easier for disabled people to arrange holidays in overseas locations than it is to plan out such a vacation in the UK, and the CEO of the British Polio Fellowship has declared that this fact has ‘astonished’ him. The survey in question only covered 52 of the top 100 most visited attractions in the UK, but even so 63% of these respondees admitted that their facilities were not totally open for wheelchair users.
A Lack of Disabled Facilities
Apparently, there was also a disappointing lack of disabled toilet facilities at such locations, a notable shortage of discounts for disabled people, very few disabled parking spaces and chronic neglect in the area of disability awareness (just 13% of staff had been trained in this area). With over 11 million disabled people living in the UK, the fact is that tourist destinations remain largely inaccessible for about one-sixth of the population, and that is something that needs to be improved upon.
The Road to Improvement
However, the situation is not all doom-and-gloom, as according to Visit England a lot of improvements have been implemented in recent years (including a notable example at Ypres Castle; seen above), even though the desired standards have yet to be attained on a universal basis. Change clearly takes time, and the signs are there to be seen that the situation is indeed improving, but one must certainly admit that there is still a dauntingly long way to go before the UK ranks favourably in terms of disabled access.
Every Day Disabled Access
Of course, disabled access is a consideration within all walks of life, and regardless of the situation when wheelchair users are on holiday, many find it difficult to go about their day-to-day business without encountering obstacles too. Because of that, the team at Axess2 make a variety of disabled lifts available for use in both domestic and commercial premises, so you can count on us to meet all of your needs in this area.
We aim to do our bit to create a society where disabled people can move around just as easily as more able-bodied individuals, and if you’d like to find out more about our products and our services, please contact us now by calling 01200 405 005or emailing info@axess2.co.uk. We can even design bespoke lifts for very unusual needs, so don’t hesitate to challenge us with a very specific request.