How do you identify what is disabled friendly accommodation?

[DarrenC]

Reason why I ask is that I am trying to put together a holiday section on our website which identies properties as being disabled friendly. The obvious are one level properties, with ramps into the accommodation.

What else though?

Darren
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Worldwide Holiday Homes | Travel Rants Blog | Florida Travel Guide

[jacels]

It sometimes takes a disabled person to explain this better, but as my father taught at a school for the disabled all his life, I learnt a fair bit about what works and what not.
The ramp is probably the most important factor, but of no use if built at a dificult angle or not accessable due to obstructions.
Years ago we took our local mayor through town in a wheelchair, simply to prove how inaccessable the sidewalks really are. Needless to say, it was hard going for a man with abled legs to negotiate the ramps in a wheelchair. The improvements came in less than six months though.

The bathrooms have to be wide enough for a wheelchair to turn around, with easy access to the toilet, easy flush handles, easy access to the basin, and of course, lots of strong handles at a reachable height.

Good grip on the floors, especially in the bedrooms.

Easy access to cooking utensils, etc.

This names only a few.
I encourage disabled travellers to respond and make us even more aware of what you need.

jaco
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www.jacelstours.com
info@jacelstours.com
South Africa, Namibia, Botswana

[Pathouse]

In Northern Ireland registered guest accommodation is inspected by the Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB). The inspection includes inspection for disabled access. Where a property is able to facilitate disabled guests it is shown in guide books with one of three symbols.

A 1 elbow symbol .......meaning accessible to wheelchair user travelling independently
A 2 elbow symbol ...... meaning accessible to wheelchair user with assistance
A 3 elbow symbol....... meaning accessible to people with limited mobility.

Strangely I couldn't find the newer symbols on the web( after a short search) to show here.

Regarding new self catering building developments, at least one unit must have disabled access and facilities. Of course those properties that do have low level showers and braille
signs do market the fact as best they can in advertising.
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Northern Ireland Self Catering Holidays Association
www.nischa.com

[paul]

I hope you don't mind me asking, but why is symbolised with an elbow?

I can understand why a wheelchair symbol might not be used (eg. not all disabled people are wheelchair bound), but why an elbow?

Paul
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UK Hotels - UK Selfcatering - UK B&Bs - UK Attractions
Luxury Travel - Lake District Apartment

[Pathouse]

I didn't invent them, I just use them.

I think it is supposed to reflect the effort involved ie the: elbow power in moving the wheelchair So it requires less effort the more accessible the premises is.
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Northern Ireland Self Catering Holidays Association
www.nischa.com

[Jim bob 9 pants]

Darren,

Have you got any absolute answers to your question, I have done the same and am only able to trust the owners when they tell me it disabled friendly!!

It would be nice to have an affiliation with an offical body who could advise on this matter

(you crop up everywhere!!)

Jim bob 9 Pants
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[COLOR=White]Holiday Accommodation Devon and Cornwall Devon B&B
affordable web design

[axxiom]

We use a small logo on our website to identify if a facility has disability access. Obviously we cannot inspect all the properties ourselves so we rely on advice from each establishment.

This is our logo which, feel free to use it.


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Travel Australia & New Zealand with AusEmade
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[Pathouse]

The issue is not whether a premises is wheelchair accessible or not but once inside whether it is disabled friendly or not. And not just wheelchair friendly but other disability friendly.

Owners with multiple units should pay heed to the legislation and EU directives on this issue but owners of just one unit need to undertake a cost benefit analysis of the cost of conversion versus income. What is viewed as reasonable is the issue here as far as I understand it.
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Northern Ireland Self Catering Holidays Association
www.nischa.com

[wheelCP]

[jalban]

Hi

In the UK under the DDA of 1995 - the only thing it refers to with service providers, whether that be a hotel, b&b or Marks and Spencers, is that they have to make reasonable adjustment to their premises, their service to ensure disabled people can access the service.

This could include a ramp at the door, automatice doors, or someone to open the door, or a memebr of staff to some and sell you whatever it is. The problem with all of this is that in essence it is a bit of a farce....when a non disabled person thinks that something is accessible it doesn't necessarily mean that it is.

With regards to holiday accommodation - the problem is the majority is designed and owned by non-disabled people. I have stayed in a large hotel (big name), supposedly a "disabled accessible room". I get there - all very nice, go to the room, very nice, look in the bathroom only to find a bath - hmmm me and baths and wheelchairs big no no. The non- disabled manager then proceeded to show me how I could actually get into the bath - how I managed to stay upright in my chair was beyond me - the tears were rolling down my face! The fact was though this complied with DDA - they had put a stool next to bath so I could slide in, this was reasonable adjustment - the fact that I would have stayed there for the rest of my life not being able to get out of the bath was another matter - but hey ho. Needless to say - strip washes were the order of the day.

If you want to advertise accessible properties then in an ideal world they should have
level access showers
switches/sockets at appropriate heights - between 450 and 1200mm from finished floor
level
A raised toilet - no higher than 475mm to top of seat
If you have two bathrooms then ideally you need to offer both left-hand and right-hand transfer layouts to the loo and have turning circles of 1.5m
Have a turning circle of 1.5m next to one of the beds
The doors should be 900mm wide
The taps should be lever action
Door handles should be lever action
All staff should have appropriate Disability Discrimination training - even down to maids, cleaners, etc as a person with a visual impairment will have different requirements for the cleaning of their room, for example....don't move things around.
Ideally a portable loop system would be great - for sensory impairment

Sorry I could go on - but it does annoy me when properties are classified as disabled accessible only to get there and find you can't have a shower, or whatever.

I am building six accessible apartments - advertised on your site Darren!! But I am aiming specifically at the "disabled" market, so probably am offering all and sundry, yet I still think that all properties can be made accessible with a little thought. It is not costing me anymore to build as accessible as it would have done not accessible, apart from the fact I do have one additional cost of a lift, but that would be good for elderly, people with prams, kids, etc anyway so accessible to me does mean accessible to all.

Just to clarify something - in order to rent one of our properties doesn't mean that you have to be disabled - it isn't special accommodation or anything - it's just I have actually put some thought into making it accessible, and when you research the figures, disposable income, etc you would be mad to miss out on this potential huge market.
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Jacqui Alban

http://www.ineedaholidaytoo.com

Making life and holidays accessible for you!

[caretenerife]

Here on Tenerife we now have a number of disabled friendly hotel, this means all amenities are accessible by wheelchairs via lifts or ramps

Several hotels have specific rooms available for diabled travellers these are usually slightly larger than the average room and have wheel in showers etc

However not all of them are keen on accepting specialist equipment such as electric beds
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caretenerife
www.tenerifenursingandcare.com