Nothing succeeds like access
Here's a statistic to conjure with: of 7,600 restaurants in London, only 2,630 have wheelchair access. And, of this number, only 780 provide accessible toilets.
While there is no survey to cover the whole of the UK, such figures do not bode well for the restaurant sector as the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) approaches full implementation. When its full force is applied next October, restaurants will be expected to have made reasonable adjustments, where necessary, so that they provide equal services and amenities to all their guests, regardless of any disability.
Chris Grace, director of Individuall, a membership and consultancy initiative with the aim of ensuring equality for the disabled in the hospitality industry, says that, for restaurants, "reasonable adjustment" will be viewed in terms of profitability, though he adds that they ignore the legislation at their peril.
According to David Phillips, chief executive of specialist information provider Holiday Care, there is some way to go before restaurants come up to the legally required standard. He says: "There is a slightly negative feeling in the restaurant industry that catering for disabled guests, particularly in wheelchairs, means losing covers. Restaurants will have to provide reasonable adjustment for their disabled guests, however."
Not that restaurants are receiving a lot of support. The English Tourism Council, the RAC and the AA all have accreditation and award schemes that reward and recognise better services for disabled guests in hotels, but none that specifically addresses the problems of restaurants.
The Restaurant Association has yet to provide any guidance to its members but its chairman, Nick Scade, promises that help is on the way. "We are now working on some form of guidance and advice for our members that should be available in the next six months," he says. "Most restaurants are small, independent establishments and probably don't know an awful lot about the new legislation - that's probably why not a lot has been done so far. It's a question of restaurants doing what they can afford, and making adjustments that make business sense."
For this article, Caterer went in search of best practice in the restaurant industry. Aiding our mini-audit was Chris Grace of IndividuAll, himself a wheelchair user.
Access
Just getting wheelchairs into restaurants can often be a problem. The best option, says Grace, is for disabled guests to be able to use the same entrance as everyone else; but if this is not possible, other entrances should be of a similar standard and clearly signposted.
Check list
\* If your restaurant has glass walls or doors, put a logo or sign on them so that guests with a visual impairment can see that they are there.
\* If your main door is not accessible, indicate the way to an alternative entrance, not with a worded sign but with a discreet symbol that will be universally recognised.
\* Doors should be at least 75-80cm wide, to allow a large wheelchair to pass through.
\* Ramps should be provided where the gradient of a step exceeds 1:20, and should have the gentlest gradient possible, certainly not exceeding the legal maximum of 1:12. The minimum width of the ramp should be 120cm, with a minimum clear width (between handrails, for example) of 100cm.
Fire exits Fire exits need to be considered carefully with regard to disabled guests. If you want to use your lift as a fire-escape route, it must have a separate power supply and protected walls, and must still operate when the fire alarm is activated. If there are stairs but no lift, think about how disabled guests will exit the building - via an adjoining building, down a ramp, or through an alternative door.
Lifts and stairs If you have stairs but no lift, the solution you choose will depend on building restrictions and cost. You should consider your options before 2004.
Check list
\* Your lift should be clearly signposted or sited next to a manned reception desk.
\* A clear manoeuvring space should be provided in front of the lift entrance.
* Buttons in the lift should be tactile and clearly marked (possibly with light), for the aid of anyone with a visual impairment.
* Fit reachable grab rails for support. Handrails should be easily distinguishable from their background, easy and comfortable to grip, and not cold to the touch.
* There should be an alarm button in the lift (and also in the toilet) which goes off in a manned reception area - there's no point in having an alarm if there's no one at the desk to hear it.
Signage
Check list * Colour contrast is very important to guests with visual impairments. To check how clear your signage is, squint at it and see how much you can read.
\* Writing in upper case only (capital letters) is more difficult to read than a conventional mix of upper-case and lower-case letters.
Toilets Toilets are indisputably an important part of any restaurant. If you don't have a toilet accessible to wheelchair users, now is the time to ponder whether, come 2004, the courts would decide it would be reasonable for you to install one. Grace advises that a decision be made on how the loss of space would affect the overall profitability of your business, as well as considering building costs. If you are unsure, seek professional advice.
Check list * Toilet seats should be sturdy and firm. Remember that a disabled person will need to shift his or her entire weight on to the seat from their wheelchair and may not have any use of their legs to help maintain their balance. Toilet seats should be 48cm from the floor, and there should be hinged handrails on both sides.
\* There should be an emergency cord with two handles, one 100cm from the ground, accessible to a guest who is seated, and one 10cm above the floor in case the guest has fallen. Remember that fire alarms in the toilets should be of a type that will alert both deaf and blind guests.
* In terms of decor, ensure that there is colour contrast in your toilets as this will help visually impaired guests find their way around. Don't forget that an accessible toilet should be decorated to standards similar to those in your other facilities. Details such as matching grab rails (avoid hospital white) can make a genuine difference.
The restaurant Once they are in your restaurant, there are several straightforward and inexpensive ways you can enhance the experience of a disabled guest.
One of the problems facing restaurateurs may be when and how to offer unique amenities such as special crockery or soft-handled cutlery (which is easier to grip, should you suffer from a condition such as arthritis). To avoid embarrassment, Grace advises advertising such facilities on websites, or including menu footnotes inviting disabled guests to ask for more information.
Check list * Staff training: taking time to train your staff in how to serve and help disabled guests is an easy, cheap and vital part of making your restaurant more accessible. Staff can be taught to use language that will not offend disabled guests - for example, saying "accessible toilet" rather than "disabled loo" - at the same time as recognising a range of relevant terminology.
As well as training staff to read out menus and specials boards, you can teach them to have greater awareness of their surroundings - which parts of a restaurant could pose difficulties for a disabled guest? Ensure that staff know what alternatives the restaurant can offer to accommodate disabled guests.
* Chairs should be varied in shape and size - chairs with armrests are helpful for people with walking difficulties, and chairs without armrests are good for people who use a wheelchair but like to transfer to a stationary chair.
* Space: this may be a luxury but it will allow guests in wheelchairs to move freely around the restaurant. If guests can't move around the restaurant, they could claim that they are being treated unfairly.
* Crockery: a deep-rimmed plate will help a guest with limited dexterity scoop food on to a fork. Only plastic plates were available for this purpose in the past, but some crockery companies are waking up to demand and including disabled-friendly crockery in their normal ranges.
\* Glasses: a glass with a handle will be easier for a guest with a dexterity problem to grip. A wide-based wine glass is easier to support than a narrow-based one.
* Menus: providing large-print menus (with a font size of 14pt-16pt) is an easy way to help guests with visual impairments (see panel). Avoid writing in italics and capitals, as these are more difficult to read. Braille menus are good but, as only 1% of the blind population read Braille, they are of limited use and are not required under the act. A magnifying glass will not be considered a reasonable alternative, and the act's guidelines suggest that normal menus should be in a "clear" font and in no smaller a font size than 12pt.
* Hearing loops: fitting one of these will help guests with hearing aids immeasurably. They are not necessarily very expensive.
* Booths: sitting in a separated booth will aid the hearing of any guest with difficulties in this area. The enclosed space will help acoustics.
* Plants: should be relatively tall and thus easily seen, so as not to create unseen obstacles.
So who's doing what?
A round-up of wheelchair accessibility in London
Conran Restaurants
How many of your restaurants are accessible to wheelchairs? Twenty of 22.
How many have accessible toilets? Twenty. We are very aware of the new legislation and are considering in what ways to accommodate it.
Do you offer large-print menus?
No. Our staff would be happy to read out menus.
Do you have specific disability-related training for staff?
We have regular training for general service and are alert towards all clients' needs. However, we are aware of possible sensitivities and aim to be respectful and discreet at all times.
Are guide dogs allowed in your restaurants?
Yes.
City Centre Restaurants
No comment.
Ask Central
How many of your restaurants are accessible to wheelchairs? 131 of 150.
How many have accessible toilets? 120 of 150.
Do you offer large-print menus? No. Staff will read menus on request, and offer advice on dishes.
Do you have specific disability-related training for staff? Our training programme covers many training issues that focus on dealing with disabled guests.
Are guide dogs allowed in your restaurants? Yes.
Caprice Holdings
How many of your restaurants are accessible to wheelchairs? Three of three .
How many have accessible toilets? None.
Do you offer large-print menus?
No. Our staff would be happy to read out menus if required.
Do you have specific disability-related training for staff?
No, but we are always able to accommodate people with specific requirements.
Are guide dogs allowed in your restaurants?
Yes.
Gordon Ramsay Restaurants
How many of your restaurants are accessible to wheelchairs? Three of five.
How many have accessible toilets? All except Pétrus.
Do you offer large-print menus?
All our menus are printed in 14pt minimum. Our staff are happy to read out menus and give descriptions.
Do you have specific disability-related training for staff?
Yes. All our staff undergo extensive customer service training in-house and will offer our guests every assistance required.
Are guide dogs allowed in your restaurants?
Yes.
The Law
The DDA as a legal imperative
The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA) is the impetus for change.
Since 2 December 1996
\ It has been unlawful for service providers or employers to treat disabled people less favourably.
\ A reasonable adjustment must be made.
Since 1 October 1999
Service providers have been required to take reasonable steps to:
* Change policies, procedures or practices in order to provide a service to a person who is disabled; or
\* Provide auxiliary aids to enable service provision; or
\* Provide services by other means.
From 1 October 2004
Where a physical feature makes it impossible or unreasonably difficult for disabled people to make use of services, a service provider will have to:
\* Take reasonable steps to remove, alter or avoid that feature (considering those options in the order listed); or
\* Where that is impossible, provide the service by a reasonable alternative method.
Note: Duties under the act are anticipatory, and all services are included whether paid for or not.
Business sense
The Department for Work, Family and Pensions estimates that the "disabled pound" is worth about £45b a year nationwide, so investment in adjustments can be justified from a business perspective.
For more information, see:
* Approved Document M of the Government's 1991 Building Regulations (currently under review).
* British Standard 8300: Design of buildings and their approaches to meet the needs of disabled people - Code of Practice.
Look out for
The rest of Caterer's series on disability issues relating to the hospitality industry.
Contact us. Are you making your business more disabled-friendly? Tell us how, so you can share your ideas with other readers. Contact: rosalind.mullen@rbi.co.uk
Guide dogs
Under Part 3 of the Disability Discrimination Act, it is unlawful for establishments serving food and drink to refuse to serve disabled customers or to offer them a lower standard of service. Restaurateurs must make reasonable adjustments to ensure that they do not discriminate against disabled people - this means waiving the "no dogs" rule for people with guide dogs.
The Dogs for the Blind Association gives the following tips for making guide dog owners feel welcome.
* Welcome the guide dog owner and introduce yourself as quickly as possible. They might appreciate guidance to a table.
\* Briefly explain the layout of the room and take their order at the table.
* Don't feed or pat the dog - guide dogs are specially trained to be in restaurants and bars and should curl up under the table.
* Offer help when settling the bill.
For more information visit www.guidedogs.org.uk/access or call 08000 131717 ( freephone) for brief details on guide dogs and the law.
Information and help
INDIVIDUALL
Individuall is a one-stop shop for hospitality businesses on disability issues. It is a non-profit-making organisation, established and funded by hospitality businesses, intended to help the industry meet the standards set out in the Disability Discrimination Act and to enable businesses to tap into this increasingly large market segment. For information, training materials, audits and consultancy services, contact Chris Grace, director, Individuall (Tel: 01273 464518).
HOLIDAY CARE
Founded in 1981, Holiday Care is a central source of travel and holiday information and support for disabled and older people, their families, friends and carers. Every year it answers about 30,000 enquiries from disabled people in the UK and overseas seeking advice on travel.
Holiday Care Information Unit, tel: 0845 124 9971. E-mail: holiday.care@virgin.net
More information is also available from the English Tourism Council's National Accessible Standards website (www.accessibletourism.org.uk) and from the National Register of Access Consultants (www.nrac.org.uk).
