Video: How to make your hotel accessible
Do you know how easy it is for those with accessibility requirements to reach all the areas and facilities at your operation? With an untrained or inexperienced eye most people will believe they have done all they can to welcome every customer; but by putting yourself in someone else's shoes you may find that there are a number of improvements that can be made at little cost.
One way of assessing your site is to conduct an access audit. These are usually undertaken by professionals who will make recommendations for reasonable adjustments that will improve the customer experience for those with particular needs. And they don't have to be expensive or time-consuming. For example, moving a cupboard in a disabled toilet could improve the turning circle for a wheelchair, making a real difference to a disabled guest.
To highlight what can be done, our accessibility champion, Arnold Fewell, of AVF Marketing, and 2012 Catey Special Award winner, visited London's Four Seasons Park Lane hotel to conduct an audit. Here, he explains what makes an accessible hotel.