# Tourist attractions “risk losing income” if they don’t improve accessibility

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2014/10/22/tourist-attractions-risk-losing-income-dont-improve-accessibility/
- Published: 2014-10-22T15:55:58+01:00
- Author: Howard Lake

Disability charity Vitalise is warning some of the UK’s top tourist attractions,
many of them run by charities or not-for-profit organisations, that they could be
missing out on income if they do not improve access for disabled visitors.

The charity surveyed 100 of the most-visited tourist attractions in the UK. It found
that:

 * 27% did not have essential accessibility information on their websites;
 * only 17% had all their staff trained in disability awareness;
 * only 15% were equipped with hoists – an indispensable item for many disabled 
   visitors

 

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As a result, Vitalise suggests that  tourist venues “could risk missing out on a
share of £212 billion a year value of ‘Purple Pound’ due to lack of accessibility”.
It highlighted the upcoming half-term break as an opportunity for tourist attractions
to make the most of.

Yet a recent Vitalise survey found that 65% of people with disabilities have decided
against visiting a tourist attraction because they found their accessibility information
to be insufficient, confusing or difficult to obtain.

## Some positive progress in accessibility

Of course, many tourist attractions do cater for disabled visitors. Vitalise noted:

 * 82% of venues had overall Vitalise accessibility scores of over 70%;
 * 36% of the venues surveyed had a ratio of disabled to non-disabled toilets of
   20% or more – greater than the proportion of disabled people in the general population(
   19%);
 * 8 out of 10 venues had fully accessible approaches from outside areas.

 

## Good practice examples

**Tate Modern** in London, the world’s most visited art gallery, topped Vitalise’s
table in the survey with a score of 94.3%. Closely followed in second place with
92% each were the **Imperial War Museum London**, the **Museum of Liverpool** and
the **National Railway Museum** in York, with **Tate Britain** in third on 91.8%.

You can [download the report on the 100 tourist venues](http://www.vitalise.org.uk/uploads/documents/Vitalise_Accessible_tourism_2014_infographic.pdf)(
in PDF) from Vitalise.

## #AccessNow campaign

As a result of its findings Vitalise has launched #AccessNow, a new campaign to 
enlist the support of people with disabilities in its push for urgent improvements
to accessibility.

The charity is inviting people with disabilities to share their experiences of visiting
tourist attractions and other public venues via an online form on the [its website](http://www.vitalise.org.uk).
They can also share their experiences and photos/videos by posting on social media
with the hashtag #AccessNow.

Vitalise Chairman Mindy Sawhney said:

> “We’re asking venues to focus their efforts on three things: first – and easiest–
> make sure your website has clear, practical and accurate information about accessibility.
> Shockingly, many do not. Second, be imaginative about how to make 100% of your
> visitor experience accessible to people using wheelchairs. And third, make a hoist
> available at every venue: these cost comparatively little to install and yet are
> often the determining factor in whether or not a person living with a disability
> can enjoy what so many of us can take for granted.
> “The best advice we can give to venues is to involve people with disabilities 
> in your plans – they know what real accessibility means and will tell you the 
> truth about whether you’re getting it right”.

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