DESTINATIONS QUESTIONS TO ASK ACCESSIBLE TOURISM
that a passenger might need more time to go through security, or need to stay near a family member; 8,000 lanyards have been handed out since May 2016. Next year, a new sensory room and special-assistance lounge will open in the North Terminal, and more specialist toilet facilities will be added. Sara Marchant, Gatwick
stakeholder manager, says: “We know a significant number of passengers have either a physical or hidden disability and we are focused on making sure these passengers have the best experience possible. “Poor communication is often
the reason why special-assistance services can fail to deliver a satisfactory service. With this in mind, the travel industry must make it as easy as possible for customers to indicate that they have special-assistance needs. Ideally, providers should ask customers if they require assistance at an early stage in the booking process, and maintain communication.” Around 80% of flights arriving
RIGHT: Gatwick
offers special assistance
BELOW:
AccorHotels Smart Room
The industry must make it as easy as possible for clients to indicate they need special assistance
at Gatwick include passengers with reduced mobility, but a quarter of them don’t notify the airport of their requirements in advance, so make sure you’re communicating your clients’ needs to ensure a smooth journey through the airport.
w STAYING IN STYLE “Just because you can’t walk unaided doesn’t mean you’ve lost your sense of style,” says Robin Sheppard, chairman of Bespoke Hotels, which runs awards to reward design innovation in the accessibility sector. Guests with disabilities have long been expected to like it or lump it – if a hotel can even guarantee an accessible room, the options are often limited and lacking in inspiration, and the chances of a suite or sea view negligible – but things are slowly starting to change. Sheppard adds: “Enlightened
accessible hotels are now moving on beyond being purely practical to take in design considerations as well. Bespoke Hotels strongly believes the industry has a moral obligation to improve its attitude towards people with disabilities.” In a bid to avoid the
stigmatisation of booking an accessible room, AccorHotels has developed the Smart Room concept, with developments that
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travelweekly.co.uk 14 December 2017
are useful to all guests, disabled or not. Rooms will feature a tablet to adjust lights and music or to close the curtains, a TV that can swivel up to 180 degrees, and a bathroom equipped with folding shower seat, adjustable washbasin, and grab bars that double as towel rails, among other innovations. Don’t forget to ask about
the rest of the hotel – if the Michelin-starred restaurant or that gorgeous rooftop bar that sold the property to your client is up a set of steps, they’re going to feel short-changed if they can’t access it. The same applies to the kids’
club, as provisions for children with special requirements can vary widely. Mark Warner has a form for parents to fill out so the head of childcare can assess whether one-to-one care or a different kids’ club age group is needed, provided they have the information in advance. The situation is improving
at home too. Sand le Mere Holiday Village in Withernsea, on the Yorkshire coast, opened a sensory room for children with autism, Asperger’s syndrome and ADHD earlier this year. It’s filled with tactile equipment, brightly- lit bubble tubes, wall art, multi- coloured flooring and bean bags, along with a separate quiet
PICTURE: ABCAPRESS/FRANCESCO LUCIANI
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