As part of Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month, we have teamed up with Euan’s Guide to ask our content creators their views on disabled access.
Euan’s Guide is the disabled access review website where disabled people, their families, friends and carers can find and share the accessibility of venues around the UK and beyond. The website shares thousands of experiences and is the go-to tool for many disabled people. Euan’s Guide believe in making the world more accessible one review at a time. Thousands of people use Euan’s Guide every month to find and share disabled access information. Euan’s Guide recently published their Disabled Access Review where 6,000 people gave their views on disabled access. The review found that 91% of disabled people try to find disabled access information before visiting a new place.
My views on disabled access – Faith Wright.
What do you do beforehand to prepare for an accessible day out with your friends and family?
We try to do as much research about the venue or place as we can beforehand. Usually look for information on the websites etc if there is any sometimes we have to phone or email. Then determine if my manual or electric chair is best. Make sure I have straws!!
What information do you look for from a venue before visiting?
If they have wheelchair access or if there is stairs etc so I know if I can get in and if so which chair is most suitable. What the accessible toilets are like.
How do you feel if you know that someone with similar access requirements has visited the venue before?
Definitely puts me at ease a little and means I’m more comfortable/likely to go if I know what to expect or if I’ve heard positive feedback
How does this help you to feel more confident or prepared to go out with your friends and family?
Because I then know what to expect and have a better understanding of what obstacles I might face and how to avoid or prepare for them.
What is the most important piece of information for you when you visit a venue for the first time with your friends or family? The most important thing is if the venue actually accessible to me.
What do you think venues could do to improve your experience as someone with Cerebral Palsy? Educate themselves on what accessibly actually means and how everyone may need something different. If a problem is reported with the accessibility then they should take the time to learn, research and do better!
What is the number one thing that you would like people and venues to be aware of about cerebral palsy to help them improve their disabled access and disability awareness? We want to be treated like everyone else we are just customers like everyone else. Having access issues can really make us feel like we don’t matter and are invisible and that really affects us when we are trying to have a nice day. So please try to be patient and kind and accommodating where possible.
You can find out more about Euan’s Guide, read some access reviews or even write your own review on their website here – Euan’s Guide – Disabled Access Reviews (euansguide.com)
Read more results of the Euan’s Guide Access Survey –https://www.euansguide.com/get-involved/access-survey/