SAFETRAVEL BY CARRIE-ANN LIGHTLEY
Understandably most people will be apprehensive about taking a holiday this year. With all the new restrictions and concerns over cleanliness, social distancing and travel it can be difficult to know where is safe to book. Carrie-Ann Lightley has been exploring the new measures businesses are putting in place to ensure their accommodation is safe to welcome customers.
I
’ve been chatting to accessible holiday providers across the UK, to find out more about how they’re making travel safer for disabled people in the ‘new normal’. I interviewed:
The Amble Inn - a pub with rooms offering wheelchair accessible facilities in Northumberland Canvas & Campfires - a business offering wheelchair accessible glamping safari tents in Wales Cottage in the Dales - luxurious, tranquil, beautiful and accessible self-catering cottages in the Yorkshire Dales Croft Bungalow - an accessible self-catering holiday cottage in Derbyshire Hoe Grange Holidays - who offer self-catering log cabins with disabled access in the Peak District
CHANGES TO ACCESSIBILITY I’m pleased to say that accessibility remains at a high standard at all of these accommodations. The Amble Inn are now providing full table service and are no longer taking orders at the bar. Canvas & Campfires are producing captioned video guides to demonstrate how everything in their tents works in place of their in-person settling in service. Croft Bungalow staff are wearing PPE to welcome guests, and have optional visors in place of masks to accommodate guests who lipread. Steve Dawes, owner of Croft Bungalow, said: “Accessibility is not a marketing twist or an add on for us. We cater specifically for parties/families with accessibility requirements.”
COVID SAFE TRAINING All of the businesses I spoke to have undertaken extra training and produced COVID-19 risk assessments to ensure that their venues are as safe as possible. Diane Howarth, Owner of Cottage in the Dales, said: “The key thing is to get the training, put in place the measures and communicate these to guests to give them the information and confidence to make an informed decision about taking/booking a holiday with us.” Look out for the Visit England ‘We’re Good to Go’ Mark. This certification means that the tourism business is following government and industry COVID-19 guidelines and has all the correct cleaning protocols, risk assessments and preparations in place for making your holiday as risk free as possible.
CLEANING PROCEDURES Before I started these interviews, I asked my Twitter followers what they’d like to know, to help them feel safe when booking their next accessible holiday. The replies made it clear that the most important change to communicate was cleaning procedures. I was impressed by the level of detail that all of the holiday providers went into when answering this question, all recognising the importance of a two-step process, cleaning and then disinfecting. Close attention is being paid to sanitise all contact and high touch points, including things like coat hangers, TV remotes, door handles and frames, light switches, and grab bars. Cottage in the Dales and Hoe Grange Holidays are committed to using eco-friendly cleaning products, as well as a viricidal sanitiser to disinfect.
posabilitymagazine.co.uk
39
