Accessible Accommodation: Handy Tips – Surprise and delight guests who have a disability

Handy tips: Surprise and delight guests who have a disability

Surprising and delighting your guests is the core of who you are as a tourism accommodation provider or operator.

But how can this be achieved if a guest has a disability? Those who are not familiar with disabilities and the unique challenges they present, might ask this question. First, let me tell you that no two disabilities are the same, therefore you cannot please everyone. But by making small changes you most certainly can delight most of your guests who have disabilities. And for that matter, you can delight many of our ageing population too. After all, a retiree with a bad hip or a bung knee would appreciate the convenience of step free access or the stability of a shower seat. I am about to share five helpful, cost-effective, and practical ways to wow your guests with disabilities. All items I recommend can be easily purchased, stored and moved in and out of guest rooms, depending on what the occupying guests needs are on any particular stay.

1. Make your accessible shower more accessible

Imagine this, you are a guest with mobility issues, and you arrive on holiday but despite booking the accessible room you realise that you cannot use the loo or shower! This is a very common experience for people with disabilities. In this scenario the accommodation provider is confident they have done the right thing. After all they have provided an ‘accessible bathroom’ because the shower is step free (but we have also found that not all ‘accessible bathrooms’ are totally step free) and a fold down shower bench has been fitted.

However, feedback from guests with disabilities tells us that this typically ‘accessible” bathroom may not be useable by 50 percent of them. That’s right statistics from our website show that half of our 30,000 followers cannot use this type of fold down shower bench because they do not have the upper body strength. Even worse, users told us they may be in danger of sliding right off! This is vital information that the building regulations negated to consider. So, how do you please this half of your guests with disabilities? Simple… Instead of a fixed fold down chair, invest in a free-standing shower chair that is height adjustable and has arms, or better yet, one that allows side transfer.

2. Now for the loo

Providing a toilet at the right height is critical for a person with mobility issues. The “disabled” toilets are rather ugly, and it’s not just me saying this, our followers feel the same.

A fantastic alternative is an ‘over toilet chair’, or if you are tight for space, I recommend a toilet seat raiser space saver because it is height adjustable and sturdy.

3. Bin your pedal bins

A wheelchair user is generally unable to use their feet, therefore pedal bins are one of their biggest bug bears. A very simple and thoughtful fix to make life easier? Swap pedal bins for top opening bins.

4. Rearrange your accessible self-contained kitchen appliances

Pull up a chair and take a seat in your kitchen ‘cooking triangle' and see if you can reach all the essential cookware items and appliances.

Dexterity is a common issue for people with disabilities and therefore pouring hot water can be very dangerous. That’s why it’s a good idea to offer what is called an 'Easy Pour Tipping Kettle'. It has a tilt function, which makes it ideal for people with reduced hand function, tremors, or visual impairment.

5. Make sure your guest room balcony is accessible

Can guests with disabilities fully enjoy the guest room balcony? Figures from our website show 70 percent of accessible rooms with a balcony are inaccessible.

A simple solution is a ramp. The rubber threshold ramps are very affordable and come in a variety of heights. They simply require you to measure the lip of the door for a perfect fit before you order. For higher thresholds, a metal ramp might be a more practical and durable alternative solution.

A final thought. I’ve found that whenever an accommodation provider ‘goes that extra mile’ for any guest it is very much appreciated. And if you strive to enrich the accommodation experience of your guests with disabilities by taking simple but thoughtful actions, it will certainly be noticed.

Minor adjustments or small investments will surprise and delight your guests with disabilities and most importantly they feel heard.

By Kerry Williams

Founder, Accessible Accommodation