Top 10 Tips: Small accessibility changes you can make for a big impact

Published

Lee Valley Park, UK

Making accessible changes to your site doesn’t have to cost the earth, and small changes can have a huge impact for all customers, not just those with access needs.

Visit England’s Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Toolkit for Businesses is a fantastic resource for advice on how to improve accessibility. 

Our favourites of Visit England’s top tips include:  

1. A warm welcome to all

Offer to show all guests to their pitch or accommodation, and give a tour of the site facilities. Remember, not all disabilities are visible and offering a tour benefits all guests regardless of any access needs.

2.  Welcome all assistance dogs

We love our four-legged friends here at Pitchup.com but assistance dogs are not pets, and thousands of people rely on them for independence and confidence. Under the Equality Act 2010, it is illegal to refuse access to a disabled person accompanied by an assistance dog even where you have a no pets/dogs policy, unless in exceptional circumstances (more information available in The Pink Book).

Welcome assistance dogs with water stations available, and if possible let their owners know where they can exercise their dogs on site.  

3. Train your team in disability awareness 

Ensure your team is familiar and confident with ways to assist customers with disabilities and access requirements, as well as understanding facilities, services, equipment and evacuation procedures to give the best customer experience.  

Visit Birmingham offers free online disability awareness training with multiple short modules.   

You could also engage a local disability charity or community group to deliver this training to your team, sharing their lived experiences. Be sure to compensate any organisations fairly for their time.

4. Provide sufficient accessible parking spaces

Accessible parking spaces should be at least 2.4 metres wide with 1.2 metres hatching either side, on level ground, and marked out or clearly signposted. 

Ideally these spaces should be pitchside, close to the entrance, or in the best possible location. 

Ensure these spaces are not occupied by staff vehicles or vehicles that are not displaying a Blue Badge.

5. Provide clear signage on site

Have printed information and site maps available in larger font sizes. A minimum font size of 16 pts is recommended for people with a visual impairment

6. Provide a quiet space on site where children and adults can take a moment to decompress if they need it

A quiet space could have adjustable lighting and comfy seating, or be a peaceful nature spot ideally situated away from the hustle and bustle of your site, but easily accessible from public areas.

7. Provide seating or benches at regular intervals

If you have a large site where there may be a long walk between facilities, try to provide seating at 50-metre intervals.

8. Consider engaging a local access group 

Invite your local access group on a site visit to give their advice and feedback on the accessibility of your site and give recommendations on changes or improvements that could be made.  

Be sure to compensate the group for their time and expertise.

9. Colour contrast

Using contrasting colours on key surfaces can help to assist blind or partially sighted guests. For example:

  • Doors and doorframes of a different colour to the adjacent walls and floor

  • Door handles in a different colour to the door

  • Support rails and towels that contrast with the colour of the walls

  • A toilet seat that contrasts in colour to the toilet and floor

  • Different colours on step/kerb edges and the adjacent flooring 

10. Provide accessible ways for disabled guests and guests with access needs to give feedback

Gathering and acting on feedback and the views of customers will help to provide accessible and inclusive experiences on site. This could mean adding a question on accessibility to customer surveys and reviews, or even just a quick chat when checking customers in/out.

Accessibility is a journey for PItchup too, so if you have any feedback, ideas or suggestions, let us know by emailing enquiries@pitchup.com.