Disabled travellers call for more accessible attractions

Following the announcement of the top 20 accessible attractions in the UK, a wheelchair user, Sophie Morgan, has called for more attractions to follow suit.

The £2 billion market of disabled travellers is currently being ignored by many, which not only makes things difficult for those with mobility difficulties hoping to visit, but also means that businesses are missing out on a large amount of potential revenue.

The ambassador, who is working alongside VisitBritain to promote truly accessible attractions, described how the demographic of those with a disability has been overlooked for too long. For example, there are more than 11 million disabled travellers in the UK, which is a huge problem when only one third of the UK’s attractions cater for those with disabilities, according to the Department for Work and Pensions earlier this year.

Making the UK’s attractions accessible to everyone

Not only does she hope that attractions will begin to adapt to the needs of those with mobility difficulties by adding the likes of ramps and stairlifts, but she also calls for better information to be provided on the websites. Many living with disabilities carry out extensive research before heading on a holiday or day trip, and when the information is unavailable it can make planning a nightmare.

She also hopes that in the near future a nationwide online portal could be created to provide information on the UK’s accessible attractions in a central location.

Attractions such as the Science Museum in London and the Royal Botanical Gardens in Edinburgh featured in the top 20 attractions, alongside more surprising entries in the list such as the Chill Factor Ski Centre in Manchester and Celtic Quest Coasteering in Pembrokeshire, with the latter showing how it is possible for even the most adventurous attractions to become accessible to all.

Check out our guide to top accessible attractions in the UK if you’d like to know more about some of the most accessible attractions to visit.

Image Credit: Andrew (Flickr.com).