Section 3: Know your customer

If you are looking to improve your accessibility, remember to engage with those who have lived experience of disability or other protected characteristics. However, ensure that you plan any engagement with care and take a true pan-disability approach, involving those with varying impairments and accessibility requirements. 

Don’t always expect simple conversations and solutions; something that might work for a visually impaired customer is often the opposite to what would benefit a neurodivergent customer, for example (as you will find out in this section!) You will need to prioritise actions and come to an agreed compromise in some scenarios. It’ll all be worth it though for the rich insights you’ll receive in the process. 

A moment for reflection

Think about the D/deaf and disabled people you know, both personally and professionally. Search the #AccessibleTourism hashtag on LinkedIn and spend 20 minutes learning something new from one of the articles you come across.

To support you whilst reading about differing impairment groups in this section, please refer to the Accessibility Personas within the downloads section of this toolkit. We have worked with individuals who have lived experience of certain impairments and accessibility requirements to create personas based on their real-life tourism experiences:

• Sarah is autistic, has neurodivergent daughters and often travels with the family’s assistance dog, Bruno.
• Ben and Tammy are married and both have mobility impairments that impact their walking gait and distance, reach ranges and the equipment they use to support them.
• Asif is deaf and a new dad, now navigating the tourism world with multiple requirements for both himself and his family.
•  And Craig has completely lost his sight. He travels with his assistance dog, Bo, and is passionate about digital interventions that make his life easier. 

Customers with physical impairments may be wheelchair users or use other mobility equipment such as crutches or walking frames. They may be of shorter stature and regularly experience challenges relating to the heights of desks, lack of seating and limited reach ranges. They may be (but definitely won’t always be) older customers, or have sustained a temporary injury which makes navigating the built environment challenging. 

Customers with mobility impairments

Blind and partially sighted customers

There are over two million people living with sight loss in the UK, with 340,000 people being registered as blind or partially sighted (RNIB, 2021). While it is important to be aware of, and inclusively cater for, customers that have no vision, 93% of blind and partially sighted people do have some vision. Similarly, not all blind or partially sighted people will use a cane or have an assistance dog with them, so don’t rely on visual, mobility aids to understand who may benefit from your accessible features and services. The best thing you can do is ask your customers two questions. Firstly, whether they would like any help, and secondly, how you can best assist them.

When communicating with someone who is blind or partially sighted, remember to provide some helpful visual detail. For example, a customer with sight loss might not be able to make out your uniform or name badge, so stating your name and the fact you’re a member of staff or a volunteer could give them some helpful context (and a bit more trust in you if you need to share directions or guide them). 

When guiding a blind or partially sighted person, ensure they are holding onto you (by the arm or on the shoulder are two of the most preferred ways). In this way, they have the autonomy to let go if they do not feel safe, and you are not controlling the situation by grabbing onto them. More information and helpful videos can be found in RNIB’s guiding advice page.

And ultimately… relax. Have general conversations just like you would with any other customer and don’t overthink the situation. It is absolutely okay to use phrases like ‘see you later’ and if you’re ever unsure of how to best assist a blind or partially sighted customer, remember they are the expert of their own lived experience and ask them.

Further information relating to communicating with blind and partially sighted people, learning how to be a sighted guide, and promoting experiences such as object handling and touch tours can be found on the VocalEyes resources page.

Did you know?

Apps that promote accessible identification and wayfinding can be particularly useful to blind and partially sighted people. These include GoodMaps, which provides on-demand indoor and outdoor navigation on a user’s mobile phone, and Be My Eyes, which allows blind and partially sighted people to connect with a sighted volunteer over live video should they need assistance with tasks such as checking train tickets, item prices or locating a room in an unfamiliar building.

 

Under the Equality Act 2010, all tourism businesses (even those with a ‘no pets’ policy) have a legal obligation to welcome assistance dogs. There is no reference in the Equality Act (or supporting Statutory Code of Practice) to ‘support animals’ – including therapy animals or comfort animals. However, it is important to note that the Act protects any person that has a physical or mental impairment which has a long term and substantial adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities (the Act’s definition of disability). Therefore, you should attempt to accommodate the needs of someone who has a support animal for such conditions, and have a valid, justifiable reason if you refuse to allow the animal on the premises. To find out more, go to VisitEngland’s Pink Book Online page relating to disabled customers.

Did you know?

Assistance dogs help those who are D/deaf or have hearing loss, too. They can sometimes be identified as hearing dogs if they wear a burgundy jacket.

 

Neurodiversity refers to the diversity of human minds, and the infinite variation in neuro-cognitive function with regards to:

• Learning;
• Social engagement;
• Mood;
• Mental functions;
• Cognitive functions;
• Sensory functions.

It is estimated that one in seven people are neurodivergent (University of Edinburgh, 2020), and while conditions such as dyslexia, ADHD and PTSD, Tourette’s, Parkinson’s, depression and anxiety are all also considered neurodivergent conditions, this section will focus on the neurodivergent and non-visible conditions of Autism and Dementia.

Autistic customers

Autism is a lifelong condition that affects how people see the world and interact with others. It is a spectrum condition, which means while all autistic people share certain characteristics, being autistic will affect them in different ways. Often people feel that being autistic is a fundamental aspect of their identity.

Autism is much more common than most people think. There are around 700,000 people in the UK on the autism spectrum – that’s more than one in 100. Together with their families, this means autism is a part of daily life for 2.8 million people. People from all nationalities and cultural, religious and social backgrounds can be autistic. Anyone can be autistic, although more men are officially diagnosed.

Autistic people see, hear and feel the world differently to other people, which can make it an overwhelming and isolating place. Some autistic people also have learning disabilities and/or mental health conditions. With the correct support and removal of barriers, tourism businesses can provide inclusive experiences for autistic people. 

Autistic people can (but will not always): 

• Find it difficult to understand and use language to communicate and may interpret phrases such as ‘his head is in the clouds’ literally.
• Find it difficult to understand and use tone of voice, facial expressions, body language, and the unspoken rules of language, like the give-and-take nature of conversations.
• Have difficulty recognising people’s feelings or expressing their own.
• Struggle to make and keep friends and maintain other social relationships.
• Find it difficult to understand and predict people’s behaviour.
• Have a strong need to stick to the familiar and find change and unexpected situations stressful.
• Have sensory sensitivities, for example over-sensitivity to loud noises, certain lights and strong smells.
• Have intense special interests.

Although almost everyone has heard of autism, only 16% of autistic people and their families think the public understand autism in a meaningful way. This lack of understanding has a daily impact on autistic people’s lives and is one of the major barriers they face to engaging in education, employment and leisure activities.

Understanding autism and making appropriate adjustments can make a big difference to the experiences of autistic people and their families or carers. 

As their ‘Too Much Information’ campaign came to an end in 2018, the National Autistic Society published research that showed:

• 79% of autistic people and 70% of families said they felt socially isolated.
• 50% of autistic people and their families sometimes don’t go out because of concern about people’s reaction to their autism.
• 28% of autistic people have been asked to leave a public place because of behaviour associated with their autism.

Many of the barriers experienced are due to lack of public understanding but the nature of some environments – noisy, busy and filled with overwhelming sensory information – can also cause difficulties. Pre-visit information or supporting material can help autistic people and their families to prepare themselves properly for a visit. Investing in training helps owners and staff understand autism, enabling them to feel confident communicating with autistic people and removing any disabling barriers.

Dementia is an umbrella term for several diseases that impact different parts of the brain and change the functions those parts of the brain control. There are many different types of dementia, but the most common type is Alzheimer’s disease.

According to the Alzheimer’s Society, approximately 900,000 people are living with dementia in the UK, and this will increase to 1.6 million people by 2040. To dispel a common myth, dementia is not just a disease of older adults, with 42,000 people under the age of 65 currently living with the condition.

Dementia is progressive, and different types of dementia tend to affect people in different ways. Dementia is a non-visible impairment, and it is therefore important for businesses to provide good support and information to every customer to help remove barriers.

A person with dementia might: 

• Have issues with their day-to-day memory, for example: difficulties recalling events that happened recently. 
• Struggle concentrating, planning or organising, for example: difficulty with solving problems or carrying out a sequence of tasks. 
• Experience difficulties with language, for example: following a conversation or finding the right word. 
• Experience confusion and disorientation related to times or places, for example: losing track of the day or date, or becoming confused about where they are (even in familiar places). 
• Have visual perceptual difficulties, for example: when judging distances or misinterpreting patterns and reflections. 
• Have heightened senses which make certain environments challenging, for example: if too noisy, warm or busy.
• Take longer to process information, leading to the need for patience with communication, movement and decision making.
• Find that their symptoms can vary a lot from one day to another.

Common challenges faced by people affected by dementia: 

• Unfamiliar and busy environments, such as information desks and service counters, which can make communication difficult and increase confusion. 
• Navigating new places, as people with dementia can sometimes get lost. 
• Worries about locating and using the toilet. People with dementia may also experience difficulties with continence. 
• Difficulties with mobility and getting around, for example: challenges with a lack of handrails, patterned carpets, black mats or shiny surfaces. Dark or reflective elements within the built environment can be misinterpreted as holes or water, respectively, and therefore avoided by someone with dementia. 
• Worries that they or their loved one with dementia will get lost or walk off at night if the room or venue is not secure. 

Did you know?
Being able to provide wider understanding and support to the family members, carers and companions of someone with dementia is also key. These people can give guidance on activities and decision-making, build confidence on who to trust, confirm their loved one with dementia will enjoy something, and provide support in navigating what can sometimes be a very confusing world. In the UK, 40 to 50% of unpaid family carers spend 100 hours a week supporting someone with dementia, [Alzheimer’s Society, ‘Worst Hit’ report, 2020] more than twice the legal working limit.

Launched in May 2023 to support people living with dementia, and those that support them, the Dementia Services Development Centre (DSDC) at the University of Stirling has launched the Environments for Ageing and Dementia Design Assessment Tool (EADDAT). EADDAT can be used by businesses in all sectors to understand how their space can be more supportive for people living with dementia and, if necessary, make small adjustments that can make the environment more accommodating. It also has a self-certification scheme which can be promoted.

Did you know?
The national charity Dementia Adventure works with organisations to create inclusive services so that people with dementia can engage more with nature and have regular outdoor experiences. 
Dementia Friends is an Alzheimer’s Society initiative with aims to change perceptions of dementia by promoting awareness and education. Individuals and organisations can join the initiative and show their support by attending online or face-to-face information sessions. 
Sargent Group Consulting offer SEEAM Less consulting services (Staff, Environment, Equipment, Activities and Marketing) to help businesses become dementia-inclusive. 

Approximately 70 to 80% of disabled people have a non-visible impairment, and autism and dementia are just two of these. Want to learn more about non-visible impairments and neurodiversity, and how you can provide an inclusive experience via the use of schemes such as the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower? Take the ‘Introduction to Neurodiversity and Non-Visible Impairments’ training module on Visit Birmingham’s Accessible Tourism Hub.

Some customers will have more than one impairment or a complex condition that may require particular levels of assistance, awareness and flexibility. Do be aware of this and communicate openly with people to find out how you might best be able to support them.