Section 6: Marketing your accessibility

As with any business marketing, your aim should be to grab attention and create interest and excitement in a way that makes people want to visit you.

For those with access requirements, this excitement and action only exists if they can find information on inclusivity that is both authentic and trustworthy, giving them the confidence to book. Providing comprehensive accessibility information is key to attracting disabled people and their families and ensuring that their experience is positive and repeated.

When it comes to marketing sustainability, green-washing is the process of overstating green credentials. However, when it comes to accessibility the opposite is often the case with ‘purple-hushing’ commonplace – the process of not communicating accessibility credentials. A VisitEngland survey amongst serviced accommodation businesses in 2015 found that nearly two thirds (63%) of businesses which provide for accessibility needs say they do not promote the fact that they do.

Challenge yourself to follow the ‘green-matching’ principle, which means that wherever and whenever you talk about your green credentials you also communicate your accessibility credentials.

According to the Euan’s Guide Access Survey: 

• 72% of respondents have found information on a venue’s website to be misleading, confusing or inaccurate.
• 91% will try to find access information about somewhere before visiting for the first time.
• 58% say they avoid going to a venue if it has not shared its disabled access information because they assume it’s inaccessible.
• 74% have experienced a disappointing trip or have had to change plans due to poor accessibility.
• 51% said reviews from other disabled people improve their confidence when visiting new places.

The importance of honest marketing
Honesty is the best policy; there is little worse for someone with accessibility requirements than travelling to a destination and having an unpredictable and unreliable experience with different features and facilities to what was advertised: A lack of honesty will only damage your reputation in the long run. Being honest about any temporary changes at your venue are important too: if a key accessibility feature or facility is out of order, for example: a lift or accessible toilet, you should widely communicate this to current and future customers. This provides customers with the autonomy and flexibility to make their own decisions about their visit or stay, avoid unnecessary travel, or allow them to re-book for another time. Remember to review and update your accessibility information regularly.

With 85% of disabled people and carers who look for accessibility information before visiting a new place checking a venue’s website (Euan’s Guide 2022), it is vital that you have accurate, up to date and easy to find information on your venue’s website. 

Many disabled people are put off visiting a venue if there is no access information on a venue’s website. Providing this information enables individuals with accessibility requirements, their family and friends to make informed decisions of where to stay and visit. This includes not just wheelchair users but people who are D/deaf or have hearing loss, have a sensory or cognitive impairment, older people, families with young children, and more.

The best way to do this is to have a specific section on your website, clearly linked to from your homepage. People expect to find accessibility information in a similar place across different websites (as they do with information about opening times or room availability), so this should be easy to locate via the main website navigation menu - not hidden in the footer or an ‘about us’ page. For visitor attractions, this could be under the ‘Visit Us’ section like Blenheim Palace or better still, accessible by one click from the homepage like Colchester and Ipswich Museums. When naming this section, remember not everyone with accessibility requirements identifies with the term ‘disabled’ so use terminology that is more inclusive such as ‘Accessibility’ or ‘Access for All’.

The informative elements you should ensure are available in this section for prospective customers are:

• A warm welcome;
• Contact information;
• Key accessibility features;
• Accessibility Guide, including images of your accessible facilities;
• Accessibility videos and virtual tours;
• Accessibility resources;
• Accessible destination highlights.

A warm welcome

Open your accessibility section with a warm welcome that underlines your commitment to providing accessible and inclusive experiences and speaks to your disabled customers as you would to any other visitor. Be sure to let your business’ personality shine through and don’t be tempted to lead with generic statements of legal compliance, which can appear cold. You could keep it short and simple like the National Memorial Arboretum or provide a longer welcome like Bassenthwaite Lake Station. You can find more guidance on inclusive written communications in Section 4: An inclusive welcome.

Contact information

Ensure that contact details for any accessibility queries are prominent with multiple ways to reach you, such as telephone and email (e.g. Colchester Castle), and don’t rely solely on ‘contact us’ forms, as these can be inaccessible to some.  Remember, visitors may want to come to your venue as soon as the next day, so mailboxes should be checked regularly.

Although providing contact details is important, this should be in addition to your other accessibility information. Requiring your potential customers to go to the extra effort of contacting you to get information creates a barrier that others don’t have. It may also make people feel uncomfortable if they have to disclose their requirements and/or private health conditions to a staff member.  All of your customers should be able to research and plan their visit online at a time that suits them, with the additional option to contact you with any specific queries. 

Key accessibility features

People with accessibility requirements want to easily find out what key accessibility features are available at tourism venues. 

VisitEngland is leading a UK and Ireland-wide project that identifies the features that are most important to people with a range of accessibility requirements. The list is being informed by new consumer research with 800 disabled travellers in Britain and a focus group in Ireland and is split into ‘priority’ and ‘secondary’ features. The ‘priority features’ comprise the most important accessibility features which inform trip-taking and are most likely to increase bookings and visits. The ‘secondary features’ were not identified as deal-breakers for a sufficiently large market in the research, however they were identified as important within minority impairment groups.

COMING SOON: Download the relevant business-type specific list and ensure you list all features available in your accessibility section. Don’t feel constrained by this list; add any additional features and services you provide for disabled customers and others with accessibility requirements.

If your business is listed on any tourism listing websites (such as online travel agents and local destination websites), these companies may ask you to specify what key accessibility features you offer. This is so that they can list available features as part of your venue listing on their website and provide customers with the ability to filter venues by these features.

In addition to the key accessibility features listed in the downloadable questionnaires; you should also highlight any other useful facilities or information. This may include: 

• Wi-fi availability;
• Information relating to the online booking process and prices, including concession availability;
• Directions to your business;
• Details of any dedicated access sessions and/or events that you offer with tailored support e.g. ‘quiet sessions’, sessions for children with learning disabilities and dementia-friendly sessions. Add them to any ‘What’s On’ listings;
• Any firm future plans for accessibility improvements;
• Customer reviews that mention accessibility, ideally by linking to them on a site like Euan’s Guide for full transparency;
• Details of any accessibility awards you have won or schemes that you belong to (see Accessibility awards and certification programmes later in this section). 

You may wish to group key features that relate to each of mobility, hearing, visual and neurodiversity. 

Did you know?
For attractions and experiences, information on quieter times to visit is particularly sought after. The National Space Centre provides an excellent example of how to include this in your accessibility section.

Accessibility Guides

Research by VisitEngland in 2022 reaffirmed that today’s travellers want detailed and factual descriptions of venue accessibility, in the form of an Accessibility Guide, to empower them to make personal choices. An Accessibility Guide describes all areas of a venue, giving 100s of pieces of accessibility information, including measurements and photographs.

An Accessibility Guide describes and visually shows the layout of each area of the business, following the route a visitor will typically take from arrival, entering and getting around. They are particularly useful for people with mobility impairments, but they also include accessibility features of relevance to people with a range of other access requirements. This means there will be some duplication with the key access features you list on your own website.

To support tourism businesses across England to provide robust Detailed Access Guides, VisitEngland has joined forces with AccessAble, a leader in quality accessibility information provision. 

In addition to outlining your key accessibility features, you should provide detailed accessibility information, with the recommended format being an AccessAble Detailed Access Guide. You can now use the new AccessAble Your Accessibility Guide portal to book and pay for either a Guided Assessment or On Site Assessment of your venue, where a professional access surveyor will create a quality-assured Detailed Access Guide. This approach removes the burden and responsibility of collecting information that can be technical, greatly reducing the risk of incomplete and inaccurate information.

All guides are published and searchable on AccessAble’s well-established website, currently used by more than six million people a year, and you will also receive an Accessibility Improvement Report as part of the service. Annual renewal fees also apply and depend on the number of changes at the venue - such as whether you have installed a new bathroom which needs to be re-assessed - but there has been a focus on these being as affordable as possible, starting at £10 + VAT per year. VisitEngland is providing discounts to tourism businesses who wish to sign up via the new portal, which will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.

Once your Accessibility Guide has been produced, it is important to link to it prominently from your accessibility section, like Trentham have done using an AccessAble link button.

Did you know?
Prior to 2017 VisitEngland referred to this type of resource as an ‘Access Statement’. The name ‘Access Statement’ was highlighted as a potential barrier for both businesses and disabled travellers. There is the potential for confusion with a design ‘Access Statement’ and the word ‘statement’ often leads to the information contained being incorrectly perceived as relating to compliance. ‘Accessibility Guide’ helps to reposition the resource as an important piece of marketing collateral, and it better fits with terminology widely used in the travel and tourism industry. We recommend any references to ‘Access Statement’ are removed or updated.

Accessibility videos and virtual tours

Pre-visit videos and virtual tours are great ways of relaying your accessibility information to potential customers. 

Accessibility videos

Showcase your accessible facilities and services by producing a video, like  Slimbridge Wetland Centre and Stubcroft Farm Campsite. Your video could be presented by a disabled person, like Towcester Racecourse (featuring Disabled Adventurer’s Nick Wilson).

Another option is producing a walk/wheel-through video that follows the customer journey through your venue, such as Aloft London Excel (Seated Perspectives), Discovery Museum (Everybody Welcome, North East) and Marsham Court Hotel.

Ensure all videos are correctly captioned and consider providing audio description and BSL, like this video from Midland’s Arts Centre. See ‘Making videos accessible’ later in this section for more information.

Interactive virtual tours

Interactive virtual tours allow people to familiarise themselves with the layout of a venue by undertaking their own walk/wheel-through virtually. Matterport offers immersive 3D tours, with examples including Wheal Martyn Mining museum, Lumo Trains (Ocean 3D) and Auckland Project (3D Virtual Spaces - Everybody Welcome, North East). Virtual tours can also be used within a venue as an alternative way for a disabled customer to experience part of an attraction that they may not be able to access, such as areas only accessible by stairs.

Google Street View also provides a way to create and publish a virtual tour with 360 degree views, with The Minnack Theatre and M&S Archive offering great examples.

Did you know?
Detailed Access Guides by AccessAble now include 360 degree images when an On Site assessment is carried out. 

 Accessibility resources

There are a range of resources that can help customers plan and prepare for a visit/stay.

These include:

• A site map - to help customers understand where key accessibility features are on site, including Accessible toilets and Changing Places toilets, step-free routes e.g. WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre and Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm.
• A floorplan - to help customers understand the layout of a building showing key accessibility features, including Accessible toilets and Changing Places toilets, step-free routes e.g. Hoe Grange Holidays.
• Sensory floorplan/map – to indicate potential sensory triggers e.g. Woodbridge Tide Mill Museum, National Space Centre and Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum.
• A room plan – to help customers understand the detailed layout of a designated accessible unit / bedroom / bathroom showing position of furniture, circulation space, door widths e.g. Brook Meadow. Resources such as RoomPlan can be useful.
• A menu(s) – to help customers understand what food is available.
• A social story – to help neurodiverse people familiarise themselves with your business in preparation to visit (e.g. Roman Baths).
• Information in alternative formats, such as:
  • large print e.g. Dorset Museum and Art Gallery
  • easy-read e.g. Penlee Museum and Art Gallery 
  • BSL e.g. Hampton Court Palace
  • audio e.g. Sandcastle Waterpark
  • transcripts of audio e.g. Tower of London

There may be other useful resources to offer depending on your type of business, such as ride accessibility guides e.g. Alton Towers.

Accessible destination highlights

You can also signpost to information on the accessibility of local businesses, with a particular focus on those that have step-free access and an accessible toilet. For example, accommodation providers can make some time-saving recommendations of local activities, attractions, pubs and restaurants that have good accessibility credentials, linking to their websites. It’s also useful to know about the availability of accessible cars at your local taxi firm, as well as the opening hours of your nearest Shopmobility scheme. Perhaps other businesses could return the favour and promote your accessible offerings, too. 

It’s worth noting here that you’re not expected to assess other businesses or make judgement calls on their facilities. Always provide customers with contact details so they can get in touch with the business for further information and decide whether or not to visit/use their services.

In the UK alone, 7 million people have digital access requirements, so an accessible website makes sound business sense. Inaccessible websites are having a hugely negative impact on potential business revenue. Studies show that the 4.3 million disabled online shoppers who click away from inaccessible websites have a combined spending power of £17.1 billion in the UK. Information from W3C and the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) explains the accessibility solutions that can help to remove digital barriers that exist for users with certain impairments and access requirements.

Just as many people don’t navigate the built environment in the same way, your customers with different accessibility requirements will have differing ways of accessing your website. Some online requirements, categorised by impairment group, are listed below.

Accessibility toolbars

Website accessibility widgets and toolbars, such as Recite Me and Texthelp, act as overlays with the goal of enhancing accessibility. They are typically embedded from a third-party source and allow users to adapt the presentation and operation of the website. It is important to understand that they cannot provide an “instant fix” to a website’s accessibility nor be used as a substitute for implementing technical, visual and content measures to make a website accessible. However, as long as it can be ensured that the widget does not disrupt a user’s ability to access and navigate a site properly or conflict with the assistive technology a user may already have, you may consider it to be a useful addition to your website.

Digital accessibility doesn’t just involve your website; social media is often where potential customers will get their first impression of you. People with accessibility requirements use social media for travel research, peer reviews and to ask providers questions. It’s great to nurture customer relations, give relevant information and improve from feedback. Just make sure you’re using the relevant keywords and hashtags like #AccessibleTourism, following and engaging with D/deaf and disabled influencers, and joining relevant forums and groups, some of which can be found later in this section.

Social media changes are often ‘quick wins’; there is usually very little that needs to be altered in order to make an account on Twitter, Facebook, TikTok or Instagram accessible. Users will often have their own assistive technologies, such as screen readers, magnification tools and braille displays. But the one thing that is vital is consistency; your followers with access requirements should be able to become familiar with your content and know how they can best access it.

Only 0.06% of UK adverts currently showcase disability (All Response Media, 2021). As 16% of the global population is disabled, this statistic indicates huge under-representation (World Health Organisation, 2023).

Whether on your social media or website, disability representation should be at the heart of how you choose to promote your business to those with accessibility requirements. Reading that a restaurant entrance has step-free access, or that a hotel has a lowered reception desk and hearing loops is one thing (and great in itself); seeing disabled people and those with accessibility requirements using these facilities is another thing entirely and highly likely to build customer confidence and engagement in your offering. Using these images across all of your marketing content – not just within your ‘accessibility’ section or related social posts – demonstrates that you are a truly inclusive business.

Commissioning inclusive imagery

Ensuring that the imagery on your website reflects the diversity of your potential visitors will help everyone to feel welcome. When commissioning a photoshoot for your website or any campaigns, the following guidance may be helpful:

• Ensure that imagery reflects the broad range of impairments and accessibility requirements: although a wheelchair is the international symbol of disability, only around 7% of disabled people in England use a wheelchair. However, some images featuring wheelchair users are required, so consider utilising an ‘original take.’ 
• Include auxiliary aids in photographs. Around 80% of impairments are hidden, which can make it hard to represent in imagery: auxiliary aids provide a ‘visual cue’ for some impairments e.g. hearing aid, assistance dog, walking stick/frame or a cane.
• Ensure that representation is authentic – never cast a non-disabled person in the role of a disabled person.
• Reach out to disabled talent agencies such as VisAble and Zebedee.
• Use realistic models – don’t just use what you believe to be ‘picture perfect’ models: they won’t be relatable to the average disabled person.
• Show ‘integration’: disabled people interacting with non-disabled people in a non-disabled-specific context.
• Limit hero and celebrity images - constant depictions of disabled high achievers have the capacity to further ‘disable’ the disabled community.
• Think twice about showing disabled people on their own or isolated: this could imply a separation of disabled people from the rest of society.
• Choose locations/backdrops that challenge any expectations of low capability, e.g. a disabled person on a zip-wire or abseiling.
• Reflect everyday situations where you would expect to find a family or group of friends, including a disabled person, enjoying a meal or drink together.
• Don’t forget to obtain the relevant signed model release forms confirming that you can use the images commercially.

In addition to digital accessibility, honesty in your inclusive marketing and well-considered disability representation, there are other elements that make your business more welcoming to customers with accessibility requirements and ensure they are highly valued.

Concessions

The decision to offer pricing incentives to customers with accessibility requirements can make or break their inclusive experience. According to Scope’s Disability Price Tag report, a disabled person’s extra costs are equivalent to almost half of their income (not including housing costs).

There are typically two main concessions businesses can provide. Firstly, a venue may choose to offer a concessionary rate for disabled customers – sometimes in recognition of the extra costs disabled people face day to day or physical barriers at the venue, which may prevent them from enjoying the same experience as non-disabled people. Minimise queuing by allowing these tickets to be booked online and promote fast-track entry on your website.

Secondly, many people with accessibility requirements physically require support from a friend, relative or support worker to be able to access tourist attractions, accommodation and the transport required to reach them. The Equality Act 2010 does not place any specific requirement on service providers to provide free entry for someone supporting a disabled person. However, tourism providers must amend policies where disabled people would be at a ‘substantial disadvantage’. Attraction operators may feel it appropriate to amend the admission policy to provide free essential companion entry. This would ensure disabled people who require the support of someone else (sometimes two people) to visit the attraction are not put at a substantial disadvantage.

You may consider it necessary to request supporting information in relation to concessions. This information may include things such as doctors’ reports, a Blue Badge or entitlement to disability-related benefits, for example: Personal Independence Payment, Disability Living Allowance or Employment and Support Allowance. Be aware that a person’s essential companion is not necessarily a support worker by formal profession and so wouldn’t have proof of this role to show. Staff should use discretion when implementing concession policies and remember that many impairments are not visible.

Some ‘quick wins’ relating to transparent pricing around accessibility that we suggest you follow:

• Make sure prices are easy to locate on your website (within two or three clicks).
• Be clear about what is included and excluded.
• Don’t charge extra for accessible facilities and services, as this could be considered as discrimination under the Equality Act 2010. For example, you can’t charge for a Braille menu or a premium rate to stay in an accessible room. 
• Consider flexible family tickets that allow for different numbers of adults and children, including grandparents.
• Promote any free essential companion policies and concessions for disabled customers.

The Access Card

The Access Card works as a kind of ‘disability passport’. It explains the owner’s access requirements in a discreet manner to help businesses understand their entitlement for discounted entry, or similar. 

As Martin Austin MBE, Managing Director of Nimbus Disability who created the Access Card states, the ultimate purpose of the card’s creation was to remove frustrations: “For disabled people, the frustration was in repeatedly sending in personal documents which bore no direct relation to the needs of the individual. For the venues, it was frustration in interpreting these documents and the additional admin burden it placed on their staff.”

In effect, the Access Card has become a one-stop shop for both parties; disabled people have to send evidence in only once, and this documentation is checked by a qualified team so that staff at tourism and other venues do not have to. 

Another alternative is the National Disability Card, created by Social Enterprise for Good.

Do bear in mind, though, that only some disabled people own these cards. Offering disabled customers numerous ways in which to provide evidence and supporting information is therefore recommended.

Review sites and forums

There are several popular forums where people with accessibility requirements exchange ideas on holidays and accommodation. Facebook is particularly good for this, with popular pages and groups such as: 

With a focus on the value of the Purple Pound, Purple Tuesday is a change programme for organisations of all sizes and from all sectors to get involved in. The annual programme concludes with a day of global celebration on the first Tuesday in November. The common goal is improving the customer experience for disabled people 365 days a year.

The process of applying for an accessibility award is a useful exercise as the application process helps you step back, reflect on your business and identify areas for future development. Should you be recognised, an accessibility award can provide a mark of reassurance and a useful source of publicity to build customer confidence in your business and its reputation.

Below are some to get acquainted with:

Most exhibitors at these shows are disability equipment suppliers but there are also leisure, sports and holiday stands.

There’s plenty of national and international magazines focused on sharing news, stories, hints and tips with audiences with accessibility requirements.

A large part of building a community (and often one of the best ways to build customer confidence in your business and its offerings) is to engage with bloggers and influencers who have lived experience and a solid reputation in the travel and tourism sector. Well-known bloggers can attract many thousands of readers. You could reach out to a travel blogger with accessibility requirements and discuss how they may be able to authentically market your business to their audience, via written or recorded review. Remember to pay for their time in addition to offering a complimentary visit/stay. Below is a sample (not an exhaustive list) of those most active at the moment:

Many travellers with access requirements are looking for mainstream accommodation and activities, and therefore use mainstream websites to book a holiday or work trip. Accessibility search fields are increasingly appearing on accommodation websites such as Booking.com, Expedia, Premier Cottages and Farm Stay.

However, users often still have to visit the owner websites for accurate, specific information making the planning stage of their trip time consuming and tiresome.

Below is a list of online specialist listings and guides. They range widely in their scope and style but each of them lists accessible holiday accommodation, attractions and activities in England and could be a useful marketing platform for you.

Many of them offer you the chance to upload your own information for a fee and update with special offers as the season goes on, requiring you to ‘self-certify’ that you are accessible. Listing charges range from free to over £100 per year. Some charge a commission on bookings made.

Some websites only review or list personally chosen and audited venues so you would need to contact them and see if you can arrange for them to visit you.