Disabled Access Day encourages those with mobility disabilities

Getting older oftentimes brings with it a loss of mobility, affecting our ability to get out and about as much as we’d like. Stair lifts and other equipment can help us move around the home with greater ease, but it’s important that we retain as much independence as possible.

The recent Disabled Access Day, taking place in March, welcomed those with mobility disabilities to 1,067 UK venues who took part in the initiative this year. On March 12^th, people were encouraged to visit an accessibility-friendly café, shop, attraction or other public venue offering them a different experience and an opportunity to discover places catering to those with limited mobility.

On that note, a brother and sister team have created an online guide featuring disabled access reviews for over 3,000 venues in the country, with the aim of inspiring the disabled or elderly to visit new places.               

Euan MacDonald, a power chair user himself, and sister Kiki were driven to create Euan’s Guide following their own experience of the challenges facing those with disabilities when looking for accommodating venues. The pair spent time making enquiries about access whenever they needed to visit somewhere and recognised that there would be many more in the same position in the UK.

Euan’s Guide, now a charity as well as a useful online tool for accessibility information, provides details about a venue’s access, toilet facilities, hearing loops if installed and other points that may be relevant to disabled people or their family and friends.

As well as exploring convenient public places on the website, people can identify venues on the go with the recently launched disabled access venue locator and reviews app. The initiative is also keen to create a community online, where those with disabilities and limited mobility can share their own reviews and photos of the restaurants, transport stations, hotels and so on they visit. With more than 3,000 venues already appearing on Euan’s List, the aim is to spread the following even further throughout the UK, helping those who need it get a better idea of what to expect before they arrive.