Council team up with disability website to provide accessibility information

City of York council has teamed up with DisabledGo in order to provide more information on the accessibility of attractions in the city. Numerous attraction websites provide little or no information at all, but the additions to the DisabledGo website will now give those with mobility difficulties and disabilities a guide to the facilities available in a selection of venues. This will allow those hoping to visit the city’s attractions to find out whether they are suitably adapted with the likes of wheelchair access, stairlifts and hearing loops.

Currently the DisabledGo website features 25 buildings in York, with extensive facts about the accessibility those visiting with disabilities can expect. For example, many museum and gallery websites may claim to be fully accessible, although on closer inspection by DisabledGo, this may not be found to be the case.

The website also allows users to take a look at photographs that have been taken in areas of the attractions such as restaurants, giving an idea of the manoeuvrability of the space provided. The information will also include the locations of lifts and which floors they can be accessed from.

Informing disabled people of attractions’ accessibility

DisabledGo presently visits attractions that feature on the website in order to complete an in-depth 1,000 question survey, which is then used to build a unique guide. The collaboration between DisabledGo and the City of York council now means that the links will also be embedded to the council’s website, as well as an attraction’s dedicated page.

The council hopes that the move will encourage others to follow suit, making days out for those with mobility issues and disabilities much easier to organise. Those seeking the information can also view the website using smartphones or tablets via an app, helping those that may be on the go.

Image Credit: Elliott Brown (Flickr.com)

This content was written by Emily Bray. Please feel free to visit my Google + profile to read more stories.