The vast majority of disabled people do not feel confident about visiting new places due to fears they will not be able to get in
Disabled people avoid visiting new places due to fears over access.
Research carried out by Scottish charity Euan’s Guide and Disabled Access Day has shown 92% of disabled people do not feel confident in visiting places due to concerns over accessibility.
The Access Survey reveals that 86% of those questioned are more likely to visit somewhere new if they can find information about disabled access beforehand, and people in Scotland are more likely to share their experience than those in other parts of the UK.
If disabled access is not mentioned on a venue’s website, 47% of disabled people said they would assume it would be inaccessible and go elsewhere
Issues highlighted that make access difficult for the disabled include venue layouts, such as narrow corridors, lack of ramps and heavy doors.
The survey also investigates how different types of places compare based on the experiences of disabled people. Compared to 2016, access in museums has improved, but opinions were most divided about public transport, hotels and music venues.
The Euan’s Guide site aims to help disabled people to access places by providing a hub for people to rate the accessibility of places they visit. Disabled people can read access information for more than 6,000 places, including reviews written by people with similar requirements to them.
Co-founder Euan MacDonald said: “The opinions expressed in this survey will help to raise awareness and improve understanding of accessibility, and I am hopeful that future surveys will show positive trends and improvements among venues and the confidence that disabled people have in visiting them.”
More than 700 people were quizzed as part of the survey, and described experiences they have had at a range of different places across the UK.
Paul Ralph, founder Of Disabled Access Day, said the survey aims to boost cooperation so that disabled people can enjoy visiting different places.
“The Access Survey is a great tool in helping venues and places understand what is important for their disabled visitors and in providing a warm welcome for everyone,” he said.
