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Hi everyone and welcome to the very first Disabled Access Day
podcast! The place you can find out all the latest news and
hints and tips regarding Disabled Access Day this year, that is
taking place from the 10 to 12 March 2017. Now, this might be
the very first time that you've heard of Disabled Access Day. So
let me tell you a little more about it, of course in an ideal world
Disabled Access Day will technically be every single day.
Society will be step free and barrier free for everyone all of the
time. But I think it's fair to say there were not there yet and until
a day of total inclusion arrives Disabled Access Day is here to
showcase what really can be done when we strive for the
reality access and inclusion being a top priority for many, many
people.
The idea came from Paul Ralph who is a power chair user and
lives in Edinburgh and he was invited to go to try out day's local
bus company. He had the chance to explore a stationary bus it
was a great opportunity for him to say I’ve tried something new
and I really really enjoyed it. He was chatting to his friends
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afterwards and thought it would be amazing if other disabled
people had similar opportunities and experiences available to
them, happening across the UK, all at the same time.
But, without the same amount of pressure that can often
surround accessibility today. You all know, what I mean all of
those electric ramps on London buses that everybody watching
you get up we absolutely don't want that all of the time. Now,
disabled access is three years old and the events just keep
growing with over a 1 000 places doing something and more
than 10 000 disabled people and their friends getting involved
in the spirit of you and someone new. Which is really our
slogan for this year. It doesn't matter what you doing or where
you going or what your preferences are really as long as you go
out there and go and try somewhere or something new. And,
you can relay that information and that experience back to your
friends, that's really all we are hoping for. And, of course this
isn't a quick fix, Disabled Access Day is not a quick fix. What
we are really, really trying to do is encourage venues to see
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what a difference it makes when accessibility is put on the top
of their agenda. And actually what a difference it makes for
disabled people their friends and their family, and how much
more accessible it makes society as a whole as well.
So, as this is our very very first podcast I thought we would
focus on disabled individuals themselves and as a disabled
person that's a brilliant thing for me to be focusing on as well.
We often get asked about what we can do as a family on
Disabled Access Day. We often get asked about transport and
Disabled Access Day and we often get asked about how we
can then review what we've done in the amazing experiences
that we've had other disabled people can get involved and have
those experiences too.
So those are the three things that I'd like to focus on on today's
podcast. So, first of all how can we make a family day out of
Disabled Access Day. So it is running from March 10 to the
12th as I said it's a whole week and this year because we had
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such an amazing turnout for the last two years, we thought why
not expand a little bit and see what happens. So that's really,
really exciting. But in terms of family time that makes it even
better as well because now we've got a whole weekend to get
involved. Whether you are a parent or whether you're a child
listening to this and whatever you want to do this something for
you to get involved in, that we can assure is accessible safe
and loads of fun as well. And of course fun for the family is a
phrase that is in high demand. For the many people that are
looking for a day out for everyone to enjoy many, many parents
have different preferences and things that they enjoy to their
children and what we want to do when no different here are
Disabled Access Day, we want to make sure that we can find
things that all the family can enjoy. And here are just a few
venues and attractions they can provide incredibly accessible
experiences whatever your age and especially if you're a big
kid at heart which let's be honest, is many of us.
So first of all I want to tell you about a venue that will
particularly have the water babies within is getting quite excited.
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have you heard of Sandcastle Waterpark in Blackpool if you
haven't I really, really do suggest going for a family friendly and
fun place with brilliant inclusive facilities, such as changing
places toilets, pull friendly wheelchairs and water ambassadors
to help navigate the pool for anyone who might require
assistance, Sandcastle Waterpark really is the place to be on
Disabled Access Day. And any other time of year as well. So
the accessible parking on site the reception is fitted with
induction loops and accessible changing and lower desks and
things like that, are just considered the norm here. So you go in
as a wheelchair user the lower desk for you to book your tickets
to get involved and then you can go you can get changed in the
accessible changing room and there are even Water
Ambassadors there to get you get you into the pool and give
your hand navigate in the pool if that's what you need. So
really, really access and inclusion is the priority here don't
forget to brave the waterslides if you dare! There’s much fun
that can be had for anybody who is a bit of an adrenaline junkie
as well. So isn't it wonderful there are actually adrenaline and
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accessibility can go hand in hand. I don't know about you but
that's something that I don't have much experience of so it's
great to see that it's starting to happen.
What if water parks aren’t the place that you want to be on
Disabled Access Day. Well we have museums of all shapes
and sizes, that can guarantee an interest for all ages. Museums
really are one of the places to be for an accessible family day
out especially on Disabled Access Day. Last year Kelham
Island Museum in Sheffield introduce so many inclusive
activities including an autism friendly hour storytelling with
puppets and British sign language, interpretation including
touch tours of the museums and stalls run by several disabled
access groups. There were also a number of incredible talks on
topics such as inclusive design, improving access for disabled
children and becoming a dementia friendly museum. So you
can go and have an amazing time looking at all these different
exhibits, in a way that is accessible to you but you can get
involved in some cool talks and swot up on all things inclusion,
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which let's be honest we all should be doing. So museums
really really are a fantastic choice, feel free to go onto the
Disabled Access Day website at www.disabledaccessday.com
and have a look at all the different museums that are getting
involved this year. There is a place you can go if you, go into
the what's on tab in the website you can go and have an event
search and put in somewhere near to you see if there get
involved in Disabled Access Day. So it really really is a brilliant
way to find out where to go and what to do.
So if you looking for something a little more on the exotic side
why not go to Belfast and try out Salability. This is a really really
amazing project and they really do have something for
everyone from boats with drop-down bows, to allow wheelchair
users to stay in their chairs whilst on the water to motorboats
and quayside hoist allow everyone to get into position and have
a go at steering themselves. That's pretty cool hey! And if
you're lucky you just might spot the friendly colony of seals that
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regularly swim near by. I don't know about you but that sounds
like why a great access day to me.
And of course, we want access to to be a memorable family
day out everybody and we want you to take loads of pictures.
Tell us about your experiences so feel free to tweet us
Access_day and use the hashtag #AccessDay. Tell us about
the amazing experiences that you've had because one thing
that is really really important about Disabled Access Day is it
not just one day of the year hopefully. And, hopefully long-term
we can get disabled people from all over the country getting
involved in different venues and different experiences every
single weekend. And if you can tell is about an experience that
you've had from March 10 to the 12th this year on Access Day
then we can hopefully share that around and make sure the
other disabled people get to enjoy those experiences as well,
that's what it's really all about.
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so let's look at transport than two of course all of these venues
and the brilliant things that the putting on a really really
important the destination is important but so is how we get
there. What's the point in having an amazing exhibition if
actually disabled people can't get to that venue? So transport is
a really really big issue for us and it's something that we don't
take very lightly. And we are aware that it can either make or
break an experience depending on how accessible it is and
how much assistance is available and how clearly it signed. In
recent years were happy to say that many transport networks
have really improved when it comes to inclusion for all.
And here are just some of our favourites, because obviously I
can't tell you about all my favourite ones on a short podcast.
But here just dotted around the UK are some of our very, very
favourite ways of transporting. First of all let's look at the
Thames Clippers now if you haven't been on the Thames
Clippers I really do recommend it is an amazing way is nothing
else to see London from the water, what a great opportunity.
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But it's also so accessible, so if you rushing around from
meeting to meeting or if you going around with the family on
Disabled Access Day and to want to get with few different
venues around London are you unsure how to do it without
traffic jams and taxi fares then try the Thames Clippers. As
Paul founded did, they are totally accessible spacious and
provide much less stress and a much nicer view than the two
the water transport is definitely making waves in London so it's
a brilliant thing to experience for Disabled Access Day itself.
If you are going to London or if you don't really fancy getting on
the water, there are other things for you to get involved when in
in terms of transport. One of them is the tram network in
Manchester and this is a tram network running right through the
city, with level access throughout so if your wheelchair user or
you got some kind of mobility impairment this will be a really
really great way of getting round the city for you. It's really one
to be rivalled is the Manchester Tram Network when it comes to
city living on a budget as well. So you can forget all these high
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car parking fees and just enjoy the experience of going around
on this tram and looking at Manchester through the window, it
really is brilliant. And the best bit there’s no special equipment
needed for disabled people to get onto and off the trams, not
even any portable or automatic ramps are required so is no
dependence on staff necessary, winner, winner!
Let’s look at planes, if you are wanting to go somewhere quite
exotic for Disabled Access Day, and we do have many many
different countries taking part including Iceland, Portugal and
Belgium. Then one of our main partners for Disabled Access
Day is Gatwick Airport. and they really really had to be
mentioned not only for their willingness to place inclusion in
which is one of their priorities but also how they demonstrate
this on the ground. And how they introduce access and
inclusion from a ground level. The staff at the airport are given
brilliant training the check-in and the security processes are
made really really quick easy and stress-free as possible. And
they're putting on some extra special events for Disabled
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Access Day from the 10th to 12 March. Now we all love a
holiday but those at Gatwick also helping us to love landing
back home as well. So if you are wanting to go somewhere
exotic Gatwick Airport I would truly recommend somewhere to
fly from and to.
So family days and transport all covered but what about when
you've had your Access Day experience, when you've had the
most amazing time with the family, friends or even on your own
spiriting someone something or somewhere brand-new. How to
tell people about that, now word-of-mouth is really really brilliant
thing and I really recommend that you go and tell all your
disabled friends and family all about it. There should be a better
and a bigger way to make more of an impact right? Well you
and Euan’s Guide is an amazing charity helping to support and
power Disabled Access Day to help it really make a great
impact. And and Euan’s Guide if you've not heard of them
provide disabled access reviews two places from all over the
UK she can go on Euan’s Guide as a disabled person typing a
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particular venue and see if someone else has already been
reviewed it. and they might have reviewed everything from
disabled parking to accessible toilets to how you get in and out
of the venue and what's on offer white once you're inside. It's a
really, really excellent way of circulating accessibility
knowledge. And one thing that we want to encourage people to
do at Disabled Access Day it is to review their venue or their
experience on Euan’s Guide once disabled access date is over.
So that disabled people their friends and their family can get
involved later on in the year or of course on disabled access to
next year.
So, how do you write a Euan's Guide review you can go on to
you and guide website www.euansguide.com. And there's
loads and loads of hints, tips and inspiration for writing your
own review on their if you want that.
What makes a great review, that something that can help you
with on this podcast. Photos, videos and audio clips describing
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the venue are really helpful, so don't forget to take the camera
and maybe even give somebody a little interview when you
doubt why not? Potential visitors can then imagine and plan
their experience before they even arrive, because as you know
a lot of disabled people worry about three things. Whether they
can park or get to a venue, how will they be able to get in, or
whether or not the bathroom will be accessible and fit their
requirements. So can get photos of all three of these things and
describe your experience you're onto a winner already. Think of
the highlights of the visit as well with the staff really helpful and
of course that's a massively important thing you can have the
most accessible venue in the world but actually the thing that
we've been told makes or breaks a trip is how helpful the staff
are. So if the staff were particularly brilliant don't forget to
mention it, if there was brilliant signage across the venue again
make sure that that's in the review and if the access ramps
were of a really great gradient for solo travellers you might not
need assistance when once you’re there, again that's
something that a lot of disabled people will want to know about.
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So here are some hints and tips from the guys at Euan’s Guide
themselves about what makes a brilliant review in terms of
parking and transport don't forget to let people know if there is
a car park or on street parking nearby and if there are any blue
badge parking spaces as well. What about a convenient drop
off point if you get a taxi? that's something that is also really
really good to mention. If you're not driving and using public
transport as part of your experience, know where the nearest
station is or if there is a bus stop nearby how far away the
nearest public transport is. Those are all things that other
disabled people want to know and if you can let them know in
advance and that's an absolutely amazing thing to be able to
do.
When thinking about access, think about the doors at the
automatic the easy to open is the level access for wheelchair
users, and are there any ramps, if there are steps how many
are there and actually within a venue can disabled people get
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to all the main areas and use them. I’ve been to many, many
museums in different galleries where a lot of the access is
brilliant, but some of the most exciting exhibitions are up some
stairs and I can’t get to them, and again that's something that
disabled people it's really good for them to know in advance so
they don't get the hopes up a little bit too much, like I often
have. Again, what’s the signage like and can you easily find out
where to go, what’s the lift like what type are they and how big
are they and other any alternative reading formats as well when
it comes to looking at gallery photos or museum exhibits. Do
they have information available in Braille or large print and is a
hearing late for deaf or hard of hearing customers?
If you stayed somewhere overnight then tell us about the
bedroom and the bathroom to of course it's amazing when you
find somewhere as a disabled person that is not just chain
hotel, if you find somewhere that a little bit independent and a
little bit kooky but really accessible that's a real winner for a lot
of us.
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Of course everybody wants to know about the toilets as well, so
let people know if there is an accessible toilet where it is how
easy it is to find, how big is it and is anything been stored in
something that we often know quite how happens quite a lot. Is
there a change of places toilet and does it also have baby
changing facilities is an emergency card and is it hanging
correctly these, are all things that people really, really
appreciate knowing? Of course I've said it before but the
number one most important part of any visit, is the staff let
people know if staff are particularly amazing, if they make you
feel really welcome anything done anything to really, really help
you and of course what could be improved.
Let’s focus on celebrating all of these venues that we go to in
the experiences that we have. Let's try and take so much worry
out of going somewhere as a disabled person and think about
what an amazing welcome some venues give us.
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Now that it fully disabled access to podcast this week we
focused on family days out transport and how to write a brilliant
review so other disabled people can have a brilliant experience
at somewhere new very, very soon. I hope that's been really
really helpful if you have any questions feel free to email me at
[email protected] and what I'm going try
and do is take all your questions in and answer them for the
next podcast and also to hopefully have a guest on the next
show. But, let's see where that goes fingers crossed I thank you
so much for listening, and lots of love access and inclusion to
you all, bye!