Access Cornwall, a CIC helping people with disabilities to get out and enjoy Cornwall has just published three FREE guides, showcasing accessible options in Cornwall.
These are designed to allow visitors, locals and travellers who have disabilities to discover which places to stay, attractions to see and places to eat at which can accommodate their accessibility needs, and enable them to use the railways safely, to get there.
You can find digital copies on the Access Cornwall website, so please share with your customers!
- Accessible Guide to Cornwall (paper copies are available on Seymac tourism leaflet displays).
- Accessible Guide to Looe.
- Accessible Guide to Train Travel in Cornwall.
What’s in the Guides?
While many businesses have wheelchair access, for some, that’s as far as it goes. For others, they make a real effort to be inclusive, with large print or app-based menus, for instance, to meet the needs of people with visual impairment. Others have a hearing loop, or even staff trained in British Sign Language, for those with hearing difficulties. Others have made a real effort to provide space for with hidden challenges such as autism and dyslexia.
The Guides for Looe and Cornwall cover a wide selection of establishments, from high-end hotels to caravan parks, fine-dining restaurants to chippies, so there should be something for everyone. Days out, including beaches, castles, theme parks and wildlife attractions, are also included, as many make a great effort to be accessible for all.
The Looe Guide also has information about the town itself, including parking, public toilets, and how to navigate around the town on level routes. For some people, strong smells, or busy streets might be difficult to deal with, so those are marked those on the map as well, allowing people can avoid them if they wish. The Looe Guide has been commissioned by Looe Town Council, East Looe Town Trust, West Looe Town Trust and Looe Harbour Commissioners. The Cornwall Guide was funded by the National Lottery through Awards for All.
The Railway guide, created with support from the GWR Community Fund, has details of the accessibility features at every station in Cornwall, plus step-access, parking, and any other peculiarities of the station, such as curved platforms leading to large gaps. There are also a number of attractions featured, close to railway stations, highlighting the opportunities available to those travelling by rail.
Could this be you?
Your business might already be in one of the guides, which is wonderful. However, the Access Cornwall team is not able to guarantee that every business that has great disability access has been included. If you want your Accessible Business to be given a higher profile, drop the team a message via the website, and they can discuss creating a listing on the Access Cornwall site for you.
If you’re aware that your business could do more for people with disabilities, or you don’t even know where to begin, Access Cornwall has a team of trained reviewers, all of whom have disabilities themselves. These reviewers would be delighted to work with you to establish a baseline of accessibility, and help you improve access. It’s not a secret, but the Purple Pound, the spending power of disabled people in the UK, is worth £249 billion annually, and you don’t want to be opting out of your slice of that!
Finally, if you represent a major corporation such as GWR, or a town such as Looe, then the Access Cornwall team would be delighted to work with you to create a specific guide to your accessibility. Get in touch via hello@accesscornwall.org.uk or by calling 01326 231 721.
Access Cornwall can be found HERE, and on social media: LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram
