At Traveller Chair, we are passionate about empowering people with reduced mobilities and giving them the tools they need to do the things they love. We are proud to partner with AccessAdvisr, an ever-growing directory of user-submitted reviews about the accessibility of venues all over the world.
From hospitality to entertainment, transport, recreation and even accommodation, AccessAdvisr is home to over 2,5000 detailed reviews that cover a variety of factors including ease of access, staff helpfulness, toilet facilities and parking spaces.
Founded by Managing Director Rob Trent, AccessAdvisr’s chief mission is to get “disabled people going places.” Rob and his strategic director Martyn Sibley know that travelling can be a source of anxiety for people with disabilities, with many choosing to not travel at all.
AccessAdvisr aims to quell those worries with its easy-to-navigate website where people can browse and submit their own reviews of places they’ve visited, including a rating for staff helpfulness and ease of access. They recognise that everybody has different needs, so by providing a space for first-hand experiences alongside a checkbox for key categories like parking and facilities, visitors can get a feel for what to expect before they embark on their journey.
Many companies have fallen into the habit of treating people with disabilities as a box to be ticked. It’s not just about looking good on paper, it’s about accommodating for a wide variety of needs and ensuring that every visitor to a venue feels comfortable and welcome.
Staycations for people with disabilities
AccessAdvisr comes at a very important time for the UK tourism industry. With most people choosing to “staycation” in 2020 following the COVID-19 outbreak, the attention is on the UK to catch up with global standards for accessible travel. In fact, the UK’s transport sector has a long way to go to meet the government’s accessibility goals for public transport.
It’s not just public transport where people face accessibility troubles. The seemingly eternal presence of roadworks, skips and other obstructions can make even accessing one’s own vehicle difficult at times.
The problems only continue upon reaching your destination, as ¾ of people with disabilities say they have left a shop or business because of accessibility issues. Now thanks to AccessAdvisr, there is a place to find and share such information.
AccessAdvisr is a platform for change. They are holding businesses accountable for providing realistic and accessible facilities, properly training staff and accepting that accommodation for people with disabilities an iterative process – not a box to be ticked.
You can help AccessAdvisr grow!
Find out more about Rob and Martyn’s mission at AccessAdvisr and support the team’s efforts to raise £5,000 to maintain the website and continue developing new features for the site’s thousands of users.
Rob Trent said “AccessAdvisr is only able to provide such a service thanks to its wonderful Partners, who share our passion for better accessibility.
“Traveller Chair is one of those Partners. We think they have a fantastic product and we’re grateful for their support and we are committed to working with them to promote their accessibility solutions”.
