The National Accessible Scheme
Posted in Travel and holidays in the UK
he National Accessible Scheme (NAS) aims to help service providers within the tourism industry make their services more accessible - to encourage more disabled people to use them.
The scheme and its associated standards
The scheme's standards provide guidelines on how to make reasonable adjustments to services to meet the needs of disabled people. They are split into three category standards, for:
* physically disabled people
* blind or visually impaired people
* deaf or hearing impaired people
Meeting the standards will not guarantee compliance with the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA). However, being part of the scheme will give businesses a nationally-recognised rating that they can use to promote their business and its facilities.
The individual standards are represented by symbols that can be publicly displayed and used in promotional literature.
By introducing a few or more changes from within the scheme, businesses can increase the number of disabled people that visit and use a service. It may also encourage you to return once you've found the 'right' facilities that meet your needs.
Information about the scheme is available from the VisitBritain website. The information is aimed at the service provider and not the customer - but you may find it informative.
Businesses can get hold of a pack which includes a simple survey to assess their current status and suggestions to improve accessibility.
Finding accessible accommodation and services
Tourism for All is a national charity that provides information about accessible accommodation and other tourism services in the UK to disabled and older people.
