Disabled accessible holiday accommodation in Dorset

National Accessible Scheme

To help disabled people decide if accommodation is suitable for them, the National Accessible Scheme (NAS) which was devised by the English Tourist Board has graded accommodation by their criteria for disabled accessibility. Dorset accessible accommodation graded by NAS will have a symbol to show how accessible it is. There are five levels of grading for accommodation suitable for the physically impaired, two levels for the visually impaired and two levels for the hearing impaired.

Level one accommodation for the physically impaired is suitable for a person with sufficient mobility to climb a flight of stairs but would benefit from fixtures and fittings to aid balance. Level two accommodation is typically suitable for a person with restricted walking ability and for those that may need to use a wheelchair some of the time and can negotiate a maximum of three steps. Level three accommodation is suitable for a person who depends on the use of a wheelchair and transfers unaided to and from the wheelchair in a seated position. This person may be an independent traveller. Level four accommodation is typically suitable for a person who depends on the use of a wheelchair in a seated position. This person also requires personal or mechanical assistance such as a carer or a hoist. Level five accommodation has exceptional access and provides for all levels of mobility impairment listed above with reference to the British Standard BS 8300:2001. The accommodation must achieve the standards above for either independent wheelchair users or assisted wheelchair users and also fulfil additional more demanding accessibility requirements. For blind of deaf guests, level one accommodation provides key services and facilities for visually or hearing impaired guests and level two means that the accommodation provides a higher level of additional services and facilities for guests with vision or hearing impairments.

Disabled accessible tourist attractions in Dorset

As well as Dorset accommodation, many tourist attractions and beaches in Dorset are also accessible to people with disabilities. For a full list of disabled accessible accommodation in Dorset, as well as accessible attractions, places of interest, places to eat, public toilets and beaches, the website www.accessiblesouthwest.co.uk is very useful. Accessible South West is a great website to look at when booking disabled access holidays in Dorset, and also provides information on disability groups and organisations that can assist disabled travellers whilst on holiday, as well as local suppliers of accessibility equipment to hire in Dorset.

Rights of disabled people

The Disability Discrimination Act gives disabled people important rights of access to everyday services including hotels and all other types of holiday accommodation. Access to services is not just about installing ramps and widening doorways for wheelchair users in hotels - it is about making services easier to use for all disabled people, including people who are blind, deaf or have a learning disability.

The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) says that it is unlawful for service providers to treat disabled people less favourably than other people for a reason related to their disability. Accommodation providers now have to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ to the way they deliver their services so that disabled people can use them. Examples of reasonable adjustments include putting a ramp at the entrance to a hotel as well as steps, providing larger signs for visually impaired people and providing staff with disability awareness training. What is considered a ‘reasonable adjustment’ for a large hotel chain will be different to a reasonable adjustment for a small guest house. Accommodation providers are not required to make changes which are impractical or beyond their means. This means that some accommodation in Dorset such as grade II listed hotels, traditional thatched holiday cottages, stately homes or rustic guest houses which may have great difficulty in making adjustments such as installing ramps or wide doors are not obliged to do so by law. All modern hotels and newly built accommodation should have disabled access but you should still check with the hotel to make sure that your particular needs are met, whether you need an access ramp, hand rails, wide doors, a wheel in shower or a hoist in the bedroom.