A NEW and FREE travel guide aims to support people with diverse needs in enjoying the best of Britain’s attractions.
The revamped Rough Guide to Accessible Britain, now in its 10th year, has for the first time extended its reviews to include information for visitors with more hidden conditions such as autism or mental illness.
As well as details of ramps, accessible toilets and parking spaces, visitors can find out well in advance whether a venue offers features such as quiet mornings, picture stories or bespoke queuing arrangements.
TV presenter and naturalist Chris Packham, a passionate advocate of the great outdoors, said: “The guide is a celebration of some of the best and most inclusive venues in the UK. From personal experience, I know that many people face particular barriers to enjoying a day out. The guide equips visitors with all the information they need to set out with confidence, so they can simply concentrate on making the most of their day.”
Every venue is thoroughly checked out by Rough Guides’ team of reviewers, who either have a disability themselves or visited the venue with a disabled friend or relative.
Packed with over 180 comprehensive reviews, the guide is an ideal planning tool for anyone with access needs. Among the many new entries are Windsor Castle, RSPB Bempton Cliffs, Monkey World, Hyde Hall, Essex, and Blackpool’s Sandcastle Waterpark.
Tom Purser, head of campaigns at the National Autistic Society, said: “We are delighted to be working on this new Rough Guide edition which has taken into account the needs of autistic visitors. With over 700,000 autistic people in the UK, it is vital that they are able to enjoy days out, just like anyone else.
“This has been a great opportunity for us to increase awareness of autism in partnership with organisations that are proactively making leisure activities more accessible to autistic people.”
The guide is available online at www.accessibleguide.co.uk
