Accessible Britain

modation, restaurant and attraction reviews
and listings. The website also includes full,
searchable reviews from Disabled Go.
Ouch! www.bbc.co.uk/ouch BBC website
concerning disability issues with news,
blogs and an active forum. There isn’t a
specific message board for travel but
posting a question on the general board
is likely to gain a good response.
RNIB www.rnib.org.uk Advice on leisure
activities and holidays for those with visual
impairments, including a list of accessible
museum and gallery events. There are also
links and ideas for shopping, cinemas, theatre
trips and spectator sports. They also provide
advice on finding holiday accommodation.
Special Needs Kids www.special-needskids.co.uk
The “leisure & activities” section
on this website has some useful suggestions
for days out for families with children
who have special needs. Also has details
of disabled sporting organisations and
children’s activity clubs.
Tourism For All www.tourismforall.org.
uk; 0845 1249971; info@tourismforall.
org.uk National charity that is dedicated to
making tourism welcoming for all, by providing
information to visitors, encouraging
those in the tourism industry and running
campaigns. The website has lots of ideas for
places to visit.
Walks with Wheelchairs www.
walkswithwheelchairs.com A fantastic
database of accessible walks throughout
the UK and NI. You can search by county,
distance, difficulty and facilities, and even
upload your own routes to share with others.
The Wheel Life Guide www.
thewheellifeguide.com A helpful
directory specialising in leisure
and lifestyle. Useful organisations,
accommodation, activity holidays and
tour operators are listed and there is a
particularly good section on disabled
sporting associations.
British tourism
English Heritage www.english-heritage.
org.uk; 0300 3331181; textphone 0800
0150516; customers@english-heritage.
org.uk Owners of more than 400 historic
properties, English Heritage operates
an Access for All policy. They publish an
Access Guide that features properties with
good provisions for visitors with limited
mobility and sensory needs. However, as
heritage sites, even those that are more
accessible inevitably have inaccessible
parts. Access information for individual
properties is listed on the website, though
you can’t search by accessibility in the
“search for a property” function.
Experience Community CIC www.
experiencecommunity.co.uk Not-for-profit
organisation that provides video guides,
photographs and written information
about tourism, attractions, facilities and
walks in Yorkshire for disabled and older
people. They also organise day trips using
accessible vehicles, tour guides and providing
personal assistants.
Discover Northern Ireland
www.discovernorthernireland.com
The Discover Northern Ireland website has
suggestions for days out and itineraries,
plus lists of events and festivals in the
various different regions – plus, of course,
links to accommodation and activities.
National Trust www.nationaltrust.org.
uk; 0844 8001895 or 0344 8001895;
enquiries@nationaltrust.org.uk The dedicated
Access for All office runs an “Admit
One” card scheme allowing free entry for
an essential companion. The website has
further info on policies as well as access
details for individual properties. An annually
published Access Guide has details for
every property. The guide does regularly
highlight steps and uneven surfaces,
which can make parts of it depressing
reading, but bear in mind the publication
exists to warn you of problems, rather
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