Reg charity no. 226227

Susan Thomas

National Leisure Services

Royal National Institute of Blind People

Reg charity no. 226227

Royal National Institute of Blind People

• Leading UK charity for people with sight loss• Campaigning for equal rights for blind and

partially sighted people• Working directly with national tourist industry

partners to achieve an accessible tourism industry

Reg charity no. 226227

Reg charity no. 226227

Reg charity no. 226227

Reg charity no. 226227

Reg charity no. 226227

Aim of presentation

• Emphasise the importance of working in partnership with others to create an accessible industry

• Give some practical examples of how RNIB are achieving this with partners in the UK

Reg charity no. 226227

The facts of sight loss• 2 million people in the UK have sight loss• 77% of people with sight problems are 65+• 4% have no light perception• Only 5% of blind people read Braille• 57% can read large print• Eye conditions affect people in different ways

Reg charity no. 226227

Working in partnership

• Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA)

• Government funded ‘See the Person Campaign’

• Seminars, checklists and guidance for travel agents and tour operators

Reg charity no. 226227

Working in partnership

• Tourism for All UK• Local tourist information centres• Visit Britain, National Accessible Scheme• UK hotels – RNIB Hotel Guide (available in

large print, braille, audio and electronic formats)

Reg charity no. 226227

Information is key to enhance a positive customer service experience

• Accessible websites

• Disability awareness training

• Accessible environments

• Map for All concept

• “See it Right!”

Reg charity no. 226227

Consider accessibility of:

• Brochures

• Websites

• Booking processes

• Letters

• Posters

Reg charity no. 226227

Consider accessibility of:

• Invoices

• Signage

• Emails

• Power point displays

• Insurance policies

• Complaints procedures

Reg charity no. 226227

What do we mean by accessible?

• Large print

• Clear print

• Braille

• Audio

• Electronic

Reg charity no. 226227

Accessible environment

• Hotels, restaurants, tourist attractions, heritage sites, museums, galleries…

• Highlighting the issues

• Offering practical tips, information and support to make last changes to the way we work

Reg charity no. 226227

Collective approach

• Share good practice

• Harmonise access criteria

• Encourage and enable tourism businesses to devise and implement access action plans

Reg charity no. 226227

Enhance the customer travel and tourism experience!

Thank you for listening!

www.rnib.org.uk