It could be a holiday in the sun, a weekend in town to see a show or a similar event, or maybe just to see and reconnect with family and friends. Whatever the reason, a short or long vacation is an opportunity to rest, recharge, release endorphins and improve your health.
My partner of 20 years, Julie, and I now have a full-time carer, and we’ve done some amazing travelling both at home and abroad, but we can no longer just pack up a suitcase with our clothes and ride off into the sunset.
In 1997 I was diagnosed with primary progressive multiple sclerosis. Since then I have adapted from walking with a limp to using canes, crutches, a manual wheelchair, a handcycle and now hopping around in a power wheelchair. I have very little core strength left so I need a hoist and sling to get into bed and to the toilet.
We live in a beautiful part of Devon which is like a holiday in itself and has adapted to the trials and tribulations of living with my progressing disability.
I don’t travel internationally much these days, and for a long time I’d avoided being left on a plane, but having to endure the humiliation of being carried up and down stairs or dragged around the plane while strapped to an aisle chair while my fellow passengers looked on in disbelief made me feel like a circus act or Hannibal Lecter, and I was annoyed that I had to put up with it.
Still, we like a change of scenery, and the UK has some beautiful places to visit, many of which are on our bucket list. Driving across the UK can take as long as a long-distance flight (it once took us 11 hours to get to Northumberland), and catching a train requires planning to ensure a boarding attendant is there. But these obstacles may seem insignificant compared to finding suitable accommodation.
Although the Equality Act 2010 provides for improved access to transport and public accommodation, it appears to fall short in ensuring better service and availability for disabled guests staying in the UK’s 39,000 hotels.
View of the beach at sunset, Bamburgh Castle, Northumberland. Photo: Travelpix Ltd/Getty Images
Five percent of Travelodge’s 43,000 rooms are wheelchair accessible or have been adapted in some way – typically with grab bars around the bathroom, wide doorways and step-free access. They cost the same as any other room (average £64). This is in line with new hotel building regulations, but nationally, it’s questionable whether it’s enough, given that disabled people make up a fifth of the population.
Of course, “disability” includes people with a wide range of conditions and needs, and for many, a few nights in a hotel would be little trouble, but for the UK’s 1.2 million wheelchair users, particularly those like me for whom a lift is an essential piece of equipment, there are still significant gaps in the services offered.
According to the Ceiling Lift Users Community, fewer than 20 of the UK’s 1.4 million hotel rooms have full disabled access including ceiling lifts, of which six are in London. Some hotels may allow manual lifts to be hired, but these are generally not available for short-term use and double the cost of your stay, resulting in even higher disability fees.
Things get better when you search online for fully accessible vacations
A search on Airbnb doesn’t make things much better. After checking all the accessibility features on the website, including lifts, we found one log cabin in Devon. It looked lovely, but it was less than an hour from our house and cost just under £200 a night. Summer availability is already very limited, highlighting the growing demand for this type of accommodation.
The situation is better when searching online for fully accessible holidays. You will find many more available properties online as owners are focusing on the potential market and going the extra mile for the peace of mind of their visitors. Most accommodations clearly list and detail their services so there are no hidden surprises. Owners understand what it is all about and as a result they reap the rewards of repeat bookings. On social media, private groups come together, many of whom have first-hand experience of disabilities and have found suitable places to stay, to search for accessible accommodation and recommend it for those looking. A community is formed where like-minded people help each other and share knowledge and recommendations.
These days, nothing comes cheap – a four-day holiday in the off season can cost over £600 – if you can afford it, that’s fine – but most accommodation is in the countryside, making a city break nearly impossible.
The hotel industry could learn and even benefit from a fully accessible holiday sector. The ‘purple pound’ is worth £16 billion a year to the domestic tourism market, a fifth of which is the cost of accommodation. To put it in perspective, a ceiling lift would be a small investment for most hotels (£4 or 5k), would not have to compromise the aesthetics of the rooms and would probably increase financial revenue.