Reg charity no Susan Thomas National Leisure Services Royal National Institute of Blind People

Reg charity no 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

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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 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 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 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 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 Consider accessibility of: Brochures Websites Booking processes Letters Posters

Reg charity no Consider accessibility of: Invoices Signage s Power point displays Insurance policies Complaints procedures

Reg charity no What do we mean by accessible? Large print Clear print Braille Audio Electronic

Reg charity no 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 Collective approach Share good practice Harmonise access criteria Encourage and enable tourism businesses to devise and implement access action plans

Reg charity no Enhance the customer travel and tourism experience! Thank you for listening!