Disabled Access Charity Amplifies the Voices of Disabled People

DISABLED ACCESS CHARITY AMPLIFIES THE VOICES OF DISABLED PEOPLE

The UK’s largest access survey provides an opportunity for disabled people to have their say on accessibility

Disabled people are being encouraged to have their say on disabled access by completing the Euan's Guide Access Survey Support by Motability Operations Ltd. The 2022 survey goes live on Monday 26 September, launching in association with Motability Operations UK.

Disabled access charity Euan’s Guide is asking anyone who has ever had to consider disabled access to share their opinions on accessibility in 2022 by taking the survey. This is the eighth survey and covers topics such as toilets, parking and asks if access is generally better or worse in a world living with Covid. This year, the rising cost of living is included.

The data gathered from the survey is used to inform Euan’s Guide in their mission to improve accessibility, and the insights from the survey help to shape their work. Last year’s survey included the opinions of over 2400 people, who were primarily disabled people (97%) with the remainder a combination of carers, friends and healthcare professionals. This year, the team at Euan’s Guide hopes to break the record number of responses to reach even more people who want to make the world a more accessible place.

In 2021, Access Survey respondents reported:

92% try to find disabled access information before visiting somewhere new
56% avoid visiting a venue if it has not shared its disabled access information
73% said that they had found information on a venue’s website to be misleading, confusing or inaccurate
73% had experienced a disappointing trip or had to change plans due to poor accessibility
And accessible parking and accessible toilets remain a top priority for disabled visitors with 81% and 80% of respondents respectively reporting that they would help improve confidence when visiting new places.

Euan’s Guide was founded in 2013 by Euan MacDonald MBE, a powerchair user, and his sister Kiki after Euan was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease in 2003. They found that a lack of disabled access made everyday experiences stressful and they soon learned that other disabled people faced the same challenges. Being able to find access good quality disabled access information inspires confidence and removes the fear of the unknown, breaking down barriers of exclusion, which is why Euan and Kiki established the disabled access review website EuansGuide.com.

Euan MacDonald said: “This survey is extremely important in establishing how disabled people, their families, friends and carers feel about disabled access through their own lived experiences. The survey results inform us on the disruption of Covid and how it has affected accessibility, asking whether the pandemic has pushed back progress.

“We’re delighted to be working with Motability Operations for a second year to amplify the voices and experiences of disabled people. It’s vital that anyone who has had to consider disabled access makes their voice heard by taking our Access Survey, so we can work together to make a difference.”

Andrew Miller, CEO, Motability Operations, said: “We’re excited to help launch this year’s Access Survey, and to build on our support for another year. It’s such an important source of valuable data which can really help to inform and inspire positive change for our customers and other people with disabilities across the UK. We’re looking forward to seeing the results in the new year.”

The survey can be found online at www.euansguide.com/AccessSurvey