It is estimated that over 1.3 billion people worldwide live with disabilities. Naturally, people with physical disabilities have special travelling requirements. As a host, you can help to provide these people with wonderful, unforgettable travel experiences by (re)designing your holiday home to be accessible.By the way, accessible tourism is one of the growing segments with great economic potential. A great bonus point: older people or families travelling with prams, for example, also benefit from the barrier-free design of a holiday home. Accessibility is essential for around 10% of the population, helpful for 40% - and convenient for 100%! Many of your guests can benefit from adapting your holiday home accordingly, and so can you. Find out everything you need to know here!
Contents
- How to make your holiday home accessible or low barrier
- Adapting to guests with limited mobility
- Adapting to guests with hearing impairments
- Adapting to guests with visual impairments
‘Accessible’ - what does that mean?
Before (re)designing your holiday home, you should familiarise yourself with the regulations regarding accessibility in your country. Terms like "accessible" or "wheelchair accessible" are often legally defined, so they cannot be used arbitrarily. First, research the requirements that must be met for you to legally describe your holiday home as "barrier-free" or "accessible."
How to make your holiday home accessible
Start with a thorough inspection of your holiday home to identify potential barriers. Are there narrow corridors, rooms that are difficult to access or places in the house that can only be reached via stairs? Every holiday home is individual; a single-storey house will obviously require different measures than a city loft or a mountain cabin. If it is not possible for you to make your holiday home completely barrier-free, you can take various steps to make it better accessible. Some of the following tips are particularly useful if you have yet to furnish your holiday home - or if you are ready for major renovations. However, we also present some steps towards accessibility that you can take with comparatively little effort.
General tips for making your holiday home accessible
- Enable the use of voice assistants such as Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. These can control devices and simplify the operation of switches, sockets and other devices.
- Install smart lighting systems. They can be set so that the light switches on or off automatically or is dimmed when someone enters or leaves a room.
- Implement emergency call systems in your holiday home to provide guests with immediate assistance in an emergency.
- A nice plus point: In the guest directory, point out accessible excursion destinations and activities.
Adapting to guests with reduced mobility
- Install ramps to overcome steps and other obstacles. Create movement areas by strategically placing furniture and making your holiday home spacious overall.
- Install grab rails near toilets and in the shower to provide additional support.
- Install a walk-in shower and use non-slip mats or tiles.
- Make sure that the lighting in your holiday home is adequate and that switches and sockets are positioned at a height that is easy to reach.
- Make sure that the doors in your holiday home are wide enough to allow wheelchair access. Also check the access routes to the holiday home to ensure that they are free of obstacles.
- Make sure that beds and seating in your holiday home are at an appropriate height to make it easier for guests with reduced mobility to get up and sit down.
- Remove thresholds at doors and crossings.
Adaptation to guests with hearing impairments
An accessible holiday home for hearing impaired or deaf people should offer alternatives to audible signalling and verbal communication. For example, light signals can be used instead of bells or alarm sounds. In addition, visual alarms such as flashing lights or vibration alarms can be used in emergencies. A big plus point would be if you as a host know some basic words in sign language to enable direct and effective communication with your hearing-impaired guests.
Adapting to guests with visual impairments
Inform potential guests about the accessibility of your holiday home
It is crucial that the target group of guests can recognise at first glance that your holiday home is accessible. It is therefore important to present the relevant features of your holiday home clearly and attractively in your photos and property description. Tips for a successful description that immediately appeals to potential guests can be found here.
Conclusion
Designing an accessible or low-barrier holiday home is an opportunity to appeal to a wider range of guests and at the same time contribute to greater inclusion in tourism. By taking into account the specific needs of people with mobility or sensory impairments, you can create positive travel experiences for this group of guests. From adapting structures to providing information and services, every accessibility measure makes a significant difference to the accessibility and well-being of your guests. By providing appealing photos and a detailed description of the accessible features, you can ensure that this information is easily accessible. This way, people with mobility or sensory impairments are encouraged to book your holiday home and enjoy a pleasant and comfortable stay.
