Pubs and bars considered least accessible venues

11-Mar-2019 - Last updated on 11-Mar-2019 at 12:17 GMT

Poorer access: pubs and bars are considered worse for accessibility than historic attractions

Pubs and bars are believed to be the venues with the worst accessibility, according to research from a charity.

Charity Euan’s Guide has released its annual survey on venues’ disabled accessibility.

The survey asked 903 disabled people, their families and friends for their opinions on accessibility at public venues including museums, cafés and outdoor spaces.

Information online

Many respondents said misinformation or a lack of information on venues’ websites caused them problems when trying to access public venues.

Almost four in 10 respondents said pubs typically had poor access (38%), with not being able to get into or around a venue and a lack of a suitable accessible toilet cited as the most common issues.

Some 86% said they have found disabled access information on a venue’s website to be misleading.

An even greater amount (88%) of respondents said they were more likely to visit somewhere new if they could find relevant access information about the venue.

If a venue has not shared its disabled access information, 53% of respondents said they avoid going because they assume it is inaccessible.

However, 62% said they would phone or email the venue to check accessibility.

Licensed venues were the worst rated type of venues assessed by the survey, with historic attractions and transport hubs rated much better.

Typically ‘poor’ standard

Just 2% rated pubs and bars as typically ‘excellent’ for access, while 38% said they considered licensed venues to be ‘poor’.

Most respondents said they considered pubs and bars to be ‘average’, with 40% of respondents opting for this rating.

"While I feel there has been a general improvement in the access information venues provide on their websites, I still come across some examples where information is either confusing or incomplete,” one respondent said.

Euan MacDonald, co-founder of Euan’s Guide, which now has thousands of disabled access reviews for sites in the UK and abroad, hopes the findings would emphasise the importance of accessibility information.

He said: “The Access Survey by Euan’s Guide and Disabled Access Day is the biggest and longest running survey of its kind in the UK. Since 2014, we’ve been asking disabled people their opinions of accessibility in public places.

“The survey was created for anybody who has ever had to consider disabled access before going somewhere, whether that be a café, museum, hotel or anywhere else.

“The responses to The Access Survey 2018 have revealed the good and the bad situations that arise when visiting places as a disabled person, and shows the need for better access provision, availability of information, and awareness raising events like Disabled Access Day.”

Businesses can take a look at Euan Guide's guidance on access on its website.