Whether your site is a historic landmark, family-run museum, or a large entertainment venue, there are steps you can take to ensure everyone feels welcome and included. Here are the core areas every operator should evaluate when designing the visitor experience.
Train Your Staff
Accessibility starts with people and your staff shapes the guest experience.
- Provide regular, mandatory disability awareness training.
- Teach proactive communication strategies: Don’t assume a visitor with a disability wants or needs help – ask first.
- Use respectful/inclusive language:
- Avoid offensive/outdated terms (e.g. “handicapped”)
- Use person-first language (e.g. “person who uses a wheelchair”)
- Speak directly to a person rather than their caregiver
- Include situational training (e.g. how to communicate with nonverbal guests, or how to offer assistance respectfully).
- Treat every visitor as an individual: Disabilities are not always visible, and some may not identify as having a disability.
Consider Different Disabilities
Accessibility must address a range of needs. Think beyond ramps.
- Mobility: Frequent rest areas, handrails, step-free routes, elevators, and access to loaner mobility aids like walkers, portable stools, wheelchairs.
- Hearing: Written materials, captions, transcripts, visual announcements/emergency alerts, and sign language interpreters.
- Vision: High contrast signage, large print, audio guides, braille, and welcoming guide dogs.
- Cognitive & Neurodivergence: Sensory maps, social narratives, designated quiet/low sensory hours, and loaner sensory kits.
- Also consider family needs, such as baby changing facilities, private nursing rooms, and stroller-friendly routes.
Use established frameworks for accessibility guides, like the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s Recommendations on Accessible Tourism for All
Communicate Your Accessibility Features
Visitors should not have to guess if your site is accessible.
- Prepare for all commonly asked questions in advance.
- Post your own Accessibility Guide online with accurate, specific information
- Use images, maps, and measurements: Avoid vague claims like “Wheelchair accessible” without details.
- Ensure your website meets WCAG 2.1 AA standards.
Start with Universal Design
Make accessibility built-in, not a retrofit.
- Design new projects and renovations with accessibility in mind.
- Consider lighting, acoustics, surfaces, and wayfinding, including signage height.
- Go beyond legal standards. Compliance is the minimum.
Keep Improving
Accessibility is a process, not a checkbox.
- Ask for feedback via forms, reviews, or in-person.
- Read and respond to reviews, especially critical ones.
- Reassess regularly: Standards evolve, you should, too.
Making your site accessible isn’t just the right thing to do – it’s smart business. More than a billion people worldwide live with disabilities, and many more benefit from accessible features. Clear communication, staff training, and thoughtful design will make your site inclusive to everyone.
