How finding accessible accommodation for your next holiday can be so much more simpler now! The story behind the ‘Accessible Accommodation’ website…
It’s official!!! You are definitely going on a trip away to somewhere that you have always wanted to explore.. So now it’s time for the planning… if you are in the disability community you will definitely know how hard this next step is , in particular finding short term accommodation. You would know that now comes the long weeks and sometimes months of searching accommodation platforms. You feel the need to carefully read every accommodation description for words like ‘fully accessible’ while you zoom into every photo of the room trying to spot if it has a ramp, flat entrance, some sort of hoist or a hand held shower nozzle.
Well, I am extremely excited to share that this extra effort and worry now can be significantly reduced. “Accessible Accommodation” is a site dedicated to assisting people with disabilities in finding the best fitting short-term accommodation for their needs. The most unique thing that the website does is to specifically highlight utilities such as hoists and wide doorways that the properties may have, along with saying whether or not the accommodation welcomes companion dogs. As a person with a disability, I see a real need for this type of service as I have spent so much time looking for somewhere to stay when I have planned every one of my holidays.
It was after having similar experiences with organising trips away with her mother, that Kerry Williams decided that something needed to change . Kerry’s mother has a condition called Multiple Sclerosis, or MS, which has left her needing to use a wheelchair. Kerry and her mother found it frustrating sometimes when trying to find national and international accommodation that was suitable enough to fit their specific needs. As you would imagine, this brought disappointment and the idea of going on holiday was affected for the whole family. This disappointment didn’t stop at finding accommodation either, as what they also found was that when they did manage to find places, they weren’t as accessible as they thought.
Deciding to find a solution and ensure that these problems were fixed, Kerry’s very first step was to start a Facebook Group. This group is called “Accessible Accommodation” and Kerry created it so that she could gather ideas and opinions from the public about what was really needed for the disability community in order to find accommodation more easily. After doing this, Kerry knew that she was on the right path and went on to create the “Accessible Accommodation” website.
The website operates kind of like a consulting service. Firstly, the user chooses their preferred location and then a list of places that they can stay at around the area comes up. When the user clicks on the accommodation link they are supplied with information, photos and videos along with specifics on what is provided with the property. These specifics include stating whether the accommodation has such things as a roll In shower, wide doorways or a hoist. After deciding on which accommodation suits them, the user fills out the contact form and the team at “Accessible Accommodation” will get back to the user after ensuring that the accommodation is suitable.
Along with this service, Kerry has announced that the “Accessible Accommodation” website will be working alongside a sister site called “Accessible Experiences” from April 2020. This website will allow the public to post about accessible experiences and facilities such as Indoor Skydiving, cooking classes and hiring off road wheelchairs in different locations throughout Australia and internationally. As well as expanding information about access, this website will help to promote a sense of community as the information provided shows people how much they can do despite their disabilities and is inclusive in this way. Although this will be a separate website both sites will be linked and work in conjunction with each other.
So, for your next holiday why don’t you join the “Accessible Accommodation” Facebook Group, check out what they have to offer and see how easy planning your holiday can be when you book through the “Accessible Accommodation” website. You can also subscribe to the website if you want access to weekly offers, newsletters and helpful blogs.
