This second version of the Guildford Accessibility Guide has been produced by Experience Guildford with Andrew Crawte, a member of the Guildford Access Group and a wheelchair user, who has visited businesses across the town to assess them.
Copies are available at Guildford Shopmobility and at the Tourist Information Centre.
The guide can also be read online Here
According to Purple Tuesday, this year on November 3 – a day dedicated to improving customer experience for disabled people and their families – 75% of disabled people and their families have walked away from a UK business because of poor accessibility or customer service.
Andrew Crawte, who has previously helped to produce guides for Godalming and Farncombe, approached the Guildford Access Group to ask whether he could update the guide for Guildford. The group put him in touch with the town’s official “Business Improvement District”,Experience Guildford.
Andrew looks at access for people with hearing and sight impairments, and said:
“But, mostly for physical disabilities, for wheelchair users, like me. ”He adds: “I always check if they’ve got ramps and if they’ve got lifts, and also low-down counters and accessible toilets.”He adds: “I always check if they’ve got ramps and if they’ve got lifts, and also low-down counters and accessible toilets.”
Andrew said another important thing for shops and services in town was making sure counters were not too high, and that staff could pass items down to customers if they were too high to reach.
Becky Craggs of the Guildford branch of the cosmetics store Lush, said:
We’re a small space, so it can be a challenge to fit everything in while also ensuring all customers can navigate the shop floor freely. “This is why it was so beneficial to have a visit from Andrew, who could share practical feedback from his own experience.”“We’re a small space, so it can be a challenge to fit everythin“This is why it was so beneficial to have a visit from Andrew, who could share practical feedback from his own experience.”“We’re a small space, so it can be a challenge to fit everything in while also ensuring all customers can navigate the shop floor freely.
After the first guide was published, the store took the findings to Lush’s head office, which sourced a narrower table. When Andrew returned to assess the changes, the shop received a green rating across the board.
Becky Craggs added: “A year on, we’ve made further improvements by removing the central table altogether and replacing it with a much smaller, round display unit.”
For the team at Experience Guildford, the project is personal. Emma White’s mother has multiple sclerosis, as does Amanda Masters, Experience Guildford’s CEO.
Emma said: “For me, accessibility is about more than just practical considerations; it’s about making sure people feel comfortable, included and able to experience Guildford in their own way.
“I know that even small changes can make a real difference to someone’s visit, and it’s lovely to have a guide that helps local businesses understand how they can make that difference.”
“I know that even small changes can make a real difference to someone’s visit, and it’s lovely to have a guide that helps local businesses understand how they can make that difference.” The launch follows Experience Guildford taking over the management of Guildford Shopmobility. It lends manual and powered wheelchairs and scooters to anyone, of any age, who has difficulty getting around the town centre, and users can park free of charge.
Printed copies of the guide are available at Guildford Shopmobility, on Level 3 of Bedford Road car park next to the Friary shopping centre, and at the Tourist Information Centre.
The guide can also be read online here.
Images and Article Cristina Lia Trujillo The Guildford Dragon News
This second version of the Guildford Accessibility Guide has been produced by Experience Guildford with Andrew Crawte, a member of the Guildford Access Group and a wheelchair user, who has visited businesses across the town to assess them.
Copies are available at Guildford Shopmobility and at the Tourist Information Centre.
The guide can also be read online Here
According to Purple Tuesday, this year on November 3 – a day dedicated to improving customer experience for disabled people and their families – 75% of disabled people and their families have walked away from a UK business because of poor accessibility or customer service.
Andrew Crawte, who has previously helped to produce guides for Godalming and Farncombe, approached the Guildford Access Group to ask whether he could update the guide for Guildford. The group put him in touch with the town’s official “Business Improvement District”,Experience Guildford.
Andrew looks at access for people with hearing and sight impairments, and said:
“But, mostly for physical disabilities, for wheelchair users, like me. ”He adds: “I always check if they’ve got ramps and if they’ve got lifts, and also low-down counters and accessible toilets.”He adds: “I always check if they’ve got ramps and if they’ve got lifts, and also low-down counters and accessible toilets.”
Andrew said another important thing for shops and services in town was making sure counters were not too high, and that staff could pass items down to customers if they were too high to reach.
Becky Craggs of the Guildford branch of the cosmetics store Lush, said:
We’re a small space, so it can be a challenge to fit everything in while also ensuring all customers can navigate the shop floor freely. “This is why it was so beneficial to have a visit from Andrew, who could share practical feedback from his own experience.”“We’re a small space, so it can be a challenge to fit everythin“This is why it was so beneficial to have a visit from Andrew, who could share practical feedback from his own experience.”“We’re a small space, so it can be a challenge to fit everything in while also ensuring all customers can navigate the shop floor freely.
After the first guide was published, the store took the findings to Lush’s head office, which sourced a narrower table. When Andrew returned to assess the changes, the shop received a green rating across the board.
Becky Craggs added: “A year on, we’ve made further improvements by removing the central table altogether and replacing it with a much smaller, round display unit.”
For the team at Experience Guildford, the project is personal. Emma White’s mother has multiple sclerosis, as does Amanda Masters, Experience Guildford’s CEO.
Emma said: “For me, accessibility is about more than just practical considerations; it’s about making sure people feel comfortable, included and able to experience Guildford in their own way.
“I know that even small changes can make a real difference to someone’s visit, and it’s lovely to have a guide that helps local businesses understand how they can make that difference.”
“I know that even small changes can make a real difference to someone’s visit, and it’s lovely to have a guide that helps local businesses understand how they can make that difference.” The launch follows Experience Guildford taking over the management of Guildford Shopmobility. It lends manual and powered wheelchairs and scooters to anyone, of any age, who has difficulty getting around the town centre, and users can park free of charge.
Printed copies of the guide are available at Guildford Shopmobility, on Level 3 of Bedford Road car park next to the Friary shopping centre, and at the Tourist Information Centre.
The guide can also be read online here.
Images and Article Cristina Lia Trujillo The Guildford Dragon News