An accessible venue isn’t necessarily one that just meets regulation and accreditation standards. imago’s Burleigh Court venue in Leicestershire took a unique approach to make sure every requirement was met for the Annual Scientific Conference of the Multidisciplinary Association of
Spinal Cord Injury Professionals (MASCIP).
MASCIP first held its conference with imago in November 2010, with plans for the event to return in both 2012 and 2013.
The first consideration for John Borthwick, MASCIP Membership Secretary who himself was spinal cord injured following a diving accident in 1967, was the location of the venue itself.
Opting to search outside of the capital, excellent travel links were vital for the 150 national and international delegates.
Being next to the M1 and in close proximity to both East Midlands Airport and a number of train stations made Loughborough a strong choice. Not only was imago’s Burleigh Court in this central location, but it had all of the required facilities under one roof, making it a clear choice for MASCIP.
A large proportion of delegates were spinal cord injured and required wheelchair access to the venue and all of its facilities. Both Borthwick and Paul Harrison, a Nurse Tutor from Sheffield’s Princess Royal Spinal Injuries Centre, conducted a detailed survey to assess the suitability of accommodation, bathrooms, toilets, restaurants and conference rooms at Burleigh Court.
“Obviously, no venue is tailor made and completely fit for our purpose so our site visits are vital for making our own judgements on accessibility,” says Borthwick. “We were impressed with the measures that had already been put in place at Burleigh Court including five parking bays, 13 accessible bedrooms, plus a restaurant and all meetings rooms on the ground floor with no steps or obstructions. The venue is also mobility three accredited, which is part of the National Accessible Scheme run by Visit Britain.
“However, the real difference was imago’s willingness to listen and make further changes using the results of our site survey,” adds Borthwick.
The MASCIP survey covered a range of aspects and provided feedback for imago. For instance, despite having existing easy access rooms which were fully compliable, there were a number of changes which would make life even easier for delegates. The survey revealed that the washbasins were slightly too low, making it difficult for wheelchair users to reach the taps and by lifting the bed by just two inches and installing a firmer mattress, the transfer from a wheelchair was made easier and safer.
When MASCIP first visited Burleigh Court it had three toilets located in public areas. All had been inspected and passed as compliant with building regulations and the 1995 Disability Discrimination Act. However, the experienced eyes of Borthwick and Harrison were quick to spot a number of fundamental errors in two of the toilets, including one that had just been refurbished. These insights have helped imago to make practical improvements rather than tick boxes.
Once the feedback survey had been completed, imago put a number of solutions in place and further educated staff on the level of assistance that would be required during the conference. This additional effort was the key reason that MASCIP booked Burleigh Court and is returning again.
MASCIP also found that having a dedicated events team provided added reassurance to guests in the venue before the conference had even started. imago has had a dedicated Accessibility Co-ordinator for the last four years, giving guests a devoted contact for enquiries and bookings.
For imago, the experience with MASCIP has put accessibility high on its agenda.
The venue continues to develop its dedicated disabled facilities and drafted its own company accessibility statement to further prove its commitment. These efforts have resulted in a National Accessibility Scheme accreditation for mobility, hearing and impairment and awards including a Regional Tourism Gold and National Tourism Gold.
“When choosing a conference destination, this confidence in the capability of a venue
is immeasurable,” adds Borthwick.
“We always ask our delegates to evaluate our conferences, not just the content and quality of the papers presented, but all the facilities including the food and attitude of staff. The feedback for Burleigh Court, especially from delegates requiring wheelchair access, was the best that had been received for any venue to date.”
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What is NAS?
The National Accessible Scheme (NAS), run by VisitBritain, is a nationally recognised rating to ensure that accommodation meets the needs of people with physical and sensory needs.
The scheme provides a set of Accessible Standards, against which accommodation providers are independently assessed and awarded a rating. With one in four of the UK population having a long-standing health problem or disability, achieving an NAS rating will open a business’ door.
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Finder viewpoint:
Simon Thompson, MD ofthe ConferenceGroup, the umbrella brand for venue finding services; Conferences-UK.org.uk, ConferenceVenues.com and CorporateDesk, on finding an accessible venue for events:
“Searching for the perfect venue for an event of conference is a major part of the planning process, especially if there are delegates attending the conference with disabilities, as not all venues will cater for their needs.
Access for disabled people has improved considerably over the last few years and venues are definitely more aware nowadays of what changes they may need to carry out to comply and accommodate delegates with disabilities.
New build venues are generally meeting the necessary requirements and features such as wider corridors and doorways, lower lift controls and designated disabled bedrooms with wet rooms instead of standard bathrooms are more readily available.
The problem with suitable facilities tends to lie with older buildings where practical access is not always available, however we do find venues are trying to make the necessary changes like installing more ramps for wheelchair users and updating and improving bathroom facilities.
Unfortunately, the expense and practicality to make the necessary changes in some old historic buildings makes them unsuitable but we have found in most cases venues are clear about what they can and can’t offer and they don’t tend to over promise, so at least you know from the outset if they meet the needs of your delegates.
You will find certain areas better than others, we recently organised a residential conference at a venue in the Lake District where the criteria included catering for a couple of wheelchair users, delegates with guide dogs and a number with specific dietary requirements and all were well catered for and met the company’s objectives perfectly.”
This was first published in the July edition of Conference News. Any comments? Email sarah@mashmedia.net
