FEATURE | ACCESSIBILITY IN HOTELS
BESPOKE HOTELS
Sheppard says that his hotel chain has a lot of “ emotional intelligence ” reflected in the high level of detail and upgrades implemented in the rooms designated for people with disabilities . His main contention however , is that the confidence of the staff is a key factor that can be forgotten . He believes hotels need to give their employees the tools and the intelligence to feel comfortable when they see a disabled person , and to therefore react professionally . “ When I was in a wheelchair for a long time , the old rule was that people should talk to the person pushing the wheelchair rather than the person pushing it . Because they automatically assume that you are so ‘ invalided ’ that you are not capable of cognitive thought .”
Getting staff up to speed with their attitudes on disability , and ensuring that there is that level of training are essential : “ Overall its delight and surprise from the staff ,” he says , “ and about turning the premises from a functional and hospitalised look , into something that is more romantic and joyful .”
from and valuing our differences , are some of the founding principles of AccorHotels ,” she said in a statement .
Some arguably encouraging signs , especially given the international profile of the firms involved , but , says Robin Sheppard , owner of Bespoke Hotels , the wider issue is that style and aesthetic are “ never really taken into consideration ”. “ I don ’ t want an able-bodied person thinking that one of our disabled rooms is a downgrade ,” he explains , “ so nirvana for me is someone walking into our hotel and saying ‘ I would like an upgrade to a disabled suite please ’. That would mean we have done the right job , if it was seen as a better thing rather than a relegation .”
He believes there is also a cash opportunity in making a disabled room look and feel a similar standard to regular guest bedrooms . “ You ’ re going to get the same if not a better room rate for it ,” he says “ At the moment the disabled rooms tend to to be the last let rooms to able-bodied people and therefore people tend to discount them or sell them for a lower price .”
In 2004 Sheppard contracted an illness called Guillain – Barré syndrome , which is an autoimmune disorder where the immune system attacks healthy nerve cells in the peripheral nervous system , eventually causing paralysis . “ I came back to work and managed unlock the paralysis , but I had to relearn how to sit and how to stand and how to walk . So it was quite traumatic . Because of that I experienced being a disabled person in the hotel environment as a consumer for the first time . I became painfully aware of what hoteliers don ’ t tend to do in anticipation of disabled guests needs .”
According to The Equality and Human Rights Commission ( EHRC ) it is not enough to wait until a disabled person wants to use services . “ Hoteliers need to think in advance about what people with a range of impairments might reasonably need ,
22 www . hotelowner . co . uk March 2018