The London Borough of Waltham Forest is one of the 5 Olympic Host Boroughs and will soon be joining online access guide www.disabledgo.com!
The guide to Waltham Forest will cover 1,000 venues including hotels, parks, leisure centres, council offices, high street stores, restaurants, dentists, tourist attractions – the list goes on and on.
www.DisabledGo.com currently features 15,000 venues across London including two other Olympic Host Boroughs – Tower Hamlets and Greenwich.
The guide will be launched in August 2010 and will enable people to find out whether venues have adapted toilets with dimensions or parking close by, as well as specific details such as whether there are tactile or Braille markings in lifts or on doors, the positioning of fixtures and fittings, and whether you can request large print or Braille information.
There are lots of ways you can get involved in the project. You can attend the information session being held 2nd June (2pm – 4pm)at Waltham Forest Disability Resource Centre to find out more and give your views. You can apply to become a trainee surveyor or register your interest to shadow surveyors for work experience. You can suggest a venue to be included in the guide or help publicise the project.
Pat Bhabha from Disability Action Waltham Forest said, ‘We are pleased that Waltham Forest will be having a guide that all disabled people can use and benefit from, featuring toilets to shops and services. It is also good that disabled people themselves will have the opportunity to participate to make sure that the Guide is relevant and includes the information they want.’
The online guide will provide benefits for business too, helping them reach more customers by publicising the access they offer. Current figures estimate that there are 11 million disabled people in Britain who spend £80 billion each year, numbers that every business should take notice of. All businesses that take part will also receive Disability Awareness Manuals, designed as a 20 minute introduction to disability and access.
If you would like to apply to be a trainee surveyor or would like more information on the project please contact Anna Borthwick on
Telephone: 01438 842710 or
Email: anna.borthwick@disabledgo.com