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Making Your Property Accessible For Everyone

5 Ways to Make Your Property Accessible for People With Disabilities.

Many booking portals now have a specific search filter to use if you are searching for a property that is accessible for people with disabilities. If your property is designed with features for people with disabilities, make sure it is clear on your website. Anybody that has any issues accessing buildings will need to know well in advance that your property is suitable for them. Booking a holiday requires a lot of planning in advance for anyone, not just people with specific concerns about accessibility. Part of the process is not just making physical changes to your property but taking the time to outline exactly what people can expect when arriving.

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Something we have noticed this year is that there is still a notion that booking a vacation rental is something of a leap into the unknown. They could be the holiday of a lifetime but people are unsure of just what awaits them- as opposed to established accommodation companies and brands. If you have any concerns about access or use, then this uncertainty may be enough to put you off booking altogether. Imagine choosing a property when any unmentioned step or narrow corridor could be a world of unexpected stress.

Depending on the location and layout of your property the changes you can do to make it more accessible vary in size and time. Not every change you make has to involve building work. One of the first things you can do is provide as much information on your property as possible. If there are things that make your property difficult to access that you are unable to change then at least mentioning this, and offering other properties that may be more suitable will be useful to anyone worrying about booking then being stuck somewhere they cannot access.

Today we’re looking at things you can do to your property to make more accessible for everyone.

Ramps and Rails
These are some of the biggest additions you can make to your property to increase the accessibility. Building additions to your property is likely to be expensive and time consuming so make sure anything you build complies with any regulations in your area.

Braille or Audio Signs
Visual or hearing impaired travellers may need the important information about your property in a different form. Things like emergency service information are a good place to start when adding new forms of information to the handbook for your property.

Information on the Accessibility of Local Sights
As well as your property, people will be travelling to see the local area, visit the sights and experience the area. Collecting some information about the accessibility of the local sites to include on your website will be valuable for anyone considering booking who needs information like this.

Elderly People
Making your property accessible does not just extend to making it available to people with mobility problems. Older people may also require or appreciate certain modifications such as railings, good lighting and reducing the risk of slippery surfaces.

Transport links
Think about getting to and from your properties. Are there public transport links, and are these accessible for everyone? Just providing information is the first step to letting people choose if your property is suitable for them.

It is likely that many countries will introduce more and more regulations for vacation rentals in the coming years. Part of this will involve standardising the requirements for access and amenities for people with disabilities staying in vacation rentals. So, not only will you be providing a very welcome service for a lot of people, you will be getting a head-start on possible changes that the industry may be expected to make shortly.

You can use disabled travel sites and blogs to find out and build up the knowledge and information on your website so potential guests are given the answers to all of their concerns before they book. Whilst you can never plan for every scenario, having as much information about your property and the local area will be the first step in making your property more accessible for everyone.

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