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Not in the loopProgress with improving facilities for deaf tourists seems painfully slow. VEE-TV investigates. Tourist attractions in the UK continue to fail deaf people despite government-backed improvements in access standards, according to last week's VEE-TV poll. At the last count, a massive 90% said that attractions need to improve their facilities for deaf visitors. Many of our viewers are only too familiar with the problems. 'On holiday in the Lake District, I went into a large tourist-information office where signs said they speak German, Spanish, French, and even Japanese,' says Rufus in a VEE-TV message board e-mail. 'But when I asked about BSL, they didn't know what I was on about. They then checked and said, "Oh, no, we don't do that!"' Inadequate The inadequacies are particularly disappointing in the light of the new tourist authority National Accessible Schemes. The schemes, extended to deaf people late last year, are intended to encourage tourist sites to improve their facilities as well as ensure that providers clearly indicate what facilities and services are available, using an array of symbols. But improvements seem to be taking a long time to filter through. Most theatres, cinemas and tourist attractions in the UK, including such flagship sites as the Tower of London and Edinburgh Castle, are not fully accessible to the nine million people in Britain who are deaf or hard of hearing, according to recent research published by the RNID. Anonymous investigators visited more than 100 attractions nationwide and discovered that: • 50% of attractions had no loop or infrared system for deaf or hard of hearing people. • 75% had no visible loop logo. • 75% had no textphone. • More than 60% had no published information specifically for deaf people. The bleak picture is reinforced by a Capability Scotland study. Capability Scotland sent five undercover researchers to five areas of the country in autumn 2002. They found a lack of information about where disabled tourists can visit, stay or eat and that they have just a 50:50 chance of getting the right information about a Scottish short break. Lip-service 'Many institutions are only paying lip-service to their duties to provide equal access to deaf and hard-of-hearing people,' says Brian Lamb, communications director at the RNID. He calls on the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to establish a dedicated fund to help tourist attractions pay for improvements in communication. 'Attractions should train a guide to learn sign language,' says Martin Elston, a student from Bristol. 'If a deaf person had to pay for an interpreter to go to different places with them, not only would it prove very expensive, but also deaf people wouldn't be able to relax. Maybe companies could supply leaflets using BSL language as an alternative form of communication. This would be a cheaper way but would help deaf people be interested in the attractions. There are lots of things that could be done, such as having videos with subtitles or somebody on the video signing.' Hopeful There are some hopeful developments. Some tourist and travel organisations are already doing their bit to improve the provision of facilities and encourage others to change for the better. The AA, for example, is now in its second year of its Accessible Hotel of the Year Award. Its spokesman says that, as part of this, consideration is given to the needs of people who are deaf or hard of hearing. The recent recognition of BSL should yield some positive results, as should the additional provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act that come into effect later this year and next year. These require tourism providers to take steps to make their facilities and services accessible to guests, visitors and employees. Have your say and tell your stories on the message board. Find out moreSee our brief guide to London for sites detailing London attractions and events, including Deaf events. Information for deaf tourists London Tourist Board – Information for disabled visitors MAGIC National Accessible Scheme Greater London Action on Disability: Accessible Tourist Attractions
Fact sheet Royal Association for Deaf People – Quick Guides: Holidays for
Deaf people Right of accessDisability Disability Rights Commission 'Top Attractions "Ignore" Deaf People UK tourist sitesLondon Tourist Board Travel England Visit Britain 2003 UK Tourist Attractions and Information UK and London arts event listingsSPIT Stage Text Arts Line Channel 4 is not responsible for the content of third-party sites. |
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