The Use of Hoists in Guest Accommodation

Image: Cover of The Use of Hoists in Guest Accommodation guidance document.

The second document by the Inclusive Hotels Network is now published.

The guidance of Approved Document M, BS 8300 and other publications are aimed at construction industry professionals. Even if operators are aware of their existence, they are unlikely to be able to interpret the the regulations and standards to make decisions about inclusive environments.

The Inclusive Hotels Network first convened to address this knowledge gap. Founded in 2012, the group now meets each month to discuss ideas and generate guidance and case studies. Working with hotel operators, access consultants, occupational therapists, product designers and others, we meet monthly to share knowledge, experience and ideas.

Guidance documents are the tangible results of our meetings; Access to Hotels for People with Hearing Loss (by Chris Harrowell and the IHN) was published in November 2016 and the The Use of Hoists in Guest Accommodation is now available to download (free of charge) here.

A comprehensive resource about sanitary facilities in guest accommodation is currently in development. This will complement the forthcoming BS 8300-2: Buildings sections on the subject.

October 2018 note: A new edition of this guidance document with a new cover (as above) and minor amendments to the text is now published. It's available to download free of charge using the link above.

If you have something to say about accessibility in hotels, guest houses, bed & breakfasts or hostels please do get in touch. The IHN is on LinkedIn and Twitter @InclusiveHotels or you can email Rachael here. 

Access to Hotels for People with Hearing Loss

Cover of Access to Hotels for People with Hearing Loss document with IHN logo.

Access to Hotels for People with Hearing Loss is the first guidance document to be published by the Inclusive Hotels Network and is now available to download from our page on the CAE site.

Written by architect Chris Harrowell and the IHN, the 40 page document goes much further than Approved Document M in explaining how to make hotel guest rooms and facilities accessible to people with hearing loss.

Hotel, hostel and bed & breakfast operators should be aware that as service providers they cannot legally discriminate against people with disabilities (and other ‘protected characteristics’), and should provide an equal service to all guests. But how should they go about doing this? This is what the Inclusive Hotels Network aims to address.

The guidance of Approved Document M states the necessity of providing visual as well as audible alarms in places where people may be alone, the importance of lighting to assist people who use sign language or lip-reading and electronic hearing assistance among other features. However these provisions must be supported with staff training, good management and an understanding of the people’s needs.

Baroness Thomas of Winchester has shown her support for the Network by writing the foreword for all the guidance documents.  

“We want the United Kingdom to be at the forefront of making our country as welcoming as possible to everyone, whatever their circumstances. The Inclusive Hotels Network understands this, and I hope these excellent guidance documents will be read by the whole hospitality sector.”

— Extract of foreword by Baroness Thomas.

The guidance is free to download so please share widely with architects, hospitality industry contacts and access friends!

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Minor revisions were made to this document in October 2017.

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