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Matt Riley contributes to an excellent article in the Museums and Heritage Advisor.  It’s fabulous that many attractions are taking positive steps in becoming more inclusive to all visitors across society.

http://advisor.museumsandheritage.com/features/accessibility-in-museums-creating-a-barrier-free-cultural-landscape/

Well its official, it’s COLD, not below freezing cold but it’s pretty chilly!! Up here in the cold, wet and windy West Yorkshire it’s not exactly dream weather and the idea of going out… well it’s just not a good idea especially if you’re at home wrapped up in numerous chunky jumpers with the fire on and a cuppa, why would you bother going out?

But after spending the summer months out and about enjoying the warm weather and sunshine you’re unlikely to continue your adventures outside for a while, so what now? How can you get out of the house with the kids and still have a good time without freezing to death? Below is a list of indoor, and for the brave ones out there, outdoor activities for you and your family to enjoy in the months to come!

For the Artsy people out there here’s a great list of craft things to do with the kids!

Acorn Owls – http://bkids.typepad.com/bookhoucraftprojects/2010/11/tetx.html

Leaf Rubbing – http://mumofthreemusketeers.com/

Leaf hedgehogs – http://www.tamingtwins.com/2014/11/12/3-autumn-leaf-crafts-for-toddlers/

Leaf crowns – http://www.tamingtwins.com/

Pine Cone Frames – http://mumofthreemusketeers.com/three-things-to-do-in-autumn/

For the rough and ready people out there who enjoy the crisp autumn air and the adventures in the outdoors here’s a list of places to go!

Go on a treasure hunt – with a bit of preparation you can turn a normal walk through the wood into an exciting adventure for you and the kids!

Conkers – not only do they keep away spiders if you put them around your home but they’re a great thing to start collecting! And of course, you can play a game of conkers!

Build a stick den – to find out how to make a stick den check out this link >> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFUSomJ3Zzk

Go berry picking – at this time of year the autumn bushes are groaning to be picked, and maybe even put into a pie??

Bike ride – just because it’s a bit chilly doesn’t mean you have to abandon those bikes you’ve been riding around on all summer!

For the people out there who aren’t so keen on the cold weather but still want to get out of the house here’s a list of places to go that doesn’t require you to freeze to have fun!

Central England – this link covers things to do in Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Shropshire, Derbyshire, Rutland, Warwickshire, Peak District and West Midlands >>> https://www.visitengland.com/things-to-do/family#centralengland&family&attractions

East of England – this link covers things to do in Norfolk and Cambridgeshire >>> https://www.visitengland.com/things-to-do/family#eastofengland&family&attractions

North East England – this link covers things to do in Yorkshire, North Yorkshire, East Riding of Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and Tyne and Wear >>> https://www.visitengland.com/things-to-do/family#northeastengland&family&attractions

North West England – this link covers things to do in Cheshire, Manchester, Merseyside, Lancashire and Cumbria >>> https://www.visitengland.com/things-to-do/family#northwestengland&family&attractions

Northern England – https://www.visitengland.com/things-to-do/family#northernengland&family&attractions

South East England – Hampshire, London, Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Surrey, Buckinghamshire, Kent, Oxfordshire, Hertfordshire, West Sussex, Isle of Wight, East Sussex and Brighton >>> https://www.visitengland.com/things-to-do/family#southeastengland&family&attractions

South East England – This link covers things to do in Devon, Dorset, Cornwall, Wiltshire, Somerset and Bristol >>> https://www.visitengland.com/things-to-do/family#southwestengland&family&attractions

Delicious Autumn Recipes

Autumn Tomato Chutney:

Prep: 40-50 minutes

Cook: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1kg ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped

• 750g cooking apples, peeled, cored and chopped

• 375g light muscovado sugar

• 250g onions, chopped

• 250g raisins

• 1 green pepper, deseeded and chopped

• 2 tsp salt ½ tsp ground ginger

• 350ml cider vinegar

Method:

Put all the ingredients into a large pan and bring to the boil over a medium heat. Stir occasionally until the sugar has dissolved. Boil the mixture, uncovered, for about 45-50 mins until the fruit is tender and thickened. Cool, then transfer the mixture to a sterilised jar and seal.

Autumn vegetable soup with cheesy toast:

Prep: 10-15 minutes

Cook: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 leek, chopped quite small
• 2 carrots, chopped quite small
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 potato, chopped quite small
• 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
• ½ tsp sugar
• 410g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 2 x 400g cans chopped Italian tomatoes
• 425ml/¾ pint vegetable stock
• 8 slices of baguette, cut on the diagonal
• 1 garlic clove, cut in half
• 50g edam, finely grate

Method:

• Put the vegetables into a large saucepan with the garlic, rosemary, stock and sugar. Season well, stir, bring to a simmer and cover. Cook gently for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are just tender.
• Preheat the grill to high. Whizz the tomatoes in a food processor or blender until smooth, then tip into the vegetables with the chickpeas and parsley. Gently heat through, stirring now and then.
• For the toasts: rub both sides of the bread with the garlic. Grill on one side until golden, turn the bread over, cover with edam and grill until it’s bubbling. Serve at once with the piping hot soup.

Baked fruity Autumn pudding:

Prep: 20-25 minutes

Cook: 2 hours

Ingredients:

• 450g mixed autumn fruit – we used ripe plums, peeled apples, pears and blackberries

• 2 tbsp butter, plus extra for greasing

• 200g caster sugar

• 1 ½ tsp cinnamon

• 300g self-raising flour

• 140g shredded suet

• zest 1 lemon

Method:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Cut 2 x 5cm-wide strips of parchment and lay them up the sides of a 1.2-litre pudding basin, making a cross on the bottom of the dish. Make sure there is some overhang to help you release the pudding when cooked. Grease again. Lay a square of foil and equal-size square of greased parchment on top of each other, folding a pleat down the middle.

• To make the filling, chop plums, apples and pears into 1cm cubes and place in a bowl with the blackberries. Add butter, broken into bits, 125g of sugar and cinnamon. Stir and put to the side.

• Sift flour into mixing bowl. Mix in suet, remaining sugar and zest. Add a few drops of water, working it through with a cutlery knife, then keep adding water until you have soft dough. Using your hand, bring the dough together into a smooth ball. Tip out onto a lightly floured surface. Tear the dough into ¾ and ¼ parts. Roll the larger portion into a rough circle, approx 20cm. Drop into the basin and press up the sides until you have a slight overhang. Tip the filling into the pastry case. Roll out the remaining ¼ to make a lid, then press the pastry edges together to firmly seal. Tuck the protruding flaps of parchment down onto pastry.

• Put foil/parchment on top (foil side up), pressing and squeezing the foil round the edges to make a fitted lid. Tie string securely around the lid, making a handle with extra doubled-up string. Put in a deep roasting tin, then pour boiling water to 1-2cm below foil line. Cook for 2 hrs, topping up water level if it gets too low. Unwrap, release edges using parchment tabs and invert onto a plate.

All these recipes were taken from the bbc, to see more great recipes follow this link >> http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/12844/baked-fruity-autumn-pudding

I hope you enjoy these Autumn activities and escape the world of cold and boredom this year! Can’t wait to hear what you think!! Next up.. CHRISTMAS!!!

So nice to see more people are trying to make a difference for disabled people like United Discriminates..

“UNITED DISCRIMINATES was formed in October 2014 after the Manchester United Disabled Liaison Officer, and MUDSA (Manchester United Disabled Supporters Association) Secretary told me that i should take my Family to “Rochdale Stockport Or Oldham” because they were not able to seat a family together if a member of the family had a wheelchair.

Since then, we have worked tirelessly to highlight the many discriminatory policy’s in place at Manchester United.  And requested that the club develop a range of facilities for people with all manner of disabilities and or needs.

We have Campaigned for a many things including accessible seats, access to season tickets for disabled fans, Family Accessible Seating, and the End of the MUDSA yellow card scheme, which banned disabled fans if they fail to attend a match.

We are pleased to Confirm that the Campaign has started to make an effect and we are now in Regular Contact with Senior Management at the club, who are it seems making efforts to put things right.

So far we have seen the Club

• Introduce Accessible Friend and Family Seating
  The club have adapted 4 Existing Wheel Chair bays and Added a Row of Seats directly behind, which means that a small group or a family can now sit together at Old Trafford
• End of Red and Yellow Card Scheme
  The Club have also confirmed this scheme has been scrapped.
• Raise awareness of Issues Disabled User Have
  The club are currently conducting a review of facilities, policies and procedures with respect to supporters who may have a disability, with the objective of making significant improvements over the coming seasons.
  You can be part of this by clicking the link.

Manchester United state that there “facilities are considered to be amongst the best facilities currently offered to disabled supporters at any stadium anywhere in the world”.  United Discriminate want that statement to be true.

The campaign is starting to make real strides, and it seems that Manchester United are starting to listen and change the way in which they act.  The United Discriminate Campaign will continue to support Disabled Fans, both home and away, and raise the issues and concerns fans have.

Our aim is simple.  We want Manchester United’s Facilities to be as they say, “The Best In the World”.  That means not just achieving the Guidelines in the Accessible Stadia Guide, but over achieving them.  Which means we still will be pushing for.

• More Disabled Seating
  
• A fair and transparent Ballot Ticket Process for All Disabled Fans
• The availability of Purchasing Season Tickets as a Disabled Fan
• Greater Access to Other Parts of the Stadium, Not just the Ability Suite
• Changing Places Toilet Facilities
• A more Proactive way of dealing with Issues
• Disabled Facilities, Seating and Facilities included in all Future Expansions plans”

It’s great news that the Premier League had accessibility on the agenda at their shareholders meeting last week and good news that media is spreading the message for access to be improved at Premier League grounds. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/34249011

Visits Unlimited is passionate about delivering quality training to staff and stewards at sports grounds. Through our networks we have heard countless stories of poor experiences of disabled people and their families whilst watching matches. We know the difference that good quality customer service training makes to confidence building and disability etiquette.  Stadia managers and Safety Officers also appreciate the knowledge gained from such training.

“Through working in partnership with Visits Unlimited the Safety Stewards at the Shay Stadium have recently received excellent training on how to improve spectator experience on match days. The training sessions focused on the positive adjustments we can make to a spectator’s visit which promote an enjoyable experience and leave a lasting impression.”  Mike Murray, Sport and Active Leisure Manager.

So, we are delighted to see that “ Disability access was discussed at the Premier League shareholders meeting last week with several new proposals agreed.”

The new report – completed jointly by the Department for Work and Pensions and Department for Culture, Media and Sport – recommends:

• Planning attendance: Clubs should provide attendance for all groups of disabled people. They should provide information such as stadium distance from local parking and gradient of pavements.
• Buying a ticket: Clubs should allow disabled spectators to buy tickets online. They should provide wheelchair seating that allows disabled spectators to sit with family and friends.
• Travelling to and from the venue: Clubs should provide up to date transport information.
• Overall experience: Match day and club stewards should be given disability awareness training, while abusive behaviour towards disabled spectators should not be tolerated.
• Aids and adaptations: Clubs should increase the number of wheelchair user places for stadiums with more than 10,000 seats.”

We know too that CAFÉ (Centre for Access to Football in Europe) have worked closely with UEFA for a number of years and produced this excellent report that talks about the importance of training for staff and stewards.

http://www.cafefootball.eu/~cafefoot/sites/default/files/contentfiles/pdfs/UEFAandCAFEGoodPracticeGuide-accessible%281%29.pdf

A super day with all the team at Rainham Hall keen on learning to meet the needs of disabled visitors at their property.

With the recent facilities completed and staff trained in giving and exceptional standard of service to all visitors, it’s exciting times for the team.

It’s 10.30 on a misty Thursday morning, after the horrors of the Satnav taking Matt and I through a field full of sheep.. we finally arrive at the beautiful Bolton Castle in North Leyburn, North Yorkshire. The beautiful fields of green surrounding the picture perfect castle and its ground made the traumatic trip of getting there totally worth it.

As we enter the castle itself the feeling is unreal, hardly any of the castle has been modified with the luxuries of a five star hotel and it actually feels like being there back in the day! With its candle lit walls of stone and tapestries and the slightly uneven staircase leading up to the main area, you practically feel like the Baron of Bolton himself!

After we got ourselves together we made our way to the gift shop where we were greeted by a lovely young lady called Katie, the exact person we came here to see, she offered us a drink and a slice a cake (which Matt was delighted about) and then we made our way to the office to begin.

First, Katie took me and Matt on a tour of the castle and showed us all the facilities, telling us a bit about the castle being built and what happened there and finally taking us up the spiral staircases to the roof to look at the beautiful countryside. After that we made our way back to the office where we were introduced to Tom the owner, we settled down and began the consultancy. We took a look at their access statement and discussed what needed to be improved, for example, making it easier to find the specific bit of information you are looking for rather than trawling through the whole thing. We then started a Marketing Accessibility Action Plan to write down everything that needed to be done and which things needed to be made a priority, for example, making changes to access statement in time for holiday seasons. We discussed budget, catering facilities, accessibility around the site, their website content etc. Our work came up with solutions that Katie could apply to complications that may arise with customers, ways to improve online and offline marketing, improvements to be made to their site and best use of the resources they already have.

We know that good customer service is all about the three pillars, information, good customer service and facilities which is why we think it’s great that they have designed an app on android. The app is a virtual tour of the castle with information about each area and the people who lived there. It is for visitors who are unable to access the castle due to mobility limitations. The app was great at illustrating how the castle would have appeared in it’s medieval heyday.

We discussed what could happen if a school trip was to come to the castle for a tour and one of the children had a disability and what the best way was to assist that child to make them feel as comfortable as possible.

By the end of the day we had designed a strategy to be put into place over the next 12 months.

Matt paid a visit to Cragside, home of Lord Armstrong.  Victorian inventor, industrialist and landscape genius, Law educated William Armstrong developed hydroelectric power and utilised Joseph Swan’s invention  – the incandescent light bulb, to establish Cragside as the first home to use electric lighting.

Here are Matt’s comments on accessibility on the estate.

Parking and Transport

Disabled parking bays in the main car park are on a rising bend in a woodland setting.  The floor covering is bark and gravel.  If visiting the house I would recommend parking up outside the cafe or property itself and disembarking there.  There are several parking areas for disabled visitors so I didn’t see the provision for parking elsewhere on the site.

Toilets

There is ‘disabled’ toilet (prefer to use the word accessible) in the visitor centre area but it isn’t a Changing Places facility with provision for changing an adult with complex needs or learning difficulties.  Information on the website doesn’t specify the equipment in the toilet sadly.  Visitors therefore need to ring up and check if provision will be adequate for their needs.

Access facilities

I was delighted to see a wheelchair user in the house on the upper floors.  Checking with reception I was informed there is a Victorian lift in the house and wheelchairs that can be hired at time of booking.

The home’s appeal is the abundance of original furnishings.  Armstrong would recognise his home as it is today.  There are stairs up to the gallery but the lift enables access around most of the house and corridors and entry into the rooms are no barrier for wheelchairs.

A flagship National Trust property for the North East – Cragside’s wonderful woodland paths are well signed posted with distance and advice on the terrain.  A disabled person with mobility issues would be aware of the challenges in getting around areas of the site.

Service

The front desk staff were fabulous – cheery, knowledgable of the site and activities going on that day and supportive of us in making our visit enjoyable.  Reception staff operate a ticketing service for our belongings to be stored as we went round the house – really useful for those disabled visitors needing to bring the kitchen sink!  Volunteers in most rooms knew their stuff and provided an educational experience second to none.  The service matched the surroundings – immaculate.  Serving staff in the cafe knew all food ingredients used including gluten free produce.  The menu didn’t symbolise allergy advice however.

Overall

Parking in disabled bays was tricky but there is space to drop off on level ground.  There is a shuttle bus to transport around the site but steps into the bus.  The cafe was attended by well informed caterers who knew their stuff in allergy.  Very friendly too and the produce was beautifully prepared.  Service from all staff was consistently high across all areas of the site.  Finally, facilities included a lift and bookable wheelchairs.

Matt will discuss the areas for development in the access offer directly with Cragside in the near future.

What do you do when you arrive on the platform at Halifax Station from a meal in Manchester at 10.30pm and the lift is broken to get up to the exit to get in your car to go home? There are about 30 steps up to the main hallway. Halifax Station is relatively quiet at that time of night and is definitely not the sort of place you would like to hang around at for long.

You are with your Personal Assistant (or worse on your own) and you can’t be left on your own. There is no attendant around.

Other than panic (which the PA did slightly – God love her!) what was the option?

• Ring someone for help? – no number available that was emergency out of hours
• Get back on another train and get off at another stop and get a taxi back to Halifax station to pick up the car? – worry that another station would not have disabled access. Worry that another station would have no accessible taxi rank (highly unlikely)and you would be left stranded
• Sleep the night on the platform? Undesirable place, cold and damp and therefore not an option
• Scream for help?

Luckily my daughter Nadia did not actually have to scream for too long. A tough and rough looking stranger arrived to catch his late night train after his shift at the scrap metal merchants.   Never judge or make assumptions. His heart was as big as his physical appearance.   He oozed with the smell of booze intermingled with kindness and compassion.

His communication with Nadia was great. He asked her if it would be ok to lift her and carry her to the seats at the waiting area.   When she agreed he bent down and scooped her up in his large but gentle arms telling her to hook her arm around his neck.

He safely delivered her to the seating area and then returned down the steps to get his equally strong mate to help him lift the wheelchair. He was told by the PA that it usually takes 4 men to lift it at which point some rather puny, younger blokes on a night out eagerly sprinted in the opposite direction – determined to get the next train rather than volunteer their services.

He and his mate then carried the electric chair up the steps and right up to where Nadia was waiting. Both were sweating profusely but still managed to smile between gritted teeth and pained expressions.   Once Nadia was happily back in the wheelchair he continued chatting away to Nadia explaining he was pretty tired due to having taken four cars apart that very day.

He waved goodbye to run for his train – he had no mobile phone and was not on facebook so we have to thank him via this blog and hope that someone somewhere will know him and thank him on our behalf. We owe him a beer.

As he left another stranger approached Nadia and PA who was extremely friendly and confident with her communication. She had been watching what had happened and was checking that everything was ok and if Nadia was alright.   Like a long lost friend she spent a couple of minutes talking to Nadia and then left.   We would like also to thank Julie Hesmondhalgh (ex Coronation Street Hayley Cooper) for her consideration and acknowledgement of the situation).

In the meantime, we are in touch with Northern Rail to find out what their emergency policy is on broken lifts.  We’ll let you know how we get on.

Visits Unlimited are delighted with recent feedback from Jude Leich following our VisitEngland Access For All training session held at Matfen Hall Golf and Spa Hotel.

“Thank you to Visits Unlimited for an inspiring course in Northumberland. All our participants agreed that their eyes were opened and your enthusiasm and positive approach has made them seriously look again at how they can tailor their business offer to suit everyone. We’d very much recommend your courses to other destinations wanting to dispel the myths around accessible tourism and up their game.”
Jude Leitch, Director, Northumberland Tourism

Tourism businesses from the region attended and we had a great day with them.

Rob Dixon, Integrated Campaign Officer at Irwin Mitchell LLP kindly forwarded this blog to us.  We welcome research conducted through Irwin Mitchell’s Access All Areas campaign.  Thanks Rob for this.

Access All Areas – Ensuring Festivals Are Open To Everyone

Nothing says British summertime these days quite like the festival season, with the number of events being held up and down the UK growing every year and thousands of people flocking to fields to watch their favourite bands.

For many, festivals are as much about a communal spirit and people coming together as they are the actual entertainment on offer, but at Irwin Mitchell we have been keen to find out whether such events really are as inclusive as they hope to be.

We’ve launched the Access All Areas campaign with a simple goal – to review disability access to festivals and other major gigs to consider the experience for music fans who require specialist support to attend.

Our campaign involves representatives from Irwin Mitchell’s Serious Injury team, who specialise in helping those with serious disabilities to regain their independence, joining forces with clients to assess all aspects of the process including:

· Whether festival and venue websites are designed with accessibility in mind

· The ticket booking process and information available support disabled visitors
· General accessibility at the events, including viewing platforms, merchandise and other amenities
· Staffing levels and their understanding of needs of disabled visitors
· Transport to and from the venue, as well as any specialist parking support
· On-site accommodation or advice on nearby hotels and facilities

While we are hopeful this will highlight how so many events are properly catering for all needs, we’re also keen to discover what else can be done to better improve such events for everyone who is attending.

Music festivals are a fantastic rite of passage which everyone should be able to enjoy, which is one of the reasons why we are sponsoring the fantastic Chase Park Festival being held in Gateshead on August 8th.

With Irish punk-pop legends Ash headlining, the open-air festival specialises in providing access facilities for deaf and disabled audiences, artists and volunteers and is one of three festivals to achieve the Gold level of Attitude is Everything’s Charter of Best Practice.

Chase Park is a great example of ensuring that everyone can enjoy the festival experience and we hope that our Access All Areas research will provide pointers on how other events can follow suit.

John Davis, Partner and specialist serious injury lawyer at Irwin Mitchell

——

For more information go to their website campaign page:

http://www.irwinmitchell.com/newsandmedia/2015/june/access-all-areas-stage-set-for-review-of-disability-support-at-uk-festivals-and-concerts-jq-198984

Interesting analysis.  Have a read.

http://www.uksmobility.co.uk/blog/2015/05/living-with-dignity-and-disability/

VisitsUnlimited have worked with the Shay Stadium earlier in the year.  A review of the access strategy led to Safety Officer disability awareness training and a review of practice on match days.

What was the benefit?  How about these comments from a former disgruntled supporter turned advocate.  It makes our work here at Visits Unlimited and the management team at The Shay worth while.

“Hi Katie I just wanted to let you know we have been to The Shay stadium today for the first time since the disaster of The World Cup (Rugby League World Cup 2012).  We had a great experience and were able to experience it like everyone else.
Thank you to you and all at Visits Unlimited for going out to The Shay and doing what you did, I believe it has made a difference…….We ALL had a fantastic time. Well done again Visits Unlimited and well done The Shay.”

Katie Punch.

Sesame Access Design Award winning wheelchair access solutions, unique retractable stair system and discrete wheelchair lifts – Discover the Sesame approach to disabled access.

We think these are amazing products and fabulous solutions for the heritage sector.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5y1XtWqk5F0
https://twitter.com/sesameaccess

Katie explains the issues for visitors with access needs when planning and taking a day out. As one in five of us has an impairment it’s relevant to attractions that they listen to this story and take on board the advice Katie offers.

Delighted to be raising the agenda of Accessible Tourism in the heritage sector. Understanding the visitor journey for those with access needs is a starting point to developing a strategy to meeting the expectations for all visitors to your attraction.

Hi I’m Adrienne and I’ve just had my first week at Visits Unlimited and it was absolutely amazing! Matt and Katie are wonderful, lovely people and run a really great business which I’m so happy to now be apart of and I look forward to a great year working with the team!