The Accessible Calderdale project - Visits Unlimited

The Accessible Calderdale project

The Accessible Calderdale Project, commenced in 2018 with the aim to reduce inequality, remove barriers, promote inclusion and improve access to our local community and visitors, enabling all people to have equal opportunities, make a positive contribution and lead purposeful lives.

“We aim to create choices and a more cohesive community where everyone has the opportunity to interact and play an equal part in society.”

You can keep up to date with the Accessible Calderdale Project on our Facebook page.

Our Aims and Objectives

Working in co-production with our Accessible Calderdale Disability Forum, we work towards removing both the physical and non-physical barriers to inclusion by:

Raising awareness and changing attitudes towards disabled people to enable positive interaction in everyday life
Promoting accessible venues, places of interest, green spaces, new builds & regeneration projects
Disability equality and customer service training
Working collaboratively with key organisations

Co-production/Partnerships

A co-production and partnership approach is central to our work. We work closely with a wide range of colleagues from key organisations and stakeholders including Calderdale Council Visit Calderdale, Visit Hebden and Visit Todmorden to improve the accessibility of information provided on their websites, to ensure that there are up to date access statements, and that all venues, businesses and organisations are able to have access audits.

We encourage disabled people to review local places and for this to be used on Visit Calderdale website.

For more information please contact:- lorraine.accessiblecalderdale@gmail.com

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The Calderdale Tourism Stakeholder Group

We have taken the lead in bringing together the Calderdale tourism stakeholder group which represents a wide range of key personnel from the hospitality industry: the arts, leisure centres tourist offices, Northern Rail, National Trust, Halifax BID, and our larger tourist venues such as Piece Hall, Eureka, Shibden Hall and Square Chapel, museums, greenspaces, countryside and parks. We know how important tourism is to our local economy and how the Purple Pound is a driving force in building a strong local economy. The spending power of disabled people and their families is £274Bn a year and we want Calderdale to be able to tap into this money to make improvements for everyone. We aim to boost tourism, bolster the local economy, break down barriers and create a welcoming place for those who live, work, study and visit Calderdale. We want people to spend their money here and stay longer, and to spread the word that Calderdale is an outstanding Accessible Destination that celebrates diverse tourism.

Accessible Transport Group

Our Accessible Transport Group works in co-production with the local authority and West Yorkshire Combined Authority and is an integral part in the tourism offer. There are a lot of changes and increased access issues happening in the next year for which our group is essential.

Accessible Countryside and Green Spaces Group

Our Accessible Countryside and Greenspaces Group are actively involved with Calderdale Council and Active Calderdale in looking at the physical barriers to accessing in our local areas. Disabled people have told us that due to lack of access they tend to visit other regions. Often disabled people have little choice in where they visit and often struggle to leave their own homes due to poor pavements, no drop kerbs and lack of accessible routes.

Training

We have developed a local training package available to all businesses and organisations to create an accessible, positive and welcoming visitor experience for those from outside our area and local people. We want venues and attractions to feel confident in communicating with disabled people and that they will offer excellent customer service to all visitors so they return to our region.