How hospitality can improve accessibility for low-vision patrons

Refusing guide dog users access to publicly accessible spaces is illegal in Australia, yet research from Guide Dogs NSW shows that hospitality businesses are among the most likely venues to do so.

Guide Dogs Community Mobiliser Dan Searle has experienced this refusal of access firsthand, which he describes as extremely distressing.

“Even if you get to a point where you can explain what the law is and your legal right to be there, it’s still a horrible feeling and you don’t necessarily want to stay,” Searle tells Hospitality.

While refusal of access is a significant hurdle for people with low vision or blindness, Searle points out that other factors can also inhibit accessibility.

“It’s not simply about dogs; it’s little things like when I’m out with friends and staff will ask my friends, ‘What does he want to drink?’ or ‘What does he want to eat?’,” says Searle.

According to Searle, the cause for these actions may be because of a lack of education, or a fear of doing the wrong thing.

“We want to give people the confidence to talk directly to that person. If you’re unsure about the best way to assist, then just ask the person,” says Searle.

Searle emphasises that factors like seating, acoustics, lighting (some people with low vision may require brighter lighting, while others may require softer lighting due to glare), and the accessibility of both menus and payment options should be key considerations for businesses.

“We want hospitality venues to be aware that they don’t have to make big changes to make things more inclusive so that me and people like myself feel more welcomed and more likely to come out to those businesses,” says Searle.

Guide Dogs NSW has launched Access Means Business, an initiative providing hospitality businesses with training resources on accessibility for people with low vision and blindness. The initiative has received funding from the City of Sydney in support of the campaign and was launched yesterday at Newtown’s Tokyo Lamington.

“I think it’s one of those things that people put into the too-hard basket, but initiatives like this really push people to do something,” says Tokyo Lamington Co-Founder Eddie Stewart, who has been involved with Guide Dogs NSW since his partner trained Guide Dog puppies.

Stewart says that after staff completed the online training, it sparked discussions about where best to seat someone if they have impaired vision, and how to assist them.

“Little things like that were nice to see, and it takes a bit of burden off us as the business owners. Of course we still think about it, but when staff start to become involved in this, I think it’s a lot better,” says Stewart.

Stewart observes that financial concerns may be another inhibiting factor in hospitality implementing accessibility measures – a factor that both Searle and Stewart stress shouldn’t be a concern.

“In Newtown, instead of the square tables and seats, we’re going to be putting rounder corners on there. We’re going to be putting tactile borders around the walls. The little things we’re doing you don’t have to spend a lot of money. A lot of it you can do yourself with a trip to Bunnings,” says Stewart.

“There is still this misconception that being more accessible is going to cost your business a lot of money, and that’s not necessarily the case,” says Searle.

“In fact, being more accessible and more inclusive is actually good for your business’s bottom line, so spending money on those small changes can actually improve your revenue and bring more customers in,” adds Searle. “The social credibility you get from that, and also the fact that people like myself feel welcomed and included … it’s good for everyone.”

Guide Dogs resources and the short online training modules are available here for businesses and staff.