18
CLH Digital
Issue 215
Simple Ways To Improve Inclusion In Pubs By Chris Jay, Managing Director- Bascule Disability Training (https://bascule.com/) Ignoring the needs of people with disabilities costs restaurants, pubs, and clubs a staggering £163 million per month, yet many are slow to cater for this market. It’s a common misconception that creating and maintaining an accessible venue is a difficult, disruptive, and costly process- but in actual fact, with just a few simple adjustments, you can easily appeal to a market that represents 24% of the population.
EDUCATION, EDUCATION, EDUCATION Any attempt to appeal to people with disabilities must always begin with the same first stepmaking staff disability aware and developing an inclusive culture. Ensure firstly that all management staff are trained, as well as every member of your public facing team. If done properly, this creates a more understanding, knowledgeable and empathetic approach towards customers with disabilities, and will certainly enhance communication, consideration, and etiquette. If staff are ignorant about the needs of people with disability, it’s likely they will be awkward, uncomfortable and communicate poorly, and therefore, all your other efforts to be inclusive will be made in vain. For example, you may have accessible toilets, ramps, and a wheelchair friendly layout- but if the mindset of your team is wrong, guests with disabilities won’t visit your pub -and if they do, they certainly won’t return.
You may be able to make some quick fixes with simple ramps, which are also great for families visiting with prams. It’s always worth remembering that ramps don’t exclude customers – but steps do! Give some thought towards furniture layout and reconfigure the space to ensure movement and for wheelchairs to manoeuvre and turn. The traditional bar height is completely wrong for wheelchair users, as one myself, I can attest to spending many a time waving my hands frantically to get attention for example. Consider lowering part of bar or at least reminding staff that not all adults who wish to drink are tall enough to be seen!
INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION It’s important to shout about your inclusivity to gain your newfound following but avoid declaring yourself accessible until you genuinely are. 72% of people with disabilities said they found information on a venue’s website misleading, confusing or inaccurate, so ensure that your website delivers all the relevant, correct information. Ensure your website can be navigated and interpreted in a number of different formats to accommodate as many different disabilities as possible. There are some excellent apps that make this very simple and can convert text to large print, dyslexia friendly and plain text versions. Consider the ‘special offers’ you promote (online, via email and social media) and remember that some customers may be using a screen reader which will struggle reading a complicated graphic.
PREPARE FOR WHAT YOU CANNOT SEE It’s worth bearing in mind that 80% of all disabilities are hidden, and so staff should certainly be aware of this. We once provided disability awareness training to staff in a pub following a huge faux pas, involving someone with a learning disability that was refused service as they were thought to be intoxicated. It is incredibly important to support staff with these difficult decisions, such as refusal of service, through the use of the refusal log which should be signed off by two people where possible to avoid the decision being down to one individual.
ACCESS ALL AREAS
As you can imagine, in the case outlined above, this had devastating results for the pub’s business and reputation and stresses the importance of developing staff awareness.
In 2021, the UK Disability Survey found that 66% of respondents experienced extreme difficulty accessing pubs and bars. That’s a lot of customers failing to enter your pub.
KEEP IMPROVING
Giving some thought towards general physical access is a critical element of becoming inclusive. To gain a solid understanding of your accessibility, a pub should have its site audited professionally. Consider surrounding obstacles, like accessible parking locations and dropped curbs for wheelchair users (and if there aren’t any, contact the council to have them placed). Then consider accessibility inside. Customer should be able to have the freedom and access to all the different areas including quieter spaces, gardens, dining areas and so on.
Once your venue has committed to inclusivity, continue to improve by adding extra touches such as hearing loops, one or two wheelchair friendly tables and obvious signposts for accessible toilets. Think about easy fixes, such as the the height availability of cutlery and condiments and large print and braille menus, maybe introduce quiet areas for those with sensory issues. The better you get, the more appealing you will become to customers with disabilities, and as you make more changes, you’ll soon discover your doors have opened to a much larger proportion of the population.
Horncliffe Pub Opens Community Café To Help Local People With Support From Pub Is The Hub A community café at the Fishers Arms in Horncliffe, near Berwickupon-Tweed, Northumberland, is bringing local people and groups together to help combat loneliness and isolation. Expert help and a Community Services Fund grant from Pub is The Hub, the not-for-profit organisation that helps pubs to diversify their services to help support people living in rural communities, was provided to help to set up the café. The big need for the community café was recognised as the area is poorly served by public transport and has few other services. The village had already lost its shop, post office, school and church, with the pub being its last amenity. The area also has a higher-than-average number of both over-65s and unpaid carers, who are also benefitting from having somewhere to meet and socialise. The Fishers Arms has been at the heart of the Horncliffe village since 1760 and was saved from closure in July 2022 when shareholders and members of the local community purchased the pub with the aim to make it a building for the use of the local community. Publicans Kasia Kozik and John Graham took over running the pub in March 2024. They have ensured the community café serves a range of wonderful homemade cakes, scones, coffees and teas, offers a warm welcome for groups as well as local people looking to connect with others. The café is
already the home for craft group the Horncliffe Hookers, who meet there weekly. A volunteer-run book swap is also located in the café too. The café also appeals to customers outside the village such as tourists, cyclists, walkers as well as visitors from the local campsite and holiday lets. Moira Kay, member of the pubs’ committee, said: “The community has really rallied round to support the opening of the pub and the café. The café is providing an important space where people can get together for a chat or take part in an activity, which helps to connect them with others and can help people who might feel isolated or lonely.” Publican Kasia Kozik said: “We welcome you all to visit the Fishers Arms, which is already seeing a wide range of local people use the pub for a variety of reasons and occasions. It is so important that this pub serves everyone in the local area. The community café offers a safe, relaxed space where groups and individual people can meet. It is a great place for people to come together.” Nigel Williams, regional advisor for Pub is The Hub, said: “This is a pub that is at the heart of its local area. This brilliant community café has already proved to be a lifeline for those living in this isolated rural area that has already lost so much of its local services.”
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