Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Details of tourist offices appear in each major city, town or area listing.
Travellers with Disabilities
For many disabled travellers, Wales is a strange mix of user-friendliness and unfriendliness. Most new buildings are
wheelchair accessible, so large new hotels and modern tourist attractions are usually fine. However, most B&Bs and
guesthouses have been converted from hard-to-adapt older buildings. This means that travellers with mobility problems
may pay more for accommodation than their able-bodied fellows.
It's a similar story with public transport. Newer buses sometimes have steps that lower for easier access, as do trains,
but it's always wise to check before setting out. Most tourist offices, tourist attractions and public buildings reserve
parking spaces for the disabled near the entrance. Most tourist offices in Wales are wheelchair accessible, have counter
sections at wheelchair height, and provide information on accessibility in their particular area.
Many ticket offices and banks are fitted with hearing loops to assist the hearing impaired; look for the ear logo.
Visit Wales
( 08708-300306;
www.visitwales.co.uk
;
9am-5pm Mon-Fri) publishes useful information on ac-
commodation for people with disabilities in its
Where to Stay
guide, which is available at tourist offices and online.
The
National Trust
(NT; 0844 800 1895;
www.nationaltrust.org.uk
) has its own
Access Guide
(downloadable as
a PDF file) and offers free admission at all sites for companions of the disabled.
Cadw
( 0800 074 3121; cadw.wales.gov.uk) , the Welsh historic monument agency, allows wheelchair users and
the visually impaired (and their companions) free entry to all monuments under its auspices.
For more information contact the following organisations:
Disability Wales
( 029-2088 7352;
www.disabilitywales.org
) The national association of disability groups in Wales
is a good source of information.
Disability Rights UK
( 020-7250 3222;
http://disabilityrightsuk.org
)
Radar publishes
Holidays in the British Isles
,
an annually updated guide to accessible accommodation in the UK and Ireland.
Royal National Institute for the Blind
(RNIB; 0303-123 9999;
www.rnib.org.uk
) RNIB's holiday service provides
information for the visually impaired. It also produces a guidebook of hotels recommended by visually impaired people,
which is available in large print and Braille, and on tape and disc.
Shopmobility
( 0845-644 2446;
www.shopmobilityuk.org
)
UK-wide scheme under which wheelchairs and electric
scooters are available in some towns at central points for access to shopping areas. The scheme is run as a charity in
Cardiff; in other Welsh towns (including Swansea, Newport, Merthyr Tydfil and Wrexham) it's council-run, with modest
rental fees.
Tourism for All
( 0845-124 9971;
www.tourismforall.org.uk
) A UK-based group that provides tips and information
for travellers with disabilities.
