Nominations are open for the third annual Blue Badge Style Awards. The Awards will recognise the effort that stylish hotels, restaurants and bars have made to attract guests with disabilities. Nominations close on Thursday 15th September 2016 and Blue Badge Style wants to know what you think!
The website and app is redefining disability with style, encouraging people with disabilities to lead an exciting social life. Blue Badge Style reviews a venue’s facilities, access and style and awards up to 3 ticks. This year there will be new awards and Blue Badge Style would like to hear your nominations for:
- Best Venue in a Listed Building
- Most Accessible Bar (upmarket & budget)
- Most Accessible Restaurant (upmarket & budget)
- Most Accessible Hotel (upmarket and boutique)
- Best Disabled Loo
- Most Ludicrous Loo
- Best European Venue
- Above & Beyond – for the venue or company who has made a special effort
Some of the things Blue Badge Style looks for in a great venue are:
Access – things like ramps, unaided access, type of flooring, space to move around in a wheelchair or with a stick, noise levels which aid people with hearing difficulties.
Facilities – where is the disabled loo, how easy is it to use, is everything at the right height, where are the grab rails, emergency cord etc. If it’s a hotel does it have a walk-in showers and wardrobe rails at wheelchair-user height?
Style – only you can decide what’s stylish, but we want to hear about venues with style in terms of décor and the welcome the staff extend to people with disabilities.
Founder, Fiona Jarvis, says “We are passionate about helping people with disabilities to lead an exciting social life. As those of us with a disability know; style remains, despite disability”. She continues, “the awards are about promoting stylish venues which also have good access and facilities. Too often people with disabilities don’t go out because they don’t know what to expect when they get there. We want to change that with our awards and app”.
You can send as much or as little information as you wish and photos are always good. The judges will vet the suggested venues either by visits or remotely with detailed questionnaires. However, it’s your recommendation that counts above all else.
We also want to hear about your experience of ludicrous loos. Have you come across a supposedly disabled toilet that’s impossible to use because it’s full of junk, too small, or everything’s in the wrong place? Then let us know and send an image if you can.
The Awards will be announced in October. Look out for more details next month. Please send your recommendations via Twitter: @bluebadgestyle or Facebook: bluebadgestyle
