Our Fylde Coast branches were recently visited by Access Champions from Access Fylde Coast, an organisation working with businesses to create an accessible and welcoming experience for visitors and local people with disabilities.
The visit was to look at the accessibility of our branches, so a guide could be published on the Access Able website, which provides useful information to people with disabilities so they feel fully informed about accessibility before visiting a business or attraction.
The guides cover parking, external and internal access so visitors know what to expect before arriving. Gilian Moss, Project Officer at Access Fylde Coast said, “Our Access Champions aren’t there to take a critical eye, they’re there to provide useful hints and tips to businesses on simple ways to improve accessibility.
“Making a business more accessible doesn’t need to cost thousands of pounds, it can often be the smaller things that make the biggest difference. For example, having seating readily available, or making sure there is enough room for wheelchair users to access the space.
“Each guide tells visitors what to expect when planning a visit to a business or attraction, taking away some of the anxiety of visiting somewhere new. The guides are designed to support independence and help create a positive experience for all.”
Philippa Farebrother-Dunn, Head of Retail at the Marsden said, “We’re really pleased that our Fylde Coast branches are included on the Access Able website. We try and make every visitor feel welcome but this gives those with disabilities an opportunity to see what the branch looks like and how accessible it is before they visit.
“We like to support our members, old and new, in any way we can, so we’ll be looking at ways to make our branches more accessible following our visit from Access Fylde Coast’s Access Champions.”
Planning a visit? Find your local branch on our ‘Find a branch’ page or visit the Access Able website.
