Access for All to Services in the Yorkshire Dales

Whilst being one of the most beautiful parts of the UK, the Yorkshire Dales are often perceived as inaccessible to potential tourists with mobility difficulties.

In a bid to address this issue, the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, in partnership with Yorkshire Forward, has carried out an extensive study of accessibility issues in the Dales, ranging from looking at footpaths to access to local shops, eating places and hotels.

Having already carried out fieldwork to support the study, Access Staintons was appointed as Access Consultant in connection with the project, to design and run a Workshop aimed at raising awareness amongst local businesses of the accessibility issues identified by the study which took place in February.

The project also resulted in a Good Practice Guide for Dales-based businesses, as a reference guide of access isssues and solutions. The Guide promotes awareness and a positive approach to ensuring services are accessible to customers with a range of disabilities and impairments, and was published in May.

This project was funded by Yorkshire Forward as part of its commitment to support the development of rural economies throughout the Yorkshire and Humber region.