Cater for disabled customers or lose out on Olympics revenue

18-Jan-2011 - Last updated on 11-Mar-2024 at 11:42 GMT

A friendly, helpful welcome will help boost revenue during the London Olympic Games

Hospitality businesses that don’t cater for disabled customers are setting themselves up to lose out on potential revenue during the 2012 London Olympics and Paralympics.

People 1st, the sector skills council for the hospitality industry, is warning operators to ensure their businesses are accessible and disability-friendly to appeal to the 10 million disabled people currently in the UK.

This translates to 20 per cent of businesses’ customer base – a market that’s worth £80bn.

Short sighted

Brian Wisdom, chief executive of People 1st, said businesses that aren’t prepared to improve their welcome to disabled customers are being “short sighted”.

“Putting aside equality obligations, ensuring people with disabilities are served simply makes good business sense.

“There is a lot of focus on developing the infrastructure for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games but not enough on ensuring we have the softer skills needed to welcome the world to Britain, and this is particularly true for meeting the needs of customers with disabilities.

“It’s anticipated that up to half a million visitors will arrive for the Games and we need to ensure their experience of Britain is a very positive one.

Wisdom claims that 66 per cent of consumers choose businesses that are renowned for delivering good service, while 83 per cent have chosen to use a more accessible competitor in the past.

Helpful and friendly service

Marc Woods, Paralympic gold-medallist and BBC commentator, said: “Disability is always relative to the task in hand and there are some very simple things businesses can do to be welcoming to those with disabilities.

“Access is often an issue, but what makes a meaningful difference is the way in which people behave. Ignorance breeds fear and debunking some of the myths around disability will have a real impact on how staff treat disabled customers. Simply remembering that respectful and friendly service makes a lasting impression whether your customer is disabled or not.”

Britain was recently ranked 13th in the world for its perceived welcome by the Nation Brand Index Survey.

People 1st has launched a WorldHost training programme to help businesses improve their service standards in time for the Olympic Games, and has the following advice: