By Denis Sheehan FIH:
The winners of the prestigious BLUE BADGE ACCESS AWARDS for 2023 will be announced at a ceremony which will take place at last year’s BBAA winner for Best Luxury Hotel, The Great Scotland Yard Hotel, in London SW1 on Thursday 26 October.
Twelve Awards will go to the very best (and the worst) venues who have excelled in providing exceptional accessibility and inclusivity in the hospitality and leisure industry.
The BBAA in association with Bespoke Hotels and Blue Badge Style gave the panel of Judges a difficult task this year to choose the winners. The industry is becoming much more in-tune with providing better accessibility, and this has been demonstrated by the quality of the nominations this year and the passion behind improving not only accessibility but improved excellent customer care for their disabled guests.
Nominees are listed here.
Robin Sheppard, a BBAA judge and co-founder of the Awards, comments: “We’re thrilled with the response to our 2023 Awards. We’ve talked this year about ‘positive progress’, and the number, quality and variety of nominations in all categories of the Blue Badge Access Awards is proof that accessibility is now so much higher up the agenda for the hospitality industry.”
Fiona Jarvis from Blue Badge Style & Chair of the Judges says “It was heart-warming and exceptional to see so many organisations approaching accessibility with a sense of style This is why we started these awards in 2016, and it has been gratifying to see our goals come to fruition. There were a record number of entries both from the UK and Internationally and it was exceptional that so many ‘changing places’ facilities entered the Best Accessible Toilet/Bathroom Award. This shows a shift in the change of accessibility, and which requires understanding of some most complex needs. Rather than rely on governments to impose regulations we have shown that accessibility is both ethical and economical. We are getting real traction with venues asking us to validate them as BBAA approved”.
“We’ve had some horror stories too!
We have had for example, a resort venue where the cost of transporting an electric wheelchair to it, was more than the holiday itself! And another where an accessible toilet had to be crowdfunded to raise enough money as it was not provided as standard by the developers”.
Introducing the Ludicrous Loo & Ridiculous Ramps Award…
These 2 ‘non-awards’ will highlight the regular abominations that continue to exist in the industry.
Nominations have been encouraged for Ludicrous Loos, Ridiculous Ramps, and to name & shame
Bewildering Bathrooms and Obnoxious Obstructions!
The Awards to be presented are as follows:
- Best Bar – sponsor ANON Drinks
- Best Restaurant – sponsor Conran and Partners
- Best Boutique Hotel – sponsor BluKite
- Best Luxury Hotel – sponsor HEWI
- Best Venue in a Listed/Historic Building – supported by Historic England
- New! Best Spa – sponsor Guarantee Laundries
- Best Accessible Bathroom/Toilet – sponsor Bespoke Hotels
- Above & Beyond – sponsored by The Institute of Hospitality
- Access Champion of the Year – supported Blue Badge Style
- International Award: Best International Venue in partnership with Sleeper & Ahead Award
The H&C News team will be attending to report on the evening, we very much look forward to celebrating those that inspire in the provision of exceptional accessibility and inclusivity in the hospitality and leisure industry.