By Denis Sheehan FIH: An exemplar in accessible hospitality.
Bear with me, but please don’t watch the video below until you have read the introductory paragraphs, it will be worth it.
Some might say enabling accessibility and being hospitable are one in the same thing, exclusion has no place in the world of hospitality, but facilitating access is not always easy. Making it more so is appreciated by most, and that is good for business.
I recently while browsing LinkedIn discovered a video that perfectly demonstrates how an event space in the heart of central London welcomes disabled guests unable to walk up or down their entrance stairs, with a wheelchair lift to do so. Once in, wheelchair users then enjoy access to ramps, and step-free access throughout the building.
The video shows a wheelchair user entering the building effortlessly, navigating his way to the coffee bar, and then easily progressing into the restaurant.
Nothing remarkable so far you may be thinking, although for many disabled people getting thus far is all too often a challenge. What is remarkable is how the wheelchair user can navigate around the coffee bar and restaurant so effortlessly, with zero help from anyone, or any need to adjust any aspect of either’s arrangement, the wheelchair takes care of everything.
The wheelchair user enters both environments using a Centaur Robotics chair, an engineer’s piece of engineering. The chair is self-balancing, with only two wheels, making it very nimble, unlike four-wheel vehicles which require backwards and forwards adjustments. It also adjusts the height of the chair, allowing users to rock up to bars or tables and join the social meeting point effortlessly, and with zero fuss or bother.
So, all that now remains to be said is thank you for waiting to watch, I hope after doing so you will agree the venue cited, 8 Northumberland Avenue, and Centaur Robotics are indeed an exemplar of accessible hospitality.
