Welcome to the new Business Support Hub. Please use this form to provide any comments or suggestions.
Developing strong accessibility messages is a must if you want to engage with the accessibility market.
Make sure customers are hearing about your accessible features and inclusivity credentials, and that your communications demonstrate you are open and welcoming to their accessibility requirements.
If you have put time and effort into improving what you offer disabled customers, then be proud and shout about your inclusive welcome and accessible features – perhaps through a Detailed Access Guide.
Take a look at some the some of the areas to consider when talking about accessibility as part of your standard marketing plan.
Having an up-to-date website which is clear about what you offer customers is a basic requirement. This is especially important when it comes to providing information to customers who have accessibility requirements.
Find out more about featuring accessibility information on your website.
Posting on social media about your business is a great way to keep customers engaged and informed about what you offer. Why not incorporate regular accessibility-related posts into your business’s social media posting schedule or any email newsletters?
Find out more about managing your social media accounts and email marketing.
If you've been working on the accessibility and inclusivity of your business, you may want to highlight this by listing on dedicated platforms such as Euan’s Guide, AccessAble and Tourism For All.
As with your own website, it’s important that you keep any information on third-party sites up to date.
Find out more on how to create business listings.
Burrell Collection, Glasgow
© VisitScotland / Kate Abbey
Using images that show a diverse range of customers across all your channels can speak volumes. If you’re organising photoshoots or filming, consider images and models that reflect the inclusive welcome and accessibility you deliver to all customers.
For more information on what content says about your business and other content factors to consider, take a look at our creating good content page.
Winning awards can really boost your profile and enhance your credibility as an inclusive and accessible business. If your business has been recognised for inclusivity or accessibility, feature this on your website and listings and make sure to shout about it on your social media channels.
Scottish Thistle Awards 2025
© VisitScotland
This award celebrates a business who has a developed an outstanding welcome for all customers and provides accessible facilities which can enjoyed by all customers.
Find out more about the Inclusion Award.
The Autism Friendly Award is designed to support customer-facing organisations of all sizes to provide an autism-friendly environment and inclusive customer service.
Find out more about Autism Friendly Award.
Recognising the very best in accessibility for the disabled guest, the Blue Badge aims to reward hotels, restaurants, leisure and tourism venues that are getting ‘accessibility with style’ right.
Find out more about the Blue Badge Access Awards.
VisitScotland has joined with AccessAble to offer a Detailed Access Guide service for tourism and events businesses. This service helps you gather and share detailed accessibility information so that disabled customers can make an informed decision about your ability to meet their specific requirements.
A Detailed Access Guide costs from £100 +VAT depending on your business size but will help you share accurate information about your accessibility features and promote your business to a growing market.
Number of customers with access requirements who will check a business' website when planning a trip.
Number of customers who find information on a venue's website to be misleading, confusing, or inaccurate.
Number of visitors who think if a business doesn't advertise their accessible services, they don't have any.
Not finding information on accessibility is one of the top barriers to visiting somewhere new.
Source: Euan's Guide Access Survey 2022
An accessibility guide gives a detailed description of the accessibility features and services your business can offer – but it doesn’t rate your access or give a review.
It’s a detailed description of all parts of the customer journey including:
This allows anyone – disabled people, their family and friends or those with a long-term health condition – to review the information and decide if your business is right for them.
You will also receive an Accessibility Improvement Report to help you identify potential barriers preventing people from visiting your business.
The guides are not specific to one disability – instead they include information that is relevant to people with a diverse range of access needs. This is all based on information specifically requested by all the people who have used the AccessAble website over its 20-year history.
The completed guide appears on the AccessAble website, which showcases accessibility guides for all kinds of businesses from accommodation to attractions, hospitals to universities.
AccessAble began in 2000 when Dr Gregory Burke, a wheelchair user and disabled walker, became frustrated at the lack of accessibility information.
The cost of a Detailed Access Guide is based on the size and type of your business and lasts for 18 months.
The Detailed Access Guide needs to be renewed every 18 months to ensure the information is accurate and up-to-date. There are a range of renewal options available, starting from £20 +VAT.
There are two types of assessment you can sign up for – a Guided Assessment via video call or an On-Site Assessment, both with an AccessAble Surveyor.
The video call option is a cost-effective solution for small businesses, while the in-person visit is a better match for larger businesses or complex buildings where people tend to spend a lot of time.
Both offer tips and guidance on inclusive marketing and how to get the most out of your access guide.
All access guides are listed on the AccessAble website, so your business is discoverable to disabled visitors seeking information on accessible tourism businesses.
Get a personalised quote for your Detailed Access Guide from AccessAble. They can tell you how much it would cost for your particular business and what the first steps will be.
