Holiday information for people with easy access needs
Welcome to the home page for D.H.I. (Disabled Holiday Information - Registered Charity No. 1119972) we hope that you find that it is useful when you are planning holidays, a short break away or a day out.
The website is designed to give travellers with disabilities (whether they are wheelchair users or have other mobility issues) appropriate information on accessible holiday accommodation, attractions, activities to enable them to choose suitable accessible holidays bearing in mind their disability and special needs.
For a wide variety of Accommodation and Attractions throughout the UK please use the searches on our left hand menu.
As well as using our UK searches, if you click on the regions on the left hand menu there is more in depth information for the areas that have been visited by our researchers that includes detailed descriptions of both attractions and accommodation. Within the regions the following towns or areas are included Aberystwyth, Anglesey, Bath, Birmingham, Black Country, Blackpool, Bristol, Bude, Cardiff, Carmarthen, Chester, Cheshire East, Cheshire West, Gloucester, Hereford, Ironbridge, Liverpool, Llandudno, Ludlow, Manchester, Nottingham, Oswestry, Pembroke, Peterborough, Pwllheli, Redruth, Rutland, Shrewsbury, Stafford, Strathspey, Taunton, Warrington, Welshpool, Whitchurch, Worcester, Wrexham and York.
For information about some of the latest additions to our website including new properties on our accessible accommodation search please check out the News pages. One of the latest news items is about a special offer of free postage packing for the latest version of the blue badge guide for London which provides comprehensive details of accessible parking, toilets and other useful information such as theatres within the city.
We are pleased to announce we have just launched the sixth edition of of our quarterly newsletter which gives a round up of our latest research for trails, accommodation, activities and attractions as well as a selection of other new accessiblity information. To download a pdf of this latest newsletter please click here
For information about the Charity's Enablise Project based in and around Shropshire and which enables our volunteers to provide accessibility training and advice please click here.
Phillip, water skiing in North Wales |
If you have limited mobility it need not limit your ideas for days out or holidays. For further information about waterskiing please click here.
|
There is a excellent range of places to visit that are accessible for wheelchair users. More information about the Cairngorm Railway can be found on our Strathspey Pages. |
Trevor at the top of the Cairngorm Mountains
|
Linda trying out tandem mountain biking in Gwynedd, Wales |
Throughout the UK there are a wide range of exciting accessible activities. For more info about accessible mountain biking please click here. For other leisure time pursuits near your home or holiday destination please check out our activity search. |
Most of the accommodation featured on the website's regional pages has been assessed by one of our wheelchair user researchers. This is a 2 bedroomed lodge with a ceiling hoist and profiling bed situated in Shropshire. For more info about the lodge please click here |
Roy accessing the lodge's verandah at Astbury Falls |
Each week we are highlighting one of the many excellent accessible properties included on our UK search
Featured accommodation for the third week in May 2012
Merton House Holiday Hotel
A view of the exterior of the property from the garden
This week's featured accommodation is a hotel which is located in Ross-on-Wye and that provided our researchers with a very warm welcome on their recent visit. The hotel has been specifically created to provide a secure and supported holiday environment for older people and/or guests with disabilities. There are a wide variety of mobility aids on hand and the very friendly and caring staff are on call 24 hours a day to assist if required.
Merton House is set up above the curve of the river and the views from the very accessible back garden are stunning. Guests have the benefits of a choice of excursions to local beauty spots included in the holiday package. A wheelchair accessible mini-bus is available both for these trips or even for an extra fee, to collect you from your home and take you back again
For more detailed accessibility information about this property plus contact details and a link to the owners own website please click here.
NB last week's featured accommodation was a purpose built pine lodge, which is set within a beautiful mature woodland setting in the secluded Kenwick Park Estate, in the Lincolnshire Wolds. This property could make an ideal base for a family holiday or short break.
The property is owned by Disability Action Yorkshire and specifically designed to their specification, with accessibility being given prime importance.
Facilities include a fully adapted kitchen and electric profiling beds in the master and single bedroom. There is also a tracked ceiling hoist that has full floor coverage within the master bedroom and en-suite wet-room
For more detailed accessibility information about the property, contact details and a link to the owners website please click here.
This feature has proved so popular we now feature a place to visit from our UK attractions search for each week as well.
Featured attraction for the third week in May 2012
Hampton Court Gardens - Herefordshire
The gardens look stunning in late spring and early summer
This week's featured attraction is Hampton Court Gardens in Herfordshire which cover 12 acres and are situated on the A417 just off the junction with the A49 between Hereford and Leominster. The site is level throughout with compacted gravel paths and there is good wheelchair access to 90% of the gardens including the brick pathed maze.
Companions that assist wheelchair users by pushing are exempt from the entrance fee. Access to the gift shop, plant sales area and restaurant is good and there is a wheelchair available to loan (pre-booking is advised). The car park is grassed but there is a drop off point for blue badge holders near the entrance.
For more detailed accessibility information about this attraction, a link to their own website and suggestions of places to stay in the area please click here.
N.B. Last weeks featured attraction was the very accessible Wildfowl and Wetland Trust property, at Slimbridge near Gloucester. Our researchers recently visited this attraction and felt that there was lots to see and do for all visitors of all ages and interests.
As well as the resident birds, this large site is an important overwintering station on many birds migratory routes and visitors are able to see species from all over the world.
A great deal of thought has been given to creating good access for everyone wishing to visit including providing buggies to hire for anyone with limited mobility.
For more detailed accessibility information about this attraction, a link to their own website and suggestions of places to stay in the area please click here.
More information about this website
Our regional web pages are not designed to give a comprehensive guide to each area but to give a taste of what can be seen and done, it is important to note that there may be other accessible places within the area that we did not visit.
N.B. All accommodation included in the regions has been assessed by one of our wheelchair user researchers for accessibility (unless otherwise stated). For accommodation inspection gradings e.g. Diamond ratings, follow the links to each providers own website.
Our website pages are updated on a weekly basis please check regularly for the latest additions.
We now have four 'Wheelchair Users' guides (one on accessible attractions, one on accessible walks and trails, one on accessible activities and one for accessible transport ) to accompany the Shropshire webpages. We also have one combined 'Wheelchair Users' guide for Cheshire which includes a selection of accessible attractions, accommodation and countryside trails.
Please click on our Publications page to download these in PDF or if you would like a physical copies sent in the post send an A5 SAE (1 x 1st class stamp per guide required) to the address in contact us. .
As a result of many enquiries we have also compiled a series of factsheets of UK wheelchair accessible holiday accommodation with additional requirements e.g. (one with ceiling hoists , one with wheel in showers and one where both accommodation and care can be provided).
Other fact sheet titles include ' wheelchair accessible accommodation with on-site fishing', 'holiday information for children with disabilities' and 'accessible accommodation where pets are accepted'.
Following many e-mail requests on behalf of people with no direct access to our UK wide accommodation search we also have a series of fact sheets with a selection of accessible accommodation available in different areas throughout the UK. These are available to be printed off by members of staff from service providers or carers/family members supporting them.
You can download each of them in pdf from our Publications page.
Our main pages are UK based, for information on accessible holiday destinations in the rest of Europe or worldwide check out our links page. There is also a factsheet of accessible overseas accommodation either owned by a wheelchair user or recommended by one. We have recently added a fact sheet for travel insurance for those with pre-existing medical conditions You can download them in pdf from our Publications page.
If you prefer we can e-mail or post any of the factsheets above please e-mail us or send A5 SAE (1 x 1st class stamp per fact sheet required) to the address in contact us.