After much thinking and a few cups of strong coffee the great and the good here at GAG HQ thought we should try a new format for this newsletter.
Instead of sending you the full articles and all their images we've gone for a cut-down version. As you'll see below, we've given a 'taster' introduction and then a link which takes you to the full article on the Good Access Guide website.
We would love to hear your comments about the newsletter - good or bad! Are there any subjects you would like us to cover? Do you want to hear from us more (or less) often? Just drop a line to Ian (that's me with fingers tapping away at the keyboard) at ian@goodaccessguide.co.uk.
With a reputation as perhaps the world's most accessible cruise line, it was with great anticipation that I recently spent time
appraising Holland America's newly launched 5 star ship, Eurodam, during its recent visit to Southampton. Holland America rarely
brings its superb fleet to Europe, so this was indeed a treat – especially as the Eurodam had not even been officially named. That
was taking place a few days later in Rotterdam – spiritual home of the cruise line.
The first sighting of the ship is impressive – it's classic deep blue hull in dramatic contrast to the gleaming white
mega-vessels from RCL, NCL and Princess Cruises moored nearby. Long gone the days when Southampton played host to a handful of P&O
and Cunard ships. Today the port is a bustling cruise market hub offering a mouth watering selection of no-fly worldwide cruising
opportunities. And with an ever increasing appetite for holidays at sea, the range and style of cruises is set to get even better.
Onboard there is a distinctive small ship feel despite a capacity of well over 2000 passengers. The Reception area is subtle and subdued in comparison to competitor ships, as are the public areas. Quality but not brash. In keeping with Holland America's passion for art, the Eurodam does not disappoint. Beautiful artefacts and paintings can be found throughout the ship simply adding to the vessels air of sophistication and elegance.
Virtually barrier-free, the Eurodam offers a first class holiday environment for wheelchair users and mobility impaired
passengers. Impressively, accessible accommodations are available in a number of grades including outside staterooms with impressive
private balconies and, a rare find - simply sumptuous Suites. Bathrooms are spacious and offer level entry showers in both.
In summary, the Eurodam is a superb cruise ship. Likely to spend most of its life plying the warm waters of the Caribbean and the distinctly cooler Inside Passage of Alaska, this is a safe bet for anyone looking for 5 star accessible cruising. If the chance comes your way – go sail on her. You will be glad you did!
Richard Thompson
www.travelcounsellors.co.uk/richard.thompson
Telephone: 0845 058 8059
This year Beyond Boundaries Live will showcase a wide range of latest mobility innovations 25th and 26th July at the Kent showground. These products and services will be aimed at people with various disabilities and ages as well as their families, carers, professionals and the elderly who are experiencing limited mobility.
Various exhibitors will be launching top end products and new services not to be missed. For example, Trekinetic have previously caused quite a stir in the mobility industry with their products such as the multi award nominated Trekinetic K-2 All Terrain, which remains the world’s first production Carbon Fibre Monocoque wheelchair. This year Trekinetic are proud to announce the launch of their stunning new version- The GT- 3 Active Sport Pro at the Beyond Boundaries Live show.
There will be over 120 exhibitors providing numerous products to see, touch, test and compare at the Beyond Boundaries Live event. Permobil UK will be exhibiting their high end power chairs including their off the road X850 that will take you to places you can only dream of going. GBL Wheelchairs in partnership with Invacare UK will be providing a range of top end custom made products, from hand- cycles, to everyday and sports wheelchairs. Plus Q'Straint will be showcasing the world's first 4m Electrical locking retractor set out to ensure superior safety for occupants of wheelchairs before transport. Other exhibitors include Da Vinci Mobility, All Terrain wheelchairs, Sunrise Medical, Team hybrid, RGK Wheelchairs Ltd, Quest 88, Gerald Simonds and many more.
Whether you are a disabled driver or a passenger, the show will also be offering a whole range of specialist vehicle conversions and adaptation companies all helping individuals go beyond their boundaries and gain a level of performance and independence that has been previously limited. Visitors will be provided with a wide choice of vehicles to sit in, look around and even test drive on the outdoor test drive area. Some of whom include Dagenham Motors Ford, Sirus Automotive, Allied Vehicles, Holden Mobility. In addition Martin Conquest will be showcasing their motor cycle which can be driven from a wheelchair.
Other exhibitors include Wav- Evolution who will showcasing with their fun but practical Nissan X- Trail and the unique 'wheelchair beside the driver' Fiat Multipla. Pomphrey Vauxhall will be providing advice and information about their Motability scheme and Gowrings Mobility who will be launching the fabulous new Fiat Doblo Dynamic 1.4.
The latest products and services all aim to contribute to the creation of a more independent lifestyle adapted to suit the needs of the visitors. The event will also keep visitors updated with home and independent living products, fashion, holidays, children's mobility aids, employment, information, advice and lots, lots more!
Aside from the numerous exhibitors, visitors will also be able to attend a series of seminars featuring celebrities such as Ken Hames, the face of BBC Beyond Boundaries, Ade Adepitan, Dame Tanni Grey Thompson, Kerry McGregor and Michael Caines and many, many more. A Healthcare seminar will also be running featuring professional bodies such as The college of Occupational Therapist, The National Autistic Society, Diabetes UK and various others.
Tickets are free. Register Now at www.beyondboundaries.co.uk or call 0208 971 8286.
Over the coming months you will see some changes to the Good Access Guide website. There is the old adage of 'if it's not broke, don't fix it! Well, the Good Access Guide website certainly isn't broken, far from it. But things move on and there's always room for improvement.
So here's some of what's on the drawing board:
Our business advertisers have full control over their own full business web page on the Good Access Guide website.
With a secure login they have access to their own Control Panel. From here they can amend the text of their web page, contact details and add or delete any of the six images available.
Statistics are also available showing how many times the business has been listed and then how many times the full business web page has been viewed.
If there are Feature Adverts currently being shown for this business, we display the number of times the Feature Advert has been displayed, how many times it has been clicked on and the Click Through Rate (shown as a percentage).
The Control Panel also displays the renewal date for the web page - we contact each business around 14 days prior to renewal.
Access to the Control Panel is only available to businesses that have a full business web page. If you currently have a free listing and would like to upgrade to a full business web page, simply call Jo on 01502 566005.
If you would like to make changes to your full business web page and you need your login details - drop me a an e-mail to ian@goodaccessguide.co.uk. Don't forget to tell us your name and your business name!
Just a couple of weeks ago I had a 4 day break in the tourist hotspot of York. Yes, York not New York.
I travelled with Karen, my wife, who is a full time wheelchair user, battling through road works and accidents to make it to our destination - the Dean Court Hotel.
The hotel is situated right in the heart of York, in the shadow of the imposing York Minster. We were able to park right outside the hotel and the staff came to assist us into the hotel. Now, bearing in mind that this is an old building, the access for wheelchair users is interesting. A permanent ramp can't be added so we used the short temporary ramp to access the hotel from High Petergate. This does need the assistance of a couple of people so may not be to everyones taste. But once inside the hotel we found access to be fine for our requirements.
The hotel has three rooms for its disabled guests, each with its own unique accessibility features. We stayed in Room 20, the wheelchair accessible bedroom. The ensuite bathroom has a bath and a roll-in shower. Oh, and the bed is big!
The room is well appointed with the usual refreshments tray, hairdryer, trouser press (does anyone ever use these?), iron and mini ironing board.
But what impressed both Karen and myself was the customer service. All the staff were polite, friendly and very helpful. You usually meet someone who's been to Grumpy School but not at the Dean Court Hotel.
And from the bedroom window we could see York Minster, not even 100 metres away! Stay here at the weekend and you get the full works from the bellringers too... We took the opportunity of a visit to the Minster, most of which is accessible to wheelchair users. The bonus for me was being able to take time out to listen to the Baroque Singers (all 60 of them) plus a full orchestra rehearsing for that evenings performance. The sound simply filled the Nave and made our visit even more special.
We explored The Shambles and visited the York Castle Museum, dodging heavy summer showers as we went.
Our break ended too quickly. A return visit is needed to do this fantastic city justice. And when we do return we'll be staying at the Dean Court Hotel...
That’s it for this issue of our newsletter. We look forward to bringing your more from the UK’s leading online guide to life, leisure and mobility in the next Good Access Guide Newsletter.
About us | Accessibility | Site Map | Privacy | Disclaimer | Terms and Conditions
Contact us | Link to Good Access Guide | National Accessible Scheme
Good Access Guide is a trading name of Equo Limited © 2002 - 2010
Popular searches on Good Access Guide include disabled friendly cottages, disabled friendly hotels, disabled friendly B & B's and disabled friendly accommodation.