News Release

Access made easy for residents and visitors

There is a new online guide to help thousands of disabled residents get round the town.

The DisabledGo – Maidstone online guide, has been put together with sponsorship from Maidstone Borough Council.

Cabinet member for community services, Cllr Marion Ring, said: “Now this website has been launched it will bring big benefits for disabled shoppers and is there to offer practical help to enable them to organise their visit to town. This project is something I am delighted to support.”

DisabledGo, the company putting together the guide, and Maidstone council have worked together with hundreds of shops, pubs, restaurants, theatres and other public venues to provide access details for a huge number of goods and service providers.

The information will make a huge difference for people with hearing, vision or mobility related access concerns. The guide may also be useful for older people and those with pushchairs.

By clicking here people can check, for example, whether a pub is accessible to a wheelchair user, whether a cinema can offer a hearing loop, whether a hotel offers adapted rooms and whether a restaurant offers menus in large print or Braille. The guide can also be accessed via digitalmaidstone.co.uk

Cllr Ring added: “It can dent people’s confidence if they keep having to ring places up to find out about access. Never knowing whether a building will be accessible or whether staff will have a helpful attitude can make some people think twice before going out.

“This is where DisabledGo – Maidstone comes in and aims to end that uncertainty by providing detailed access information and enabling people to judge for themselves whether a shop, restaurant or theatre is accessible for their own requirements.”

Marion Ring and Barry Ginley