Beinn Eighe NNR Visitor Centre and Trails
An 'Access for All' Case Study

Introduction

This case study examines the 'Access for All' approach that was adopted in the refurbishment of Beinn Eighe NNR Visitor Centre and the creation of its associated trails.

Beinn Eighe is Britain's oldest National Nature Reserve — established 1951 — and embraces the largest of our western native pinewoods. Some 30,000 visitors explore the reserve each year, with many of them walking the long established Woodland and Mountain Trails. However, for a lot of people these trails are too long and strenuous and make no provision for those in wheelchairs or with impaired mobility.

A significant proportion of the population has some form of disability, such as poor eyesight, impaired mobility, poor hearing or learning difficulties. For some time, therefore, SNH had been looking to construct new, shorter trails on lower ground, with a view to making them accessible for all. Through time the project came to focus on the key experiences of the reserve and how we could make them accessible to people with disabilities and those visitors who chose not to use our existing facilities.

SNH commissioned John Finlay Associates of Edinburgh to develop the concept and in autumn 2001 work began on extending and refurbishing the visitor centre, enlarging the car park, creating three new trails leading out from the visitor centre and introducing new interpretation throughout. The total budget was £500,000.

SNH brought in expertise on all abilities access through the Fieldfare Trust, a charitable body who specialise in providing advice on access and information in the countryside. Fieldfare worked along with the Joint Mobility Unit (Royal Institute for the Blind and Guide Dogs for the Blind Association) to ensure the development was as accessible as possible for disabled people.

Fieldfare also organised local consultation with disabled representatives from DASH (Disability Action Scottish Highlands) based in Dingwall and from the Skye and Lochalsh Disability Access Group. Both groups gave useful comments on changes that would help them — and people with other disabilities — get the most from the site.

The 1995 Disability Discrimination Act makes it a legal requirement to provide physical and intellectual access for people with disabilities. Part III of the DDA gives disabled people important rights of access to everyday services that others take for granted:

• Treating a disabled person less favourably because they are disabled has been unlawful since December 1996.
  
• Since October 1999, service providers have had to consider making reasonable adjustments to the way they deliver their services so that disabled people can use them.
  
• The final stage of the duties comes into force in 2004 when service providers may have to consider making permanent physical adjustments to their premises.
  

Listed below are some steps recommended by the government's Disability Unit to ensure you comply with the spirit of the Disability Discrimination Act, as well as meeting legal obligations.

• Think and plan ahead to meet the requirements of disabled customers.
  
• Do not make assumptions about disabled people based on speculation or stereotypes. Think about the wide range of disabilities there are when planning adjustments.
  
• If in doubt, ask disabled people themselves how they can best be served. Listen carefully and respond to what they really want. You could also consult with disabled staff and disability organisations.
  
• Think about the way you treat disabled customers. Let them know how to request assistance and have a customer complaints procedure that is easy for them to use.
  
• Ensure you respect the dignity of a disabled person when providing them with services.
  
• Establish a positive policy on providing services to ensure it includes disabled people. Communicate this policy to staff and monitor its effectiveness.
  
• Consider putting in place positive practices that will encourage disabled people and others to use your services.
  
• Make sure staff training includes your policy towards disabled people and their legal rights, as well as towards disability awareness and disability etiquette training.
  
• Regularly review whether your services are accessible to disabled people.
  
• Do not delay over the removal of any physical features of buildings that create a barrier to access for disabled people. Consider doing this at the same time as any building or refurbishment work you are planning, which could help reduce costs and disruption.
  
  See http://www.disability.gov.uk/ the website managed by the Disability Unit in
  the Department for Work and Pensions. Downloadable copies of the goods and services provisions of the DDA are available from the Disability Rights Commission’s website http://www.drc-gb.org

The new 'Access for All' facilities at Beinn Eighe fill a gap in provision in the Highlands. They are also important to the local economy in attracting more visitors to the area and encouraging them to stay longer.

In exploring this case study, you might like to consider:

• to what degree your own facilities and services could be improved to accord with good practice;
  
• the positive benefits of fully adopting an access for all approach as opposed to simply meeting the letter of the law;
  
• the challenges that interpreters and designers face in making sites fully accessible and creatively imaginative.

The study is divided into different sections, with each section entry featuring a thumbnail image alongside. The image illustrates the accompanying text and you can enlarge the image by clicking on it once.