Festival Place in Basingstoke has partnered with AccessAble to enhance the shopping experience further for people with accessibility needs.

The Basingstoke shopping centre is the latest of more than 300 shopping centres across the UK to work with the national disability organisation.

Festival Place and AccessAble have created Detailed Access Guides to 12 different areas of the centre, using facts, figures and photographs to help people plan their journey to and around the centre.

The Guides cover everything from parking facilities and hearing loops to walking distances and accessible toilets.

We know everyone’s accessibility needs are different, which is why having detailed accurate information is so important. It’s why all of the information contained in the Guides has been checked in person by trained surveyors, making it accurate and trustworthy.

Centre Director Neil Churchill said:

“Joining up with AccessAble links strongly to our Purple Tuesday initiatives, which include the introduction of quiet hours and an autism and dementia training programme.

“We continue to work with the wider community to make sure Festival Place is accessible for everyone.”

Dr Gregory Burke, founder of AccessAble, said:

“We were delighted to work in partnership with Festival Place to create Detailed Access Guides to the centre. The AccessAble website and App will enhance the shopping experience for disabled people, giving them access to crucial detail on the go.

“We hope that other shopping and leisure destinations across the UK follow Festival Place’s example and partner with AccessAble, helping more disabled people to shop confidently.”

Emma Purcell, blogger and AccessAble Champion, said:

“I frequently visit Festival Place to go shopping and out for meals with family and friends. I’m visually impaired and I use a wheelchair, so the Detailed Access Guide makes a huge difference, enabling me to check the accessibility of a particular area of the shopping centre or to find facilities such as accessible toilets.”

Festival Place has joined more than 70,000 places already covered across the UK on AccessAble’s website and App, making it much easier to plan your shopping experience, a day out or trip away.

For more information, visit www.festivalplace.co.uk/accessible, or www.accessable.co.uk/festival-place-shopping-centre