17/09/2024
Meeting Individual Needs: More Than Just a Checkbox
By Mike
We all know the drill: slap an accessibility sticker on the front door, check a box on some form, and boom—you're good to go, right? Well, not exactly. As someone who's been navigating the world with disabilities for a while now, let me be the first to tell you: accessibility is about so much more than just passing a generic code or earning a gold star from some arbitrary standard.
The real deal is that we’re all different. What I need to have a great stay might be completely different from what the next person with the same disability or impairment needs. And that’s the beauty of it—human beings, in all our messy brilliance, don’t fit into neat little boxes. We’re individuals, and our needs are just as unique as our personalities.
What’s most important is not whether your place has passed some formal assessment or earned some “certified accessible” label. Instead, it’s about being open, transparent, and honest about what you offer. Maybe you’ve got wide doorways but no grab bars. That’s fine—just say so! It’s the assumption game that gets dangerous. It’s assuming that just because someone’s in a wheelchair, they’ll need the same things as every other wheelchair user. Spoiler alert: we don’t.
I’m all for learning together and figuring out the best ways to make travel and accommodation easier for everyone. Hosts, this is your chance to think outside the box. Want a trick or tip? Think about things like visual contrast for guests with low vision, or a quiet space for someone with sensory sensitivities. What about a video walk-through for someone who finds written descriptions a little hard to navigate?
In the end, it’s not about getting everything “right” according to some impersonal checklist. It’s about meeting real people’s needs in real-time. Let’s get rid of the notion that accessibility is one-size-fits-all. Instead, let’s embrace the idea that it’s about listening, learning, and adapting.
I’ll be sharing regular posts with fresh ideas and tips for hosts, because we can all learn from each other. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or new to the game, there’s always something we can do to make the stay experience better for everyone. Trust me, those thoughtful little touches? They’re the things that truly make the difference.
Let’s keep learning, keep asking questions, and most of all—let’s stop assuming. Because making a stay more accessible isn’t about ticking boxes; it’s about treating people as, well, people. And that, my friends, is the gold star worth shooting for.
Stay tuned for more ideas and tips!
For more information or to pre-register as a MyAccom host, visit https://myaccom.nz
A home for everyone. Michael Lloyd is the innovative and creative mind behind Accommodationz. For him, it’s about “getting people to think about what they would love their next accommodation experience to be like while also working together with them to achieve a common goal.” And what exactly...
