Going somewhere new without knowing if it meets your accessibility needs can be anxiety-inducing – that’s why Euan’s Guide is encouraging everyone who’s able to get back out into the world to share their reviews of places they visit on their travels on their extensive website.
We all want to explore more areas and venues than ever before in the post-lockdown world. You might want to see more of your local area or further afield as the landscape evolves. Make your New Year’s resolution to become a reviewer on Euan’s Guide and share disabled access information far and wide!
Reviewing is Valuable
The community of reviewers at Euan’s Guide constantly grows, but sometimes people don’t know what to review or how to write reviews. There are no limits to what you can review on Euan’s Guide. Your review is your story; it’s sharing your experience. Everyone has a favourite venue in their local area, whether it’s a café or a park. Sharing local knowledge makes a huge difference for potential visitors. Knowledge is power – your first-hand experience and simple tips, such as the ideal place to park, can make such a difference to somebody’s trip. That includes where the loos are or what the accessible route is at a venue.
Reviews often highlight what a venue has done well and sometimes how they can improve their disabled access. Places have told us they have made changes to their accessibility after reading a review on Euan’s Guide. We’ve seen places change signage, create Changing Places Toilets and run BSL tours by way of example.
What makes a good review?
It’s great to summarise your experience and have an overall description of your visit. You can help other people by sharing your experiences of visiting. Tell people about parking and transport, toilets and staff, but often, people want to know about access into the venue, including if the doors are easy to open, if there’s level access or whether there are any lifts.
It’s good to know if people have enjoyed their visit and if anything stood out to bring the review to life. If you were at a zoo, what animals were there? If you were at a restaurant, what was the pizza like? What made you visit somewhere in the first place?
Everyone has a unique experience when reviewing, and the access information people look for in reviews can vary from person to person because access requirements are personal. Providing as much information as you can is important for the reader to make an informed decision on whether to visit a venue or not: pictures are fabulous and help people to decide for themselves whether a visit may work for them.
People look for information on toilets because that is often the main issue when planning ahead and you need to know as much detail as possible about facilities. For example, is there enough space? Is there a clear path to navigate your way to the toilet with good signage?
A picture can indeed paint a thousand words and gives people an idea of what access at the venue looks like before a potential visit. Images of specific areas of access helps the reviewer illustrate what they have said in their review. If you can, grab a picture of the following: the exterior and how to get in; the main area of the interior or an outdoor venue; and a snap of the toilet.
Where to Review
Some people choose to review certain types of venues, such as concert halls or restaurants, but others might write reviews on anywhere and everywhere they go – especially if it’s somewhere they haven’t been before. If a person is going out for a coffee or somewhere to eat, they might choose somewhere new so that they can review it. This broadens the range of places on Euan’s Guide and maps the local area for disabled access. Wherever you go, a review is there waiting to be written. A review of your local shop, post office or café can help so many people.
In the post-lockdown world, we want to know what’s changed, but we also want people to shout loud about the gems in your local area.
Start Reviewing Today
Everyone has different ideas on what makes the best review, and that’s what makes reviewing on Euan’s Guide so exciting. We can’t wait to read your reviews and hear about your experiences with disabled access across the country. Write as much or as little as you like, and maybe add a photo or two. If writing is not your thing, you can send in a video or a set of photos.
Our Reviewer Engagement team would love to hear from you! They can talk you through what a good review looks like, how to review and what to review. Contact us today! Email hello@euansguide.com.
Start your reviewing journey today on www.EuansGuide.com.
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