Considering accessibility an inclusivity at weddings and luxury events!
This was the title of the panel I was invited as a speaker together with expects of the topics at Italy for Weddings in Rome: the event organised by @cbitalia and @italyforweddings.
In this panel, with me there were experts of the inclusivity and accessibility topics in Italy:
–Sonders & Beach, a tour Operator that offers solutions for socially sustainable and inclusive tourism for LGBTQ+ communities.
–ISITT: an organisation that works on accessible tourism and events.
–Starhotels: one of Italy’s biggest hotel chain.
The main question was:
How Italy is doing in this respect and what tools are available to improve the tourist experience of LGBTQ+ communities?
What does it mean to do tourism for all? What are the main challenges you face?
What is hotel industry doing in terms of inclusivity and accessibility? How is the hotel world adapting to these new challenges and sensibility?
What organizing an inclusive and accessible event means?
All these questions and talking with experts made me reflect:
how good are we in making our events “accessible” and how accessible is a wedding in Italy?
I would say 30% and there’s still a lot to do.
When we work in historical villas, hamlet or castles, we face many accessibility issues: lack of ramps, elevators, remote ceremony areas difficult to access, no golf cart at most venues, gravel where is difficult to move around on a wheelchair, lack accessible toilets.
With these constraints, we often choose the option of a hotel venue, especially big chain hotels, where“inclusive” is often among the key values of the brands.
Hotels have accessible rooms BUT where they have accessible rooms, they are always without view or in the less appealing position, often need to use the team members elevator and not have a proper “guest experience”.
The situation gets a bit better if we are in recently built hotels, but not all of them are so inclusive and easy to access.
And this is where a wedding planner gets into the role:
we are problem solver by nature and we strive to provide the best service to all our guests.
Unfortunately there’s no foolproof way to guarantee access for a guest with disability issues to a wedding if the venue is not accessibly friendly.
However there are a few steps that we as wedding planner can take to ensure the best possible experience and minimise barriers.
Here my top 5 activities to offer impeccable service to all.
- Ask in advance to your client (the couple) if there are guess with accessibility issues and work to make them feel welcome and guarantee them a good experience.
- Inform the venue. Work with them and ask them to propose solutions.
this means asking in advance if there are guess with accessibility issues and work to make them feel welcome and guarantee them a good experience.
- Choose a venue with accessible features.
- Arrange seatings that accommodates wheelchairs
- Choose a flat dance floor, with no raised platforms
- Arrange accessible transportation and accessible restrooms.
But it’s more about creating a sense of belonging, respect and understand that transformation needs to start from inside.
Every disability is unique and what works for 1 person may not work for another.
Communicate respectfully and openly, and be willing to adapt your plans to accommodate their needs.
It’s more about creating a sense of belonging, respect and understand that transformation needs to start from inside.
Do you agree with me?
Do you feel you need more trainmen and information on out to manage these requests?
Get in touch! We might be able to support you!
