A real pleasure to join colleagues from across culture, nature, arts, attractions, SEN, family charities & others to think big about access for families at our member @WWTLondon for #11MillionPostcards 
We are hearing from mother & Autistic Rights advocate on challenges of international travel & huge importance of access to nature & space for children & families living with disabilities. @EnglishHeritage @nationaltrust @TheCCT noted as key positive partners to parents here 👏
Next up @magsrivett from @famholcharity who support families with a range of needs to have much needed family holidays. We are looking at some of the barriers to tourism. Knowledge & information - lack of clear info can be a real barrier especially for SEN families.
Also travel cost and accessible travel. Recognition of differing needs. Lack of consistency. Fear of judgement & lack of confidence are the biggest barriers. Need for flexibility - unpredictability of needs in families with disabilities requires more flexibility & understanding.
Finally financial barriers - including perception. Ancillary costs are also a big challenge beyond the basics.
I’m joining a morning panel with @BIAZA looking at solutions including universal credit tickets & routes to access. Meanwhile @LydsGibs will be over in the perspectives session
Zoos and aquariums are seen as a right of passage. There’s a real range in what these are though. Most are not free to visit. Cost has gone from 4th to the biggest barrier over the last 2 years. COL affecting all families.
This is echoed in @alva_uk research. Families have less to spend. Traditional family tickets don’t work for over half of families.
Cost & travel - but we need to move beyond physical access. We need a lot more data on other diversity matrices. It is important visitors feel welcomed by seeing diversity amongst the staff, volunteers & other visitors. This is an important journey & moment for collaboration.
Two @BIAZA members talk about their solutions. Ben Supple of @rzss talks about the importance of people. The impact of universal credit offer. Makes experiences possible when otherwise they wouldn’t be. Helps children feel confident talking about their summer.
Importance of funding to unlock partnerships in wellbeing, connections to nature, work with hospitals, respite care etc... @HeritageFundUK getting a shoutout for sharing and funding this vision. Rainy day guarantee tickets gave confidence. Those not redeemed passed to charity.
Respect, dignity & trust are key where concession places are redeemed. It’s interesting that market research shows ultimately there was a financial benefit for the attraction through running accessibility schemes through those who wouldn’t have visited otherwise.
Important to do this work from faith it will make a difference but evaluation is also key to understand what works.
Next is the @OceanCTrust - we need more than just knowledge - it’s about emotional connection, participation, skills building. Cost, access, transport all cited as limitations.
Connection to social action through youth programmes. Free events. VR being used to bring experiences where physical access isn’t possible. Social prescribing programmes “Blue Mind”.
Tackling barriers of cost and access for equipment to experience the ocean too.
Meanwhile over in @LydsGibs breakout session looking at child poverty 👇
https://twitter.com/lydsgibs/status/1968264476320506114
Some summary tips for orgs wanting to make a difference here
And over with @LydsGibs
https://twitter.com/lydsgibs/status/1968270334139994608
This afternoon kicks off with @WayneNorrie of Greenwood Academies Trust - with a case study of a school in Leicester. All schools in underserved communities. Getting kids out is a vital part of learning. But not all do or can. Transport a huge barrier for school visits.
@WayneNorrie Big impacts of a seaside GAT camp. Using a school site. Bought blackout tents. Many children saw the sea for the first time.
Helping kids to have the opportunity to do things they wouldn’t get to do otherwise. Kids from Maplethorpe involved in designing treasure hunts to give them pride in their own place. Huge impact on attainment too.
Next up the @nationaltrust John Glancy talking about play and what we as sectors can learn from games. Not all games need to be fun - they are engaging. Games are really popular including board games cafes. Accessibility. We need to be involved in making ones that work.
Creating something themselves. Accelerating a playful experience & connecting with the place in a unique way. Encourages interaction & exploration. Largely audio. Scalable. Not expensive. Efficient. Easy to deploy.
Now looking at AI. It will increasingly affect people’s decisions about what they do with their time. If our message is garbled, AI will push this unclear message out. Prompts vs searches. Test language. Call a trail a game. Play with prompts to see impact on audiences.
Seeing the fantastic visual minuting of the discussions from @MendoncaPen
Wrapping up themes from the day - embedding in your culture, collaboration: grassroots & across sectors, ticketing with dignity, exceptional experiences, language - using more of do than don’t, youth voice & perspectives, unlearning - open to new understanding of what spaces are
Joint legacy across our organisations - confident, empowered visitors across our spaces. We belong to the public rather than the other way round. Thinking collectively. Grow demand together. Subsidy, policy & economic growth.
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