The Blue Badge Access Awards
Celebrating and championing thoughtful accessible design
Held at The Langham London with the support of charity Leonard Cheshire Disability. Thirteen winners were awarded on the basis of celebrating thoughtful and stylish inclusive design and business practices across the world. This year’s winners included Shakespeare’s Globe as the most Inclusive Employer and Sea Containers for Best Hotel, sponsored by HEWI.
The evening included a comedy set by British stand-up comedian, writer, actor, presenter, and disability-rights campaigner, Laurence Clark. Laurence was born with cerebral palsy and uses his line of work to alter the general public’s perceptions of disabled people. Alongside this, an inclusive fashion show was put on by Samanta Bullock, founder of SB. SB is an online department store that provides comfortable and fashionable universally-designed clothes with the focus on inclusion and benefiting the seated position.
The 2019 judging panel included Fiona Jarvis, CEO of Blue Badge Style; Tina Norden, Partner at Conran and Partners; Alex Taylor, BBC Journalist; Paul Vaughan, Bespoke Access; Neil Heslop, CEO, Leonard Cheshire Disability and Karen Fewell, daughter of Arnold Fewell.
Full list of awards and winners:
Leonard Cheshire, Employee of the Year -Jeannine Gubbin, Anfield Catering Liverpool FC
Leonard Cheshire Award Inclusive Employer -Shakespeare’s Globe
Arnold Fewell Most Inclusive -The Deep, Hull
Historic England Inclusive Listed Building, -Woodhorn Museum, Ashington
Above & Beyond -Jo Dewhurst Moor Hall Hotel
HEWI Best Accessible Toilet -Mere Restaurant London
HEWI Best Hotel -Sea Containers, London
Bespoke Access Best Boutique Hotel, Kings Head, Cirencester
Best Restaurant budget -Hicce Kings Cross, London
Conran and Partners, Best Restaurant Upmarket -Three Chimneys, Skye
Euan’s Guide People’s choice – Cottages in the Dales
Best Bar Budget -Caya Club, Brixton, London
Blue Badge Style Best Bar Upmarket -1881 Terrasse de Les Indianes, Per Sagardi, Barcelona
“Nowhere can be 100% accessible but everyone can start somewhere,” said Fiona Jarvis, Founder of Blue Badge Style. “There is tremendous public interest in the area of accessible design, with a strong desire to honour and recognise businesses that go the extra mile for their customers. We are delighted to champion these venues with Blue Badge Access Awards and will continue to do so to amplify enthusiasm across the hospitality sector, as well as wider tourist attractions, museums, and public organisations.”
“Awards like this are profoundly important because they shine a light on best practice”, added Neil Heslop, Chief Executive of Leonard Cheshire Disability. “Leonard Cheshire exists to improve life choices for people with disabilities globally, and accessibility is key to this. We work with cross-sector organisations every day in supporting individuals to live, learn and work independently, whatever their disability. We congratulate everyone who has been involved to date and hope many more join in, having been inspired by tonight’s winners.”
“We are thrilled to unveil so many exemplary winners at the first Blue Badge Access Awards and celebrate the great work of designers and architects around the world in inclusive design” said Robin Sheppard, Chairman of Bespoke Hotels and Hotel Sector Champion for Disabled People. “It is important to make access a permanent addition to the agenda. No one would have dreamed that sustainability would be as high as a priority as it is now, and we want access to be just lionised in the future.”
