AbleStay: Bringing accessibility to London

AbleStay: London’s first fully accessible holiday home.

Enabling people with complex physical disabilities to enjoy London as everyone else.

The Problem

London claims to be one of the most ‘accessible’ cities in Europe.  But where do disabled people stay in our capital city?  And what does ‘accessible’ truly mean?

Most people think ‘accessible accommodation’ is a wider door and some grab rails, presuming that ‘one size fits all’.  There are over 165,000 hotel rooms in London for able-bodied guests.  Disabled people with complex physical needs currently have ZERO.  Is it fair that they should the miss out?  Here lies the problem.

FACT:  The reality is there are approximately 250,000 + people in the UK with complex physical disability and nowhere for them (or their families, so over 1 million people) to stay in London.  Not a single hotel room nor self-catering option.  Let that sink in for a moment.

 These individuals simply cannot safely stay without:

• Level wheelchair access
• Profiling bed
• Ceiling hoist for transfer
• Fully accessible bathroom
• Adjoining room for their caregiver

Who are the 250,000+

Anyone and everyone with a more complex physical disability:

• Cerebral Palsy
• Motor Neurone Disease
• ALS
• Muscular Dystrophy
• Multiple Scleroris
• Spinal injuries
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Stroke and paralysis
• The many other conditions where complex physical disability affect life

Additionally:

There are 800,000 regular wheelchair users in the UK.

Also remember this: The 250,000+ excludes the older generation who have become wheelchair users in their twilight years.  1 in 3 over the age of 80 will be a wheelchair user at some point.

The problem must be changed.  AbleStay are going to change this.  And we need YOUR help.

Our Project

AbleStay is London’s first fully accessible holiday home.

We are a registered charity set up to address the inequality inherent to London’s accommodation scene, delivering a critical change to enforce accessibility in its true meaning.

We are now raising money to provide funded stays for those individuals and families that otherwise wouldn't be able to afford to visit London.

How can you help us achieve our goals?

By supporting the raffle you are giving a family that opportunity 

Everyone has a right to visit our capital city.  Please help us to bring that closer.

What does AbleStay offer?

The opportunity to visit and experience London, whilst staying somewhere that will meet the needs of guests aged 0-100, disabled or not.

The house will aim to accommodate as many disabilities as possible.

• Stunning contemporary bungalow in a quiet residential road in Worcester Park
• 3 bedrooms (2 accessible)
• Accessible bathroom
• House bathroom
• Large open plan living area
• Large accessible kitchen
• Sun terrace
• 5 minutes from Worcester Park accessible train station
• 25 minutes train to London Waterloo
• Off street parking for x2 WAV’s (wheelchair accessible vehicle)

We like to think we have thought of everything and will be continuously taking on people’s suggestions, ideas and feedback to make AbleStay the best it can be.

If the demand for accessible accommodation is so great, why hasn’t it been done before?

A lack of understanding.  Unless you have a disability or understand disability from a lived experience (as we have with our son), it is off your radar.

It is too difficult for hotels to address.  A wide door and grab rails tick their accessibility box, so why provide more?  AbleStay wants to make a key difference in raising awareness of the needs for disabled people, inspiring hotels and companies to change their blinkered approach.

It is too expensive for self-catering holiday home owners to contemplate (and they are unlikely to have the knowledge).

This situation has to be addressed and we feel it is our duty to take on this role.  We have the experience, knowledge, understanding and most importantly, the absolute passion to make a change.

The Future of AbleStay

We would love to grow the charity, providing AbleStay properties in city location across the UK, giving disabled travellers the same freedom as everyone else.

Our goal is to continue fundraising to be able to subsidise a short break for families that may not be able to afford the cost of a visit to London.

This is a big step in creating fully accessible accommodation, and a small step in creating a more inclusive world.

The Need for AbleStay

We are so grateful to have already received so many requests to book and all of your comments are inspiring us every day to make this dream a reality.

"My daughter has Lennox Gasteau Syndrome.  This is like winning the lottery, this is something to really look forward to".

"What a dream you have put into motion.  Thank you for caring about these things".

"I have two boys with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, this is such a brilliant adventure.  We can't wait to book".

"This truly feels like the start of something wonderful".

"We live in Ireland and I've dreamt of taking my son to see the sights in London, I never though it would be possible, until now.  Thank you".

"Oh my! I want to book now so I can take my wife to see her son in London.  We've been unable to visit as she needs a ceiling hoist".

"Think you'll need several properties to accommodate us all".

Our Inspiration

This is our beautiful son Kit, who made a stormy entrance into the world 13 years ago and has taught us everything we know.  Kit has quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy and inspires us everyday.  

Kit is a full time wheelchair user and has no independent sitting, standing, walking , requires hoisting for all transfers and talks using a computer (think Stephen Hawking).  Kit requires a carer to help with all aspects of day to day life.

We are so fortunate to be able to make Kit’s life as fulfilled as possible and now we want to change the lives of others.

If you have made it this far, THANK YOU for taking time to read our story.  Your kindness and generosity is very much appreciated.

THE END!