Data released by Sky News from Women’s Aid shows that “less than 1% of refuge spaces for women fleeing abuse are suitable for wheelchair users.”

You can read the story by visiting the Sky News page 

It can be really difficult to know where to start when it comes to making your shelter more accessible. There are lots of larger changes such as installing ramps or accessible toilets that can take time, planning, funding and builders.

However, there are lots of small changes you can make that will help to make things more inclusive.

Here are 6 changes you can make:

1 – Repeat repeat rephrase

Someone who is coming to a shelter may be in a state of panic or feeling incredibly anxious. When we are anxious, it can be hard to breathe and communicate especially if someone also has a communication impairment. It’s not rude to ask someone to repeat themselves if you are not sure what they are saying. Ask them twice to repeat themselves before you ask them to rephrase what they are asking you. It could be that when they rephrase what they are trying to say, you catch enough of the sentence to understand what they are saying.

Be patient and allow them more time but keep your body language relaxed. If you relax, they will also start to feel less anxious.

2 – Learn how to guide a visually impaired person

It can be really scary leaving someone who is being violent or manipulative, especially if you are relying on that person for assistance. Making sure shelter staff are trained in how to guide someone safely and properly is vital. Booking disability awareness training can help but there are some quick steps to remember:

1 – Introduce yourself and say you work/volunteer for the shelter and tell them what is going to happen. Don’t just lead them somewhere but ask if they need assistance.
2 – Offer a shoulder or an elbow: Ask if it is okay for you to take their hand and place it on your elbow or shoulder. If someone is struggling with body contact or touch, it’s important to get their consent first before taking their hand.
3 – Guide goes first: You need to be the person in front so that they are following your direction.
4 – Move items and people: Move as many obstacles out of the way as possible. It’s good practice going forward to make sure that things like A signage (wet floor signs etc) are not in the middle of the room or that there are no objects for someone to fall over.
5 – Let someone know you are leaving: If you get that person to their seat or the room they need then let them know you are going to go. Otherwise, they may not know where you are.

Want to learn more about guiding? Why not consider booking disability awareness training by visiting our website

3 – Guide Dogs

Not all visually impaired people will have guide dogs but some do. You may also find that some neurodivergent people have support dogs. There are some simple things you can do to accommodate a person’s guide or assistance animal.
1 – Provide a bed for them to rest
2 – Allocate an outdoor space for the animal to go to the toilet and a place to dispose of waste
3 – Remember that people may not like their animals being touched or fed by anyone else. It’s important for staff to remember this.
4 – Provide a water dish if possible or access to clean water.

4 – Consider your forms and information

For some neurodivergent people, forms or large blocks of text can be really tough. Can you consider alternatives for people?
There are lots of different alternatives to written forms or information that you could consider.
Is it possible to create a video which describes the support service or an audio description that can be played? Could you use large print versions of any information or forms that can be downloaded from your website? If someone is available to help, could you assign a volunteer to help a person fill in any forms they are finding difficult?

5 – Ask don’t assume

Ask don’t assume. It’s best to ask someone what their access needs may be. Not every disabled person will have the same access needs. It’s important to listen to what someone tells you about their access requirements. If someone tells you they don’t need assistance or any changes then this should be respected.

Also, if someone tells you that any changes you have implemented are not working, be understanding and initiate a conversation on what to do next.

Check-in after time has passed to make sure that a person’s access needs haven’t changed.

6 – Being aware of your contact details:

With 1 in 6 of the UK population experiencing hearing loss and D/deaf women being twice as likely to experience domestic abuse, refuges must be accessible for people who are D/deaf.
Consider how D/deaf and hard-of-hearing people can contact your support service.

There are lots of options, including:
1- Providing a mobile number so people can text you
2- Providing a monitored email address
3- Ensuring staff are aware of the Relay UK service – a free service which allows deaf or hard of hearing people to communicate with you via an operator who types what is said for the deaf person and speaks, if needed, what they type. All they need is a free downloadable app and access to the internet.

We also offer free downloadable resources that can help you to learn more.

We would suggest our resource on making shelters accessible for Deaf people and our other resource on accessible retail spaces. This includes practical advice on making buildings accessible that could be adapted for wheelchair users.

Download our resources by visiting our dedicated page