Nominations for the Blue Badge Access Awards 2025/26 (BBAA) are open and reward exceptional accessibility and inclusivity shown by venues, organisations and people, in the hospitality sector and beyond.The 12 awards will be presented on 30 April 2026, ranging from Best Bar, Best Historic Building and Best Accessible Home. The Ludicrous Loo Award returns, which names and shames bad disabled toilets.
The organisers are keen to set the gold standard for encouraging the industry to get accessibility right for a disabled person and make it stylish, thoughtful and innovative.
There are 16 million disabled people in the U.K. This means that more than 1 in 5 potential consumers have a disability. The spending power of disabled people and their households is estimated to be £274bn a year. A report by Purple Pound in 2022 says that the UK’s pubs/restaurants are losing approximately £163m every month by ignoring the needs of disabled people.
Fiona Jarvis, CEO of Blue Badge Style & Co-Founder of the BBAA, said: “We are looking for Nominations from members of the public, venues or organisations. You can nominate your own business if you think you’ve got what it takes. The Blue Badge Access Awards are about exceeding the expectations of disabled people and giving recognition to businesses and establishments that have addressed accessibility imaginatively and thoughtfully. Fiona added, “The very definition of hospitality is to welcome, and this is at the very heart of the BBAA. Unfortunately, we still see bad examples of accessibility, such as the ‘Ludicrous Loo’ or ‘Ridiculous Ramp.”
Robin Sheppard FIH, past IoH Supervisory Board Chairman, President of Bespoke Hotels and Co-Founder of the BBAA, said: We have a long way to go, but the industry is making good progress towards ‘Liberty’. The freedom to go to a hotel where you are not dreading the bathroom or the toilet. Where your room doesn’t look like a hospital ward. Where the electric curtains can be controlled from the bedside and where you can transfer from a wheelchair to a hotel bed unassisted because it has been designed at the right height or even better, there’s a concealed hoist”.
He adds, “We invested in 18 Liberty suites at our own Hotel Brooklyn in Manchester (now VOCO Manchester), which brought in additional revenue of £132,000 in 1 year. That’s 100 extra bed nights every 4 weeks! This, along with associated events, contributed to a combined income of £217,000 from accessible facilities.
To find out more and to make a nomination, please follow the link below.
The closing date for BBAA nominations is noon (GMT) on 5 April 2026.
Be part of our well-respected network, get trusted advice and take a positive approach to your learning and development.
Your business card may take a moment to be generated. You can save your business card by right clicking -> save image as, or holding down on the image on your phone.
