Rough Guide to Accessible Britain recognised for innovation

Motability Operations, the business that manages the car scheme for over half a million disabled people in the UK, is proud to announce that it has won the prestigious Disability Standard 2009 Innovation Award for the publication and subsequent awareness campaign around the Rough Guide to Accessible Britain.

Now in its second year, the Rough Guide to Accessible Britain is a joint project between Motability Operations and Rough Guides. The book features the recommendations of both disabled writers, and consumers who shared their experiences of the best of the UK’s most accessible attractions, and provides reliable and enthusiastic advice.

Available free to Blue Badge and Disabled Persons’ Railcard holders, the Rough Guide to Accessible Britain has been ordered by over 55,000 people since launch. The publication supports Motability’s aim of providing relevant and informative advice and information for disabled people, as well as boosting awareness of the Motability Car Scheme. Work on a third expanded edition is now underway with a planned publication date of April 2010.

Delia Ray, head of marketing, Motability Operations commented:

“Taking part in the Employer’s Forum on Disability ‘Disability Standard’ is an important assessment for the Motability Operations business. We are thrilled to be winners of the Innovation category, and to be benchmarked against other high-achieving organisations such as the BBC, Ministry of Defence Police, and the London Sports Forum for Disabled People. The Rough Guide to Accessible Britain has been an exciting project that continues to evolve and improve. We look forward to providing another a first-class book packed with more new inspirational days out ideas in partnership with Rough Guides next year.” 

The Disability Standard is the only business-led benchmark that measures an organisation's performance on every aspect of disability as it affects a business. It benchmarks organisations on where they are on disability, where they need to be and how to get there, and is run by Employers’ Forum on Disability (EFD), the world's leading employers' organisation focused on disability.

Susan Scott-Parker, EFD’s Chief Executive, said: “We congratulate Motability Operations for participating in the Disability Standard 2009 and their Innovation Award. It is a considerable undertaking to take part in the Disability Standard, and we look forward to working with them into the future on more such examples of excellence in the disability arena.”

The Rough Guide to Accessible Britain 2009 edition has also been recognised by the International Visual Communication Association (IVCA) at the Clarion Awards as category winner for Strategic Communications.

For more information on the Rough Guide to Accessible Britain see www.accessibleguide.co.uk.