Everyday accessibility: 6 low-cost products to make hotels more accessible

August is here. As summer winds down and the back-to-school buzz approaches, people are making the most of the season’s final weeks, squeezing in holidays and weekend breaks. But for more than one billion people living with disabilities, finding a hotel that meets their needs is often trickier than it should be.

Accessible tourism represents the single largest untapped tourism market globally. Currently, one in five potential hotel guests has a disability. About half of all people with a disability say they’d travel more if they could trust that hotels had accessible facilities available. Guests who have accessibility needs book stays that are on average two nights longer, and spend roughly €2,000 more per trip, than millennials and Gen Xers. Don’t forget that one traveller’s accessibility needs often determine accommodation plans for the entire group, whether it's a family holiday, wedding, party or business conference. 

Hospitality should feel welcoming to everyone. Of course, making significant structural changes to improve accessibility, such as installing ceiling hoists, can be fantastic and can serve all types of wheelchair users, but these can be prohibitively expensive for small or boutique hotels. However, many accessibility improvements don’t require big budgets or extensive renovations. 

Often, hotels overlook simple, affordable adjustments that can quickly transform their spaces into inclusive environments. Here are six low-cost products hotels can buy right now to improve their accessibility, making more guests feel welcome, supported and eager to return.

1. Portable folding ramps: $200.00

Lightweight and compact enough to store away when not in use, portable folding ramps provide an easy, cost-effective solution for locations where a permanent ramp isn’t available or feasible. 

While a single step or two at a hotel entrance or in a split-level lobby might seem like small obstacles, they can create unnecessary barriers for guests with mobility needs. Portable ramps quickly transform entrances, curbs and even presentation stages into accessible spaces for wheelchair and scooter users. They also make it simpler to safely load mobility devices into vehicles for day trips and excursions. Portable ramps enhance the experience of other hotel visitors, too, such as those recovering from injuries, elderly visitors using canes or walkers, and even event staff or entertainers loading and unloading equipment.

2. Personal alerting systems: $350.00

In an emergency, traditional alarms often lack the functionality to alert guests who are deaf or have hearing difficulties—particularly if they’re asleep and unable to see visual cues like flashing lights. Personal alerting systems, such as vibrating pillows or bed shakers, provide a reliable and discreet solution. Placed under the pillow or mattress, these devices produce strong vibrations to immediately wake guests in the event of an emergency, fire or carbon monoxide leak. 

Many systems also include additional features, such as built-in vibrating alarm clocks, and some systems include additional personal safety components, such as motion sensors for the room, which enhance personal security and put guests further at ease. These additional security features can be especially comforting for female guests and solo travellers who cannot hear intruders or disturbances, and, unlike universal room locks, they don't compromise safety in the event of a fire or other such emergency.

Beyond guests with hearing difficulties, personal alerting devices can reassure heavy sleepers or anyone concerned about overnight safety. Compact and portable, they can be stored at reception and made available upon request, providing an inclusive experience that ensures every guest sleeps with peace of mind.

3. Pull-down clothes rails: $60.00

Pull‑down clothes rails are a clever, low-cost upgrade that make wardrobes more accessible for guests who are of shorter stature, use a wheelchair or have restricted arm mobility. Installed neatly inside existing wardrobes, the rail has a hinged arm that, with a gentle tug, smoothly lowers to the user’s preferred height, allowing guests to choose garments independently and confidently—no tiptoeing, stretching or assistance required. 

Springs or dampers keep the rail secure when it’s not in use, which means hotels don’t need to make bulky modifications, and their sleek, discreet designs mean that they blend seamlessly into existing wardrobes, giving no outward indication that they’re an assistive feature. 

4. Bed rises (elephant feet): $45.00

Bed heights aren’t one-size-fits-all. Both low platform beds and very tall beds can inadvertently create barriers for guests with mobility needs. For example, while a paraplegic guest typically requires a lower bed for easier transfers with a slide board, a quadriplegic guest might need more clearance underneath to accommodate a hoist. 

In the case where there is no gap under the bed, elephant-feet bed raisers are an affordable, temporary solution. These sturdy, discreet blocks go under existing bed legs, easily raising the bed and mattress height by several centimetres. They can be added or removed in minutes and benefit a wide range of guests, including wheelchair users, elderly visitors and people with hip or knee injuries. 

5. Fold-down wall-mounted shower seats:

Showering independently can be difficult without the correct environment, especially for wheelchair users, guests with balance issues, pregnant women, elderly visitors or anyone recovering from knee injuries. Fold-down, wall-mounted shower seats provide a sturdy, permanent solution. 

These seats, which fold neatly out of the way when not in use, should be placed so that shower controls and toiletries are within reach, with ample room nearby for wheelchair manoeuvring and safe transfers. 

Shower seats are also helpful to parents bathing small children, allowing them to comfortably assist their little ones without bending or kneeling awkwardly.

6. Large-print menus: $5.00

Reading tiny or italicised text can be a real challenge for guests with low vision. Keeping a few large-print menus on hand in your restaurant is an easy, thoughtful accommodation. These menus are helpful for guests with reduced vision as well as anyone who has misplaced their glasses.

For buffet-style dining, having a large-text printed menu at the table lets guests peruse options without struggling to stand and read signs. That’s especially useful for families managing babies or toddlers and for anyone who finds standing difficult or uncomfortable, such as elderly visitors, pregnant guests, people recovering from injuries or those with limited stamina. 

Large-print menus also enable restaurants to maintain lower or ambient lighting while still ensuring readability, helping restaurants create a cosy, relaxed atmosphere without compromising the accessibility or comfort for some guests.

Creating a holiday experience that’s open for everyone: Priceless

Remember, when we design for accessibility, we welcome the world.