Nine years of Euan's Guide

We can’t quite believe it nine years ago, in November 2013, the first version of EuansGuide.com launched! We’ve achieved so much in that time and we’re proud to share nine highlights of our journey so far… long may they continue! 

9. The disabled access information website 

We’re best known for EuansGuide.com, our disabled access review website which tens of thousands of people use each and every month to find and share disabled access information. The website is where Euan’s Guide all began way back in 2013 and we’re incredibly proud of how valuable it has become over the years. But we also do some other important work… 

8. Setting red cord cards free with our Red Cord Cards

We’ve distributed 125,000 of our handy Red Cord Cards which are easily attached to the red emergency cords in accessible toilets. All too often, we hear from our community that the emergency cord is tied up, cut short, or tucked away so that it’s unreachable if a disabled person were to need it. Our Red Cord Cards highlight this issue, explain to people why it’s so important to leave the red cord hanging free and make accessible toilets safer. Set the cords free! 

7. The Euan’s Guide Access Survey 

We want to hear from our reviewers and volunteers all year round, but formally asking disabled people about their experiences is something we prioritise every year with our Access Survey. In 2021 we received 2,400 responses and this year we’ve blown it out of the water with over 7,000 survey responses! That’s a lot of information from a lot of people, and we’re excited to gather and share the data and use it to inform our future work. The 2022 Euan’s Guide Access Survey is supported by Motability Operations and the results will be published in Spring 2023. 

6. Volunteer events and meet-ups

We’ve arranged over 20 events this year, both face-to-face and online, including book clubs and Ambassador meet-ups. We were delighted to see our Ambassadors in the summer at RSPB in Loch Leven and more recently at The Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh, and we’re hoping to see many of our volunteers at our virtual Christmas party this year!  

Euan’s Guide Ambassador, Tina, explains how volunteering with us has helped her. “It’s supportive and this has helped me to grow in confidence both as a disabled woman and as an Ambassador. This has enabled me on a personal level and as a volunteer, in my case writing articles or having the courage to raise access issues directly with venues when I visit them, neither of which I would have considered when I first started out as a volunteer.”  

We’re looking forward to more events for our community in 2023. Watch this space! 

5. Advertising 

Did you know Euan’s Guide is a charity? We rely on donations from our community (LINK) and support from trusts and foundations to help us make the world a more accessible place.  We also accept Advertising on EuansGuide.com from organisations looking to promote their accessible facilities and events. This year we’re delighted to have worked with different venues and publications, including Southbank Centre, Sheffield Theatres and PosAbility.  

Let us know if you’re interested in working with us to reach thousands of engaged disabled people who want to know about venues and attractions with great access. 

4. Partnerships

We’re proud of our partnerships and collaborative working. We’ve partnered with some great organisations like VisitEngland and VisitScotland, as well as Motability Operations and Arthritis Digest. We’re also really enjoying getting to know our online partners better – for example, Eliza who supports us and our Red Cord Cards regularly on Instagram and TikTok. 

Of course, being a small charity we’re proud to support other charities too. We work annually with Motability Operations on the UK’s largest and longest-running Access Survey by collaborating on our communications strategies and making sure we reach as many people as possible. For press coverage, we’ve been contributing to Arthritis Digest each issue with a feature on Euan’s Guide venues and resources.  

Most recently, we partnered with Ability Net on TechShare Pro 2022, Europe’s largest gathering of accessibility and disability inclusion professionals and their allies, at which Euan spoke on how Euan’s Guide provide invaluable disabled access information to thousands of people as part of the session ‘User generated accessibility information.’

If you’re interested in partnering with us please get in touch. 

3. Venue resources

Providing venues and people with helpful information to improve disabled access is one of our top priorities here at Euan’s Guide. We want to make the world a more accessible place and by working with venues to provide them with our knowledge, expertise and experiences we can start to break down barriers but also support places who want to do their best with what they have.  

We’re proud to be a helpful resource and knowledgebank [LINK to top tips] for venues and organisations who want to be as inclusive and accessible as possible, and we are continually encouraging venues to list their information on Euan’s Guide. It’s free and it helps disabled people – it’s a win-win situation! 

2. Accessible Highlights

Our Accessible Highlights city and regional guides are a helpful resource for disabled people who are considering a trip to a new city or area. We’ve created guides for Dundee & Angus, Fife and Castles & Battlefields, and we’re currently working on updated versions of these to make sure people have the most recent information when it comes to the top accessible places to visit in a specific area. If you’re interested in collaborating on an Accessible Highlights guide in your area please get in touch.   

1. Awards 

Winning awards isn’t something Euan planned for when he set up Euan’s Guide with his sister Kiki, but it’s a wonderful for us to see Euan being recognised for his contribution to the lives of other disabled people, and receiving awards is welcome reassurance for the people working behind the scenes at our charity – we might be small, but we’re mighty!  

Over the past nine years we’ve won a variety of awards, from the Impact Awards to the Independent Happy List and, most recently, the Shaw Trust Power 100 list. 

Tags: euan's guide, anniversary