Accessible outings and leisure
Families with disabled children and young people need to plan outings and journeys with care. This page tells you about accessible outings and toileting.
Online information about accessibility
Your local council publishes online information about accessing your local community, including leisure, transport and disabled toileting facilities – see specific links in the sections below. You can also search for inclusive and accessible activities on the Brighton & Hove Local Offer SEND directory or the East Sussex Community Information Service (ESCIS).
If your child has a Compass Card (Brighton & Hove) or I-go card (East Sussex), you can search these websites for accessible activities and venues providing offers through the schemes.
For more detailed accessibility information on things like pubs and shops, tourist attractions, walks, and more, try local or national disability charities or access groups like AccessAble or Euan’s Guide. For detailed accessibility information when travelling by train, see the National Rail website.
Remember, it’s always worth checking with the place you are going to beforehand, because information does get out of date, and sometimes the level of access described can be misleading.
Enjoying the outdoors
Brighton & Hove City Council’s website has lots of information on accessibility in the city:
- accessible parks and green spaces in Brighton & Hove
- beach accessibility in Brighton & Hove
- public toilets
East Sussex County Council’s website has a page with useful links to information about accessible walks and woodland in East Sussex.
Both Brighton and Hove and East Sussex have some Changing Places toilets for people with more significant disabilities who need extra equipment and space to allow them to use the toilets safely and comfortably. Find Changing Places toilets.
If you need a RADAR key in order to use accessible public toilets, contact the council or Disability Rights UK.
Families across Sussex can get lots of information about accessible outdoor locations at Accessible Countryside
Leisure discount cards
0-25 year olds with significant additional needs in Brighton & Hove and East Sussex can get a leisure card that gives them discounts and offers across the region
In Brighton & Hove, this card is called the Compass Card. In East Sussex, it’s called the i-go card.
The Compass Card is a free leisure discount card for 0 to 25 year olds with significant special educational needs or disabilities who live or go to school or college in Brighton & Hove. It is administered by Amaze.
The i-go card is a free leisure discount card for 0-25s with additional needs living or studying in East Sussex. This could include learning, physical, or social, emotional and mental health needs. The i-go card is administered by East Sussex County Council.
You can use your Compass or i-go card at loads of fun places in Brighton & Hove, East Sussex and beyond.
Holidays
There are holiday companies that specialise in providing breaks for disabled people and mainstream travel agents are getting better at providing information on facilities for disabled people.
There are plenty of sources of useful information that will help you plan a holiday. And there are grants and subsidies that can help keep the cost down if money is very tight.
Be clear what’s on offer
If you’re planning to book a holiday, double check your child’s need will be catered for and consider asking the company to confirm arrangements in writing. It’s remarkable how many people still think that an entrance up half a dozen steps is accessible for a wheelchair user!
Insurance
Are you properly covered? Make sure holiday insurance is appropriate; in the small print you’ll probably find, for example, that ‘pre-existing conditions or illnesses’ aren’t covered. If this affects you, look for a policy that suits you better.
Help with holiday costs
If you’re really struggling to afford a break, there are subsidised holidays around, or grants that may help you pay for them.
The 3H Foundation runs subsidised group holidays for physically disabled children and provides grants for holidays in the UK. The Family Fund can provide grants towards family holidays and the charity Happy Days funds and organises holidays and days out for families with children with additional needs aged 3-17. The Family Holiday Charity is another charitable organisation that can help to fund breaks for disadvantaged families.
Finding information
The national charity Tourism for All (TFA) is a good place to begin when you’re starting to think about taking a break. TFA’s web site has travel advice, transport information, a useful directory that lists places to visit and accommodation to stay in – and much, much more. You’ll also find some really useful web links to other organisations that can help. Visit the Tourism for All website for more information.
The Rough Guide to Accessible Britain is a huge online publication that’s packed with ideas and practical advice for planning days out and holidays. All the locations mentioned have been reviewed by disabled people.
Contact a Family publishes a booklet, ‘Holidays, play and leisure’. It lists organisations that provide holidays and holiday accommodation for families with disabled children.
Finding fun things to do
Read our blog post about Choosing leisure for children and young people with SEND for lots of tips about how to pick the right leisure activities and how to make them work for your child.
