Posted on Wednesday 26th April, 2017

The Eden Project has been named the country’s
best visitor attraction for inclusivity at the VisitEngland Awards for
Excellence.
It won the category for Inclusive Tourism at a
prestigious ceremony held at the Waldorf Hilton Hotel in central London this
week (April 24).
Now in their 28th year, the VisitEngland
awards attracted a record 600 applicants across 22 categories this year and
competition was particularly fierce.
Eden was competing for the Inclusive Tourism
award with two other finalists – the Victoria & Albert Museum in London and
The Deep aquarium in Yorkshire.
Gordon Seabright, Eden’s Managing Director, said:
“We are so proud to win this national award for all the work we do on
inclusivity to enable everyone to visit Eden.
“One of our most exciting recent developments is
our fully-accessible Cloud Bridge in the Rainforest Biome where all our
visitors can experience travelling through swirling rainclouds.
“We want to pay tribute to our whole team who
have worked so hard in making Eden a special place for everyone.”
VisitEngland Chief Executive Sally Balcombe said:
“The Awards shine a spotlight on an industry driven by the highest-calibre
people and organisations who deliver unforgettable experiences for visitors,
raising the profile of England as a world-class destination and driving the
economic benefits of tourism across the regions.”
Eden runs a number of accessibility schemes for
visitors from providing
easy access into what was once an old clay mine, to enabling visitors to view
the treetops of the largest rainforest in captivity.
There
are accessible parking spaces and
toilets, free entry for personal assistants, manual and powered wheelchairs
available for free and information provided in large print, Braille and audio
formats.
During the
Eden Sessions there is a relaxed viewing area where people with additional
needs can watch concerts in a less crowded area away from the arena.
Over the past decade Eden has worked closely with the Sensory Trust to ensure
it is as accessible and engaging as possible for all staff and visitors. This
has included access reviews, equality and diversity training, inclusive design
advice, accessible information, sensory design and creative community
engagement.
For more details on Eden go to http://www.edenproject.com
Picture caption: From left: Eden’s Operations Manager Dave
Folland, Managing Director Gordon Seabright and Visitor Experience Manager Jude
Thorn with the VisitEngland Award for Excellence in Inclusive Tourism at the
fully-accessible Cloud Bridge in the Rainforest Biome.