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Immediate 10 December 2007
Equal Ability CIC, a Wakefield based not-for-profit consultancy, has been working with the InterContinental Hotel Group (IHG) for over two years on their accessibility strategy.
On 29 November 2007 IHG won the Gold Accessible Tourism Award at the Visit London Awards 2007. Equal Ability CIC’s Managing Director, Sue Maynard Campbell MBE, joined Carleigh Chadwick, IHG’s Accessibility Manager UK and Ireland, on stage at IndigO2 to receive the award. It was presented by Deborah Evans, Senior Tourism Development Manager at the London Development Agency.
On 19 February 2007 Sue had joined Christopher Rawstron, IHG’s Vice President Operations UK and Ireland, together with the General Manager of the Holiday Inn Bloomsbury at the Meetings and Incentive Travel Awards Dinner. Holiday Inn London – Bloomsbury won the Gold Award for Best Disabled Facilities, 'Accessibility for All'. The award recognises the outstanding accessibility and exemplary customer service that the hotel team offers to all its guests.
Sue Maynard Campbell, Managing Director of Equal Ability CIC says: “It has been incredible working with IHG who, through their commitment to access, have opened up possibilities for many disabled people that have not previously been there. Prior to their installing hoists in the three London hotels, I had to travel from Wakefield to London and back on the same day as there was nowhere I could stay. Now there are even more possibilities with hoists in hotels in Birmingham and Cardiff.”
Christopher Rawstron, IHG’s Vice President Operations UK and Ireland says: "Equal Ability's involvement with IHG has been pivotal to the recent introduction of transportable ceiling track hoist facilities in a number of Holiday Inn hotels. IHG are the only large hotel chain to provide such specialised facilities across several of its UK hotels, and we feel this has been integral to the recent success of IHG's accessibility strategy."
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Notes for Editors:
1. Photos or more information from Sue Maynard Campbell 07973 615 474
2. Equal Ability CIC is a not-for-profit community interest company, founded in 1992 and based in Wakefield. It is one of the UK’s leading disability focused equality consultancies, undertaking training, research and consultancy for private companies like IHG and CIS (Cooperative Insurance Company) and the public sector including the Department of Health and the Electoral Commission. In addition it works with the Third Sector and undertakes a number of community projects to benefit disabled people specifically, but also the wider community.
Arising out of its work with IHG it has set up CHuC – the Ceiling Hoist users Club – with its website www.CHuC.org.uk providing information on away from home accommodation around the world offering ceiling hoists. Research undertaken for CHuC has confirmed that the UK is the world leader in provision of ceiling hoists in mainstream hotels, with IHG leading the field.
3. InterContinental Hotels Group PLC (IHG) of the United Kingdom is one of the world's largest hotel groups by number of rooms. IHG owns, manages, leases or franchises, through various subsidiaries, over 3,800 hotels and more than 571,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and territories around the world. IHG owns a portfolio of well recognised and respected hotel brands including InterContinental®, Crowne Plaza®, Holiday Inn®, Holiday Inn Express®, Staybridge Suites®, Candlewood Suites® and Hotel Indigo®, and also manages the world's largest hotel loyalty programme, Priority Club® Rewards with over 37 million members worldwide. IHG's portfolio within the UK in September 2007 numbered 244 properties, comprising one InterContinental, 16 Crowne Plaza, 117 Holiday Inn and 110 Express by Holiday Inn hotels.
