Accessibility Award 2013

Each year, the Foundation awards an award to individuals or companies that have shown a special interest in people with disabilities. The DKK 100,000 prize is donated by Scandic to Danish Disability Organisations for their work to ensure that people with disabilities have the same opportunities in society as non-disabled people. For the right to equal opportunity.

Scandic has been working with accessibility issues since 2003 and has won a number of awards and honors over the years for its outstanding accessibility work. Scandic's management and the Group's employees have made accessibility a strategic issue and through physical measures ensured that, despite a disability, you can both attend events, stay overnight and otherwise use the facilities of the hotels on an equal basis with other Scandic guests.- It is a fantastic positive that Scandic Denmark receives this award from the Bevica Foundation as proof that it pays off with the work that Scandic does in this particular area. We are constantly working with accessibility issues and are proud to see that bookings from guests with disabilities are increasing,” says Magnus Berglund, Accessibility Director for Scandic.

The Bevica Foundation was impressed by how Scandic within the hotel industry has shown not only an understanding of the importance of accessibility for people with disabilities, but also put action behind the words, such as hiring an accessibility director, drawing up a standard that applies to all hotels and training all employees in accessibility, as something completely unique, says Torben Svanberg, Chairman of the Board of Bevica Fonden. - I am incredibly honoured that Scandic in Denmark receives the Bevica Foundation's Accessibility Award 2013, which underlines our high prioritising targeted work with accessibility. 70% of all disabilities are invisible, over 2.5 million people in Scandinavia are disabled and over 50 million people in Europe are disabled.

That is why it is very important to us that our guests with disabilities can travel without worries and that we always make sure that we are up to date with the varying needs of our guests. It should be easy to be a guest with us, which is why we do our best to be considerate and meet special needs and requirements,” says Jens Mathiesen, CEO, Scandic Denmark.

SCANDIC

When you choose to stay at Scandic, you must be offered the same high Scandic standard, regardless of whether you have a disability or not. That is why Scandic, in collaboration with organisations for people with special needs, hotel guests and employees, has drawn up a checklist of 110 points, which is colloquially referred to as the Scandic Accessibility Standard. The standard includes everything Scandic offers and is an integral part of all products and services at the hotels. Scandic has also implemented a smart design in the rooms so that they are accessible to people with disabilities.

Scandic is the first hotel chain in the world to offer detailed disability information on each hotel's website. We have followed the guest's path through the hotel, from the car park and entrance, reception and restaurant to the elevator, stairs and disabled rooms. The availability information is available at all 160 hotels on the web. Read more at Scandic Hotels website