On May the 1st 2025, I had the privilege of being the keynote speaker at the Blue Badge Access Awards - an evening dedicated to recognising excellence in accessible hospitality, inclusive design and universal design innovation. From heritage venues to boutique hotels, this year’s winners reminded us that accessibility is not a constraint. It is a creative opportunity.

But what made the night unforgettable was not just the stunning locations or clever adaptations. It was the people.

One attendee had flown all the way from Japan to be part of the celebration. In one of the evening’s most heart-warming moments, we discovered it was his birthday. Without hesitation, the entire room - designers, architects, hotel managers, access advocates spontaneously joined together to sing Happy Birthday. It was a moment of pure belonging. And that is what access is really about. Not just letting people in, but making them feel welcome, valued and celebrated.

In my speech, I spoke about neuroinclusive design - something we still do not talk about enough in the world of accessible hospitality. Step-free access, lifts and adapted toilets are essential. But they only address part of the experience.

For many autistic people, as well as those with ADHD, sensory sensitivities or anxiety, the barriers are often invisible. Poor signage. Loud, unpredictable environments. No quiet space to decompress. Complex booking systems. These things might seem small, but they can make a venue technically accessible and yet practically unusable.

Sometimes the most inaccessible part of a space is not the door. It is the feeling that you do not belong inside.

At Seats at the Table, we specialise in helping businesses design for every mind, not just every body. Through neuroinclusive universal design, we support venues and organisations to create spaces that feel welcoming and intuitive, from the moment someone considers visiting to the time they leave.

We work with clients across hospitality, retail and public spaces to:

• Design autism-friendly environments and sensory-considerate spaces

• Offer inclusive design consultancy and training

• Create accessible customer journeys through simplified communication and choice

• Conduct environmental audits to identify hidden barriers

These are not niche services. One in seven people in the UK is neurodivergent. One in six adults experiences anxiety every week. And together, disabled people and their families represent a spending power of 274 billion pounds - the Purple Pound. Making your business more accessible is not just the right thing to do. It makes good business sense.

This year’s winners are a masterclass in inclusive thinking - not just meeting the standards, but raising them.

• Best Bar: Oriole, Covent Garden - for combining stylish speakeasy charm with genuine physical and sensory accessibility

• Best Restaurant: Time Spirit, Macallan Estate, Scotland - for thoughtful accessible design in a breath-taking setting

• Best Boutique Hotel: Novotel Paddington Village, Liverpool - for integrating a ceiling hoist from bed to bathroom in a stylish, non-clinical way

• Best Luxury Hotel: Titanic Hotel, Belfast - where elegance and access work hand in hand

• Best Accessible Day Out (joint winners): Frameless, London and Brentford FC - both offering immersive, joyful and sensory-considerate experiences

• Best Historic Venue: Blenheim Palace - recognised again for making a Grade I listed building truly welcoming

• Best Accessible Toilet: Rick Stein, Padstow - a beautiful, well-considered space

• Best LGBTQIA+ Venue: Queer Britain, The National LGBTQIA+ Museum - for accessibility in a listed building with style and substance

• Best International Venue: Naniwa Issui, Matsui, Japan - making traditional onsen bathing inclusive

• Access Champion of the Year: Euan MacDonald, Euan’s Guide (posthumous) - for a lifetime of leadership in accessible information

• Highly Commended Champions: Renata Paranyi at Aloft Hotel and Simon Minty for advocacy in media

• Media Access Champion: Sophie Morgan - for her work on Rights on Flights and her long-standing advocacy

These venues and individuals are not ticking boxes. They are building trust. They are building loyalty. They are creating spaces where people know they will be seen and supported.

So here is my invitation to anyone designing or managing a space.

Ask yourself - who is missing from the room?
And then do something about it.

Real access is not just structural. It is emotional, sensory and cultural. It is not just about removing barriers. It is about creating belonging.

Policies help. Lifts matter. But inclusion is not a checklist. It is a commitment. It is a culture.

And when we design with that in mind, we do not just change the space.
We change how people feel in it.
We change what becomes possible.

That is what the future of hospitality should feel like.
And that is what the Blue Badge Access Awards remind us every year.