Where to eat, where to stay and what to see

Visiting a new town or city with a host of interesting shops and attractions should be an exciting experience. But for people with disabilities, it can prove daunting if they don't have details of facilities most tourists take for granted.

Where, for example, can you order a taxi for wheelchair-users or find a guest house with fire alarm provision for deaf people? Where can you find public toilets operating the RADAR keyholder scheme, and which shops and tourist attractions have suitable lifts, ramps and displays?

Why a guide?

The historic nature of Portsmouth provides particular problems because of its old buildings but all these questions and many more are answered in this guide, a major new directory of facilities in the city compiled for people with disabilities by a team of people with disabilities.

This major initiative by Portsmouth City Council's Department of Economic Development and Tourism, working closely with volunteers from the city's Disability Forum, takes in attractions, accommodation, shopping and leisure. Every site was visited by a team of volunteers, with a range of different disabilities, to ensure every aspect of the service offered could be assessed as thoroughly as possible.

Vera Rose, who helped to compile the guide and is herself visually impaired, thinks Accessible Portsmouth is a great idea. She said: 'I have never come across a guide like this. It's a great idea and I'm 100 per cent behind Portsmouth for producing it.'