Chassiron Lighthouse setting example on tourism for all in Charente Maritime

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A hundred tourism professionals got together this week to talk about how they plan to meet the minimum standards required for accessibility from 2015, and the Chassiron Lighthouse on the Ile d'Oleron was held up as a shining example of how to make a tourist attraction accessible to all.

Dominique Abit who runs the popular attraction was on hand to offer an insight into how the lighthouse has been transformed in recent years.  The 46m tall lighthouse (with museum and garden) welcomes around a million visitors a year, with around one in ten opting to climb to the top.

Since the attraction came under the ownership of the commune of Saint-Denis d'Oleron, it has been transformed into an attraction that aims to welcome the largest possible audience.

A diagram of the complex is available to view at the ground floor, which explains how many steps there are and the height of the steps, so that people can make an informed decision on whether to attempt the climb to the top. 

For people with hearing difficulty, a written version of the guided tour is available so that people are still able to follow along.  The museum can be accessed via a lift, and the space is set out all on one level, with wheelchair accessibility in mind. Transparent plexiglass windows are installed at armchair height, and a feedback loop is installed for the hard of hearing.

In the garden, paths have been made wide enough for two wheelchairs to pass, and the edges of the pathways are marked out in white to aid the partially sighted.  Information posts carry information in Braille, whilst interactive terminals offer languages from French to German and English.

The attraction has arranged an adapted guided visit to the gardens in June (Jardins en Fete), where guides will offer sign-language and sensory options.  Finally, another project is underway to install a webcam at the top of the lighthouse so that those unable to make the trip are able to experience it via the website.

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