The UK’s Most Accessible Cities Index

We wanted to find out where in the UK the most accessible cities are. By putting together an index, we were able to put together a comprehensive map and results backed in data.

When we define accessibility, we mean that people with mobility issues or disabilities aren’t excluded from activities. We understand that accessibility can be far more reaching than this, but for our research below, we’ve looked at accessibility as something defined by how easy or difficult it is for people to visit restaurants, attractions, toilets, accommodation and parking if they, for example, used a mobility scooter or wheelchair. We believe at CareCo that accessibility should be available for all and our full methodology of how we put this research together is available further down the page.

We’ve researched data to find out where the UK’s most accessible cities are. We found that St Davids in Wales is the most accessible city based on an index which looked at a variety of metrics which was then given proportionate representation.

Using the data, we’ve created maps of the most accessible and least accessible cities in the UK. We have been as accurate as possible with the data and used a fair scoring system to gain these results, with the methodology below.

Methodology

We took each UK city and worked out the population of each then assigning it a percentage score.

We then used this to give a proportionate representation of each city.

For the overall score for each city, we combined the number of accessible toilets, accessible accommodation, accessible attractions, accessible restaurants, and accessible parking, dividing this by population percentages.

This gave us our overall scorecard in a fair manner. St Davids is the smallest city in Britain, which can’t be ignored, but it also indexed high on accessible restaurants, parking, accommodation and attractions in comparison to other cities.

Although every care has been taken to ensure that the data is accurate (11.10.2024), due to the nature of using crowd sourced maps and data sources that are subject to change, the results provided as accurate as possible at time of research.

Our research also meant we discovered other data points including the most accessible restaurants, parking, accommodation, toilets and attractions.

Although we applied a fair population metric, we have removed London from accessible restaurants, parking, accommodation and toilet facilities because it felt saturated due to density.

London

Our research showed that London is ahead of most of the country when it comes to accessibility in certain fields. London topped the charts for restaurants, parking, accommodation and even toilet facilities.

We also have taken into consideration that London is a highly densely populated area of the UK, but our study also shows that it is, regardless of density, London is a huge leader in accessibility.

According to our research 4886 restaurants in London are wheelchair accessible, that works out as a new one every day for over 13 years.

It’s positive to see the UK capital leading the way, and it sets a benchmark for the rest of the country. However, even when we account for a population of around 8.9 million people living in London (which is 15% more dense than the rest of the UK) according to Trust for London, there is still significant access for people with mobility needs.

Whilst our research shows the UK can be proud of how accessible we are as a country, there are always going to be steps to take to improve accessibility and London is a great example of where all UK cities should aim to be.

St Davids

St Davids in Wales has a range of accessible attractions, and for a small population, they have strong accessibility options.

St Davids Cathedral offers options to park on-site for drivers with disabilities when pre-booked, or to be dropped off at the South Porch if arranged in advance.

They have loop systems installed, toilets suitable for disabled visitors, disabled parking and the option to accommodate any further accessibility requirements by ringing ahead.

Oriel y Parc is another attraction which is across one level with lift access to access the gallery and tower and has mobility scooters and wheelchairs available.

Inverness

One of the most accessible cities in Scotland according to our data, Inverness has a range of accessible options and has some of the best accessible accommodation options outside of London.

Ness Walk is rated by Booking.com as one of the best accessible hotels in Inverness offering 3 accessible rooms, 1 one on the ground floor with level access and others step-free with accessible bathrooms.

Their restaurant is also on the ground floor with level access. Eden court is also great for entertainment and offers a cinema with level access and seating.

Chichester

According to our data, Chichester came out as one of the most accessible cities in England overall.

There is a good range of accessible hotels available, and Chichester festival Theatre, a popular theatre, prides itself on accessibility by offering relaxed and dementia friendly performances alongside wheelchair access and loop system at all performances.

They also offer an access list membership, open to anyone with a disability.

Ely

Ely offers a range of accessibility and prides itself on accessibility. With a Cathedral that is often noted as having excellent disabled access from traveller reviews, and a strong range of accessible hotels, Ely is often cited as one of the most accessible cities, so it’s no surprise to see it here in our research.

Ely also has Dial-a-Ride services which use accessible minibuses, which have a membership fee and needs booking in advance.

York

York offers central hotels with excellent accessibility options for those who wish to stay, and a range of museums and attractions in which are accessibility friendly.

The minster prides itself of being accessible, and most of the building is accessible by wheelchair or mobility scooter.

The National Railway Museum in York also offers many accessible features on-site including ear defenders, hearing loops, large-print maps, and mobility scooters to hire.

Alongside this staff are trained in dementia awareness, deaf awareness, neurodiversity and disability equality.

The cities with the most accessible restaurants outside of London:

1. Glasgow
2. Edinburgh
3. Manchester
4. Birmingham
5. Leeds
6. Liverpool
7. Sheffield
8. Bristol
9. Brighton & Hove
10. Newcastle-upon-Tyne

Glasgow came first in our research of accessible restaurants outside of London, followed closely by Edinburgh and Manchester.

Most of the cities for restaurants mentioned are major cities which paints a positive picture of the foodie landscape, and it’s good to see the restaurant world embracing accessibility.

The cities with the most accessible parking outside of London:

1. Glasgow
2. Brighton & Hove
3. Edinburgh
4. Bristol
5. Nottingham
6. Southampton
7. Birmingham
8. Manchester
9. Plymouth
10. Portsmouth

Glasgow again ranks highly being known as the city with the most accessible parking outside of London.

There has been improvements in parking for people with mobility across the country, but it’s positive to see that more and more people are being catered for.

Parking can be difficult enough for people with mobility issues, so it’s good to see that cities are catering for people who may have mobility needs.

The cities with the best accessible accommodation outside London:

1. Edinburgh
2. Liverpool
3. Birmingham
4. Manchester
5. Inverness
6. York
7. Aberdeen
8. Belfast
9. Cardiff
10. Brighton & Hove

Edinburgh came out top as the city with the best accessible accommodation outside of London. A popular tourist destination, it is great to see that Edinburgh, which is a busy city, offers some of the best options for accessible accommodation outside of London.

With a range of hotels that offer accessible rooms and access, Edinburgh, often cited as one of the coolest cities, it’s great to see that it’s open for everyone, and even through bustling streets, there are many accessible accommodations available.

The cities with the most accessible toilets outside London:

1. Bristol
2. Belfast
3. Edinburgh
4. Coventry
5. Stoke on Trent
6. Salisbury
7. Chichester
8. Worcester
9. Wolverhampton
10. Carlisle

Toilets can often be one of the most important things to look at when it comes to travelling outside your home, especially if visiting a new city.

According to our research, Bristol came top of the list when it comes to accessible toilets outside of London. There are radar schemes in place across the country, but it’s positive to see such a range of different cities in this list.

The cities with the most accessible attractions:

1. St Albans
2. London
3. Nottingham
4. Derby
5. Lichfield
6. Leicester
7. Sunderland
8. Milton Keynes
9. Durham
10. Wakefield

St Albans tops our list of cities with the most accessible attractions, whether it’s St Albans Museum who believe that removing barriers for accessibility benefits everyone, or St Albans Cathedral who offer step free entrances, and lifts to higher floors and volunteers who will supply ramps for those who can’t use stairs. There’s a loop installed and large print brochures available too.

Overall, our research paints a positive picture of accessibility in the UK, and how we are only improving as a nation at becoming more welcoming and making sure that everyone has accessibility options.

Whilst it’s a positive picture, here at CareCo, we also want to make sure that accessibility is for all.

Accessibility in public places is crucial, but it’s also important to make sure your own home is accessible for you too.

We’ve also put together some top tips which are available here about accessibility in your own home.

The raw data set for this project can be found here.