Ascott launches playbook to drive disability inclusion in accommodation sector
It is structured around inclusive hiring, digital interfaces and programmes, among others
[SINGAPORE] Hospitality company The Ascott – the lodging business unit of CapitaLand – on Friday (Nov 14) launched its Disability Inclusion Playbook for the accommodation sector.
The playbook was developed in collaboration with disability services and support organisation SG Enable, the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance and non-profit The Valuable 500, with input from disability inclusion experts from Colorful Earth.
It is publicly available and offers guidance on how to address the diverse needs of travellers with disabilities.
At its launch event on Friday at Citadines Science Park Singapore, Senior Parliamentary Secretary Eric Chua from the Ministry of Social and Family Development and Ministry of Law said the playbook “sets a new benchmark for the hospitality industry”.
It is structured around five pillars: inclusive training, physical spaces, hiring, digital interfaces and programmes.
Lee May Gee, chief executive of SG Enable, said: “(The playbook) offers actionable steps, case examples and design principles that make inclusion both achievable and sustainable.”
Topics discussed include governance and strategy, barrier-free infrastructure, accessible programmes and job redesign for employees with disabilities.
A practical guide
In an interview with The Business Times, Beh Siew Kim, chief financial and sustainability officer of lodging at CapitaLand Investment, said it serves as a “comprehensive, holistic and practical guide” for hospitality players in the accommodation sector.
For example, it looks at ways to configure rooms and walkways at properties, training programmes for associates, and how to make digital interfaces more accessible.
Beh and her team started to develop this playbook after realising that they could not find any comprehensive resources in the sector that catered for disability inclusion.
“Therefore, we felt that there was a need to create this resource so that people can use it and adopt it very quickly,” she said.
Lee added: “Many employers also remain uncertain about how to implement reasonable workplace adjustments, redesign job scopes, or tap the right training and support.
“Although the sector is generally positive about inclusion, capability and confidence gaps persist, and more can be done to embed inclusive principles into daily operations, service design and customer experience.”
The development process involved an assessment and comprehensive gap analysis, workshops with stakeholders, and integrating feedback into the content.
Beh emphasised the importance of disability inclusion from booking the trip to checking in at the accommodation to departure. This may involve having larger fonts on the website and ensuring accessible rooms are equipped with grab bars.
Lee said: “As populations age and affluence rises, the silver tourism dollar is growing, and travellers are increasingly prioritising destinations that are accessible, welcoming and inclusive.”
Besides making changes at the properties to be more inclusive, Beh also noted that staff working in hotels, serviced residences and co-living spaces should be trained in how to engage with guests with disabilities.
“Hospitality, after all, is about welcoming your guests, and it must be guests of all types,” she said.
Ascott currently operates more than 1,000 properties in 230 cities globally.
Ascott’s disability inclusion efforts
The development of the playbook follows the memorandum of understanding signed last year between Ascott and SG Enable to push for disability inclusion.
On Friday, Ascott also announced a new set of disability inclusion commitments. From 2026, at least one Ascott property in every market it operates in will host a community programme dedicated to disability inclusion.
By 2027, all of Ascott’s front-line associates will have to complete disability awareness training. At the Ascott Centre for Excellence, the company regularly runs training programmes for hospitality professionals.
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