Hong Kong equality watchdog urges better wheelchair access, services for disabled diners in first practical catering sector guidelines
- Equal Opportunities Commission releases first practical guide for catering industry to help restaurants serve diners who are disabled or have other mobility issues
- Best practices include installing ramps and automatic doors, widening passageways and using adjustable tables, according to non-enforceable guidelines
Hong Kong’s equality watchdog has called on restaurants to install ramps and automatic doors, widen passageways and use adjustable tables in its first practical guide for the catering industry.
The guide, launched by the Equal Opportunities Commission on Monday, outlines best practices for restaurants to serve diners who are disabled or have other mobility issues. Its recommendations were based on the typical client experience from entering a restaurant through to placing orders and eating, the commission said.
Ricky Chu Man-kin, who chairs the commission, said the public was mainly focused on providing transport solutions for people with disabilities.
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“In contrast, little attention has been paid to the accessibility of goods, services and facilities provided by restaurants. Therefore, the commission has launched the guide to enhance the public’s understanding of the needs of people with disabilities in restaurants and dining facilities.”
An industry leader said the non-legally binding “Practical Guide on Universal Design for Catering Services” would serve as a good reference for restaurants, but questioned the feasibility of some suggestions.
According to the watchdog, the city is home to about 534,200 people with disabilities and 1.45 million elderly residents, who respectively account for 7.1 per cent and 20 per cent of the population.
It said a study by a rehabilitation organisation showed more than 70 per cent of surveyed restaurants failed to comply with requirements for enabling patrons with disabilities to access dining services, potentially contravening the Disability Discrimination Ordinance.
Common problems included wheelchair-inaccessible entrances, narrow aisles, fixed seats that were unfriendly to wheelchair users and dark lighting that affected visually impaired diners, the watchdog said.
Doris Tsui Ue-ting, head of the commission, said it had received about 130 complaint cases related to both premises access and management.
“If [diners] can’t go into the restaurant, how can they complain more about what’s inside and all the facilities? That’s the major barrier, for most of the wheelchair users in particular,” she said.
Based on a 2008 design manual, the guide includes a host of practices for restaurants to follow, such as replacing regular doors with automatic ones, installing ramps instead of stairs, placing movable tables and seats near main passageways, as well as ensuring such areas are wide enough.
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Dr Ferrick Chu Chung-man, executive director of the watchdog, said the guide followed the principles of universal design, which focused on accessible features that did not necessarily lead to complicated renovations or high-cost modifications.
“Unlike barrier-free design, which involves removing or replacing physical barriers through retrofitting and modification, the concept of universal design focuses on creating products, services and environmental designs that require no adaptation or modification, allowing everyone regardless of age, ability or disability, to use them,” Chu said.
The commission said it would hold a seminar for the catering industry following the release of the guide to explain further the importance of making restaurants more accessible.
It also plans to launch a universal design awards scheme at the beginning of next year, which aims to recognise organisations with outstanding contributions to an accessible built environment.
“As Hong Kong is facing a rapidly ageing population, the commission hopes to further promote the concept of universal design so that we can build an accessible and barrier-free society,” Chu said.
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Simon Wong Kit-lung, chairman of the Institution of Dining Art, said the city’s 18,000 restaurants had put in place inclusive measures, which were part of their licensing requirements.
“So overall, Hong Kong’s situation is not that far behind, even internationally,” he said.
Wong said the non-legally binding guidelines could serve as a good reference for restaurants. But certain suggestions were unheard of overseas, he said, pointing to height-adjustable tables.
“I have not seen this in Hong Kong or other developed cities, I think this is very rare,” he said.
“I think what it’s saying is that not all tables have to be height-adjustable in a restaurant – that would be very difficult to put to practice.”
He said he believed restaurants that had the means could consider installing one or two such tables to attract wheelchair users.
