Cheshire Farm Ice Cream and Tea Rooms
The needs of disabled visitors has been carefully considered at the Cheshire Farm Ice Cream and Tea Rooms and, as a result, the farm now has a large number of regular disabled customers.
Friendly and helpful staff are extremely willing to help any customers who need extra support or assistance. For example, the menu can easily be adjusted for different dietary requirements and staff are happy to read the menu to visitors with visual impairments or people with a learning disability. As Sales Manager, Sally Poulter, points out: “Meeting the needs of disabled customers doesn’t have to cost a fortune and providing good customer service doesn’t cost a thing.”
The emphasis on inexpensive adjustments is evident in the tea rooms and the ice cream parlour where large print menus are available. The labels for the different ice cream flavours are also written in larger print to give everyone an opportunity to read them clearly and easily. The furniture in the tea rooms can easily be moved to create sufficient space for people who use a wheelchair.
Straws can be provided for disabled people in the café. This is a simple adjustment that benefits people with a coordination impairment, such as cerebral palsy.
For visitors with mobility impairments the farm has made a number of adjustments to ensure they enjoy the same experience as non-disabled visitors. Ramps have been added to the entrance of the ice cream parlour and the tea rooms as well as up to the milking viewing area. A low window has also been fitted to ensure people with mobility impairments can easily see into the viewing area. This small adjustment has made a significant difference to disabled visitors, particularly the school groups that visit regularly.