A unique new guide, designed to empower thousands of disabled residents to get out and do what they want to do, has been launched in East Lothian. The DisabledGo guide, which was put together thanks to sponsorship from East Lothian Community Planning Partnership, will open up this area to residents and visitors.

DisabledGo and East Lothian Council have worked with hundreds of shops, pubs, restaurants, theatres and other public venues so that DisabledGo East Lothian can provide access details for a huge number of goods and service providers. This information can make a huge difference for people with hearing, vision or mobility related access concerns. The guide may also be useful for older people and those with pushchairs.

By logging on to www.DisabledGo.info people can check, for example, whether a pub is accessible to a wheelchair user, whether a cinema can offer a hearing loop, whether a hotel offers adapted rooms, and whether a restaurant offers menus in large print or Braille.

The guide will also enable East Lothian's business and service providers to contact the huge number of customers who have access concerns. According to government figures there are 11 million disabled people in the UK with an annual spending power of £80 billion. This guide will help local businesses to reach new customers among East Lothian's residents and visitors.

Commenting in advance of the launch the founder of DisabledGo, wheelchair user Dr. Gregory Burke said:

'The constant need to write or telephone to enquire about access really affects people's confidence to get out and do what they want to do. Never knowing whether a building will be accessible or whether staff will have a helpful attitude makes you think twice before going out. DisabledGo ends that uncertainty by providing detailed access information and enabling people to judge for themselves whether a shop, restaurant or theatre is accessible for their own requirements.

'Disabled people are no small minority. One in six of the UK population is disabled and disabled people have an annual spend of £80 billion. Those are numbers that any business or service provider should take seriously. I'm immensely grateful to East Lothian Council for the support they have given us, and I hope that this guide will open up all that East Lothian has to offer to everyone.'

East Lothian Council Chief Executive Alan Blackie added:

'We are very pleased to have been able to work with Disabled Go on the East Lothian guide. I'm sure that it will make a positive difference to a wide range of people, both people who live here and visitors. I also hope that the guide will grow as more and more of us think about how we can make our shops, offices and leisure facilities even more accessible and welcoming.'