Accessibility on a Budget: what we've learned at Shaldon Wildlife Trust

As the zoo which won the 2026 BIAZA Accessibility in Action Award (in partnership with Agility Marketing) Shaldon Wildlife Trust’s Anna Cowen-Hubbard (Education and Experience Keeper) details how small changes on a budget can make a huge impact on visitor experience:

When people talk about improving accessibility, it's easy to think about expensive infrastructure projects or large-scale site redevelopments. While those improvements are important, many of the changes we've made at Shaldon Wildlife Trust have been relatively simple and low-cost.

Recently, we were delighted to win the BIAZA Accessibility in Action Award, supported by Agility Marketing. The award recognised our ongoing work to make our site and experiences more accessible, and the accompanying grant will help us continue developing this area.

Accessibility is something we're continually learning about. However, we hope some of the initiatives we've introduced might offer useful ideas for other collections, particularly those working with limited budgets.

Thinking About Accessibility Before Visitors Arrive

One thing we've found is that accessibility often starts long before someone reaches the entrance gate.

Our partnership with AccessAble provides visitors with detailed information about our site before they visit, helping them decide how to adapt the experience for their needs. Of all the measures we've introduced, this was our largest financial investment. Yet, even this was relatively affordable, costing less than £500 for the initial assessment and inclusion on the AccessAble website for the first year. Ongoing membership is just £60 per year, making it a manageable option even for smaller hubs.

Alongside this, we've created downloadable visual and sensory stories that can be accessed directly from our website. These walk visitors through what they can expect, helping to reduce the anxiety and uncertainty that can come with visiting a new place. We looked at a lot of other businesses' sensory stories to help create ours, and we are more than happy for other zoos to use our templates to help build their own.

Sensory Bags Designed for the Whole Visit

We also offer free sensory bags for visitors to borrow during their stay, which do not require a deposit.

When we first launched the initiative, we created three bags, which was more than enough to meet initial demand. To keep costs down, we used bags already stocked in our gift shop and filled them with several fidget toys we already sold. Our main additional purchases were noise-cancelling headphones from Sensory Direct, chosen because they comfortably fit both children and adults - and a selection of extra sensory items.

The bags proved popular, so over time we decided to make a few improvements. We increased the number available from three to five, largely because our SEN Santa Grotto sessions created additional demand. We also switched to bags that aren't sold in the shop, making them much easier for staff to identify if visitors accidentally start to leave with them at the end of the day.

Crucially, we wanted the bags to work across the whole zoo, including during animal experiences. The items were carefully selected so they can be thoroughly disinfected between uses and are safe to take into animal habitats. If damaged, they won't break into small pieces or contain materials that could pose a risk to the animals (such as slime squishies).

Helping Visitors Prepare for Different Environments

To help visitors prepare for sensory changes, we've introduced simple signage around the site highlighting areas where environments shift suddenly. These include:

• "Headphone Zones" to indicate noisier areas or vocal animals.
• Pre-warnings about warmer indoor areas.
• Lighting alerts for the fluorescent bulbs in our frog room and the darker environment inside our nocturnal house.

The signs themselves are simple, but they allow visitors to make informed choices and prepare for what they're about to encounter.

Using the Same Principles During Events

Many accessibility measures can be easily adapted for special events.

For our Christmas grotto, we introduced SEN sessions that take place before the busier slots begin. Families receive a visual story beforehand, communication cards are available during the visit, flashing lights are switched off, and Santa adjusts his delivery to create a calmer environment. These small changes make the experience accessible to families who might otherwise find a traditional grotto overwhelming.

Training Might Be Cheaper Than You Expect

Like many zoos, we explored whether guide dogs could visit our site. Unfortunately, due to the close proximity of some of our pathways to animal habitats, it wasn't a viable option from an animal welfare perspective.

Rather than seeing this as the end of the conversation, we looked at alternative ways to support visitors with visual impairments. This led us to undertake Sighted Guide Training with the charity Guide Dogs, giving our staff and volunteers the skills and confidence to guide visitors safely around the zoo.

Now, if a visitor arrives with a guide dog, we can offer to have the dog stay in the gift shop with one of our volunteers while the visitor receives a guided tour of the site. This allows everyone to experience the zoo in a way that works for them, our animals, and the service dogs.

You might expect specialist training like this to come with a significant price tag, but Guide Dogs offer this training free of charge. They simply ask for something in exchange, such as complimentary zoo admission for their trainers. Since completing it, we have been able to provide vital sighted guide support for visitors who may otherwise have found it difficult to navigate the site independently. It is a fantastic example of how accessibility solutions don't always need to involve large budgets.

Small Changes Add Up

If we've learned anything, it's that accessibility improvements don't have to be expensive to be effective.

Many of the initiatives we've introduced have been relatively small on their own. However, together they make a visit feel far more welcoming and easier to navigate. Every site is different, but for anyone wondering where to start, small, practical changes can often make a much bigger difference than you might expect.

- Anna Cowen-Hubbard, Education and Experience Keeper, Shaldon Wildlife Trust

The Accessibility in Action Award was kindly sponsored by Agility Marketing.

All blogs reflect the views of their author and are not necessarily a reflection of BIAZA's positions