29% of parents of children with special needs felt unwelcome and 42% were made to feel uncomfortable on visits

Britain’s heritage attractions are not as inclusive as they should be, according to a damning survey.

The research found that more than a quarter of parents of children with special needs (29%) have felt unwelcome at a museum, gallery, theatre, stately home or castle, even to the point of being asked to leave. Only 13% of parents of children without special needs had similar experiences.

The survey, conducted by Censuswide, was commissioned by specialist heritage insurer Ecclesiastical. Of 2,000 parents with children under the age of 16 who took part, 11% said they have a child with special needs.

The research also revealed that more than two-fifths of parents with special needs children reported that staff or visitors were unfriendly or made them feel uncomfortable (42%), compared with just one in five parents of children who do not have special needs (22%).

Stately homes came in for particular criticism, with half (49%) of parents with special needs children saying they are not doing enough to cater for them. This was followed by art galleries (46%) and castles (39%).

Nearly half of interviewees wanted heritage organisations to offer specific “quiet or loud times” or designated areas for children with special needs.

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Vicki Buchalik, the founder of Hard Days Out – Made Easy, an online community that reviews days out for those with additional needs, said the findings reflect some of her own experiences as the mother of an eight-year-old child with autism.

She said: “There are nearly 2 million children in the UK who have a disability. Disability is touching many people within our society. People who are then getting excluded from heritage sites are unable to go because of the lack of appropriate support and services to make their day successful. Many of these organisations are only starting to address these issues by making reasonable adjustments and I feel that some venues could do more.”

She called for greater awareness among staff, as well as the public. She applauded institutions such as the Natural History Museum, which recently staged a session called “Dawnosaurs” for children on the autism spectrum before public opening hours: “But I’ve looked on social media and they haven’t explained how successful it was. So, the ones that are doing good things aren’t shouting about it enough. Others need to do more.”

Part of the problem, she added, is was that disabilities such as autism, attention deficit disorder and dyspraxia are invisible: “In a queue, a child may get distressed and have a meltdown. The general public might see that as someone who’s having a tantrum. Many parents face the looks, the stares, the inappropriate comments from staff or the public … I’ve known of people made to feel very uncomfortable.”

Buchalik believes heritage venues could perhaps learn from Gatwick airport and other companies that use a “sunflower lanyard”, alerting staff to a hidden disability that may need extra support.

In its report, Ecclesiastical acknowledges the many heritage organisations that are addressing such challenges. Among them, the London Transport Museum, which opens outside regular hours on certain days to enable those with autism to come at a quieter time and with many of the gallery sounds turned off, and the National Children’s Museum in Yorkshire, which enables those with sensory impairments to enjoy interactive exhibits which they can smell and touch.

Faith Kitchen, the heritage director at Ecclesiastical, said: “As a leading insurer of heritage buildings, we’re passionate about history and culture in the UK. It’s sad to hear that some families feel unwelcome.”

Ross Calladine of tourist board VisitEngland said: “Heritage attractions up and down the country are working hard to improve their welcome for people with a range of accessibility requirements. The UK tourism industry has demonstrated its commitment to accessibility in the tourism sector deal, pledging to make the UK the most accessible tourism destination in Europe by 2025.”