Shelley Cowan knows all too well the challenges that come with trying to find accessible accommodation in Northern Ireland. After spending more than a decade as a wheelchair user due to severe ME and complex health needs, she experienced first-hand the difficulties of navigating the hospitality sector when mobility is restricted.
With support from the now-completed Northern Ireland Explore Enterprise Support Service , Shelley turned her experiences and academic research into a business. She launched Access Avenue, a consultancy aimed at improving accessibility across the hospitality industry. The company supports hotels and accommodation providers to make practical changes that allow people with disabilities to travel, stay, and participate more fully in everyday life.
Shelley, who lives in Enniskillen, took part in the Explore Enterprise Support Service in 2024 through the Fermanagh Enterprise. The programme was delivered by Enterprise Northern Ireland in partnership with The King’s Trust NI, and received 1.8m funding through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. It offered tailored support for people who were economically inactive, helping them to explore employment or self-employment through mentoring, skills development, and business guidance.
Speaking about her background, Shelley explained that her decision to start Access Avenue was rooted in both lived experience and academic research. “It’s a combination of nearly 30 years lived experience as a disabled person who required a wheelchair and dire statistics following a Masters degree. I felt major changes are needed in society to help those with mobility issues, particularly within the hospitality industry.”
The issue, according to Shelley, is more widespread than many realise. Her own research revealed that there are only 17 fully accessible hotels in the UK, and none in Northern Ireland. “There are more pet-friendly hotels than fully accessible ones,” she said. “The majority of rooms were not spacious enough to manoeuvre and use the equipment safely.”
She added, “Guests with disabilities want fair, equal service and prices comparable to other guests. We want to enjoy hotels as much as anyone else.”
Shelley came across the Explore Enterprise service on social media and was drawn in by the promise of mentorship and guidance. At the time, she was searching for someone to help point her in the right direction for her business idea, which she acknowledged was operating in a unique area.
“I was needing someone to point me in the right direction as the area of work I’m involved in is quite unique,” she explained.
As part of the service , Shelley engaged in one-to-one meetings with business mentors to shape and refine her plans. She said, “I had one to one meetings with mentors for business advice and direction. We discussed my business plan at length and I was guided to funding opportunities.”
She also attended a number of in-person and online workshops, something she hadn’t expected to be such a central part of the experience. “The service is beneficial to all businesses as all topics are discussed,” she said. “I did not realise how many workshops were available.”
The skills Shelley developed through the service covered a wide range of business areas, including social media and digital content. “Business development skills, social media tips and search engine optimisation and creating high-quality, relevant content,” she said, listing what she had gained.
Shelley had never been in formal employment due to her disability. Her entrepreneurial journey aligned directly with the aims of the Explore Enterprise Service , which was designed to support people into economic activity through enterprise.
Since launching Access Avenue in 2024, she has developed an industry-focused initiative called #AccommodationForAll, backed by a hotel accessibility grading classification system. This system provides a framework for hospitality venues to understand and improve their accessibility features. It takes into account the needs of guests who use mobility aids or require specialist equipment.
She said, “I started my business Access Avenue last June and I’m developing a web app.”
The idea is simple. By working directly with hospitality venues to assess their properties, Shelley can recommend practical, often low-cost changes that would make a significant difference for guests with disabilities. In turn, venues can tap into what is known as the “purple pound,” referring to the spending power of disabled people and their households. This is currently estimated at £274 billion annually in the UK, with £12 billion of that attributed to accessible tourism.
“There is a misconception that disabled people don’t go on holidays and this is not true,” she said. “People with mobility issues tend to be loyal customers if the product is right. They also bring carers with them, so you get extra guests. They are also able to stay midweek and off season. One hotel that went fully accessible last year made an extra £217,000 revenue in their first quarter of trading after the changes were made.”
Access Avenue’s customer base includes hotels and hospitality venues across the UK and Ireland. Shelley’s ambition is to grow the business and roll out a recognised industry standard for accessible accommodation.
“This is a vast market both north and south of the border and relates to accommodation and hospitality venues no matter the size,” she said.
As well as supporting hotels, Shelley is committed to wider societal change. She is the founder of JustUs, a not-for-profit organisation that provides activities and events for adults with disabilities in rural areas, aiming to prevent social isolation.
Shelley sees her business and campaigning work as part of a larger mission. “Access Avenue inspires others with disabilities to be included in society,” she said. “I want to empower others to have equal opportunities and experiences in life.”
With a clear growth plan, strong personal motivation, and a timely business proposition, Shelley credits the Explore Enterprise Support Service with providing the tools and guidance she needed to turn her vision into a functioning enterprise.
“The amount of advice and services that were offered was incredible and if there was ever a question they didn’t know the answer to, they found someone who did,” she said.
Her advice to others thinking about starting their own business is clear. “If you’ve got that feeling in your gut, don’t ignore it because you don’t need all the answers to start, you just need to take the first step. The help from the Explore Enterprise Support Service is fantastic and there’s someone there who wants to see you succeed.”
To find out more about Enterprise Northern Ireland and its programmes, visit www.enterpriseni.com.
Treat the family to Armagh City Hotel’s two-night family package for £420 per family. This package includes a stay in their comfy family room, full Irish breakfast, £50 hotel dining credit and a family pass to either Armagh Observatory & Planetarium or Armagh Navan Centre & Fort. Offer valid on selected dates until 31 August 2025. Visit www.armaghcityhotel.com for more information.
Celebrate summer with a relaxing overnight escape at Newforge House. Starting from £170pps (Wednesday and Thursday) and £195pps (Friday and Saturday), the Summer Tipple offer includes an overnight stay in a bespoke ensuite bedroom, an afternoon gin or whiskey tasting, four-course dinner, and breakfast the next morning. Offer is available until the end of September 2025. Visit www.newforgehouse.com for more information.
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