“One of the things I miss the most is attending the boat shows,” shares Michelle Robinson, a marketing and writing consultant in the South of France. “They are just not made for people like me.” And with that, Robinson kicked off a LinkedIn conversation about how the annual yacht shows are challenging for people with disabilities. Diagnosed with osteo- and rheumatoid arthritis nearly 10 years ago, she asked a compelling question, “Why aren’t they more inclusive?” It led to Megayacht News launching the first-ever survey examining even inadvertent exclusion and how to address it.
Megayacht News took up the survey for two reasons. Firstly, multiple yachting professionals weighed in on Robinson’s question, wondering out loud themselves. The consensus was that improvements could result. Yet, it was clear no one had data on how many clients have disabilities. Secondly, Robinson’s question reminded me of an experience three years ago. In April 2022, I broke my foot, and despite it healing in time for the shows, I knew I’d have to reduce my schedule. Even planning accordingly, I was hobbling midway through day one. The distances were too far, some docks were too wobbly, and the lack of seating made my foot swell significantly. Though my issue was an inconvenience in comparison to disabilities, in retrospect it provided small insights into needed change.
We sent the survey to more than 100 superyacht builders and designers. We further sent it to more than 2,000 members of the International Yacht Brokers Association and the European Committee for Professional Yachting. The results were remarkable. For instance, within the past five years, 78 percent of survey respondents have met with yacht buyers or charterers who have disabilities themselves or family members with disabilities. More significantly, 65 percent successfully matched a customer with a yacht featuring adapted amenities. In some cases, the respondents represented a client who built a new yacht. In others, their customer was refitting a yacht, or seeking a brokerage buy.
Yet, only about one-third of the initial meetings with these customers have occurred at a show. Related, 42 percent of all respondents say their customers believe yacht shows are challenging for people with disabilities. Among the obstacles are docks and tenders which don’t accommodate wheelchairs or are too difficult to board. Clients additionally have mentioned golf carts can’t access parts of the show that they want to visit.
With significant numbers of megayacht builders, designers, and brokers having yachts under contract or construction with accessibility features, they shared abundant advice to improve shows. For example, 68 percent want to see disabled-accessible restrooms. Also, 72 percent believe it’s wise to reserve some golf carts exclusively for those with disabilities. Fifty-four percent want more seating throughout the yacht shows. An equal majority say disabled-accessible tenders will go a long way towards improving access. One especially interesting suggestion was to provide dedicated ambassadors to accompany individuals with disabilities at shows.
In yachting, elevators, sill-free entryways, and wider passageways are becoming common onboard amenities. They’re gradual changes, of course, emerging mostly over the past decade. Similarly, our collective knowledge of how to make yacht shows more accessible is evolving. As one respondent pointed out, able-bodied people often think they understand the challenges, but actually don’t. It takes asking more questions and inviting more stakeholders to weigh in.
The Megayacht News survey is therefore becoming an annual survey. Furthermore, we’re sharing the results directly with the organizers of the major yacht shows. Thankfully, some professionals are already blazing trails. On World Boating Day in May, the superyacht Here Comes the Sun welcomed a small group of people with disabilities to take a dockside tour in Nice, France. The crew coordinated efforts with the European Committee for Professional Yachting. “Inclusivity becomes more and more important in today’s society and also in the yachting industry,” notes Lucie Schmitt, who organizes the organization’s partnerships.