Access to buildings is a hurdle for those people who are not as mobile as the greater community. Through increased awareness and the desire to help all groups in the community, citizens can work to alleviate this problem. The limitations of architectural design in hotels, motels and restaurants are analysed with respect to accessibility for disabled people. The history of the concept of access is discussed with specific mention to the implimentation of the International Year of Disabled Persons for Timaru. A questionnaire survey was undertaken to obtain the necessary data for analysis.