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The committee, chaired by Aiko Akiyama, Social Development Division, UN
Economic and Social Commission for Asia-Pacific, included members from
Malaysia, the Philippines, Pakistan, Hong Kong, Japan, and New Zealand.
Congress participants from 15 Asian-Pacific countries subsequently
adopted the declaration at the UN meeting. The committee and other
congress participants represented access tourism organizations,
academic and research institutions, governments, the private sector,
disabilities organizations, individuals with disability, and/or
development organizations.
The "Takayama Declaration on Development of Community for All" lays out
recommendations on regional networking, advocacy, policy development,
research and data collection, capacity building, and resource
mobilization on improving accessibility. The Congress was held from
November 24-26 in Takayama, Gifu Prefecture in central Japan, using the
host city as an example of a success story in creating an accessible
environment for PwDs, especially in tourism.
A mountain resort, Takayama has been promoting accessible tourism for
the last 18 years, creating economic opportunities, as well as a more
barrier-free environment for persons with disabilities. The local
authorities, working in partnership with the private sector and civil
society organizations, made improvement to facilities in the city to
make them more barrier-free and purchased accessible devices and means
of transportation. Mayor Mamoru Tsuchino, who pioneered these
initiatives, spoke at the conference.
Takayama Declaration on Development of Community for All
ccess
Tourism New Zealand reported that at last week's UN "ESCAP Takayama
Congress on the creation of an inclusive and accessible community in
Asia and the Pacific," a committee of eleven representatives created a
declaration laying out 20 recommendations aimed at improving
accessibility for people with disabilities (PwDs) in the region,
including accessibility to tourism and travel products.
During the three-day meeting, about 200 participants - policy makers,
tourism professionals, experts on accessibility, and persons with
various disabilities - made field visits to various accessible
facilities to learn from Takayama's experiences. They also had
opportunities to meet local residents whose awareness of and respect
for the needs of persons with disabilities have contributed to the
success of making Takayama a barrier-free community for its own
citizens and for visitors to the city.
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