Recently in Aging and Travel Category

 Does how private homes are built affect tourism?  You bet.    In part, because countless people who would have taken  trips  to visit  relatives and friends , stay home instead.

This one travelogue by the founder of the movement for Visitability, Eleanor Smith, tells the overlooked story of how lack of accessibility and the failure to adopt Universal Design even in our homes has an economic impact on a region's tourism coffers:

Four-day family vacation at my sister's house in California:   Ten of us--adult sibs and spouses.     We hiked the trails winding  above the Pacific, and  ate in a seafood restaurant.   We went to the John Steinbeck museum in Salinas, and ate lunch at a local diner.    We rode the rapid transit system into San Francisco,  shopped and dined  in Chinatown.    We toured  the historic mission  in San Juan Bautista  and had  lunch in an outdoor café under an arbor  in a  flower garden.    We had a wonderful time reminiscing, joking, catching up.    And we spent a lot of money.     Ordinary tourism.

 

Ordinary except that none of this would have happened if my sister's house had not had a ramp and renovated bathroom due to her husband's progressing Multiple Sclerosis.   I, meanwhile, have used a wheelchair since having polio at age three.   Now , at age 65, I was no longer the buff young woman who could toss her wheelchair behind her into the back seat of a car and drive off, and could  be carried up steps into houses in a manual chair if need be.        I use a power wheelchair and must have a ramp to enter houses that have entry steps.    So my sister's accessible house was the choice for our reunion.   Had the house not had access, I would not have been present.      Nor would my brother-in-law with MS  have been able to  exit his house without extreme effort (and no, not all people with mobility impairments are able to obtain the renovations they need in their  home.   Perhaps 2/3 of them remain dependent on the schedules, abilities and whims of others to exit their own homes.)   It is unlikely the California reunion would have happened at all if the house had lacked access.

  

What's the relation between private home access and disability?   I think no one has yet researched the vast amount of  tourist dollars NOT spent because people with mobility impairments can't enter the houses or  use the bathrooms in the houses of their far-flung adult children, siblings, friends...  or can only do so with great difficulty.      In fact, my non-disabled sibs often use my Kentucky sister's house  as an overnight stop-off and enjoyable visit while travelling  from Indiana  or Florida.   But I,  and my would-be travel companions, do not.       Her house has 5 steps up to one bathroom and five steps down to the other.   

 

I don't fault my Kentucky sister  for buying the house that was well located and priced right for her and her family.   We can't renovate all the existing houses that lack access, an  estimated 124 million houses in the U.S alone.    But we can stop building new houses with the same barriers.    That's what the movement called Visitability (or Inclusive Home Design, or Basic Home Access,   or Core Universal Design) is about. And it has been at least a little effective in getting houses built with basic access whether or not a known first resident has a disability.   For information about this movement, see www.concretechange.org.

 

Does how private homes are built affect tourism?  You bet.    In part, because countless people who would have taken  trips  to visit  relatives and friends , stay home instead.

Power wheelchair bowling  

Head over to Wheel Away Disabled Travel and meet someone who really understands that inclusion in tourism is not just about people with disabilities:

The Wheel Away Disabled Travel - Hong Kong City Guide ...contains practical information about getting around Hong Kong, and is not only for people with disability, but also for seniors and families with children in strollers who struggle to find a straight forward way around.

This guide is a 'must' for all adventurous travellers, travel agents, health care professionals, recruitment agents, and human resources and diversity departments in multinational corporations.

Source:

http://www.wheelawaydisabledtravel.com/

About the author - Sarah Fuller

My father requires the use of a wheelchair following a stroke that occurred some 18 years ago. This resulted in paralysis and aphasia (the loss of language skills). I have travelled frequently and extensively with my father who is always accompanied by my mother, his primary caregiver, and also often by my sister. It takes the combination of all of us to make travel possible for my father.

I established Wheel Away Disabled Travel in Hong Kong to self-publish a travel guide about one of the most exciting cities in Asia. I'm truly passionate about travel because it brings me immense delight at being able to witness firsthand the diversity of our world. While born in Australia, I have been living in Hong Kong for 17 years and it has been from this vantage point that I have planned many successful voyages!

My parents are also passionate travellers and it is with this in mind that I began developing comprehensive itineraries so that they could visit me in Hong Kong. Over the years we have travelled throughout Asia. For each trip, I create a diverse, action-packed itinerary. I book all the flights and hotel accommodation, which takes considerable planning and research. This city guide will show you too how to plan travel that meets your needs.

Whether you're a nervous first-timer or an experienced, independent wheelchair traveller, it is possible to have a safe and enjoyable trip.

I acknowledge that the disability experience is different for different people. I have written this resource due to my father's experience, which I wanted to share with others, a knowledge gained over many years of organising travel to ensure access and ease. If I can inspire others to realise their dream to travel and see many of the amazing things I've seen, then this book has been a success!

I write from my heart and personal experience in a genuine effort to inform and encourage people who use a wheelchair to travel, and discover our world of opportunities.

Sarah Fuller

Founder and Author
Wheel Away Disabled Travel
Contact us at: info@wheelawaydisabledtravel.com

Gratitude to Marti Giaochi for bringing Wheel Away Travel to our attention

From Special Needs at Sea:

 

FT LAUDERDALE, FL - Special Needs at Sea, a global provider of special needs equipment for travelers and the travel industry, was honored as winner of the "Onboard Supplier of the Year" Award at the third annual Seatrade Insider Awards held in Hamburg, Germany on September 15; part of Seatrade Europe 2009.

 

"The high caliber of the Seatrade organization and strength of all the nominees make this award even more significant for us," says Andrew Garnett, founder and president of Special Needs at Sea. "Additionally, it underscores the importance to the industry of what we provide and validates our commitment to accessible cruising."

 

Special Needs at Sea, a Special Needs Group Inc. company, provides cruise passengers and cruise ships with a broad range of special needs equipment for purchase and rental, including wheelchairs, scooters and powerchairs with capabilities to support 500 pounds or more; oxygen in all its forms; hearing impaired equipment, Braille printing, baby cribs and more. The company delivers the needed equipment directly to the passenger's stateroom at cruise ship ports around the world, and is currently testing a pier-side kiosk program in Fort Lauderdale and Seattle for self pick-up of wheelchair rentals and scooter rentals.

 

Earlier this year, Special Needs at Sea became the first accessibility preferred partner benefits supplier for the Cruise Line Industry Association (CLIA), the world's largest cruise line association, and is a sponsor of SATH, the Society for Accessible Travel and Hospitality. Special Needs at Sea is a Preferred Mobility and Oxygen Supplier of Holland America Line and Royal Caribbean and also services the other major lines including Princess, Crystal, Celebrity, Carnival, Disney, Costa and others.  

 

The Seatrade Insider Awards presentation, a yearly highlight of Seatrade Europe, was held at the Schmidts Tivoli Theatre in Hamburg.  Fidelio Cruise was a principle sponsor of the awards. Judging for the awards is by a select panel of industry executives, members of Seatrade Insider's global editorial team, cruise consultants, analysts and industry experts from around the world.

 

ABOUT SPECIAL NEEDS GROUP, INC.

  Special Needs Group, Inc.  (www.specialneedsgroup.com) is a one-stop resource for special needs travel around the world. We offer a broad range of special needs equipment including wheelchair, powerchair and scooter rentals with capabilities to support 500 pounds or more; oxygen rentals (liquid, cylinder, and concentrator); hearing impaired equipment, Braille printing, baby cribs and more.  Recommended by the world's major cruise lines and hotels for superior service and value, we also provide consultation services regarding special needs policy and new-build design.  Special Needs Group, a U.S. company, is not a travel agency and does not compete in any way with travel agents. 

 

News from the US Access Board:

 

The Board will soon release for public review a draft of final guidelines covering access to outdoor sites managed by the Federal government, including national parks and recreation areas.  These guidelines address how to achieve accessibility in outdoor developed areas and take into account challenges and constraints posed by terrain, the degree of development, and other factors.  They specify where compliance is required and provide detailed technical criteria for new or altered trails, beach routes, and picnic and camping facilities.  The guidelines will apply to sites developed or altered by Federal land management agencies, including the U.S. Forest Service, the National Park Service, the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the Army Corps of Engineers, among others. 

The Board is finalizing the guidelines based on public comments it received in response to a proposed version published in 2007.  The final version will include revisions made to clarify various provisions and exceptions.  Conditions that necessitate departures are recognized, including situations where meeting certain provisions would compromise natural features, require prohibited construction methods or materials, or be infeasible due to terrain. 

The Board is releasing a draft of the final guidelines to allow interested parties the opportunity to comment on the revised format.  As initially proposed, the guidelines were organized as a stand-alone document.  The Board has restructured the final version for integration into the Board's existing guidelines for facilities covered by the Architectural Barriers Act (ABA), which were issued jointly with guidelines updated under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  The ADA and ABA guidelines cover a variety of elements and spaces that are often part of outdoor developed areas, including parking, restrooms, drinking fountains, and recreation facilities.  Integrating the criteria for outdoor sites into the existing guidelines will be beneficial for many users by bringing all relevant information together in one source.  However, to preserve some of the benefits of a stand-alone document, the Board plans to prepare a companion guide on the final rule in cooperation with Federal land management agencies.

The draft final guidelines will be available for review for 60 days and will be posted on the Board's website at www.access-board.gov/outdoor/.  For further information, contact Bill Botten at the Board at outdoor@access-board.gov, (202) 272-0014 (v), or (202) 272-0082 (TTY).  The Board intends to develop similar guidelines for outdoor developed areas controlled by non-Federal entities at a future date.

El Ministerio de Turismo del Ecuador trabaja para que se facilite la implementacion de programas turisticos mas eficientes que mejoren la inclusion de las personas con discapacidad.

Sobre Alas para la Alegria:

http://www.midena.gov.ec/content/view/2712/209/

http://www.explored.com.ec/noticias-ecuador/fae-lleva-las-alas-para-la-alegria-a-albergue-quiteno-238449-238449.html

From Ezine @rticles by Alvin Starkman

At first blush David Hornick appears to be the most unlikely candidate to be spear-heading a housing development in the state of Oaxaca, one of the southernmost and poorest states in Mexico; his Spanish is sparse to be generous, until earlier this year he had never ventured to this part of the country, he's never designed or built a home, and he's lived virtually all his life in Schenectady, New York, leading a more or less typical, middle-class Jewish existence.

But Hornick had a vision, born of other life experiences which made him more qualified than most to proceed with the project. "One thing about me," he explained on his first trip to Oaxaca, "is that once I decide to do something, you know it's already been thoroughly considered - and then there's no stopping me."

For more than three decades Hornick has been a family physician, diagnosing and treating exclusively aging Americans ... through home visits. He and wife Roberta, his partner in the medical practice, have learned that where and how we traditionally live is rarely conducive to graceful and easy aging from a position of economic security.

The answer, as I've come to conclude over the past several months of tutelage from Hornick, at least for creating a blueprint for the solution, is to import some of the characteristics of collaborative housing (cohousing) and as many key elements as practicable of universal design, into a region of the world where the concerns can best be addressed - Oaxaca ... for starters. And that's exactly what Hornick's done.

Collaborative housing

Cohousing communities are usually designed as a series of attached or single-family homes along one or more pedestrian walkways or clustered around a courtyard. While the concept originated in Denmark, since the early 1980s it has been promoted in the U.S., and since then similar communities using the basic concept have developed throughout other countries in the Western World such as Canada, France, Germany and New Zealand.

Each community includes a larger building facility, a "common house," constituting the social center of the complex where neighbors can meet, dine, attend to activities which traditionally are not required on a daily basis (i.e. laundry), and even host guests in small apartments. The latter two points have implications in terms of minimizing overall cost for each resident, since space not normally occupied on a daily basis is omitted from individual homes.

While in the purest of models residents actively participate in the design of their own neighborhood, in this case prospective members are spared that effort - Hornick has devoted his entire adult life assessing the needs of Americans as their stages in life change. Accordingly, substantial progress for the Oaxaca project has already been advanced, and in fact there is a website in place, addressing those interested in pursing a lifestyle change in the foreseeable future. It currently includes photographs of the two proposed tracts of land, site plans and architectural drawings of the two models of home.

Hornick prefers to avoid commonly used terms such as intentional or collaborative housing, as well as cohousing, in favor of simply "neighborhoods" and "communities." The former import the idea of consensus decision-making, which he does not believe is workable. He does envision, however, a "resident council" (perhaps similar to a condominium's board of directors) to assist with suggestions relating to the neighborhood. This indicates that his approach is realistic and his model is feasible. The project does require, he stresses, participants' acceptance of, and working together to promote, certain basic goals: energy efficiency; respect for the environment; the utilization of locally produced "green" materials (in construction and otherwise); affordability; and universal design which enables people of all ages to grow and mature well.

Universal design

Universal design (UD) can be defined as the creation of products (including communication systems) and environments (including landscapes) which are usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design. It has often been associated with exclusively addressing the elderly and infirmed. And in fact there should be no doubt that within the context of the Oaxaca project the concept will be extremely attractive to those in their fifties and older, many winding down their careers and embarking upon a new phase of life, "retirement." But the project's use of universal design addresses more - compatibility with a natural progression of functional changes throughout the lifespan, according to Hornick.

So how does UD address all ages and levels of capability, and thereby make the project attractive to families at every life stage? Hornick explains:

"We're all born helpless and short. We can't reach most light switches until we are about four years old, long after we can stand and walk. Functional capability improves (normally) up to our mid- to late-teenage years, then begins to decline.

"Light switches can be lowered to three feet to be reachable by children as well as people in wheelchairs with limited shoulder mobility. Round door knobs can be replaced by lever handles that accommodate arthritic hands, but also permit people encumbered with arms full of groceries to open a door with a free elbow. Steps can be replaced by ramps, even at the entrance to a home. Lighting intensity can be adjustable to accommodate vision as it dims with age. Shower stalls can be built without that little step-up-and-over. And there are literally a hundred or more other alternate designs and products available in the marketplace which can be considered, which do not detract from either 'normal' functionality or aesthetics of the home."

Hornick has been consulted on seniors' apartment retrofitting projects involving production of state-of-the-art adaptive design prototypes. The Oaxaca project enables his wealth of knowledge and experience to be put into action using a slightly different orientation.

We're in an era when an increasing number of individuals and couples in North America are becoming disillusioned with the work-until-you-drop mentality, the less-than-optimum environments in which they've felt compelled to live and raise their families, increasing inaccessibility to basic goods and services including healthcare, and much more recently both insecurity in the workplace and shrinking nest eggs.

The Oaxaca blueprint

Based upon Hornick's due diligence, Oaxaca proved to be a potentially attractive location to develop a prototype for what he initially labeled, when he first contacted me for advice in November, 2008, a "retirement community." That initial characterization was probably meant to pique my initial interest without having me ask too many hard-to-answer questions. I fell for it, and have been enthralled ever since, hosting David at our home, introducing him to a number of professionals he could potentially tap to advance the project, and advising him regarding prospective plots of land.

Latin American locations have distinct advantages over Canadian and American prospective project sites. While remaining north of the Rio Grande may initially appear attractive because of language, ease of access for friends and family as well as for return visits, and cultural familiarity, Oaxaca was selected because of its own unique set of pluses:

1) Access via ground transportation is consistently being improved and upgraded through Mexico's system of toll roads, already extending from various locations along the the U.S. border, directly to the City of Oaxaca; and via more convenient flight paths (such as being able to avoid Mexico City by using Continental's non-stop service from Houston, and Mexicana's from Los Angeles); 

2) Its highly agreeable climate, 12 months a year, attractive both on an individual personal level and for providing solar energy; 

3) Proximity to Pacific Coast beach destinations such as Puerto Escondido and Huatulco;

4) A modest cost of living (i.e. labor, public transportation, entertainment, food and taxes) relative to the U.S. or Canada, and even to the northern half of the country; 

5) Availability of reasonably priced tracts of land, fertile enough and with sufficient rain and ground water to support partial self-sufficiency in terms of agricultural production; 

6) A number of prospective development locations from which to choose, no more than a half hour's drive from downtown Oaxaca, assuring proximity to restaurants and cafés, galleries, museums and other cultural institutions, as well as health care professionals and hospital facilities; 

7) Its burgeoning expat community (including programs facilitated through the English language Oaxaca Lending Library) together with support from the Canadian and American consulates; 

8) Local populations which welcome non-Mexicans, motivated by both a recognition that Canadian and American immigration translates into more work and higher wages for a relatively depressed economy, and an innate desire to embrace foreigners with open arms;

9) An understanding on the part of many of its professionals, trades and business people, and government, of what the project hopes to achieve, and the potential for the growth of more of the same in other parts of the state.

Each of the two "eco village" sites identified on Hornick's website is equally attractive, meets all criteria, and easily facilitates advancing the set of common goals. The San Juan del Estado development consists of 25 acres and is about 30 minutes from downtown Oaxaca, and San Lorenzo Cacaotepec sits on 75 acres and is only 15 minutes from the city. Each is about 10 minutes from the town of Etla, known for its bustling Wednesday marketplace and production of dairy products, in particular the well-known Oaxacan cheeses (queso, and the more popular "string cheese," known as quesillo).

Each of the two developments will contain 30 detached homes of about 1,000 square feet, the common house, sheltered walkways, green and garden areas, and its own sources of water and energy as well as waste-disposal facility, thereby providing for independence from the vagaries of municipal, state and federal government utilities.

Hornick emphasizes that with more than 300 sunny days per year, the communities will be able to generate and store electricity using photovoltaic technology. Hot water will be produced using solar water heaters. Interior temperatures will be kept comfortable all year round using passive solar heating and cooling techniques - such as constructing walls of locally mined stone (known as "cantera"), clay brick or adobe, depending on relative direction of the sun and prevailing winds.

But self-sufficiency has its limits, and to some extent dependence on the broader Oaxacan community will be a key element. Hornick plans to develop relationships with residents of nearby towns and villages who are interested in employment as housekeepers, gardeners and personal care aides. In addition, there's a well entrenched practice in the state of Oaxaca whereby expats engage locals in an intercambio language arrangement, whereby a couple of hours a week informal meetings are held to help Oaxacans with their English and expats with their Spanish.

Hornick assures: "...both [locations] will have access to health care services via home care professionals who will live onsite and also via internet video teleconferencing with professionals at recognized centers of excellence." For several years he has been advancing his own medical practice along such lines. Naturally, in today's technological world he does not see distance, political boundaries, or differences in language and other aspects of culture, as impediments. "Of course there are challenges, but with perseverance they are readily overcome," he continues. "Look at where I was just a few months ago, with merely an idea and my index finger pointed to a strange location on a globe - and look at where we now are." Indeed, Hornick with his team of professionals (including Prometeo Sánchez Islas, Dean of the School of Architecture at a Oaxacan university) continue to work diligently on the project.

While visiting Oaxaca Hornick paid particular attention to indicia of cost of living, to the point of photographing sale prices in a supermarket (which attracted the attention of store management). He is currently attempting to pin down other costs such as transportation; medical insurance and other expenses; housekeeping, maintenance, landscaping and gardening (although he believes that it's important for residents to participate in such activities for exercise and to maintain a sense of function and purpose). "I'm trying to come up with a 'soft' figure to enable interested parties to determine if they can survive on social security alone." he reassures. But one thing is for certain - cost of living should be less than 50% of what most live on in the U.S. or Canada.

The horizon

Hornick plans to begin pre-selling houses at summer's end or perhaps into autumn, at a small discount for those electing to participate early on in the project, as a kind of kick-start to the development. For him, and for most on his team, the motivation is pure altruism, having identified a sense of urgency on the part of many American, Canadians, and even Mexicans, and being in the enviable position of being able to address it in this fashion, without profit motive.

In a sense he's a pioneer, having started with a dream for a better, more respectful, easier and self-fulfilling life for others in a new environment, virgin land to continue with the metaphor. He plans to lay down roots in Oaxaca, and carry on a medical practice, encouraging others of similar means to follow suit.

It was clearly different for those who had the fortitude and the instinct to find something better hundreds of years ago in opening up the American frontiers. Today there's more of a necessity, yet with virtually no gamble involved. After all, investing between $100,000 and $150,000 to have a quality constructed new home, in a safe, secure southern climate, while at the same time substantially cutting expenses through supporting a sustainable living environment, shouldn't be too difficult a lifestyle decision to make - especially for those who have already been contemplating change.

For further information, go to Dr. Hornick's website, http://www.mexicommunity.com

##

Alvin Starkman together with wife Arlene operates Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast ( http://www.oaxacadream.com ). Alvin received his masters in social anthropology in 1978, and his law degree in 1984. Thereafter he was a litigator in Toronto until taking early retirement. He and his family were frequent visitors to Oaxaca between 1991 and when they became permanent residents in 2004. Alvin reviews restaurants, writes about life and cultural traditions in Oaxaca, and tours couples and families to the villages.

Having accurate and timely information is essential for comfort and safety when traveling. For some with hearing impairments a hearing aid is the right solution.

Here's a look by the New York times into the reality of acquiring a hearing id in the US. Take Gordon Buckwalter's experience:

...after talking with people who have benefited from aids and doing research to find a nearby audiologist, Mr. Buckwalter was ready to take the plunge.

But there was one thing he was not ready for: the $4,600 price tag.

"It's a monumental amount," Mr. Buckwalter said. "The technology is impressive, and they've certainly made a difference in my life. But the fact is, they're extremely expensive. And what I'm really surprised by is the fact that Medicare and most private insurance plans will pay only for the doctor visit to determine the need for a hearing aid, but not for the device itself.

For the full article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/25/health/25patient.html?em

Because the benchmark report, "The Implementation Status of DGCA CAR 'Carriage by Air of Persons with Disability' " may be difficult to read in the format below it is also available as a Word document Implementation Status - DGCA CAR on Carriage of PWD.doc



Airline Civil Rights - India -

The Korea IT Times reports on the 44th Korean Design Exhibition.

Representing the best in "Good Design" the event is yet another international-scale manifestation of the user-centered inclusive approach that is both Universal Design and Green.

"Kamsahamnida", Korea! Thank you.

From Designs Convey Environmental Messages:

Many designers made efforts to take the government's "Green New Deal" policy into consideration. At a glance, 23 percent of the winners of major prizes were based on the ubiquitous theme of "Low Carbon, Green Growth." For example, the panel members set their eyes on bicycle-related designs, considering bicycles' emergence as a new favorite transportation means or fitness and recreation equipment. Bicycle designs featuring novel ideas drew visitors' attention, including a portable bike, a self-powered electric tricycle, and a multi-functional bike. These designs are believed to have lingering positive effects on expanding the bike population in the future.

A self-powered electric tricycle designed by Cho In-soo, who won the KIDP President's Prize, features a mini pickup that can be used in rural areas. "Oxcycle" designed by Park Sung-bin and Koh Pyung-joo focuses on the pedaling function of the bicycle by installing an oxygen generator. "Bicycle Shelter" is designed by Cho Kyung-deuk and Yoon Se-il. Its concept is to provide shelters or resting places for bike riders along bike paths to be built across the country, with focus on a master plan for a Tour de Korea in connection with the government's four rivers project and its "Low Carbon, Green Growth" vision.

Another attraction is the display of designs for the people with mental and physical disabilities as well as the underprivileged. This section's theme is "Universal Design" aimed at helping these people overcome their physical weaknesses or handicaps that can occur as they age or under other certain circumstances. This design is aimed at making products human-centered, as opposed to what everybody had in the past when everything was standardized and only economic efficiency was emphasized.

A recyclable bottle cap designed by Park Dong-hyuk and Choi Du-sun is for visually handicapped people. The bottle cap carries Braille signs to help the visually handicapped identify its content without having to smell to find out what is in it. What drew our attention was a set of colored pencils designed by Roh Ji-hoon and Lee Kyung-kook under the theme "touch your colors." Unlike ordinary colored pencils, each of these specially designed colored pencils has a different shape, so that visually handicapped children aged 8 or younger, who cannot read Braille signs, can identify each colored pencil without other people's help. Another noteworthy item is "Navi Stick" designed by Yoo Ho-jin as an electronic walking cane for the visually handicapped. With this specially designed Braille cane, they can navigate roads with relative ease because the navigation sensor in the cane conveys road information to its holder through sound, vibration and Braille signs.

Source:

http://www.koreaittimes.com/story/4004/designs-convey-environmental-messages

This introductory section of one of my talks to the Carlo Besta Institute in Milan was just posted to YouTube.
 


The clip ends with reference to the Waypoint Backstrom Principles reproduced below.

Some of the themes of this clip are continued in the following presentation at the 2009 Carlo Besta Institute conference on travel and disability.

 

Travel companion services are arising to serve disabled and senior travelers. This press release examines Universal Design in the context of home health care and home medical equipment. How can we make a smoother transition between the comforts of home for those with chronic disabilities and the comforts of travel:

This report originally appeared in the June 2009 issue of DOTmed Business News

America is an aging population - a majority of Baby Boomers (75%) are slated to retire in the next decade. To cut down on health care costs, many seek to age in place - by staying in their current homes - with some useful alterations incorporated.

Upgrades to a home are usually a good idea when deciding to maintain independence. Interior designers knowledgeable in Universal Design will be aware of the challenges that people face as they get older. Therefore, designers will usually design bathrooms with reinforced walls so that grab-bars can be installed, along with low or no-threshold showers, which will cut down on slips and falls by helping users keep their feet close to the ground. Entranceways might also be widened to accommodate wheelchair or walker usage and lighting may be increased to assist those with weaker vision. However, all the design elements in the world won't solve the problem of living alone if there are more serious problems than just aging - that's where homecare and rehab equipment comes in.

In the next 30 years, the U.S. population aged 65 and over will double to 70 million. About 80% of those over age 60 prefer to live independently. The most common medical conditions requiring home care are diabetes, heart disease, and cerebral vascular disease.

While numbers vary depending on sources, even the lower estimates put the number of Americans with an acute illness, a long-term medical condition, a permanent disability, or a terminal illness, at 8 million individuals. That number is well above the past projections by many top medical experts.

About 71% of the home health care patient population is over age 65 (approximately 955,200), as per the 2000 Census on Home Health Care Patients. The majority of this age group lives in the Northeast (73.6%) and the South (69.8%), with the Midwest (69.2%) and the West (65.7%) following close behind. There are a total of 1,355,300 home health care patients in all age groups, with 29.5% (400,100) under age 65.

Full story:
http://www.dotmed.com/news/story/9112

Wrong end of the stick
By Sandra Rhodda

New Zealand seems hardly aware of how major demographic changes will impact our tourism industry.

I refer of course to population ageing worldwide and the resulting rise in the number
of people with disabilities (PWDs).

It was informative therefore to see several overseas references to these factors in
IT742.

For example, Jerry Bridge, MD of UK-based Bridge and Wickers International said
at TRENZ that in the UK, older clients are the second largest market and that his
company will continue to target them because they have more time and money.
Ruth Grau, president of Los Angeles-based Springboard Vacations talks of the
potential for 2,000 medical tourists per year to this country, resulting in a demand
for 30,000-40,000 bednights.

Accessible

To accommodate this potential demand, facilities will need to be accessible for
PWDs, and current medical tourists are recuperating at SkyCity Grand and City
Life because "they offer facilities for the disabled".

Finally, a review of The Jackson Report, commissioned for the Australian Federal
Tourism Minister, states that a far greater proportion of tomorrow's tourists will be
over 60.

In fact, The Jackson Report predicts that domestic tourism visits in Australia by
those 50 or older will jump from 27.7 million in 2007 to 35.2 million in 2030, and
that spend by this group will jump from $17,000 million to $21,000 million. Most of
the increases will come from the 60+ age group. Meanwhile, visit and spend by those
aged 15 to 49 are expected to remain at 2007 levels.

The greying of the population, the increase in tourists with disabilities, and our sad
lack of facilities for such tourists has been discussed in the New Zealand context
before (See IT639, IT699, IT705, IT739).

Question

The question therefore arises: when will our government and industry sit up and
take notice? The Ministry of Tourism's own data shows that the proportion of older
visitors in or to New Zealand is creeping up. Overall, about 45 percent of visitors
are now 45 years old or older. In the case of short-term visitors from China, the
proportion 45 or older is 56 percent, and for cruise ship passengers to New Zealand
- think development of port facilities - it is over 70 percent.

Youth

Surely we have the wrong end of the stick? We still intend to focus on the youth
market (IT 741/2) as part of our strategy to bolster visitor arrivals over the
upcoming summer (TNZ website), and intend to look to the young adventure-seeking
backpackers market as an industry lifeline.

This in spite of the fact that even in the backpacker market, grey is growing. A
YHA NZ user survey shows that those 50 or older comprised 14 percent in 2007
but 27 percent in 2008. And the fact that "adventure-seeking" is not top of the list
of things tourists do or intend to do here should also be a wake-up call. Top holiday
motivators tend to be fairly sedate. For internationals, "seeing attractions", and for
domestics "taking time out" top the list
.
In fact the number one activity of all tourists in NZ is "sightseeing". While it is
true that some of our ageing tourists will still want to jump off bridges or hang off
mountains, most will probably be less inclined to do so as they age and become less
able-bodied. And it is the growing ageing sector that New Zealand should be going
after. Why? Because, as Mr Bridge and The Jackson Report so rightly point out,
this will be the market with the time and the money

Source: Inside Nigel Coventry Tourism
www.insidetourism.com.

The Star quote Roberta Schwartz, director of education for the Society for Accessible Travel & Hospitality (SATH):

About one per cent of the cabins on new ships are usually accessible.

"The new Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas will have more than any other ship - 46 accessible cabins," says Schwartz. That's 1.7 per cent of cabins based on the 5,400-passenger ship that's scheduled to launch this winter.

"Cruise lines are also offering a wider range of categories for accessible cabins," says Schwartz. "They aren't just offering ones on lower decks or an ocean view cabin. There are accessible family suites and ones with balconies now."

One of the Crown Loft Suites on the Oasis has its own private elevator to access the loft level of the 737-square-foot, two-storey stateroom.

Full story:

http://www.thestar.com/travel/article/652214

Over at Home Exchange Travels blog the wisdom of Inclusive Travel has surfaced in this reflection on Universal Design and the demographics behind the fact it has become mainstream. From, "Is Your Home Accessible" we see references to UD and Visitability:

Retired people might be your most flexible home exchange partners. By definition, someone who is retired is not tied to a work schedule or subject to limited vacation time. By the time the average American can afford to retire, young children are out of the home so those who are retired tend to have very flexible schedules...

Home exchange is a great way for retirees to travel, and all swappers should welcome offers from flexible, mature retired people. But even if you are eager to exchange with older travelers, your home itself may deprive you of the opportunity to exchange with seniors.

The June 19th post is a practical follow-on post "Making Your Home Accessible" again with the same insights:

Whether senior citizens, small children or people with disabilities, many home exchangers may be unable to swap with you if your home is not accessible. Stairs, or even a few steps, are the prime culprit in denying access, but there are other hazards which can make your home unsafe or totally unusable for certain exchangers.

Read the complete entries:

http://homeexchanger.blogspot.com/2009/06/is-your-home-accessible.html

http://homeexchanger.blogspot.com/2009/06/making-your-home-accessible.html