July 30, 2005
2nd International OSSATE Workshop on Accessible Tourism
This spring the first OSSATE International OSSATE "Workshop on Accessible
Tourism" was held in London. The second workshop is to be held in Athens, Greece on Thursday, September 8th and Friday, September 9th, 2005.
Taken together with the work of the group of Rolling Rains Report readers pursuing iconography for information and wayfinding and the UDid work of the IDEA Center at SUNY-Buffalo, it appears that serious progress is underway to create appropriate responses to the need for travel information.
The preliminary schedule is available at:
http://www.ossate.org/events_workshops_002.jsp
From OSSATE (via Topong Kulkhanchit, Regional Development Officer, Disabled Peoples' International - Asia Pacific Region)
Posted by rollingrains at July 30, 2005 05:21 PM
The Hellenic Ministry of Tourism and the OSSATE Team are pleased to invite you to take part in the 2nd International OSSATE Workshop on "Accessible
Tourism", to be held in Athens, Greece on Thursday 8th and Friday 9th September 2005.The Workshop is organised as part of the OSSATE initiative, which is supported by the European Commission's eContent Programme. This initiative will create a pan-European digital information service which informs customers about the accessibility of tourist destinations and venues.
50 million disabled people in the European Union, and a great many other citizens, need to know about the accessibility of individual destinations in order to participate in tourism. And without doubt, the tourism industry needs these customers!
At this event, representatives from public sector bodies, the tourism industry and NGOs will present their experiences and plans for delivering
Accessible Tourism Information, both in Greece and across the European
Union, focusing especially on the role of information services and new media.The OSSATE Team will present its analysis of the "state-of-the-art" in Accessible Tourism Information Schemes. In break-out sessions, delegates will identify and discuss "best practices" for organising and delivering
access information, leading to recommendations for the planned OSSATE service network.The Preliminary Programme can be downloaded from the OSSATE website at:
http://www.ossate.org/events_workshops_002.jspThe final programme will published on the OSSATE Website and notified to
registered participants in advance of the workshop.Participation is open to organisations and individuals who are interested in
accessible tourism in Europe. The Workshop languages will be Greek and English.Registration for the workshop, is FREE OF CHARGE, and includes Workshop
documentation, refreshments, lunches and a cocktail reception. Registrations must be received by Friday 26 August. Places are limited, so early registration is advised!Please register by using the Online Registration Form at:
http://www.ossate.org/events_workshops_002_registration.jspVenue: We have negotiated special reduced rates for participants at the 5-star "Divani Caravel Hotel", Athens, where the workshop will take place. Bookings should be made directly with the hotel, mentioning "OSSATE Workshop". Bookings may be extended (between 5/09 and 10/09) at the same reduced rate (single €100, double € 110 per night, including breakfast).
Please use the Hotel Booking Form to secure your room booking before 8th August. The form can be downloaded from:
http://www.ossate.org/events_workshops_002.jsp
NOTE: Participants must cover their own travel and accommodation costs.Poster Exhibition and Publicity: We are making plans for a Poster Exhibition in connection with the Workshop. Participants wishing to exhibit a poster should notify the organisers in advance by email. Posters, which may be commercial or non-commercial, must be related to the theme of the Workshop.
Participants may distribute publicity items such as leaflets and publications, related to the theme of the workshop. Please notify the organisers in advance by email, stating the type and number of items you wish to distribute.
We look forward to meeting you in Greece for a fruitful workshop!
Best regards,
Ivor Ambrose