Rolling Rains Report:

Interview with Designer Marcie Harris

Top Designers of 2004: Interview with Marcie Harris is a quick romp through Green Design, Universal Design, and the constellation of attitudes and practiices that make for good design.

Santa Cruz, California: 13th Annual "Day on the Beach"

Have you ever found something so good that you want to keep it all to yourself?

OK, I plead guilty to that charge when it comes to the work of Shared Adventures in Santa Cruz, California -- and especially their signature event "Day on the Beach."

Each year this event springs out of chaos into a mellow-vibed, but logistically astounding, occupation of Cowell Beach in Santa Cruz. More than three hundred volunteers show up to help more than 150 people with disabilities experience water sports like: surfing, kayaking, outrigger canoeing, beach wheelchairs. This year a sneak appearance of the new Vexel Quovis will be added to the usual line-up of great bands and food.

I have not been entirely silent about Shared Adventures and its founder, Foster Anderson. The group's work was the main example I used at the 2004 NICAN Conference on Accessible Tourism in Perth, Australia.

But I'm ambivalent about letting too many people know - selfish, I guess. I mean, just how big can this party get and still be the place where, as one volunteer told me last year, "I come to fill up on my quota of smiles for the whole year!"

What I find remarkable about this event is that it really does grow out of the life and warm personal aura of one man, Foster Anderson, who has turned the anniversary of his quadriplegia into an annual liturgy of community renewal where ALL disabilities are represented, valued, and appreciated.

For one day, this is how life should be. The environment is rebuilt, in a low-impact, reversable way, to accommodate even conceivable disability and make imaginations soar.

The town of Santa Cruz has a rich culture of participatory politics. Each year it shows the world what Inclusive Destination Development is all about -- and hundreds of people have a great time doing it.

Check out Santa Cruz at Shared Adventure's online Access Guide:

http://www.scaccessguide.com/

Learn more about "Day on the Beach" or sign up to volunteer, participate, or just observe how it's done so you can replicate it in your town by going to:

http://www.sharedadventures.com/reg.html

Press Release

June 09, 2005, Santa Cruz, CA-Shared Adventures of Santa Cruz, CA is pleased to announce the thirteenth annual "Day On The Beach" on Cowell's Beach, Santa Cruz, California, Saturday July 16, 2005, Noon-5:00pm.

Approximately 400 volunteers will provide free kayaking, SCUBA diving, outrigger canoeing, floatation experiences, motorized beach wheelchair demos, and much more for 200 disabled and severely ill young people and adults.
Physically and developmentally challenged, and severely ill children and adults may pre-register online at http://www.dayonthebeach.org or by calling the Shared Adventures office at 831/459-7210.
A concurrent free festival is scheduled, complete with free food generously donated by numerous vendors, t-shirts, games, jugglers, magicians, and other performers, sand castle building, and some of the best live bands that Santa Cruz has to offer. The festival will also serve as a "mini accessibility expo" with partners from several accessible activities groups providing free samples and demonstrating their services & merchandise onsite.

All event activities are free to participants, families, friends, and volunteers. Day On The Beach is fully funded by corporate and private sponsors, vendor contributions, merchandise sales, etc.

Individual and corporate monetary and in-kind donations and sponsorships are needed and welcome.

For information, to register as a volunteer or participant, or to make a donation, please see the Shared Adventures web site at www.sharedadventures.org or call 831/459-7210.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contact: Foster Andersen, Founder and CEO Shared Adventures
foster@sharedadventures.com 831/459-7210
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shared Adventures
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Established in 1994, Shared Adventures is a Santa Cruz based 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to bringing the outdoors into the lives of people with special needs and physical challenges. Shared Adventures is best known for their 13 consecutive world famous "Day On The Beach" events in Santa Cruz. Shared Adventures is also well known for numerous adventure-activities for the disabled population of Northern California including their annual "Day In The Sky" at the Watsonville Airport, a tremendously popular assistive-technologies event drawing 800+ spectators, 200+ volunteers and 150+ disabled young people who are taking flying for the day by 3 dozen specially trained volunteer pilots. www.sharedadventures.org.

Australia Eyes the 2008 Paralympic Sailing Competition

Sailability is the pioneer organization making sailing availble to people with disabilities. At their web site you can find an ever increasing list of places to sail:

http://www.sailability.org/

If Australia is on your travel itinerary and sailing is your sport take note. With a new sailing event scheduled for the 2008 Paralympic Sailing Competition there is some renewed interest in the remarkable, unsinkable Access Dinghies.

See:

Aussie Design for 2008 Paralympic Evaluation
http://www.sail-world.com/news.cfm?Nid=17872&RequestTimeOut=180

Further Reading:

Governor launches new Access dinghies
http://www.sail-world.com/news.cfm?Nid=16906&RequestTimeOut=180

2008 Paralympic Sailing Competition - two-person keelboat event
http://www.sail-world.com/news.cfm?Nid=17077&RequestTimeOut=180

Appreciative Inquiry

Return to the very first posting in the Rolling Rains Report and you will find that this site is about "seeing-that-transforms." Until now I have not made explicit, although some have guessed, that this quality of seeing encompasses the practice known as "Appreciate Inquiry:"

From Pilgrimage: Mindfulness on the Journey January 1, 2004

This site is about seeing. The topic may be travel but the "revolve" is the-seeing-that-transforms.

Not literal sightedness, of course. In fact, I expect active interest by readers using Jaws for Windows or other tools that accommodate visual impairments and make their participation possible.

The seeing I mean here is the seeing of mindfulness.

The discussion will frequently be about business. Specifically, it will be about the business of travel and hospitality. It will look at the economic sustainability of doing busness with the ageing and/or disabled sector of the traveling public. It will look at profit, product development, marketing, competition.

But if this site ever loses grounding in persons - substituting statitistics or truisms for real travelers - then it will have betrayed the author's purpose.

That purpose is pilgrimage.

A pilgrim moves through time and space with an enlarged capacity for "seeing beyond." It may be seeing beyond the daily inconveniences or seeing into an actively imagined alternate present or promised future.

With this capacity comes the ability to hold a gaze of reverence; to appreciate.

Organizations can choose a path of self-definition that involves aligning themselves around the “unconditional positive question.” Design for People: Multi exemplifies this approach -- and the resulting creativity not only in design and implementation but in their innovative crafting of language and at the level of conceptualization of their mission and potential.

As post-tsunami work evolves in the Indian Ocean basin, can it adopt the "Opportunity Audit" approach to reconstruction that Appreciative Inquiry allows?

I am hopeful that the gathering of the International Institute of Peace Through Tourism (IIPT) ,/a> in Thailand this October will, through the efforts of people like Topong Kulkhanchit, Regional Development Officer for Disabled Peoples' International Asia Pacific Region, allow the tourism industry such an opportunity.

http://www.new-paradigm.co.uk/Appreciative.htm

The approach is based on the premise that ‘organisations change in the direction in which they inquire.’ So an organisation which inquires into problems will keep finding problems but an organisation which attempts to appreciate what is best in itself will discover more and more that is good. It can then to use these discoveries to build a new future where the best becomes more common.

http://appreciativeinquiry.cwru.edu/intro/whatisai.cfm

Appreciative Inquiry is about the coevolutionary search for the best in people, their organizations, and the relevant world around them. In its broadest focus, it involves systematic discovery of what gives “life” to a living system when it is most alive, most effective, and most constructively capable in economic, ecological, and human terms. AI involves, in a central way, the art and practice of asking questions that strengthen a system’s capacity to apprehend, anticipate, and heighten positive potential. It centrally involves the mobilization of inquiry through the crafting of the “unconditional positive question” often-involving hundreds or sometimes thousands of people. In AI the arduous task of intervention gives way to the speed of imagination and innovation; instead of negation, criticism, and spiraling diagnosis, there is discovery, dream, and design. AI seeks, fundamentally, to build a constructive union between a whole people and the massive entirety of what people talk about as past and present capacities.

http://www.appreciative-inquiry.org/
In the words of its primary originator, Dr. David L. Cooperrider of Case Western Reserve University, AI asks us to pay special attention to "the best of the past and present" -- in order to "ignite the collective imagination of what might be."

Key Articles:

Appreciative Inquiry in Organizational Life
http://www.appreciative-inquiry.org/AI-Life.htm

Abstract
This chapter presents a conceptual refiguration of action-research based on a "sociorationalist" view of science. The position that is developed can be summarized as follows: For action-research to reach its potential as a vehicle for social innovation it needs to begin advancing theoretical knowledge of consequence; that good theory may be one of the best means human beings have for affecting change in a postindustrial world; that the discipline's steadfast commitment to a problem-solving view of the world acts as a primary constraint on its imagination and contribution to knowledge; that appreciative inquiry represents a viable complement to conventional forms of action-research; and finally, that through our assumptions and choice of method we largely create the world we later discover.

Positive Image, Positive Action: The Affirmative Basis of Organizing
http://www.stipes.com/aichap2.htm

Appreciative Management and Leadership: The Power of Positive Thought and Action in Organization
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1893435059/newparadigmconsu/102-3474482-6904959

Time to Get Used to Usability

"It's too easy for designers and their managers to treat accessibility as an unnecessary and expensive add-on that reduces functionality, but that's no longer an option." -- Bill Thompson, BBC

"Wrap Rage", a term describing user frustration with impossible-to-open packaging, got an airing at Cambridge University during a recent conference on human-centered design. There was also some candid wake-up calls issued that have relevance to the travel and hospitality industry.

Prof Clarkson looked at the market for usable products, pointing out that the number of people who don't count as "able-bodied" is large and getting larger. these people have a lot of money to spend, at least in the developed world. The estimated 54m people with disabilities in the US spend $1 trillion a year - and even in the UK there are 10m disabled customers who have £10bn to spend.

(cont'd)

Beyond the monetary arguments, the article goes on to explain:

It was made very clear to all of us that if we don't do something soon about making our websites, consumer goods and other technologies more accessible and straightforward to use for people across the ability spectrum then we are heading for serious trouble.

Ian Hosking of Scientific Generics sets the argument in terms of aging and a principle he calls the "potential support ratio".

He has been looking at the "potential support ratio", which measures how many people aged 15-64 are there to provide support - in principle - for each one of us over 65. In 1950 the ratio was 12:1, in 2000 it dropped to 9:1 and the projection is that by 2050 it will be only 4:1 for the world as a whole.

Prof Clarkson's warning, and Mr. Hosking's projections, are sobering milestones in the continued dissemination of the principles of Universal Design.

We can't allow our lack of interest in accessibility to go on a lot longer - independent living is an aspiration for older people today but it will be an imperative in 2050 because there will be nobody there to offer support. It's time to take usability a lot more seriously.

Source:

Time to get used to usability
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4619793.stm

quadriplegic

Posted by rollingrains at 03:46 PM

'Come On-A My House' by Ed Smith

Ed Smith posts an interesting, firsthand account of Visitability in his CBC column in the "Disabilty Matters" section. See 'Come On-A My House'

Bariloche Looks to Inclusive Destination Development

Silvina García Larraburu, in an opinion piece at Noticias de Bariloche in the town of Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina, argues for Universal Design in the development of this world-class tourist destination.

What I prarticularly appreciate about the article, aimed at the local government and tourism industry, is the observation that, "It is essential to consider design in its context and not simply its individual components." Rather than the "reluctant compliance" model this is a call to liberate the imagination to form an appropriate "design response."

It is this contextual awareness of a place as "destination" for a traveler -- beckoning, chosen, temporary, disruptive to one's usual routines, and thoroughly entangled with the practicalities of mobility -- that grounds an Inclusive Destination Development approach.

Read:

Hacia un Perfil Turístico Integrador

http://www.bariloche2000.com/article.php?story=20050624002513265

inclusive destination development

The Dinokeng Tourism Project: Gauteng, South Africa

"Let's meet in Gauteng, South Africa. Blue IQ has a project there called Dinokeng that needs your input on Inclusive Destination Development," reads one of my emails. South Africa has a notable history as an inclusive destination. It is encouraging to learn that Dinokeng will increase the choices avilable.

Game farms are big business in SA, and are attracting an increasing number of corporate buyers. Serious interest is being shown from overseas countries such as the US.

There is a growing trend for smaller game farms to amalgamate to create more viable entities privately and at provincial government level, such as the Dinokeng Tourism project.

Dinokeng is a Blue IQ initiative of the Gauteng government to establish a premier tourist destination close to urban Gauteng. The project aims to promote economic growth, job creation and social upliftment through conserving and developing the historical, natural and cultural heritage of the area.

The project aims to enable many South Africans to experience tourism for the first time. Dinokeng has many game reserves and conservancies being linked and restocked with game to form a large Big Five game reserve.

In time it is expected the reserve will cover 100000ha, making it one of SA's biggest. Kolobe, a 140ha game farm at Boekenhoutskloof, to be sold by Auction Alliance on June 29, is part of a 1000ha farm and is within the Dinokeng-proclaimed area.

Game on the farm include giraffe, leopard, eland, zebra, antelope, wildebeest, baboons and caracal. The farm offers hiking routes, mountain biking, fishing and horse riding.

Source:

http://allafrica.com/stories/printable/200506100215.html

May 3, 2004
By Tammy O'Reilly

TRAVELLERS in Gauteng will now find it easer to get accommodation in places that cater for people with disabilities, with the Gauteng Tourism Authority's (GTA) first-ever accommodation guide for disabled travellers.

Believed to be the first of its kind in the country, the full-colour 40-page Gauteng Access Guide lists a total of 96 places with disable-friendly facilities like ramps for wheelchair access, handrails in showers and roll-in showers.

Published by AA Travel Guide, the publication reflects the authority's quest to stimulate tourism development in the province. "We believe Gauteng's greatest wealth is in its people and their hospitality and we make it our business to cater for every need of every visitor. We are delighted to now also have properly researched and packaged information for mobility-impaired guests," said the CEO of the GTA, Terry Tselane.

The guide is easy to use with standard symbols for facilities, and special symbols to indicate disabled-friendly features at accommodation establishments. There is also a much-needed list of tour operators specialising in travel for the disabled and wheel chair hire, as well as tourism information on shopping centres, routes, theatres and museums and other attractions.

"We have done thorough research on these aspects and believe this may be the first publication of its kind," said publisher Vanessa Sand.

Source:
Gauteng Access Guide
http://www.joburg.org.za/2004/may/may3_access.stm

Further Reading on Gauteng:

Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site
http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=242090&area=/insight/insight__national/

Gauteng Province Portal
http://www.gauteng.net/home/home.asp

Business Tourism Promotes Sandton
http://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/40/6759.html

inclusive destination development

Bariloche Looks to Inclusive Destination Development

Silvina García Larraburu, in an opinion piece at Noticias de Bariloche argues for Universal Design in the deevelopment of this world-class tourist destination.

What I particularly appreciate about the article, aimed at the local government and tourism industry, is the observation that, "It is essential to consider design in its context and not simply its individual components." Rather than the "reluctant compliance" model this is can be a process that liberates the imagination allowing it to form an appropriate "design response" during the earliest phases of development.

It is this contextual awareness of a place as "destination" for a traveler -- beckoning, chosen, temporary, disruptive to one's usual routines, and thoroughly entangled with the practicalities of mobility -- that grounds an Inclusive Destination Development approach.

Read:

Hacia un Perfil Turístico Integrador

http://www.bariloche2000.com/article.php?story=20050624002513265

Barrier Busters

Barrier Busters, is a grassroots group in Anacortes, Washington. They have as a goal to improve access in town for seniors and people with disabilities -- improving the quality of life for residents and tourists.

They also have a sense of humor!

After my June 22 comment that Skytrax ought to include photos of airport restrooms. Barrier Busters wrote to tell me they are doing just that for Anacortes WC's -- photos provided by the mysterious photographer "Latrina."

Barrier Busters

http://www.barrierbusters.net/index.htm

Inclusive Affordable Housing in California

Another example of Universal Design migrating back from single family dwellings into multiple family dwellings in the US -- and eventually on to the tourism and hospitality industry: University Neighborhood Apartments in Berkeley, California. One would hope that the affordable housing sector in the US, as in Brazil under Edison Passafaro, would fully embrace Universal Design as mission-critical.

RISMEDIA, June 22 –

People with special needs tend to be segregated into separate facilities away from their loved ones or the community at large. Counter to that trend, University Neighborhood Apartments creates an integrated community for people of all abilities through "design for all" facilities.

Affordable Housing Associates, in partnership with Hearth Homes Community Building, opens the first inclusive, affordable, universally designed residential units in the nation, University Neighborhood Apartments, in Berkeley, Calif. Universal design makes environments more usable by as many people as possible – regardless of age, ability or situation – without the need for adaptation or specialized design.

"We are strengthening families through universal design," remarks Susan Friedland, executive director of Affordable Housing Associates. "Now those with physical and developmental disabilities, or people living with HIV/AIDS, can make one home with their loved ones."

Located at 1721 University Avenue, University Neighborhood Apartments consists of 27 residential units, mostly two- and three-bedroom apartments, with commercial space on the ground floor. All of the apartments are reserved for low-income families. Fourteen of these are dedicated for disabled individuals and their families.

"University Neighborhood Apartments shows that affordable housing does not have to be ordinary," comments Kava Massih, principal of Kava Massih Architects. "This is a modern building with deep roots in the tradition of turn-of-the-century apartment buildings in the Bay Area."

University Neighborhood Apartments joins other notable Bay Area universal-design projects currently in development, including the Ed Roberts Campus at the Ashby BART station, designed by Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects (expected completion 2007-08).

Common universal-design features include one-story living, wide doorways and hallways, extra floor space to allow for a large turning radius, push/pull lever faucets for those with limited hand strength, and roll-in showers.

North Carolina State University's School of Design advocates seven principles that may be applied to universal design:

• Principle One: Equitable Use

The design is useful and marketable to people with diverse abilities.
• Principle Two: Flexibility in Use

The design accommodates a wide range of individual preferences and abilities
• Principle Three: Simple and Intuitive Use

Use of the design is easy to understand, regardless of the user's experience, knowledge, language skills or current concentration level.
• Principle Four: Perceptible Information

The design communicates necessary information effectively to the user, regardless of ambient conditions or the user's sensory abilities.
• Principle Five: Tolerance for Error

The design minimizes hazards and the adverse consequences of accidental or unintended actions.
• Principle Six: Low Physical Effort

The design can be used efficiently and comfortably and with a minimum of fatigue.
• Principle Seven: Size and Space for Approach and Use

Appropriate size and space is provided for approach, reach, manipulation and use regardless of user's body size, posture or mobility.

Toolworks, a Bay Area agency that provides resources for independent living, will administer case management, life skills instruction, and assistance with employment and personal support to tenants with disabilities. Hearth Homes will conduct programs designed to integrate the residents with each other and the community at large.

Affordable Housing Associates has been building affordable homes in the Bay Area since 1993.

Airports: Read a Review or Write One at Skytrax

Skytrax features airline and airport reviews by staff and readers. Going somewhere new? See how the airline or airport ranks. Or see if it is listed in the phot gallery. I'll bet there would be a rapid improvement in restroom quality worldwide if they added a "WC" category to the Photo Gallery.

See:

http://www.airlinequality.com/index.htm

Inclusive Destination Development Goals: Dubai, UAE

The following article on Inclusive Destination Development in Dubai was submitted to WheelMeOn.org.

Dubai Desert a Far Cry from a Cruise Ship but Seems to Get the Message

by Scott Rains

Dubai knows what travelers with disabilities need. It also knows what they want and builds it. If that is not unusual enough for a travel destination, consider this. Dubai makes a point of letting the world know that it wants tourists with disabilities.

In April 1999 Dubai’s Sheikh Mohammed announced his bold vision “for Dubai to be the world’s finest hub for finance, business, and tourism.” In 2003 the vision was elaborated with the announcement of plans for Dubailand – a massive commerce, recreation, and tourism center. And this year, 2005, Dubai revealed a public goal of attracting 3 million travelers with disabilities to what it intends to be its fully inclusive tourism infrastructure. Dubailand is a major project designed to meet that goal.

Dubailand is slated as a 2 billion sq.ft project composed of 45 mega projects and 200 sub-projects. The first phase will open in 2007 with the entire project completed between 2015 and 2018. Dubailand is predicted to attract 15 million tourists to Dubai by the year 2010. The project’s six themed elements include:

• Attractions and Experience World – 145 million sq.ft


• Themed Leisure and Vacation World – 311 million sq.ft


• Retail & Entertainment World – 45 million sq.ft


• Eco Tourism World – 806 million sq.ft


• Sports and Outdoor World - 206 million sq.ft


• Downtown – 5.66 million sq.ft

"Tourism For All" (“Turismus Para Todos”) is the phrase, with historical roots in European campaigns for human rights, being used in the Middle East to mean Inclusive Tourism. Dubai’s unique leadership role in the region was evident at the First International Tourism Development Forum for People with Special Needs in the Middle East that took place during Arabian Travel Mart 2005.

Organisers cited figures estimating that the Arab world has about 30 million disabled people, mostly victims of traffic accidents, health problems and old age. They felt that the value of missed opportunities lost by Arab tourism reaches $3 billion a year – if only 10%, i.e. 3 million spent approximately $1,000 per person on travel, the total spending would create tens of thousands of jobs.

There is an important lesson to be drawn from this market-savvy logic. What began as a human and civil rights campaign in one part of the world is taking root as an economic reality in a part of the world where there are no civil rights equivalents of an Anti-Discrimination Act, Disability Discrimination Act, or Americans with Disabilities Act. While consultants advise travel & hospitality industry executives to stonewall – or even challenge in court – disability-friendly legislation in the name of risk management, other countries embrace seniors, slow walkers, wheelchair users, those who are blind, and other demographic groups as their competitive advantage.

According to a report compiled by the World Bank, disabled people represent 10-20% of the total population in each country, or about 610 million worldwide. This number is expected to rise due to wars, poverty, insufficient health care, low birth rates and increasing senility. The report pointed out that the number of people with special needs is estimated at 40 million in Europe, over 54 million in US and 11 million in Russia.

No tourist destination in the world – on land or on the sea - can adopt a complacent “build it and they will come attitude.” Universal Design in the built environment must be complimented by what Australian Peter Rice refers to as its natural consequence, “Universal Management.” Current European visitors to Dubai sometimes comment that the marketplace atmosphere threatens to reduce every experience to a transaction and every visitor to a consumer. Customer service that does not deliver the dignity of persons enshrined in civil rights legislation will leave even the most disabled-friendly architecture feeling sterile.

This element compliments the message delivered by architect Yasmin Mahmoudieh at Arabian Travel Mart 2005 when she said:

…there can be 'no shortcuts' when it comes to designing hotels for the disabled. Architects have to focus "more on the emotional factor and atmosphere" and involve a lot of research for suitable materials, lighting and colours. She said such hotels have to have proper furniture and also cater to the fact that many people with special needs travel with families who use the normal [sic] facilities.

Ms Mahoudieh has received awards for designing of a number of disabled-friendly hotels in Switzerland, Germany and throughout Europe. She promises a 'spectacular project' in Dubai.

The very fact that Dubai get the message on Inclusive Destination Development – that consumers with disabilities expect quality and are willing to pay for it – is spectacular enough for the time being. Just wait until 2007!

Where will you go for vacation that year? On a cruise ship built around the same old inaccessible plans rejected by the US Supreme Court or somewhere that is being custom-built just for you?

>>>>>>>>>>.

Sources:

Dubai Makes a Move Toward Inclusion
http://www.rollingrains.com/archives/000529.html

Why Dubai?
http://www.rollingrains.com/archives/000531.html

DubaiLand: But will it be UD?
http://www.rollingrains.com/archives/000492.html

Dubai, the United Arab Emirates
http://www.rollingrains.com/archives/000462.html

Further Reading:

Accessible Cruises, Fair Housing, and the Americans With Disabilities Act
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/travel_with_disabilities/116434

Theme Parks, Imaginary Worlds, and Real Access
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/travel_with_disabilities/112537

Inclusive Tourism: Some Definitions
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/travel_with_disabilities/114773

Getting the Design Right - Inclusive Destination Development
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/travel_with_disabilities/115176

>>>>>>>>>>>>

Dr. Scott Rains is editor of the web site on travel and disability The Rolling Rains Report (http://www.RollingRains.com)
This month he is completing a one year appointment as Resident Scholar at the Center for Cultural Studies of UC Santa Cruz and has joined the Advisory Board of People with Disabilities Broadcasting Corporation (PWDBC), a production company "for, by, and about people with disabilities...and everybody else."

inclusive destination development

Barrier-Free Travel; A Nuts and Bolts Guide for Wheelers and Slow Walkers

In the interest of full disclosure, as I publish a press release verbatim, I want to go on record that I consider Candy Harrington's groundbreaking book, Barrier-Free Travel; A Nuts and Bolts Guide for Wheelers and Slow Walkers, to be the best single resource in English on Inclusive Travel.

And the new edition is even better.

Ripon, CA June 15, 2005 --Need help in planning a wheelchair-accessible vacation? Then pick up the newly released second edition of Barrier-Free Travel; A Nuts and Bolts Guide for Wheelers and Slow Walkers. Billed as the definitive guide to accessible travel, this indispensable resource contains detailed information about the logistics of planning accessible travel by plane, train, bus and ship.

Says author Candy Harrington, "Due to popular demand, the second edition has
an expanded cruise chapter, a chapter on traveling with kids, information on
airport security and tons of new resources. More and more wheelers and slow
walkers are hitting the road these days, and I've done my best to include
useful information, resources and tips to help them out."

The book also includes important details about air travel with a wheelchair,
traveling with oxygen, accessible ground transportation, choosing a travel
agent, on-line booking, accessible recreation and budget travel. Also
included is a comprehensive chapter devoted to self-advocacy,
consumer-rights and what to do when things go wrong.

Candy Harrington is widely known for her no-nonsense approach to access
issues. As the editor of Emerging Horizons she strives to provide her
readers with accurate information about accessible travel options. Candy
continues this same no-nonsense approach in Barrier-Free Travel.

Ms. Harrington is also a strong proponent of self advocacy. "Knowing your
rights not only helps you get the services you need, but it can also save
you money," she says. "For example, many people don't realize that if a
hotel in the U.S. operates a courtesy airport shuttle, they also have to
provide an accessible shuttle free of charge. It's important to note that
they can't charge their disabled guests for this service, even if it costs
extra to provide it."

Published by Demos Publishing, Barrier-Free Travel is a must-have resource
for wheelchair- or scooter-users, slow walkers, travel agents, CILs and
libraries. It's available at bookstores, through the publisher
(800-532-8663) or on-line at EmergingHorizons.com/book. Visit
EmergingHorizons.com/book to read a sample chapter, see the complete table
of contents, or for more information about Barrier-Free Travel, Emerging
Horizons or Candy Harrington.

###
**********************

Media contact:

Candy Harrington
Editor, Emerging Horizons
P.O. Box 278
Ripon, CA 95366

phone: 209-599-9409
fax: 209-599-9482
e-mail: candy@EmergingHorizons.com

www.EmergingHorizons.com
www.CandyHarrington.com

"Barrier Free Travel; A Nuts And Bolts Guide For Wheelers And Slow Walkers"
The definitive guide to accessible travel!

http://www.emergingingHorizons.com/book

Candy Harrington's blog is at:

http://www.BarrierFreeTravels.com

disability studies

Cuter Than a Bug - and Coming to Santa Cruz, California!

O.K., Vexel Quovis is coming to the USA...but what is it?

I'll tell you as soon as I drive one.

And you can find out, when you see it firsthand, at the next Inclusive Destination Development event in Santa Cruz County, California -- the 13th annual Day on the Beach

Other Inclusive Destination Development events in Santa Cruz County, California:

Day In The Sky
http://www.dayinthesky.org/

Taskforce for the Movement Toward Universal Design in Santa Cruz County
http://www.regathon.com/universaldesign

But don't miss the chance for a sneak peak at the Vexel Quovis on Saturday July 16, 2005 at Cowell Beach, in Santa Cruz, California.

Valencia Spain Adopts Universal Design in Parks

The director of Social Welfare in Valenica, Spain has released, Parques Accesibles de la Comunidad Valenciana, a handbook on accessible public space utilizing Univesal Design in Valencia, Spain. As she, Alicia de Miquel explains, "We have moved ahead in the elimination of arcitechtural barriers." With this Universal Design approach Valencia has moved human rights to the design phase - not as an add-on afterthought.

Congratulations, Valenciano/as! Another reason to visit.

La Generalitat Valenciana edita un manual de parques accesibles
por Javier Cuenca/ Valencia-17/06/2005

La consejera valenciana de Bienestar Social, Alicia de Miguel, ha presentado el manual de Parques Accesibles de la Comunidad Valenciana y señaló que esta edición permitirá poner a disposición de los ayuntamientos y otras instituciones de la región información técnica para realizar proyectos de parques y jardines públicos accesibles a todos los ciudadanos, teniendo en cuenta el diseño universal.

Con esta herramienta, explicó, "avanzamos en la eliminación de barreras arquitectónicas para mejorar la calidad de vida y fomentar la igualdad de oportunidades de las personas con discapacidad y movilidad reducida, un amplio abanico que comprende personas mayores, personas con carritos de bebé, carros de compra y usuarios con movilidad reducida temporal, que necesitan muletas u otras ayudas para desplazarse".

Según la consejera, "el objetivo del Manual de Parques Accesibles es que se contemple la accesibilidad como un parámetro más en el diseño de nuestro entorno, de modo que todas las localidades de la Comunidad Valenciana dispongan de un parque accesible con el distintivo de la Consejería de Bienestar Social".

El manual está dirigido a diseñadores y responsables del mantenimiento y su contenido trata aspectos que abarcan desde cómo llegar al parque y cómo entrar y pasear por él hasta los servicios higiénicos, la jardinería, iluminación, información y señalización.

La presentación de este manual tuvo lugar durante la inauguración del parque accesible de Rafelbunyol, que comprende la instalación de ascensor en la cafetería, aseos accesibles, señalización de plazas reservadas para personas con movilidad reducida, cartel informativo con lectura en braille y el equipamiento de fuentes, bancos y juegos accesibles, entre los que se encuentran balancines y areneros.

Further Reading on Valencia:

Tau Cermics
http://www.levante-emv.com/secciones/noticia.jsp?pIdNoticia=117478&pIndiceNoticia=6&pIdSeccion=4

Accessible Florida

Florida is a gateway to the Carribbean and South America. It is a destinatiion for Disney fans and beach-lovers. Wheelchairs on the Go: Accessible Fun in Florida by Michelle Stigleman and Deborah Van Brunt takes an in-depth look at all the state has to offer for wheelchair users and slow walkers:

http://www.travelwithachallenge.com/Accessible-Florida.htm

Santa Fe Design Week: I Want to Do a Road Trip!

Have you ever had the urge to just drop everything, jump in the car, and head off somewhere on a whim? I just did -- Santa Fe, New Mexico for Santa Fe Design Week!

Terri O'Hare of O'Hare Communications sent me this announcement about a spontaneous expression of pride and artistry in Santa Fe. The artistis' canvas? Reserved parking spaces for people with disabilties. Read more:

Accessible Art: Design Week Artists Paint to Raise Awareness
http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/28967.html

I wonder what Caroline Cardus could do with the parking bays in the UK following on this theme? See; "Humorous Roadside Art"

A Quick Overview on the Inclusive Travel Market from Travel Impact

Do you want to travel to increase travel to Valencia, Spain? Hyderabad, India? Piriapolis, Uruguay? Pattaya, Thailand? Below is a helpful compilation of facts from the First International Tourism Development Forum for People with Special Needs in the Middle East.

FACTS AND FIGURES ABOUT DISABLED TRAVEL

Statistics by Harris Interactive, a US market research company, show that the amount of money spent by disabled tourists can increase to $27 billion if specific services are added to accommodate them. A survey of 1,037 disabled individuals indicated that most of the services needed are:

<> Allocating special waiting bays that are close to airplane entrances to ensure maximum ease for the disabled

<> Receiving disabled tourists in a respectful manner by the employees in tourism facilities.

<> Providing suitable aisles for disabled in airports.

<> Appropriate shops in Duty Free Areas in airports.

<> Equipped taxi cars

<> Suitable insurance services.

<> Appoint sign language-speaking employees

<> Installing special doors that suit wheel-chairs.

<> Spacious toilets and rooms for disabled in wheel-chairs.

<> Short clothes hangers.

<> Reachable sinks for dish-washing

The statistics showed that:

[]- In 2001, US disabled travellers spent $3.3 billion on tickets, creating over 53,000 jobs among those catering for their needs. They spent $4.2 billion on hotel accommodation which led to 60,000 new jobs.

[]- The number of cabins designed for disabled travellers rose by 60 % on Caribbean cruise ships from 1999 to 2000.

[]- The disabled constitute around 15% of the British population (British National Statistic Centre).

[]- The British Government gives around 19 billion sterling pounds annually as aid for disabled people.

[]- In Germany one out of four individuals is disabled or has a disabled relative. One out of four Germans will reach the age of 60 by the year 2010 and the number will increase to 1 out of 3 by 2030.

[]- Five% of manufactured cars (130,000), suitable for disabled people, are sold yearly. (European Consumers Org.)

[]- In Russia around 900,000 individuals are registered as disabled annually.

[]- The number of the disabled individuals in Russia is 11 million (according to the Russian Ministry of Labor and Pravda newspaper). This number is expected to reach 15 million over the upcoming years.

[]- Around 54 million individuals are disabled in the US.

[]- More than 52% of disabled individuals require a companion. This encourages family tourism and supports other tourism sectors.

[]- 50% of disabled individuals worldwide are willing to travel more if the appropriate services are provided

[]- Disabled individuals spend an average of 945 Euros as apposed to normal individuals who spend an average of 818 Euros per trip.

Source:

Travel Impact Newswire, 24 Soi Chidlom, Bangkok, Thailand 10330. T: (66-2) 2551480, 2537590. Fax: 02 2544316. Email: imtiaz@travel-impact-newswire.com AND/OR imtiaz@loxinfo.co.th

disability studies

Covering Disability Issues

Beth Haller has compiled a useful online resource for journalists:

http://spj.org/diversity_toolbox_disabil.asp

National Center on Disability and Journalism (NCDJ) is an independent journalism organization that also has a resource for journalists. Their mission is to educate journalists and educators about disability reporting issues in order to produce more accurate, fair and diverse news reporting:

http://ncdj.org/links.html

Dubai Makes a Move Toward Inclusion

Not long ago I continued with the topic of "Theme Parks, Imaginary Worlds, and Real Access" and asked if the DubaiLand theme park would subscribe to Universal Design principles.

What follows is not a direct answer but one that bodes well for the future of Inclusive Destination Development in Dubai. I develop on this news in the article A Fair Sheikh for Travelers with Disabilities.

DUBAI TARGETS 3 MILLION DISABLED TRAVELLERS

The Dubai government says it plans to ensure that the US$ 100 billion dollars worth of tourism projects emerging in the emirate cater to the needs of disabled travellers, and has called on all its stakeholders to join in the "creation of a society that cares". Noting that "we are all at some point in our lives, disabled people," the government says that building a vision for the future as a preferred tourism and business development centre has to include a "future for the disabled as well".

Under the slogan "Tourism For All", the initiative was launched at the Arabian Travel Mart 2005 which saw the convening of the First International Tourism Development Forum for People with Special Needs in the Middle East While the philanthropic motive is strong, the profit motive is equally so Organisers say that sales of special equipment alone could total 300 million dirhams (about US$ 82 million).

According to a report compiled by the World Bank, disabled people represent 10-20% of the total population in each country, or about 610 million worldwide. This number is expected to rise due to wars, poverty, insufficient health care, low birth rates and increasing senility. The report pointed out that the number of people with special needs is estimated at 40 million in Europe, over 54 million in US and 11 million in Russia. [Please see more detailed statistics below].

Organisers cited figures estimating that the Arab world has about 30 million disabled people, mostly victims of traffic accidents, health problems and old age. They felt that the value of missed opportunities lost by Arab tourism reaches $3 billion a year -- if only 10%, i.e. 3 million spent approximately $1,000 per person on travel, the total spending would create tens of thousands of jobs.

The forum was aimed at raising awareness among the industry about the need to improve the interaction skills of front-line employees in airports, airline companies, tourism companies, and shopping malls to deal with individuals with special needs; sensitise construction and engineering companies; and boost services provided to disabled people by airports, airlines, hotels, parks trip organisers, shopping malls, taxi companies, and car rentals.

Department of Civil Aviation President Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum said that catering to people with special needs was a "gap which has to be covered. This gap has tremendous social responsibility and economic implications... We have to look into every aspect of the requirements and make sure that the visitors are well looked after and satisfied. "

He said that although the Arab world has much to offer in terms of culture, and heritage, invention and leisure centres, "lack of facilities for individuals with special needs prevent them from enjoying it. I would like to call upon all those involved in the travel and tourism industry to come together and work as strategic partners. Hotels, travel agencies, airlines, airports, shopping malls , public transport -- each one has its own responsibilities. However, together we can achieve more."

Mohamed Ali Al Abbar, Chairman of Emaar Real Estate, said it was long overdue that the requirements of people with special needs are debated openly, overcoming social, cultural or religious barriers. He noted that things should move faster now there is "a strong commitment from the top". He recommended an annual benchmark, a specific plan of action and time frames to chart progress. "When we are under pressure and benchmarked we move faster than talking and committing," he said.

A senior official of Dubai municipality said building regulations were designed to ensure a better environment for people with special needs. He said the municipality has different regulations for public buildings, commercial buildings, hotels and ramps and corridors. Some of the generic regulations, he said, included the need for ramps with a proper sloping ratio, reservation of 1.3% of the total parking space for the disabled, at least one unisex toilet accessible to a wheelchair user and at least one elevator designed according to the international standards.

As for the hotels, he said the municipal regulations applied to those of three stars and above. Inspection trips conducted by municipal officials indicated that most of the new emerging hotels in Dubai were up to speed. One hotel, he said, had nine rooms designed for the disabled, as against the regulatory requirement for at least 2-3 rooms. Other regulations included properly designed bathrooms, emergency exits, handicapped car-park spaces, sloping ramps, etc. "No permits are being issued for any building unless these facilities have been provided according to our standards," he said.

The forum also heard from German-Iranian architect Yasmin Mahmoudieh who has won numerous awards for the design of a number of disabled-friendly hotels in Switzerland, Germany and across Europe, and is presently working on what she said will be a 'spectacular project' in Dubai.

Ms Mahmoudieh said there can be 'no shortcuts' when it comes to designing hotels for the disabled. Architects have to focus "more on the emotional factor and atmosphere" and involve a lot of research for suitable materials, lighting and colours. She said such hotels have to have proper furniture and also cater to the fact that many people with special needs travel with families who use the normal facilities.

Source:

Travel Impact Newswire

================

ABOUT TRAVEL IMPACT NEWSWIRE

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Dedicated to reporting with Integrity, Trust, Accuracy and Respect the
issues that impact on the Asia-Pacific Travel & Tourism industry.
Distributed every week to senior industry executives, consultants, academics
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Interested in sponsoring future editions of Newswire, the region's only
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Campeche, Mexico: Turismo para Todos

Inclusive Tourism has been a development goal of Campeche, Mexico this year.

INSTALAN EN CAMPECHE CONSEJO "UN TURISMO PARA TODOS"

Se busca que viajen más jóvenes, adultos mayores y personas con capacidades diferentes con tarifas preferenciales.- Elizondo.

La Sectur aportará 5 millones de pesos al estado de Campeche como parte del Convenio de Coordinación y Reasignación de Recursos 2005.
Para facilitar el acceso de todos los mexicanos al turismo y así tengan la oportunidad de vacacionar a precios accesibles, se instaló el Consejo "Un Turismo para Todos", en el estado de Campeche. En el acto, el Secretario de Turismo, Rodolfo Elizondo Torres y el Gobernador de la entidad, Jorge Carlos Hurtado Valdez, coincidieron en la necesidad de implementar acciones estratégicas para el beneficio de los sectores más desprotegidos de la sociedad.

"Buscamos que en toda la república viajen más jóvenes, adultos mayores, más personas con capacidades especiales y más familias, en mejores condiciones, a precios accesibles y que encuentren una amplia oferta de destinos y segmentos para disfrutar", señaló Elizondo durante su discurso pronunciado en el Centro de Convenciones Campeche XXI.

En gira de trabajo por ese estado, el titular de Sectur destacó que Campeche adopta este programa con un valor agregado: una vasta oferta turística más accesible, solidaria y sustentable, para alcanzar un turismo de calidad y con mejores servicios. Para apoyar a mejorar los servicios turísticos de la entidad, señaló que la Secretaría de Turismo aportará 5 millones de pesos para este 2005, como parte de los Convenios de Coordinación y Reasignación de Recursos, los cuales detonarán 15 millones de pesos con la colaboración del gobierno estatal.

Los recursos se destinarán al apoyo del proyecto de luz y sonido de Edzná; la rehabilitación del Baluarte Santiago y la construcción del Jardín Botánico, así como a la conclusión del rescate y rehabilitación del Circo Teatro Renacimiento. Más tarde, el Secretario Elizondo asistió a la presentación del proyecto de inversión inmobiliaria Playa Esmeralda Resort; se trasladó al Baluarte Batería de San Luis y al Baluarte de Nuestra Señora de la Soledad y realizó un recorrido por las obras de construcción del Museo Escultura y Arqueología Maya, obra que se lleva a cabo con recursos del Convenio de Coordinación y Reasignación de Recursos 2004.

www.sectur.gob.mx
prensa@sectur.gob.mx
Dirección General de Comunicación Social
Tels. 3002-6300 ext. 2805 y 2808

Source:

http://www.viajapormexico.com/HomePrinc/Sectur_04.htm

DIRECCION GENERAL DE COMUNICACIÓN SOCIAL
Dirección de Información y Prensa
Tuxtla Gtz, Chis; jueves 3 de marzo de 2005.
Boletín de Prensa 028/05

LOS FINES DE SEMANA LARGOS, UNA REFORMA LEGAL QUE BENEFICIARÁ AL TURISMO.- ELIZONDO

• Informa el Secretario de Turismo que está trabajando con la Cámara de Diputados y con los titulares de Trabajo y Previsión Social y Educación Pública para que se materialice en 2005 la reforma al Artículo 74 de la Ley Federal del Trabajo.

• El Turismo Doméstico representa el 84% del total y es generado por el 34% de la población mexicana.

• Inicia en Chiapas el Quinto Encuentro de la Red “Un Turismo para todos”.

El Secretario de Turismo, Rodolfo Elizondo Torres, informó que la dependencia a su cargo “apoya con entusiasmo la iniciativa de ley que permita hacer reformas a la Ley Federal del Trabajo y hacer posible contar con fines de semana largos que beneficiarán al turismo doméstico”.

Dijo que para concretar ese objetivo durante este mismo año, realiza una ardua labor y un diálogo permanente con la Cámara de Diputados y con los titulares de las Secretarías de Trabajo y Previsión Social y Educación Pública.

Al encabezar en Tuxtla Gutiérrez, junto con el Gobernador de Chiapas, Pablo Salazar Mendiguchía, la ceremonia inaugural del Quinto Encuentro de la Red “Un Turismo para Todos”, Elizondo Torres señaló que “el turismo doméstico representa el 84 por ciento del total del turismo que se lleva a cabo en este país, y es generado por el 34 por ciento de la población que sí viaja”.

Agregó que “el 82 por ciento de los pasajeros que se movilizan en charters carreteros son turistas nacionales y eso revela el enorme potencial de ese mercado”.

El titular de Sectur subrayó la importancia que tiene para el país “fomentar la cultura del viaje”, ya que el turismo debe ser “asumido como una actividad que puede ser parte integral de la vida cotidiana de todos nosotros”. En tal sentido, puntualizó que “el Turismo para Todos debe ser un turismo accesible, educativo, sustentable y rentable”.

Elizondo Torres comentó a los participantes en este encuentro que así como fue suscrito recientemente un convenio entre Sectur y el Inapam para ampliar el acceso a los destinos turísticos a unos cinco millones de adultos mayores, próximamente será firmado un acuerdo similar con el Instituto Mexicano de la Juventud para abrir mayores posibilidades de viaje a los jóvenes.

Source:
http://www.visitemexicoprensa.com.mx/visitemex/bolprensasectur/05/marzo/marctex030305.htm

inclusive destination development

Estate Concordia Sets the Standard for St. John's Island

Inclusive Destination Development in the Carribbean will get a boost as the next phase of St. John's Estate Concordia project takes place startng July 24.

St. John is the smallest of the U.S. Virgin Islands but it has big ideas. Long known as an idyllic spot for an active vacation, this mountainous island will soon become one of the first Caribbean destinations to offer extensive facilities for persons with disabilities.

From July 24 to 30, a small group of volunteers with a range of mobility disabilities, some wheelchair-users, will test newly designed accommodations at Estate Concordia, an eco-resort on the south side of the island. Walkways have been built for convenient access. Recently constructed living quarters offer wide doorways, large bathrooms with spacious shower stalls and utilities within easy reach. For some of the volunteers with disabilities the chance to swim, snorkel, kayak, sail and even scuba dive with assistive/adaptive recreational equipment and to explore the island's nature trails will be the fulfillment of a life-long dream.

The weeklong event will conclude with a conference during which participants will critique the facilities and offer suggestions for improving them. Attending will be inclusive design consultants, USVI officials and hotel representatives. The initiative, known as "Building a Destination for All 2005", was conceived by Stanley Selengut, owner of Estate Concordia, in collaboration with Multi, Design for People, LLC, based in Connecticut and Rhode Island, members of St. John's government, local businesses, and the National Park and its supporters.

The need for the project is underscored by market studies that estimate there are 54 million Americans with disabilities. The tally incorporates the nation's rapidly growing senior population. Says Kat Darula, one of Multi, Design for People's consultants: "Because one American turns 50 every seven seconds, it is critical to recognize the need to apply an 'inclusive' design approach that accommodates people of all ages and abilities for all scales of the built environment."

The first steps to "Building a Destination for All 2005" were taken last year when Multi's inclusive design consultants and acting professors for 15 interdisciplinary design students from the Rhode Island School of Design's Industrial Design Department visited St. John. Their recommendations led directly to the innovations at Estate Concordia and the coordinated effort by the island's government and business community.

Endorsing the undertaking, Lorraine L. Berry, President of the USVI Senate, noted that "One does not see children and adults with disabilities enjoying our magnificent sun, sea and surf to the extent they should...the simple fact is that their needs aren't being met." Selengut, who also owns Maho Bay, a 30-year-old eco-resort on the island, acknowledges the economic potential of attracting visitors with special needs. But he echoes Senate President Berry when he says; "It's also the right thing to do."

Contact: Kat Darula Melody Smith
Multi, Design for People, LLC Maho Bay Camps, Inc
kat@designforpeople.org melody@maho.org
T: 401.935.2976 T: 340.693.5722 x233.

20-27 Estate Concordia, St John, USVI 00830
Reservations/brochures: (800) 392-9004
Front Desk: (340) 693-5855 Fax: 340-693-5960
Email: melody@maho.org Website: www.maho.org

Building a Destination for All

---

From July 24 to 30, 2005, a small group of volunteers with a range of mobility disabilities, some wheelchair-users, will test newly designed accommodations at Estate Concordia.

Walkway-ramps have been built for convenient access. Recently constructed eco-tents offer wide doorways, large bathrooms with spacious shower stalls and utilities within easy reach. For some of the volunteers with disabilities the chance to enjoy National Park beaches, to swim, snorkel, kayak, sail and even scuba dive with assistive/adaptive recreational equipment and to explore the island will be the fulfillment of a life-long dream.

There will be four participants with disabilities and their caregivers touring around St. John, with design interns and consultants, enjoying and evaluating the islands accessibility for persons with disabilities. They will be staying at the new eco-tents at Concordia, eating some meals at Maho Bay Camps, but also dining at Rubalayans Restaurant, Aqua Bistro Restaurant, the Westin Resort, Caneel Bay Resort, and Cinnamon Bay Campground. They will be doing a day sail on the Allura catamaran sailboat; snorkeling and scuba diving from Big Maho Bay beach with special equipment; snorkeling and swimming at Trunk Bay and Cinnamon Bay beaches.

The weeklong event will conclude with a one day panel discussion during which participants will critique the island’s facilities and offer suggestions for improving them. Attending will be inclusive design consultants, USVI officials and hotel representatives.

Posted by rollingrains at 06:04 PM

Wheels in the Woods: Univbersal Design in Outdoor Access

Earthplace nature center in Westport, CT is a nature center feauring Universal Design in their trail system -- Wheels in the Woods. For an example of outdoor access see:

http://www.earthplace.org/things_to_see/Universal_Design_Trail.html

ADA Trumps Hubris: The Fall of the House of Cards

If the Universal Design is the carrot, ADA is the stick.

Mom always said, "Eat you vegetables!" It appears that someone at the apartment complex developer Archstone-Smith didn't listen to mom. Someone, somewhere is saying, "Ouch, hubris hurts!" (Retrofitting is expensive but inclusive design is free.)

WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 8, 2005) The Equal Rights Center
(ERC), the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) and
the United Spinal Association along with their counsel, Cohen, Milstein,
Hausfeld, & Toll, PLLC and the Washington Lawyers Committee for Civil
Rights and Urban Affairs announced today what is by far the largest
settlement of a lawsuit challenging defects in the design and
construction of multi-family housing under the Fair Housing Act and the
Americans with Disabilities Act.

In a week where Inclusive Destination Development is getting its day in court, one can only hope that other industry players will transcend the reactive stance to ADA compliance and seriously study the evidence that demonstrates the profit to be made by including the senior market and those with disabilities and adopting a unified design response through Universal Design.

Historic Settlement In Nationwide Disability Discrimination Lawsuit
Against Developer Archstone-Smith Trust

Contact: Deborah Schwartz 301 897-8838 or 240-355-8838
WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 8, 2005) The Equal Rights Center
(ERC), the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) and
the United Spinal Association along with their counsel, Cohen, Milstein,
Hausfeld, & Toll, PLLC and the Washington Lawyers Committee for Civil
Rights and Urban Affairs announced today what is by far the largest
settlement of a lawsuit challenging defects in the design and
construction of multi-family housing under the Fair Housing Act and the
Americans with Disabilities Act.

The settlement requires the survey of 71 apartment complexes
developed by Archstone-Smith Trust and located in 16 states around the
country, which contain approximately 36,000 apartment units, about 12,000
of which are covered by the settlement, and to retrofit features of the
complexes, at Archstones expense, that operated as barriers to the full
use and enjoyment of these facilities by people with disabilities.
Archstone-Smith Trust is the seventh largest developer of apartment
complexes in the United States. Although surveys of the properties have
not concluded, the cost of remediation is estimated to exceed $20
million. Archstone will also pay $1.4 million in damages and attorneys
fees and litigation expenses.

The settlement is contained in a Consent Decree, which was
approved today by Judge Andre Davis of the U.S. District Court for the
District of Maryland. The case was filed on December 20, 2004.

The lawsuit resulted from an investigation, undertaken by civil
rights testers from the Equal Rights Center, of Archstone apartment
complexes around the country. The testing found evidence that Archstone
apartment complexes had steps at entryways, doorways that were too
narrow, insufficient turning space in kitchens and bathrooms, and other
barriers that prevented persons who use wheelchairs from entering or
fully using the apartment units and facilities.

Rabbi Bruce E. Kahn, Executive Director of the Equal Rights
Center said, This is a great day for civil rights. Too often
discrimination against people with disabilities passes as not being
discrimination at all. Because access to housing is a fundamental right,
this type of discrimination must be exposed, and stopped.
Archstone-Smiths willingness to remedy past wrongs is a step in the right
direction, and we hope that others will follow suit.

Andrew J. Imparato, President & CEO of AAPD stated, "Today's
settlement represents a significant step forward for millions of disabled
Americans and seniors, including people who will need accessible housing
in the future. It sends a strong and clear message to commercial
residential developers that civil rights laws must be taken seriously."

Gerard M. Kelly, Executive Director of United Spinal said, We
applaud Archstone for acknowledging its responsibilities to people with
disabilities and we are gratified that these issues have been resolved
without further litigation. As one of the largest residential developers
in the United States, Archstones leadership in correcting accessibility
shortcomings at its properties will not only burnish its reputation in
the industry, but it will serve to alert developers nationwide that the
Fair Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act will be strictly
enforced.

According to Joseph M. Sellers, a partner at Cohen, Milstein,
Hausfeld & Toll, the lead counsel in the litigation, It is regrettable
that nearly 15 years after the laws were enacted that prohibit barriers
to housing for people with disabilities, we encountered violations of the
law that could have been detected with a ruler. We commend Archstone for
agreeing so promptly and fully to eliminate these barriers that limited
access to its properties and hope that Archstone will become a leader in
the field of constructing multi-family housing that complies with federal
law.

Rod Boggs, Executive Director of the Washington Lawyers Committee
for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs, and co-counsel in the litigation
said, This case is historic both in the sheer number of apartment
complexes and apartments covered, but also in the monetary damages the
defendant will pay to correct the wrong that has been done in building
inaccessible housing.

The Consent Decree provides that alterations at the various
apartment complexes will be tailored to the deficiencies detected at each
facility. Such remedies may include removal of steps at building
entrances, widening interior doors, expansion of floor space in kitchens
and bathrooms, and relocation of switches, controls and electrical
outlets to accessible locations as well as retrofitting leasing offices,
club houses, parking lots and sidewalks in order to bring them into
compliance with federal law.

The Consent Decree also requires, for the 3-year period it is in
effect, that Archstone-Smith Trust will certify that its future
construction of apartment complexes will comply with the accessibility
requirements of the Fair Housing Act and the ADA and to educate its
personnel on the design and construction requirements of those laws.

A copy of the Consent Decree is available at www.cmht.com or
www.washlaw.org.

The specific Archstone-Smith apartment complexes covered by the
settlement agreement include:

Archstone Arrowhead Glendale, AZ
Archstone Old Town Scottsdale Scottsdale, AZ
Archstone Rio Salado Tempe, AZ
Archstone Aliso Viejo Aliso Viejo, CA
Archstone Emerald Park Dublin, CA
Archstone Hacienda Pleasanton, CA
Ironhorse Trail Dublin, CA
Archstone Las Flores Las Flores, CA
Archstone Mission Valley San Diego, CA
Archstone Mission Viejo Mission Viejo, CA
Archstone Monterey Grove San Jose, CA
Archstone Pacific View Carlsbad, CA
Archstone Pasadena Pasadena, CA
Archstone Playa Del Rey Playa Del Rey, CA
Archstone Torrey Hills San Diego, CA
Archstone Vanoni Ranch Ventura, CA
Archstone Westside Los Angeles, CA
Archstone Willow Glen San Jose, CA
Archstone Dakota Ridge Littleton, CO
Archstone Riverfront Park Denver, CO
Stonegate Broomfield, CO
Archstone Stamford Stamford, CT
Archstone Cypress Cove North Lauderdale, FL
Archstone Delray Beach Delray Beach, FL
Archstone Doral West Miami, FL
Archstone Gardens Tamarac, FL
Archstone Marina Bay Davie, FL
Archstone Miramar Lakes Miramar, FL
Archstone Promenade Orlando, FL
Residences at Miramar Lakes Miramar, FL
Archstone Rocky Creek Tampa, FL
Archstone Turtle Run Coral Springs, FL
Archstone Waterways Deerfield Beach, FL
Archstone North Point Alpharetta, GA
Archstone State Bridge Alpharetta, GA
Cameron at Barrett Creek Marietta, GA
Cameron Landing Stockbridge, GA
One Superior Place Chicago, IL
Archstone Bowie Town Center Bowie, MD
Archstone Governors Green I, II Bowie, MD
Cronins Landing Waltham, MA
Archstone Watertown Square Watertown, MA
Archstone Matthews Matthews, NC
Archstone Northcross Huntersville, NC
Archstone North Park Raleigh, NC
Archstone Olde Apex Apex, NC
Archstone Preston Morrisville, NC
Hedges Creek Tualatin, OR
Prestons Crossing Beaverton, OR
Archstone Hickory Hollow Nashville, TN
Archstone Hunters Run Austin, TX
Archstone Medical Center Houston, TX
Archstone Memorial Heights Houston, TX
Archstone Monterey Ranch Austin, TX
Cantebrea Crossing Austin, TX
The Esplanade at Hermann Museum Circle Houston, TX
Vistas at Canyon Creek Austin, TX
2201 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA
Ballston Place/Pollard Gardens Arlington, VA
Arlington Courthouse Place Arlington, VA
Lofts 590 Arlington, VA
Archstone Monument Park Fairfax, VA
Archstone Springfield Station Springfield, VA
Archstone Reston Landing Reston, VA
Archstone Stoneridge Apartments Ashburn, VA
Westchester at Stratford Farm Leesburg, VA
Archstone Woodland Park Herndon, VA
Archstone Worldgate Herndon, VA
Archstone Northcreek Bothell, WA
Archstone Harbour Pointe Mukilteo, WA
The Park Connecticut Washington, DC

# # #

Further Reading:

Archstone Trust/ Fair Housing
http://www.cmht.com/cases_archstonetrust.php

Consent Decree
http://www.cmht.com/pdfs/ArchstoneConsentDecree060905.pdf
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"Fill'er up!" in Michigan: The Pump Guide

Vacation travel alone by car gets anxiety-producing as the gas tank approaches empty -- even more so if you have an ambulatory disability and can't use self-serve pumps. Tom Greenwood of the Detroit News understands that and keeps his readers informed of a solution in Michigan that ought to be replicated elsewhere.

Thanks to the Michigan Paralyzed Veterans of America, disabled drivers can plan their vacation route to include gas stations where they can have fuel pumped for them at self-serve prices. The MPVA provides this information because there's no technology to aid the disabled with the inconvenience of self-serve gasoline.

Source:

http://www.detnews.com/2005/commuting/0506/03/B05-197429.htm

The Pump Guide
http://www.thepumpguide.com/

This news item comes you thanks to the tireless research of Dave Reynolds of Inclusion Daily Express.

Why Dubai?

Dubai keeps getting good press as an accessible destination.

Air Emirates maintains its reputation as disabled friendly. Inclusion seems to be a national goal with examples like the Tri-Dubai triathletes and the Al Thiqah Club. Concept Media, a Dubai-based publisher produces the cross disabilty magazine "Challenge." This Spring they celebrated their first anniversary.

But, leading from behind the scenes, impervious to the doubts of his detractors, Sheikh Mohammed, leads a steady course toward Dubai's emergence as, in his words, "the world’s finest hub for finance, business and tourism." Inclusion is part of that vision.

In the full text of his address below to the "Dubai Government Excellence Programme Awards ceremony" in April, 2005 note how he recognizes the important contribution of people with disabilities. With leadership like that, Dubai may reach its goal of attraction 3 million tourists with disabilities.

In April 1999, I announced my vision - for Dubai to be the world’s finest hub for finance, business and tourism. As usual, some people had doubts, others viewed this as nothing more than the slogan for a public relations campaign and yet others considered it impossible.

I understood how difficult this task was but I knew it wasn’t impossible or unattainable, that it was something that could be achieved. The future is our ally and we must take part in shaping it. We have never been and will never be people who wait. Time is the most precious thing we have; if we let it slip away, we can’t get it back and there is a lot to be done and little time to do it all. Time is not neutral – it is either a close friend or an enemy.

The secret to success lies in time management and the secret to excellence lies in deliberating and acting quickly.

We have implemented several successful initiatives and projects, but we have yet to achieve all that we want. We are still in the first metre of the first mile.

Some officials think that their achievements are unparalleled and that our country has made so many advancements that it is on a par with the most advanced countries. In the region, there are many who imitate us, using our ideas and copying our projects. To these people I say, slow down and be humble. What we achieved yesterday is done – let’s talk about tomorrow and what comes after tomorrow. We are still at the starting point of a long, hard journey. Many tasks await us – humanitarian, social, cultural and economic – the task of providing what is needed in order to develop our society, improve our resources and strengthen our country’s regional and international position.

Brothers and sisters, on this day of Government Excellence, I re-emphasise the public sector’s role as a vehicle for development and progress. We have to persevere in building a government that functions in accordance with new ideas, the latest practices and enlightened visions – a government that is dynamic, that takes initiatives, that is proactive and able to evaluate and develop its roles, practices and responsibilities.

We need a government with departments that work together as a team to achieve a common objective without pettiness, duplicity or complications. A government that works with its employees and shares with them its plans, initiatives, programmes and decisions. A government that isn’t limited to managing people, that works with them and appreciates them.

Man isn’t a number, a piece of paper in a file or an automaton operated by remote control or by orders. Man is emotions, feelings, memory and a brain that thinks, analyses and makes comparisons. If you don’t take all this into account when you deal with people, then they will give back much less than you expect and they won’t work with enthusiasm or be able to care whether you succeed or fail. They will not be loyal to your department or feel any satisfaction and they may even hold a grudge against you or be indifferent. That’s why we have government employee satisfaction studies.

The following departments rated highest in terms of employee satisfaction: Dubai Technology and Media Free Zone, Dubai Airport Authority and Dubai Electricity and Water Authority. The worst are the Department of Justice, Dubai Development Board and Dubai Ship Docking Yard (Al Jadaf).

This study is not merely used to measure results – it’s a means of giving the employees a voice so we can learn whether anything is keeping them from being creative and from achieving excellence. The results of this study must be used to change the way that we deal with our employees. This should not be a study that officials stuff into a drawer so it is out of sight.

Last year, I talked about managers who hold creative employees back and refuse to meet training and development needs. Unfortunately we still have some such directors. We also have directors who manage by issuing orders and instilling fear in the hearts of their employees, limiting their creativity, development and progress. There are other directors who delegate everything to their deputies and assistants who, in turn, deal harshly with employees, depriving them of any opportunity to demonstrate their abilities and talents. These directors and deputies are holding us back and they are a stumbling block to our progress.

I want directors who don’t spend all their time signing documents such as office boys’ vacation applications. I want directors who share responsibility, not ones who cling to authority like despots. A large stack of signed documents does not indicate that a director is successful. On the contrary, it shows that the department is inefficient. A director’s role is more important than this. His responsibilities are to plan, supervise, motivate and develop the skills of his assistants and employees and to develop the second and third ranks of employees in all the departments, sections and units that he supervises. I want directors who work relentlessly to improve their employees’ skills and self-confidence while encouraging them to take the initiative and to take risks and introduce new ideas.

Some in higher departments and in the second rank are sensitive to new ideas and they react badly because they think that if they accept new ideas, their positions will be at risk.

Some who sit in the department head’s chair think that they are sitting on a box full of knowledge and ideas.

Brothers, no man can know everything. Learn from our prophet, who used to consult his companions, ask their opinions and adopt any useful suggestions.

I want a director who is courageous, optimistic and whose heart is superior to all petty bureaucratic struggles, fault-finding, who doesn’t make a fuss of small issues or turn the office into a place for back-biting. I do not want a director who succeeds by making other people look like failures – such a person is not a successful manager and he is unhappy with life. This sort of director sees only the bad – he is blind to the good. I pity such people, and I hope that they will improve.

You will notice that I have emphasised the director’s role – be it Director-General, Executive Director or Department Head – because the director influences his employees and the people around him. He has to set a good example in terms of good dealings with others, optimism, good deeds, virtues – we are proud of such directors and we are happy with their successes and achievements, especially when they develop their employees so that they are able to take responsibility in a variety of roles.

I want all of you to believe that the development of our people is the most important work - the work that will most contribute to our progress. The true measure of a nation’s wealth lies in its human capital, not in its finances. We have to work faster to build our human resources by training them and finding and developing the most competent people – we must take them under our wings and open all doors for them so that they can contribute and be creative. All officials and directors must participate in this nationwide effort.

The director’s efficiency lies not only in the implementation of projects or in ensuring customer satisfaction, but also in developing the abilities of his deputies and employees. I have ordered the launch of a comprehensive programme to develop and build human resources in order to establish a means of communicating with our employees and rewarding their efforts.

As we work to develop human resources, we must remember the role that women play as men’s partners in work and success.

To encourage the role of women and their participation in development, I have ordered the launch of a leadership development initiative for women so that our daughters and sisters can, in a year or two, assume high-ranking positions in the public and private sectors.

In our small society that is working toward demographic balance, we cannot ignore half of our population. Our country needs the abilities of all its sons and daughters.

One of our major objectives is to take care of, provide the best services to and build real partnerships with people – the government wants to excel in terms of providing services to its clients.

Based on the results of a Mystery Shopper study, the Dubai Land Department, of which I am proud because it is now in the lead and I thank its directors and employees for this, Dubai Civil Defence, the Department of Civil Aviation and Dubai Police scored highest in terms of customer service. The worst of the lowest-scoring departments is the Department of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, followed by the Department of Justice, the Naturalisation and Residency Department and Dubai Jadaf.

Before I conclude this speech, I have a question and a piece of advice for the departments and directors that did badly. Why are your departments always the worst? What stops them from being the best? As for the advice, these directors need to take a good look in the mirror and to study their practices and their teams' abilities and to work hard. They must fill any gaps and minimise the negative impact of their mistakes. I ask them to work harder than anyone else to develop their departments and improve performance so that they achieve better results in the future.

In conclusion, I thank all the employees who excelled, gave a lot and who were outstanding. I am pleased to introduce a number of unsung heroes who work for the government. They overcame all obstacles to perform outstanding work.

These unsung heroes are Mohammed Khamis bin Natouf, an administrative officer at Dubai Department of Health and Medical Services with 34 years of experience. He has set an example as an honest, hardworking employee. Khalil Ibrahim Rostum, car park attendant for Dubai Municipality, is careful, works to the best of his ability, and he caught and handed over a thief. Ahmed Al Hamedani, a clerk at Emaar Board, is at work despite his illness although he has sick leave. Maryam Al Afradi of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing developed several technical programmes. She is ambitious – she works and studies at the same time despite health problems. Ali Abdelkarim of Dubai Municipality is hardworking – he works while pursuing a higher diploma. Abdelwahab Ahmed, a storekeeper at the Department of Justice, is an honest employee. Adel Khamis is a messenger at the Department of Economic Development. He loves his work and performs it to the best of his ability. He is not married because he says he’s married to work. Abdelaziz Al Madrab, an administrative officer at Jebel Ali Free Zone, is hardworking with a heavy workload. Aisha Hassan Ibrahim of Dubai Police is energetic, loyal and highly accurate in her work. She is developing her skills despite her hearing disability. Maneh Abdullah Khalifa, a computer programmer at Dubai Technology & Media Free Zone Authority, works hard despite his disability. He won a silver medal at the Special Olympics in Athens. Abdelaziz Saeed, a public relations officer at Dubai Development and Investment Authority, is known as the man to turn to in a crisis. The word no is not in his vocabulary. Ismael Issa Mohammed, a preacher’s assistant at the Department of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, has encouraged many people to embrace Islam. Khaled Mohammed Ahli is a passport officer at Dubai International Airport. He uses his initiative when it comes to solving passengers’ problems. Hassan Abdullah Al Janahi, treasurer at Dubai Jadaf, is very productive and professional and he makes very few mistakes. Khadija Salboukh has been a police officer for 19 years. She is humane in her dealings with prisoners. Mona Mohammed Matar, a receptionist at Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, deals with people courteously. Noura Rashed Al Mazroui of Port Rashid completes 150 transactions a day. Khuloud Saleh Abdullah of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry is courteous when working with people and she does her work well. Qambar Ali, who has worked at Dubai Airport as a janitor for 38 years, is hardworking, courteous and has never been reprimanded. Hassan Mohammed Youssef Baak, a messenger at Dubai Airport Free Zone, is energetic and willing to take the initiative. Thuraya Mahmood Al Mulla, a clerk at the Department of Civil Defence, is hardworking. Her personal commitments do not interfere with her job. Hussein Ali Abdullah, a messenger at the Land Department for 23 years, is committed to his work. Mohammed Abdellatif, a watchman at Dubai Ports, has set a number of records. Ruqaya Ahmed Nadim, a nurse at Rashid Hospital’s outpatient’s clinic, treats patients with great kindness. Zeinab Mohammed, an Emirati driver at Dubai Transport, has never had an accident and is courteous to passengers. She receives the highest income of all Dubai Transport’s drivers. Bader Ahmed Al Hamadi is a computer programmer at Naturalisation and Residency Department at Dubai Airport. His disability has not prevented him from developing software. His motto: “I may be disabled, but I’m not unable.”

Challenge Magazine

Challenge is launching its first anniversary edition. The anniversary issue of the magazine was released by Sheikha Hessa bint Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Thani, UN Special Rapporteur on Disability.

Over the last twelve months, Challenge, a cross disability magazine, has examined all areas surrounding its core focus – from the physical and mental health to psychological and emotional needs, from education and lifestyle to recreational and sports, from indoors and outdoors to travel and leisure, from events and issues to people and establishments.

While releasing the first anniversary issue, Sheikha Hessa bint Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Thani, UN Special Rapporteur on Disability said, “I would like to congratulate Challenge on the completion of one year. A year that saw Challenge successfully fill the void for a single source where information revolving around the various needs of differently abled people could be sought. Moreover, since its launch the magazine has retained its realism and simplicity, providing direct answers to some unanswered questions and some unaddressed issues.”

Speaking on the need for such a magazine in the region, Maya Asarpota, initiator and Editor, Challenge said, “People in this sector are doing real good work in individual pockets and Challenge aims to be the conduit that connects these pockets. Challenge was initiated at a time when society in this region had begun asking questions related to various areas affecting differently-abled people. Our aim is to recognise and encourage these people by helping to break down barriers imposed by society. We are encouraged by the response that the magazine has received and with this anniversary issue, we reiterate our commitment to the cause.”

The magazine gives inspirational accounts of the men and women who strive everyday to overcome obstacles presented by the interaction with their social, cultural, legal and physical environment. This anniversary issue features a discussion on the available facilities for people with disabilities and discusses educational issues and parental perspectives.

The United Nations has estimated that around 10 per cent of the world’s non-working population is disabled or differently-abled, four per cent of whom are severely affected needing a caregiver. By these estimates there are around 150,000 differently-abled people in the UAE – 40,000 of whom are estimated to be severely affected.

Challenge, a bi-monthly is currently available on newsstands across the GCC and is published by Dubai-based, Concept Media.

Source:

http://www.strategiy.com/mnews.asp?id=20050323104120

About Concept Media

Further Reading on Disabled-friendly Dubai:

UAE Interact>
http://www.uaeinteract.com/news/default.asp?ID=37