Rolling Rains Report:

Explore Australia with Matt Laffan

Matt Laffan is an Australian lawyer, public speaker, and traveler who experience and stature give him authority on Inclusive Travel. He speaks from the perspective of a wheelchair user - which is fairly common in this field - and as someone who is physically small - which is much less common.

His approach is to facilitate in-bound tourism to Australia from the wealth of his own experience. Check out his interview and Web sites. (He also seems to have an interest in rugby - the tame version played by non-disabled people, no mention of the Murderball version.)

Matt is an avid traveller who has taken it upon himself to make it is easier for others to follow his path.

He began the first disability travel website in the country back in 1998 (www.globalaccess.com.au) which he still operates to assist travellers when he can. However in 2001 he joined the people at www.accessibility.com.au as a correspondent and he provides them with material after his journeys so that others can learn from his experiences.

Matt regards travelling as an adventure, a rite of passage that enables us the opportunity to find something about ourselves from other places. Matt thinks that this is especially true for those of us who have a disability. As he says:

"It does not really matter where we are travelling too, as long as it is somewhere beyond the front gate. The journey down to the south coast, or over to Canada to the Rocky Mountains, is as equally important in as much that we are seeing something new, trying a new experience and hopefully, in the process, discovering how much more there is to Life that we can enjoy".

Further Reading:

An Interview with Matt Laffan
http://www.mattlaffan.com.au/travelling_getaway_18042002.html

Matt Laffan's Travel and Getting Beyond the Front Gate
http://www.mattlaffan.com.au/travelling.html

Matt Laffan's Global Access Travel
http://www.globalaccess.com.au/

Universal Design Competition

Got skills?

Try them out on the "Southpoint: from Ruin to Rejuvenation" competition. Do some Inclusive Destination Development and win the ENYA Prize!

The Southpoint: from Ruin to Rejuvenation competition is an effort to provide young and emerging architects and designers with the opportunity to engage in the development of the southern tip of Roosevelt Island. The site, located at the ruin of James Renwick Jr. Smallpox Hospital, will provide a platform to discuss issues of preservation, an opportunity to take advantage of glorious city views, and a chance to access a unique and inimitable physical environment.

Inspired by its tradition of being a public gathering space for the Fourth of July festivities and a transient art installation space, the universal arts center program will call for a multi-use facility that can accommodate both performing and visual arts. Designed with the entire Roosevelt Island constituency in mind, the competition will be tailored to fit an arts organization with a number of community outreach programs. Ideally, these programs would include, or perhaps even cater to, the high percentage of disabled residents on the island. Execution of this program brief will address a number of fundamental design issues including the use of universal design in adaptive reuse projects.

Southpoint: from Ruin to Rejuvenation international ideas competition
8/11/2005


This competition is open to design students and young professionals, including architects, engineers, landscape architects, urban designers and planners who have completed their education at the undergraduate or graduate level within the past ten years.

The awards are as follows: $6,000 for the 1st Place ENYA prize, $2,500 for 2nd Place, $1,000 for 3rd Place, $1,000 for the Student Award, and $1,000 for the Historic Preservation Award. November 15, 2005 is the registration deadline, and January 13, 2006 is the submission deadline. The entry fee is $65 for individual, $100 for a team of 2-5 people, $100 for a group of 5+ people, and $100 academic fee, $35 for student.

The confirmed jury thus far is comprised of: Mimi Hoang, Principal of nARCHITECTS; Beth Tauke, Associate Professor, University of Buffalo; Dr. Tadeusz Sudol, President of the Roosevelt Island Visual Arts Association (RIVAA); and Pedro Calzavara, winner of the 2003-2004 ENYA Prize, representing Calzavara-Flora-Recoba Studio, Uruguay.

Source:

http://www.canadianarchitect.com/article.asp?id=46371&issue=08112005

Further Information:

http://www.enyacompetitions.org

From Manufactured Home to Shining Sea: Universal Design

Kudos to the Minnesota Manufactured Homes Association for leadership in its field!

A quick glance through recent posts at the Rolling Rains Report will turn up information on Universal Design in rural America's homes and progress toward Universal Design in the New Urbanism philosophy. A little deeper search on the keywords "Universal Design" at the site will reveal items on island resorts, desert entertainment centers, cruise ships, and regional conferences.

Below is the first mention I have come across of the adoption of Universal Design by the manufactered homes industry. The Minnesota Manufactured Homes Association has responded to market demand for Universal Design by considering its demographic which is, not surprisingly, similar to those who frequently take cruises.

As Universal Design become standard in homes, aren't you glad the US Supreme Court decided that accessibility is required in cruise ships operating out of US ports?

PRESS RELEASE

Homes Designed to Meet the Needs of All Generations
Tuesday August 9, 9:00 am ET
ST. PAUL, Minn., Aug. 9 /PRNewswire/ --

Can a home be all things to all people?

Rarely.

But the new "universal design" movement in factory-built housing is making great strides toward this goal. Imagine a beautiful, factory-built home that is specially designed to meet the needs of your growing family, and allows you to care for an aging parent, and is the perfect home to spend your retirement.
Universal design is a way of ensuring that factory-built homes are designed and built to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or remodeling at a later date. When a factory-built home is universally designed from the start, it simplifies life for everyone, regardless of life stage or abilities. It meets the wide span of the homeowners' needs, now and into the future.

Just think how basic features such as level entrances, wide hallways, and larger doors would make the home more accessible to a child in a stroller, to adults moving in furniture and to a person in a wheelchair. That's what you get with a universally designed, factory-built home.

Among the many features you might find useful in universally designed factory-built homes: Bathrooms include a five-foot turning radius, raised toilet, vanity with open knee space, and roll-in shower with handheld showerhead and tub seat. Kitchens include a five-foot turning radius, removable base cabinets, loop cabinet handles and drawer pulls, and adjustable kitchen work surfaces.
Throughout the home are extra wide 42-inch hallways, extra wide 32-inch minimum clearance in doorways, lever door handles and easy-to-reach light switches, outlets and thermostats.

Universally designed factory-built homes can offer peace of mind, also, with features such as security and intercom systems, audible/visible smoke alarms and door signals, and medical alert systems.

There are hundreds of universal designed features available. They make life easier, safer and promote independence. Factory-built homebuilders offer a variety of universally designed floor plans to choose from.

For more information about today's factory-built homes, call 1.800.OWNER.21, or visit the Minnesota Manufactured Housing Association on the Web at http://www.mnmfghome.org .

Source: Minnesota Manufactured Housing Association

Report on the Human Rights of People with Disabilities

Center for International Rehabilitation and Disabled Peoples International
Presents UN with Landmark Report on the Human Rights of People with-
Disabilities China, Japan labeled most inclusive nations for persons with
disabilities

New York City (August 10, 2005) The Center for International
Rehabilitation and Disabled Peoples International today presented the
International Disability Rights Monitor (IDRM) Regional Report of Asia at
the United Nations. The IDRM report provides vital data about disability
rights as the United Nations continues to debate a proposed International
Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities. The Regional Report
of Asia found that Japan and China are the most inclusive countries for
people with disabilities, while India and Cambodia are the least
inclusive. The report focused on seven countries: China, Thailand,
Vietnam, Cambodia, India, Japan and the Philippines.

There are over 600 million people with disabilities across the globe, and
it is vital that we properly document their status and condition, said
CIR President Maria Reina. This report begins the process of developing a
clear and concise account of how the governments across Asia are
responding to the needs of people with disabilities in their countries.

The Asia report was compiled over the course of 12 months and focused on
several keyareas such as legal protections, education and employment,
accessibility, health and housing services for people with disabilities
in Asia. The majority of the countries have comprehensive disability laws
and policies designed to improve the status of people of with
disabilities; however, in reality people with disabilities still face
exclusion on a daily basis. No countries provide adequate basic
protections in each of the Categories measuring the actual implementation
of disability rights. The areas of accessibility, education and
employment show the greatest disparity between rights and reality. For
instance in the Philippines, 20% of children with disabilities have never
attended school despite the existence of a law requiring that quality
education be made available to them. In India, 74% of people with
disabilities and 94% of people with intellectual disabilities are
unemployed.

This is the second report of the International Disability Rights Monitor
(IDRM), a groundbreaking initiative by the CIR, DPI and other members of
the disability community to document and assess disability rights and
abuses in every country across the globe. The mission of the IDRM is to
promote the full inclusion and participation of people with disabilities
in society and to advance the use of international humanitarian law in
ensuring that the rights of people with disabilities are respected and
enforced. The first IDRM, the Report of the Americas, was published in
August 2004. The importance of this report is to monitor the disparities
between laws and implementation. Only through reports like this can we
advocate for change and ensure true progress in improving the lives of
peoples with disabilities worldwide said Venus Ilagan, Chairperson of DPI.

The Center for International Rehabilitation is a not-for-profit,
non-governmental organization that seeks to improve the lives of people
with disabilities in some of the poorest countries by providing
rehabilitation and training programs and mobility aides, and advocating
the rights of people with disabilities worldwide. Founded in 1996 by Dr.
William Kennedy Smith and based in Chicago, the CIR operates in
collaboration with the renowned Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago and
Northwestern University.

DPI is a network of national organizations of disabled people,
established to promote the human rights of disabled people through full
participation, equalization of opportunity and development. Founded in
1981, Disabled Peoples International (DPI) is a global organization,
headquartered in Canada, with National Assemblies in 135 countries.
Regional offices operate in Latin America, Africa, Asia/Pacific, Europe
and the Caribbean.

For more information on the programs of the Center for International
Rehabilitation, please visit our website at http://www.cirnetwork.org/.
For more information on Disabled Peoples International, please visit
http://www.dpi.org/.

Universal Design at Ohio's Farm Science Review

While debate remains over whether the ostensibly forward-thinking New Urbanism movement is capable of integrating Universal Design, it seems to be taking root as the common-sense approach in rural America.

Build a home to last your lifetime.

That’s the concept behind universal design – building or remodeling homes to have something for everyone, such as safety features needed for toddlers, accessibility for older adults, convenience for busy parents, and space for growing families all in one...

The examples at the Review will give visitors the opportunity to consider universal design features for their own homes. Universal design is not a choice meant only for people with physical limitations. “There are many benefits for everyone to use universal design when remodeling or building,” Bowlin said. “We plan to make the visitors aware of the benefits by examples.”

Source:
http://www.ntxe-news.com/artman/publish/article_27676.shtml

Further Reading:

Farm Science Review
http://fsr.osu.edu/schedule.html

Ohio State's Universal Design Kitchen
http://www.ciras.iastate.edu/universaldesignkitchen.asp

Posted by rollingrains at 02:25 PM

UN Ad Hoc Committee on a Comprehensive and Integral Convention to Promote and Protect the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities

The UN General Assembly’s Ad Hoc Committee on a Comprehensive and Integral Convention to Promote and Protect the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities is meeting to work on this historic document.

The document is comprehensive and

under draft article 20, States are to take measures to ensure liberty of movement with the greatest possible independence for persons with disabilities, including by facilitating access to mobility aids, devices, assistive technologies and forms of live assistance and intermediaries. States should promote universal design, as well as research, development and production, for mobility aids, devices and assistive technologies; and provide training in mobility skills to persons with disabilities and to specialist staff working with them.

The draft text of the convention is at http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/rights/ahcwgreportax1.htm. For information, contact Edoardo Bellando, United Nations Department of Public Information, tel.: ( 212 ) 963-8275, e-mail: bellando@un.org.

Source:

http://i-newswire.com/pr41091.html

Further Reading:

Comprehensive and integral international convention

http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/rights/adhoccom.htm
http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/ecn52004l5.htm

We Welcome Service Animals�

In the article, Advice for Travel with a Canine Companion, I profiled one resourceful canine and his human travel companions. Recently, I learned of a national effort by the California Hotel & Lodging Association Educational Foundation to make travel with service animals easier: �We Welcome Service Animals.�

The project has, according to California Hotel & Lodging Association President & CEO, Jim Abrams, "created two videos and collateral materials. The first video, "Welcoming Service Animals," is a 9-minute training video, in English or in Spanish, for management and employees of hotels and restaurants. The other video, "Responding to Service Animal Calls," is a 9-minute squad room training video for police and sheriff personnel."

To date about 100 kits have been distributed. The organization is seeking additional funding to distribute these timely materials even more widely.

Service animals enrich the lives of many disabled Americans by performing vital tasks that increase their owners� safety, mobility and independence. These animals are not a luxury, but a necessity. By denying a disabled person with a service animal access to your business, you�re exposing yourself to lawsuits and serious penalties. So please join us in welcoming disabled guests and their service animals into your business. It�s the law. And it�s the right thing to do.

�We Welcome Service Animals� is a national campaign created by the California Hotel & Lodging Association Educational Foundation and made possible by funding from the American Hotel & Lodging Foundation and the American Express Foundation to teach people in the hospitality industry and law enforcement how to improve service to disabled guests who depend on service animals for assistance. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), hotels, motels and restaurants are required to treat disabled customers with service animals like all other guests, providing them with the same service and access to all areas where other guests are allowed. Violating the ADA can lead to serious penalties and costly lawsuits. Also denying access to disabled people with service animals is a crime in every state.

PRESS RELEASE

NEWS RELEASE
Contact: Jim Abrams FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(916) 444-5780 June 6, 2005
jim@calodging.com

CH&LA EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION RECEIVES $100,000 FROM THE J. WILLARD AND ALICE S. MARRIOTT FOUNDATION�We Welcome Service Animals�� Program Receives Major Funding

SACRAMENTO � The California Hotel & Lodging Association (CH&LA) Educational Foundation has received $100,000 to fund the We Welcome Service Animals� program from The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation. The funding is being provided by the Foundation for reproduction and distribution of the We Welcome Service Animals training videos and collateral materials, with the specific goal of ensuring there will be enhanced accessibility throughout the hospitality industry for guests and patrons who use service animals.

We Welcome Service Animals is a national education and outreach campaign created by the California Hotel & Lodging Association Educational Foundation to teach people in the hospitality industry and in law enforcement community how to improve service to guests and patrons with disabilities who depend on service animals for assistance. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, hotels, motels, and restaurants are required to treat customers with disabilities accompanied by service animals, like all other guests, providing them with the same service and access to all areas where other guests are allowed. The development of the program�s training videos and collateral materials was made possible with initial funding from the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Foundation and the American Express Foundation.

The We Welcome Service Animals program won a prestigious �Associations Advance America Award� from the American Society of Association Executives, as well as a gold �Telly� award.

�We�re very excited to be able to move this project forward to its next phase with the assistance of The J. Willard and Alice Marriot Foundation,� said Al Sessler, President of the CH&LA Educational Foundation. �Recognition and funding of this program greatly forwards the mission of the CH&LA Educational Foundation.�

The We Welcome Service Animals program is already being implemented by key organizations in the hospitality industry. For example, it will be offered by Marriott International, Inc. as an education and training component to its approximately 2,200 lodging properties in the United States. In addition, Best Western International will be implementing the program in more than 2,400 properties in the United States and Canada in early May, and the Asian American Hotel Owners Association is furnishing the videos and collateral materials to its 8,500 members.

�Having organizations like Marriott International and Best Western implement the program adds to distribution that is being undertaken by many other companies and in countless hospitality establishments,� said Jim Abrams, President and CEO of the California Hotel & Lodging Association.

---

The California Hotel & Lodging Association (CH&LA) is the largest state lodging industry trade association in the country. Its 1,600 members, which comprise approximately 175,000 guest rooms, include hotels, motels, bed and breakfast inns, guest ranches, resorts, spas, condominium rentals, timeshares, and vacation home rentals located throughout California.

CH&LA�s mission is to be the indispensable resource for communicating and protecting the rights and interests of the California lodging industry, for providing educational training and value programs for all segments of theindustry, and for supporting strategic alliances to promote the value of California tourism and travel. Sacramento-based CH&LA has been representing California�s lodging industry for more than a century. CH&LA is on the web at www.calodging.com.
# # #

Further Reading:

We Welcome Service Animals
http://www.calodging.com/products/service_animals.shtml

Multi-Sensory Travel
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/travel_with_disabilities/114475

AH&LA Comments on ADA
http://www.ahla.com/pdf/letter-dept-justice.pdf

quadriplegic

John P. S. Salmen @ Universal Designers & Consultants, Inc.

Even if John Salmen were not already a renowned practitioner of Universal Design, his statement in "Design of entrance ramp shouldn't cut off home's residents" that ramps are "an indication of a mistake on the part of a designer," would have caught my attention. His statement cuts to the heart of good design.

Inclusion through design increases the quality of life of those who encounter a universally designed building. Universal Design is a human-centered approach that takes into account variability in human abilities - between individuals and within one individual over time - and so it moves accommodation for all from the realm of "sterile afterthought" to "stylish inclusion."

Adoption of Universal Design has implications for everyone from aging Baby Boomers who want to stay in their homes, to designers of exclusive vacation getaways, to survivors of last winter's Indian Ocean tsunami who want their homes, businesses and resorts rebuilt to allow participation by young and old; temporarily able-bodied and disabled alike.

Those of us who already benefit from Universal Design's concrete invitation to full social participation appreciate well-written and informative articles such as this one by Washington Post writer Jeff Turrentine in which John is quoted. As we assist the hospitality and tourism industry keep up with new expectations of comfort resulting from adoption of Universal Design in homes our efforts benefit from good public education in the media.

Further Reading:

Foir more nformation on John P. Salmen see his site Universal Designers & Consultants, Inc.
http://www.universaldesign.com/

disability

Two Regional Universal Design Conferences in the US

Take your pick - Northern California in August or Northern Virginia - each location offers a community education event on Universal Design.

The California event will take place August 19 in Santa Cruz on the northern California coast. Featuring the director of the IDEA Center on Universal Design at SUNY-Buffalo, Edward Steinfeld, the event will use Universal Design to assess the current state of infrastructure and services in Santa Cruz County. For more information contact Jeanette Cosentino at Jeanette at Cosentino@CHW.EDU

The Virginia event will be held September 28 in Woodbridge and will focus on the incorporation of Universal Design in single family dwellings. For more information contact Toni Clemons-Porter at tclemonsporter@pwcgov.org

A note to the attentive entrepreneur: There is a gap in his line-up of events - a symposium on Universal Design for the hotel. motel, and hospitality industry in, let's say, the Midwest this Fall?

Universal Design Symposium to be Held in Prince William
Source: The Gainesville Times

The Prince William Aging in Place Committee has planned a symposium on universal design called Universal Design Hits Home: New Directions in Single Family Housing.

The symposium will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 28, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the A.J. Ferlazzo Building, located at 15941 Donald Curtis Drive in Woodbridge.

Universal design is emerging in housing construction and remodeling efforts all across the country with products and designs that suit people of all ages, sizes and abilities. The concept includes countertop sinks that adjust to the height of children to adults at the touch of a button, no-step entrances, lighted door handles and more.

Early bird registration is $50 and must be made by Aug. 31. After that date, the registration cost is $75 and includes breakfast, lunch and snacks.

For details, contact Toni Clemons-Porter at tclemonsporter@pwcgov.org or (703) 792-6403. To register, visit the VHDA website at http://www.vhda.com.

Universal Design Conference to be Held in Santa Cruz, California
Source: UniversalDesignConference.com

The Concept of Universal Design

Universal Design is an approach to the design of all products and environments to be as usable as possible by as many people as possible regardless of age, ability or situation.

Universal Design is different than accessible design. Accessible design means products and buildings that are accessible and usable by people with disabilities. Universal design means products and buildings that are accessible and usable by everyone--older people as well as young, women as well as men, left handed persons as well as right handed persons. Accessible design has a tendency to lead to separate facilities—for example, a ramp set off to the side of a stairway at an entrance or a wheelchair accessible toilet stall. Universal design, on the other hand, provides one solution that can accommodate all people. It simply acknowledges disability, aging, and other differences as a part of every day life.

An important implication of universal design is that it has mass appeal. In fact most successful universal designs often express the usability features of the product or environment as strong aesthetics qualities and are successful precisely because they are beautiful as well as useful.
Proceeds from the conference will be distributed equally among three Santa Cruz area organizations working toward optimizing human environments: The Terry Brinkley MS Center at Cabrillo College, Shared Adventures, and the Dominican Foundation.

For infomrmation on the August 19, 2005 Universal Design Conference in Sannta Cruz, California see: http://www.universaldesignconference.com

Disability Studies

Readers of the Village Voice were treated to an articulate review of the field of Disability Studies in the article by Rebecca Tuhus-Dubrow The wheel world: Is disability studies academia's next frontier?" Disability Studies scholar -- and avid traveler -- Simi Linton explains in the piece,

"The curriculum had traditionally housed disability in a very sequestered area—how to fix people and take care of them. Disability studies is us looking out at the world and seeing how that looks to us." It also critiques "how disability is represented in all kinds of texts—in literature, film, the annals of history."

It is no surprise that the disability studies field also monitors carefully for inclusive travel developments in the travel and hospitality industry. The field of Disability Studies provides the intellectual motivation and rigor behind the growing literature in tourism and people with disabilities.

Source: http://villagevoice.com/arts/0531,education5,66456,12.html

disability

disability studies

Measuring the Demand for Inclusive Travel in 2005 - Harris Interactive Study

The Open Doors Organization has published its most recent study of the travel behavior of Americans with disabilities. Again it reveals unmet demand and market potential as well as increased travel in spite of ongoing accessibiity issues.

A key addition to this year's study is documentation of traveler destinations - useful information for Inclusive Destination Development initiatives.

BLOCKQUOTE>
Chicago, IL – August 2005 – The Open Doors Organization (ODO) in cooperation with the Travel Industry Association of America (TIA) has released the findings of its 2005 research study. The poll, conducted by Harris Interactive®, is a follow-up to ODO’s groundbreaking study of 2002 on the spending trends and market scope of U.S. adults with disabilities. “This new data,” says ODO Director Eric Lipp, “confirms what we already knew, that there is a strong disability travel market. In the past two years alone, more than 21 million adults with disabilities traveled for pleasure and/or business.” The 2005 study reveals which destinations, domestic and international, are most popular among travelers with disabilities and provides new data on Internet use. Surprisingly, the study showed marked increases in certain sectors despite ongoing barriers to access.

The 2002 ODO (www.opendoorsnfp.org) study quantified how much adults with disabilities were spending on travel – approximately $13.6 billion annually – and suggested that revenues from this market could easily double if certain needs were met and obstacles removed. The 2005 ODO study, which employed an identical methodology, shows businesses in the travel industry the extent and types of barriers the majority of travelers with disabilities still experience. Among those adults with disabilities who have traveled by air, 84% said they encountered obstacles when interfacing with airlines and 82% said they encountered obstacles at airports.

Despite such barriers, the average number of leisure trips and hotel stays was up 50% from 2002. However, 60% of travelers with disabilities who have stayed overnight in paid accommodations said they had problems at these properties, either physical barriers (48%), problems with customer service (45%) or communication barriers (15%). On the positive side, as Eric Lipp notes, “Many of the most common complaints identified by the study, such as heavy doors and lack of knowledge among staff, could be easy and inexpensive to resolve.”

In terms of restaurants, the study indicates 71% of adults with disabilities dine out at least once a week and also shows a 6% increase in casual dining from 2002. To attract this clientele, Fuddruckers restaurants are offering such things as Braille/large print menus, customer service training and larger pathways between tables. In the new poll, 40% of adults with disabilities complained of the lack of room between tables.

The 2005 ODO study covered a new area of travel car rental. It found that 20% of adults with disabilities rented a car for travel in the past two years. But a staggering 50% said they would be more inclined to rent a car if it were delivered to and picked up from them, while 36% would be willing to pay more for this service. In Eric Lipp’s view, “More rental car agencies should follow the example set by Avis, which now offers Avis Access®, a comprehensive program of individualized products to serve customers with disabilities.”

The survey was conducted both online and by telephone between February 8- 25, 2005 among a national sample of 1,373 adults aged 18 or over. The sampling error for the total sample is plus or minus 3 percentage points. For further description of the study methodology see below or visit the ODO website (www.opendoorsnfp.org). Harris Interactive Inc. (harrisinteractive.com), the 15th largest market research firm in the world, is known for The Harris Poll® and for pioneering Internet-based research. Also contributing to the design of the ODO 2005 study was the Travel Industry Association of America (TIA), a leader in market research on the U.S. travel industry.

Copies of the 2005 market study are available for sale to businesses, non- profits and individuals through the Open Doors Organization by calling 773-388-8839 or e-mailing info@opendoorsnfp.org. The Open Doors Organization is a non-profit organization founded for the purpose of teaching businesses how to succeed in the disability market and for making businesses’ goods and services accessible to people with disabilities.

Contact: Eric Lipp
Open Doors Organization
773–388–8839

Notes:

The 2002 travelers with disabilities survey was conducted on behalf of Open Doors Organization by Harris Interactive with a methodology identical to the 2005 study (telephone and online). The sample consisted of 1,037 interviews (534 online and 503 by phone). The study was conducted between September 23, 2002 and October 8, 2002.

This is calculated based on data on the incidence of adults with disabilities (15% of U.S. adults) obtained through The Harris Poll (February 2005) and based off of the 209,128,094 people age 18 years and older in the U.S. population, according to the 2000 U.S. Census.

This is calculated by combining expenditures for air travel, hotel stays, restaurant dining, and entertainment reported by adults with disabilities for the previous two years.

Methodology for 2005 Study
Harris Interactive® conducted the online and telephone survey in the United States on behalf of Open Doors Organization between February 8 and February 28, 2005 among 1,373 adults (including 871 online respondents and 502 telephone respondents) ages 18 and over with disabilties. Disability was defined as having blindness, deafness, or a condition that substantially limits one or more basic physical activities such as walking, climbing stairs, reaching, lifting or carrying. Respondents were screened based on this criteria using a variation of the 2000 Census question. Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, income and region were weighted where necessary to align with population proportions. Propensity score weighting was also used for the online sample, to adjust for respondents’ propensity to be online.

Though the online sample is not a probability sample, in theory, with probability samples of this size, Harris Interactive estimates with 95 percent certainty that the results for the overall sample have a sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points of what they would be if the entire population of U.S. adults with disabilities had been polled with complete accuracy. Sampling error for the sub-sample results of adults with disabilities who have traveled for businesss and/or leisure in the last two years (n= 1037) and adults with disabilities who have traveled by air (n= 497) is higher and varies.

Source:

http://hospitality-1st.com/PressNews/OpenDoorsOrg-080305.html

disability

NIDDR Long-Range Plan

The research agenda of the US National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) exerts a significant influence on the quality of products, services, and policies directed to the disablity community. The NIDRR is taking comment on its plan to pursue the five areas on whicH it focuses: employment; participation and community living; health and function; technology for access and function; and disability demographics. Each has relevance to Inclusive Tourism and Inclusive Destination Development.

NIDRR Long-Range Plan

John H. Hager, assistant secretary of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), U.S. Department of Education, would like to share with you an announcement on the the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) Long-Range Plan for Disability and Rehabilitation Research.

--

People with disabilities, their families and advocates, and researchers and service providers will have an opportunity to review and comment on a draft long-range plan prepared by the federal government's key agency for disability and rehabilitation research. In its plan, the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), an organization within OSERS, emphasizes five "domains" as areas for expanded research efforts in the next five years in support of people with disabilities: employment; participation and community living; health and function; technology for access and function; and disability demographics.
The new plan will help focus NIDRR research on new approaches for defining, measuring, counting and categorizing disability; new research issues; and new methods for conducting and managing research.

The plan continues to emphasize the importance of research in the area of universal design, the guiding principle behind buildings and products that are accessible to people of all abilities and disabilities.

NIDRR has taken a leadership role in the development and promulgation of universal design principles that can be applied to the built environment, telecommunications, information technologies, transportation, consumer products and the World Wide Web. Such developments as information technology (IT) systems to create accessible public information kiosks, electronic voting systems, ATMs, postal kiosks and airport information systems are examples of applied Universal Design principles.

The plan also continues research into the emerging universe of disability, including age-related disabilities and disabilities resulting from global conflicts.

Finally, the plan further recognizes the importance of research on interdependence, not only in its continued emphasis on personal assistance services, but a new accent on supports for family and other informal caregivers, direct care workers and paraprofessionals in facilitating community living and participation in the community.

The proposed plan was published in the Federal Register in a supplementary section on July 27, 2005, and is accessible at:
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/05-14741.htm

NIDRR will consider all comments received within 30 days and make any necessary revisions to the plan. For more information on NIDRR, go to:

http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/nidrr/index.html

Calling Emerging Leaders with Disabilities

It would be great to see a Rolling Rains report reader win the 2006 Paul G. Hearne/AAPD Leadership Award. The award honors up coming people with disabilities in the US. The recognition -- and cash award -- would give the recipient the resources to expand their work. Applications are due Sept. 9, 2005

--

The 2006 PAUL G. HEARNE/AAPD LEADERSHIP AWARD PROGRAM application is now available!!

Up to two people with disabilities, who are emerging as leaders in their
respective fields, will each receive cash awards to help them continue
their progress as leaders. They will also have an opportunity to meet and
network with national disability leaders at the AAPD Leadership Gala in
Washington, DC on March 8, 2006. U.S. residents with any type of
disability are
eligible to apply.

To learn more and obtain an application, please visit the AAPD website:
www.aapd.com.

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: Friday, September 9, 2005 (5:00pm, eastern)

We apologize for any cross postings.

Thank you!
American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD)
Phone: 800-840-8844 (v/tty) or 202-457-0046 (v/tty)
Fax: 202-457-0473
Email: aapdhearne@aol.com
Website: www.aapd.com

--

Chicago's Mayor Daley Likes Inclusive Destination Development

While San Diego, California is the first US city where there have been publicly announced plans to hold an Inclusive Travel Fair, Chicago has been slowly amassing a selection of tourist sites that accommodate the growing market for travelers with disabilities.

Chicago's ABC affililiate filed the following story: http://abclocal.go.com/wls/news/karenmeyer/072605_disable_chicago.html. If US mayors systematically embrace Inclusive Destination Development the US might find itself with enough in-bound travel products to imitate the European Union and several of its memeber states, Japan, Australia, Brazil, Taiwan, and other countries who have held national conferences on travel and Universal Design.