Rolling Rains Report:

Why We Can't Wait: Frank Bowe Tells Us What Time It Is!

"Disability Meets The Boom" is a must read item.

Frank Bowe, also known as "The Father of Section 504", has eloquently and with convincing documention argued the demographic rationale for the work of the Rolling Rains Report (USA), the Travel & Disability section at Suite101.com (Canada), the Social Inclusion Forum at eTur.com.br (Brazil) and the entire global network that is promoting Inclusive Travel and Inclusive Destination Development.

universal design

inclusive travel

Conde Nast on the Disabled Cruise Niche

Darren Hillock publishes the Get Around Guide with some very useful information for travelers with disabilities. Check his blog regularly. I do!

Here he reports on the Conde Nast review of travel agents.

Here he discovers that cruise travelers with disabilites are being recognized by the industry as having http://msnbc.msn.com/id/9531906/

UK 2005 Accessible Holiday Show by Accesssible Travel & Leisure

The Stoke Mandeville Stadium, Aylesbury, Bucks is the location for the 2005 Accessible Holiday Show by Accesssible Travel & Leisure. The show will run October 6 and 7, 2005 featuring an impressive lineup of exhibitors and presenters.

Further Reading:

2005 Accessible Holiday Show
http://www.accessibleholidayshow.co.uk/

Ample Rambler [B]logs in on Universal Design in Post-Hurricane Reconstruction

Katrina/Rita: Opportunity for Universal Design is a piece by Pattie Thomas, PhD of The Ample Traveler and the Ample Rambler blog.

Clearly the worst of America's problems were laid bare by Katrina. Instead of name-calling and scapegoating, it is my hope that America can start addressing the underlying causes of these problems. At the forefront of these underlying causes is the question of accommodations and universal design.

Extreme Inclusive Adventure in Nicaragua - See it on BBC

The Independent Online reports on jungle adventure:

Take 11 people and film them as they trek for more than 200 miles in a tropical country: it sounds suspiciously like yet another voyeuristic entertainment show. Yet Beyond Boundaries, a four-part BBC programme, is a documentary with a difference: in this instance, the trekkers were people with disabilities....

By emphasising the ability of travellers with disabilities to tackle such a trip, the programme has highlighted the fact that the pool of companies offering "intrepid" holidays to this market is limited.

For the full story see:

Looking for a piece of the action in Nicaragua
http://travel.independent.co.uk/americas/central/article313687.ece

'Beyond Boundaries' is due to start on BBC2 on Tuesday 11 October. For more information on disabled travel visit www.bbc.co.uk/ouch. The UK's first accessible holiday show takes place from 7-8 October at Stoke Mandeville in Buckinghamshire. For more information, visit www.accessibleholidayshow.co.uk or call 01452 729739

Further Reading:

Previous Rolling Rains Post;
http://www.rollingrains.com/archives/000237.html

Profile of Adventurer Amar Latif
http://www.yorkshiretoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=55&ArticleID=1015297

Traveleyes
www.traveleyes.co.uk

Traveleyes Electronic Travel Guideshttp://www.knpd.org/gadgets/newsboard/messages/70.html

Scott Rains @ Travel and Transitions

I am very pleased to announce a new collaboration with the author of Travel and Transitions, Susanne Pacher. I will be contributing articles and providing expertise on disability and travel to this promising web site. Note especially the interviews of travelers-with-heart belonging to Servas.

Current articles I have contributed to Travel and Transitions:

Interview with Scott Rains on Inclusive Travel
http://www.travelandtransitions.com/interviews/scott_rains.htm

Rights of Travelers with Disabilities
http://www.travelandtransitions.com/travel_tips/sr_rights_disabled_travellers.htm

Preparing to Travel
http://www.travelandtransitions.com/travel_tips/sr_disabled_travel_tips.htm

Adventure Travel
http://www.travelandtransitions.com/travel_tips/disabled_travellers.htm

Multi-Sensory Travel
http://www.travelandtransitions.com/travel_tips/sr_canine_companion.htm

Visiting Monterey, California
http://www.travelandtransitions.com/stories_photos/sr_monterey_aquarium.htm

Enjoying Pseudo-Travel
http://www.travelandtransitions.com/stories_photos/sr_2004_travel_expo.htm

An Unusual Travel Companion
http://www.travelandtransitions.com/stories_photos/sr_beans_around_world.htm

Slovakia: Going Home to a Place I'e Never Been Before
http://www.travelandtransitions.com/stories_photos/sr_slovakia.htm

From the Travel and Transitions web site:

The motto of this site is "Life is a Journey - Explore New Horizons". Over the last couple of years I realized that there is more to life than work. And I finally figured out that travel is one of my true passions in life.

So I decided to pursue my dream and create a website about travel, travel in a broader sense. Travel in the sense of exploration, learning and life experiences, abroad and at home. So while the majority of this website deals with travel to foreign countries and is chock full of advice, tips, real life travel experiences, interviews with travellers etc. you will also find stories about life and transitions that we face as we go through our life-long journey.

As far as travel is concerned, the focus will be on "travelling with a twist": any sort of travel that has a unique, often unconventional angle to it, travel that involves interesting discoveries, insights, connections and learning experiences. Cross-cultural connections and insights are of particular interest to me, and one of my goals is to help build more tolerance and understanding between people from different places and different cultures.

The purpose of this site is to inspire and give you the resources to explore new horizons, to get out there and discover the world - locally and abroad, connect with people from other cultures and open yourself up to new experiences

And Now for Something Completely Different

Just for something on the light side - these folks are building a house out of paper bricks and including (partial at least) Visitability into the design:

"Family builds home with mud, sweat and lots of newspaper"
http://www.wacotrib.com/news/content/news/stories/2005/09/26/20050926wacnewspaperhouse.html

"I'm an autistic who loves flying and airports..."

Online resources discussing autism and travel are lacking. I have come across a fine site on autism that also features an article on air travel from the perspective of someone with autism. Read "Air Travel" at http://www.geocities.com/growingjoel/flying.html

Recent Coverage of Inclusive Travel: A Review by Global Access Travel Network E-zine

The September 2005 issue of Global Access contains the following observation:

It is interesting to note the number of newspaper stories that surfaced this month decrying the scarcity of disabled friendly holidays. Two publications citing this concern were in the UK
here and also here

---

The other publication was a Malaysian newspaper at:

http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2005/9/3/lifefocus/11921791&sec=lifefocu

However, a Miami-based article points out that the disabled travel market is a large one and still untapped until the accommodations, transportation, services, etc. are available.
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/business/special_packages/business_monday/12487923.htm

Posted by rollingrains at 09:33 PM

Universal Design on the Installment Plan: Small Changes

The Herald-Dispatch has published a common sense appproach to Universal Design in the home environment in the article "Small changes can help make home more comfortable. " Their logic, quoted below, applies equally well to hotels or large scale disaster repair and reconstruction -- plan for the future. Physical abilities that lie outside the norm are bookends to a persons' lifespan. Both children and seniors fall outside the norm unless Universal Design is incorporated:

According to a study by the (AARP), an overwhelming percentage of Americans aged 45 and older -- more than 83 percent -- want to stay in their current homes long after they retire. But, that doesn't mean that the home they purchased in their 30s will still be suitable when its occupants reach their 50s, 60s or 70s.

The article goes on to list ten projects that accommodate while raising property value.

Read Small changes can help make home more comfortable.

Press Release on Katrina Reconstruction and the Disability Community

Occassionally, when the news isn't getting out there, it is helpful to issue your own press release. See "Hope from an Unexpected Quarter in Post-Katrina Reconstruction: Thought Leadership from the Disability Community."

Hope from an Unexpected Quarter in Post-Katrina Reconstruction: Leadership from the Disability Community

San Jose, CA
September 23, 2005
Contact:
Scott Rains
srains@oco.net

Leadership after Hurricane Katrina is emerging from one community hard hit by the disaster – the disability community.

Responses range from the issue of safety to the practicalities of economic redevelopment.

Marcie Roth, CEO of the National Spinal Cord Injury Association notes, "It is nothing short of a crime that people like wheelchair user Benilda Caixeta were trapped in their homes, unable to escape," said. "We must build every new home with basic features that let people get in and out." (Contact: 301-717-7447, mroth@spinalcord.org)

Lodging and accessibility are key to economic recovery as well.

“In 2003 tourism to New Orleans alone brought 8.5 million people, and $4.5 billion into the local economy,” explains Dr. Scott Rains, travel researcher and publisher of the Rolling Rains Report (http://www.RollingRains.com). “What Katrina has done, amid great tragedy, is faced us with a stark choice. In rebuilding will we literally exclude some people by design?”

An increasing number of experts familiar with the concept of Universal Design want that answer to be a resounding “No!”

Universal Design is a set of seven principles (http://tinyurl.com/9s4sj) outlining an approach to the design of all products and environments. The outcome is to make them as usable as possible by as many people as possible regardless of age, ability or situation. Increasingly common in the home construction and remodeling industry, Universal Design has spawned a new trend in the hotel industry among innovators such as the Dunas Canteras Hotel in the Canary Islands, the Devil’s Playground in Tasmania, Eria Resort in Crete, and Estate Concordia in the US Virgin Islands. People with disabilities have become a sought after market.

Solid business reasons exist for this approach argues Eric Lipp one of the sponsors of the Universal Access in Travel Symposium & Exposition scheduled for Baltimore, MD December 12-14, 2005. Lipp’s 2002 study on the travel behavior of the then 46 million Americans with disabilities revealed that they spent $13.6 billion on travel annually. With the Baby Boomer generation aging and the general population living longer these numbers are due to rise.

But the adoption of Universal Design is not a foregone conclusion in reconstruction following Katrina. Universal Design in new homes and home remodel projects is common in many parts of the US and the experts point to the human costs of failure to apply it to hurricane reconstruction.

"Current housing stock is woefully deficient in meeting the needs of people with mobility impairments," says architect Dr. Edward Steinfeld, Director of the IDEA Center at the State University of New York at Buffalo (716-829-3485, x329, rced@buffalo.edu).

"Inaccessible houses keep us from entering or leaving on our own," says Eleanor Smith of Concrete Change. "It's illogical to scramble to retrofit existing homes for access and then build new homes with new barriers after the hurricane." (404-378-7455.)

“There is an approach to economic development and disaster reconstruction that addresses these issues in areas where tourism is important,” continues Rains. “It is known as ‘Inclusive Destination Development.’ “

The World Bank promotes “Inclusive Development" as economic and regional development that allows for full social participation of people with disabilities. "Destination Development" is the phrase used by the tourism industry to describe the strategic application of planning, development, and marketing resources to enhance a location as a desired destination for travelers.

"Inclusive Destination Development" means "allowing for the full social participation of people, including those with disabilities." Inclusive Destination Development is "the systematic and strategic application of resources to render a location a destination of choice for persons with disabilities.

Numerous organizations ranging from the Paralyzed Veterans of America, The IDEA Center at the State University of New York at Buffalo, Concrete Change, the National Council on Disability, ADAPT, and the National Spinal Cord Injury Association have publicly urged officials to integrate Universal Design into post-Katrina planning and reconstruction even as they continue to apply their own resources to the task of recovery.

###

Contact:
Scott Rains
The Rolling Rains Report
http://www.RollingRains.com
srains@oco.net

Background and Further Resources

Background:

Katrina as a Tipping Point for Universal Design Acceptance in the US
http://www.rollingrains.com/archives/000649.html

Will FEMA-funded Post-Katrina Homes be Universally Designed? Visitable?
http://www.rollingrains.com/archives/000663.html

Carnival Cruise Lines & Hurricane Katrina Relief
http://www.rollingrains.com/archives/000639.html

More on Katrina
http://www.rollingrains.com/archives/000641.html

Welcome to California, Katrina Evacuees!
http://www.rollingrains.com/archives/000662.html

Will We Learn From Our Mistakes?
http://www.rollingrains.com/archives/000678.html

Post-Katrina the Paralyzed Veterans of America Call for Inclusive Reconstruction
http://www.rollingrains.com/archives/000669.html

National Council on Disability Advises Bush: Mandate Universal Design
http://www.rollingrains.com/archives/000670.html

Universal Access in Travel Symposium & Exposition
http://www.rollingrains.com/archives/000679.html

Experts on Disaster Recovery Focus on Long Term Recovery
http://www.rollingrains.com/archives/000671.html

Anne Finger Reflects on Hurricane Katrina
http://www.rollingrains.com/archives/000644.html

What is Sustainable in Destination Development?
http://www.rollingrains.com/archives/000654.html

Further Reading:

Inclusive Tourism: Some Definitions
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/18423/114773

Architectural Literacy
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/travel_with_disabilities/117512

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

Posted by rollingrains at 06:56 PM

Innaccessible? Unacceptable!

Thorough research is especially important for travelers with disabilities.

Sue Eagan writes for the new blog created by the Physical Disability Council of Australia --InaccessibleUnaccessible. The site has set the goal of monitoring the opaque process of developing the Access to Premises Standard mandated by the Australian Disability Discrimination Act of 1992.

Eric Lipp Makes the Business Case for Inclusive Travel

Eric Lipp, founder of the Open Doors Organization, is quoted in the following article that reports findings of the 2005 study on the travel behavior of Americans with disabilities.

Traveling with disabilities
For the travel industry, Americans with disabilities represents a potential market of $13.6 billion annually.

A recent Harris Interactive poll provides insight into the market, updating a 2002 study by the Open Doors Organization, a Chicago- based nonprofit group, on the spending trends of adults with disabilities and the barriers they experience.

According to the poll, which was conducted earlier this year, 84 percent of adults with disabilities who traveled by air encountered problems interacting with the airline, and 82 percent reported obstacles at airports.

Although the number of hotel stays rose 50 percent since 2002, the poll shows 60 percent of disabled travelers who paid for accommodations experienced problems, ranging from physical barriers to customer service issues.

"Many of the most common complaints identified in the study, such as heavy doors and lack of knowledge among staff, could be easy and inexpensive to resolve," said Eric Lipp, director of the Open Doors Organization, which advocates for people with disabilities.

"We do it to be a voice of people with disabilities," Lipp said of the study. "Everyone is following the spending of women, African-Americans and Indians. Well, we're one of the largest minority groups."

Source:

http://www.nj.com/business/ledger/index.ssf?/base/business-1/11273014369730.xml&coll=1&thispage=2

Universal Access in Travel Symposium & Exposition

Plan to attend the Universal Access in Travel Symposium & Exposition in Baltimore, MD December 12-14, 2005.

UNIVERSAL ACCESS IN TRAVEL: SYMPOSIUM AND EXPOSITION

DECEMBER 12-14, 2005

BALTIMORE , MARYLAND ~ MARRIOTT BALTIMORE WATERFRONT HOTEL

Fifteen years after the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Department of Transportation and the Department of Justice are currently considering substantial revisions to accessibility guidelines for transportation and other public accommodations. The Universal Access in Travel: Symposium and Exposition will bring together Federal policy officials, leaders in aviation and other transportation modes, and leaders in the disability community to examine the successes and challenges in implementing the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Air Carrier Access Act in the travel and tourism industries.

In a series of concurrent sessions, join these policy and business leaders in examining the best practices and regulatory challenges in providing:

• Inclusive and Universal Design
• Hospitality
• Security and Safety
• Navigating and Wayfinding
• Customer Service and Etiquette
• nternational Standards

In conjunction with the symposium, there will be an exhibition hall featuring vendors and other service providers, demonstrating the many ways to provide accommodations and access to all travelers.

Check www.aaae.org/meetings for registration materials coming soon!

For more information on the program and sponsorship, contact Tom Zoeller at AAAE at 703-824-0500 x 172 or by email at tom.zoeller@aaae.org

For more information on exhibiting, contact Susan Lausch at AAAE at 703-824-0500 x 128 or by email at susan.lausch@aaae.org

PRESENTED BY:

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF AIRPORT EXECUTIVES

AIRPORT MINORITY ADVISORY COUNCIL

DIVERSITY PARTNERS

OPEN DOORS ORGANIZATION

HOSTED BY:

BALTIMORE-WASHINGTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

inclusive travel

travel

disability

Key West v Katrina @ "Midlife & Treachery" Blog

As a new hurricane bears down on the tourist haven of Key West one blogger contrasts W and Jeb's responses. Some of the initial shock has worn off and reflection is taking place on disasters and disability.
Is it possible that we are learning something and making travel safer for people with disabilities as a result?

Will We Learn From Our Mistakes?

A coalition of five disability groups has released the following statement on Universal Design.

KATRINA SURVIVORS WILL FACE NEW TRAP: NEW HOMES THEY STILL CAN'T GET OUT OF: National groups call for 3 simple features in Katrina home
re-building

CONTACT: Marcie Roth, NSCIA: 301-717-7447,
mroth@spinalcord.org
Eleanor Smith or Barbara Rose, Concrete
Change: 404-378-7455.

Freedom to come and go. Freedom to live in safety. Every home
rebuilt after Hurricane Katrina should give people this simple
guarantee. We saw the pictures and heard the stories: People in
wheelchairs, people on walkers, who couldn't exit to safety.

Now, in the aftermath, people are being shunted from shelters to
nursing homes -- all because the re-location homes have barriers,
too.

All housing -- all housing -- built after Katrina should have
three simple features:
-- one zero-step entrance.
-- doors with 32 inches of clear passage space.
-- one bathroom on the main floor you can get into in a wheelchair.
Cost of these items in new construction is negligible, say experts.

Never again should people be trapped in their homes, unable to
escape to safety. Federal and state officials must ensure that basic
access features are built into all new housing.

Temporary housing being erected needs these features too.

"It is nothing short of a crime that people like wheelchair user
Benilda Caixeta were trapped in their homes, unable to escape," said
Marcie Roth, CEO of the National Spinal Cord Injury
Association. "We must build every new home with basic features that
let people get in and out."

"Inaccessible houses keep us from entering or leaving on our own,"
says Eleanor Smith of Concrete Change. "It's illogical to scramble
to retrofit existing homes for access and then build new homes
with new barriers after the hurricane."

"Current housing stock is woefully deficient in meeting the needs of
people with mobility impairments," says architect Dr. Edward
Steinfeld, Director of the IDEA Center at the State University of
New York at Buffalo (716-829-3485, x329, rced@buffalo.edu).
...........
Contact:
The National Spinal Cord Injury Association, the nation's oldest and
largest civilian organization serving people with spinal cord
injuries and diseases: CEO Marcie Roth: 301-717-7447,
mroth@spinalcord.org

Concrete Change promotes "visitable" homes that are easier to live
in: Eleanor Smith or Barbara Rose: 404-378-7455.

The 21,000-member Congressionally-chartered Paralyzed Veterans of
America is dedicated to veterans with spinal cord injury or disease:
Susan Prokop, Associate Advocacy Director: 202-416-7707,
susanp@pva.org

United Spinal Association, dedicated to enhancing the lives of
individuals with spinal cord injury or disease, advocates for civil
rights and independence: Dominic Marinelli, Accessibility Services
716-828-9139, dmarinelli@unitedspinal.org

Post-Katrina the Paralyzed Veterans of America Call for Inclusive Reconstruction

The Rolling Rains Report covers issues affecting the ability of people with disabilities to fully participate in society while they are away from their primary place of residence. In general, that means issues impacting travel.

But what happens when a person with a disability is displaced by a disaster such as Katrina? And where is the distinction to be drawn between home and away...

...when one lives in a tourist destination -- and federal tax monies will be used to fund "one of the biggest bursts of federal housing development in United States history." *

Below is a position statement by the Paralyzed Veterans of America. Note the uneqiuvocal endorsement of Universal Design as Visitability:

PVA calls on Congress to enact HR 1441, the Inclusive Home Design Act, as a first step in broadening the inventory of accessible homes in the hurricane ravaged areas and throughout the nation.

Accessible Housing Now

The Issue

Housing – temporary and permanent – has begun to capture the attention of government officials and public planners in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The Federal Emergency Management Agency [FEMA] plans to open in the affected Gulf Coast areas some 30,000 temporary homes every two weeks with the number ultimately reaching 300,000 within a few months. At least three states will be rebuilding entire communities using considerable sums of federal money. Billions of dollars are beginning to pour into the region in "what urban planners are calling one of the biggest bursts of federal housing development in United States history."

Among the thousands forced from their homes by the storm are people with disabilities and elderly residents who may find themselves permanently displaced if actions are not taken immediately to ensure that replacement housing will meet their needs now and in the long term. Existing law requires that housing constructed or refurbished with federal funds have 5% of the units accessible to people with physical impairments. Yet that percentage is unrealistically low when census data indicate that almost 20% of people ages 16 to 64 have a physical disability that makes leaving the home difficult.

An unprecedented opportunity exists to build on a broad scale accessible or adaptable housing that will not only help thousands of Americans with disabilities live independently in their chosen communities but enable more people to age-in-place as they grow older. With a little foresight and planning, homes can be designed and built with 3 foot wide doorways and accessible entrances as easily as homes with narrow doorways and steps.

PVA's Position

Like other private organizations, PVA responded to Katrina by providing disaster relief grants to assist paralyzed veterans in need of food and shelter as well as transportation for evacuation. PVA is also acting as a resource to help displaced members find temporary accessible housing. However, these veterans and thousands of other people with disabilities will need permanent accessible homes if they are to return to their communities and avoid institutionalization. PVA asks that the Department of Veterans Affairs make its housing inventory immediately available to veterans and others displaced by the storm. In addition, PVA urges all federal agencies involved in the recovery effort to require accessibility features as a condition of any emergency or new housing construction contracts issued to relieve the housing crisis in the Gulf area. PVA also urges the Departments of Justice and Housing and Urban Development to ensure compliance with federal accessibility standards by developers using federal money to rebuild homes in the affected regions. Finally, PVA calls on Congress to enact HR 1441, the Inclusive Home Design Act, as a first step in broadening the inventory of accessible homes in the hurricane ravaged areas and throughout the nation.

National Council on Disability Advises Bush: Mandate Universal Design

The National Council on Disability is charged with advising the president of the United States on issues related to disability. Regarding reconstruction of the built environment following Katrina their leadership has been decisive:

A universal design approach should be followed to meet the needs of
people with disabilities affected by recovery, rebuilding, and
resettlement efforts in the Gulf Coast region affected by Katrina. The
Federal Government should mandate universal design and full accessibility
for all new construction in the region affected by Hurricane Katrina.

September 19, 2005

The Honorable Michael Chertoff
Secretary of Homeland Security
Naval Security Station
Nebraska and Massachusetts Avenues, NW
Washington, DC 20528

Dear Secretary Chertoff:

Just as you are, the National Council on Disability (NCD) is concerned
about disaster relief, recovery, and reconstruction efforts in the Gulf
Coast areas affected by Hurricane Katrina. A disproportionate number of
the Hurricane Katrina evacuees and survivors are people with disabilities
whose needs for basic necessities are compounded by chronic health
conditions and functional impairments. Katrina has caused tens of
thousands people with disabilities to be evacuated or displaced by
Katrina. People with disabilities affected by Katrina may not ever be
able to return to their communities-of-origin.

People with disabilities have had to leave behind their homes, circles of
support, service networks, durable medical equipment, service animals,
and assistive technologies. Many have spent years putting their networks
of supports services in place.

Many evacuees and displaced individuals with disabilities will need to
relocate several times from region-to-region and state-to-state over the
coming months. As a consequence, they will not be able to easily recreate
the life-sustaining service/support networks they need to survive each
day. For these reasons, NCD believes there is a dire need for urgent
action by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to assist people
with disabilities affected by Hurricane Katrina. NCD offers you and your
agency the following recommendations:

For the next several months:

Establish a Point Person on Disability who reports directly to the
Secretary and who interacts directly with the DHS senior leadership team
and vested with the responsibility, authority, and resources for
providing overall day-to-day leadership, guidance and coordination for
emergency preparedness, disaster relief and recovery operations of the
federal government on behalf of Americans with disabilities. The Point
Person should be a qualified senior-level person, and should be in
regular contact with other members of the DHS senior staff as well as the
members of the Interagency Coordinating Council on Emergency Preparedness
for People with Disabilities, state and local authorities, and citizens,
as necessary.

Develop and then implement a coordinated Federal Disability Recovery Plan
for Hurricane Katrina that focuses particularly on people with
disabilities.

Establish a Hurricane Katrina Disability Access Advisory Group, made up
of qualified people with disabilities and others with disability-specific
disaster experience, who meet regularly with senior officials to help
craft the Katrina-recovery plan, share real time information from the
Gulf Coast region, as well as to discuss events and challenges and
progress.

Use all available on the ground personnel available to provide funds and
target resources that specifically meet the identified and critical needs
of Katrina survivors with disabilities, including:
- assisting with the restoration of the organizations that
serve them;

- identifying accessible temporary and permanent housing and
addressing the specific requests being made by leaders in the devastated
areas and those in the areas that people with disabilities are being
evacuated to;

- ensuring the effective coordination with social services,
health services, education services, and other human service providers
and agencies throughout the recovery and restoration process;

- ensuring the use of accessible communications technology for
people with disabilities during the regions recovery from this disaster
to help assess damage, collect information, and deploy supplies; and

- ensuring that the response to and the recovery from Hurricane
Katrina complies with Federal law requiring nondiscrimination and
accessibility, including the requirements of the Americans with
Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act.

For the next several years:

Recovery, rebuilding and resettlement operations must have the
appropriate resources, medical equipment, supplies, and training to
address the needs of people with disabilities. Many individuals with
disabilities will require accessible housing, appropriate health
services, and assistive technologies. At the very outset and during all
its phases, these operations should include in an integral way people
with disabilities with experience and expertise on these matters.

Recovery, rebuilding, and resettlement personnel must be educated and
trained in the field, on how to support the independence and dignity of
persons with disabilities in the months and years following Hurricane
Katrina. People with disabilities should be included in the development
of the response personnel, and should be supported by the appropriate
accommodations.

A universal design approach should be followed to meet the needs of
people with disabilities affected by recovery, rebuilding, and
resettlement efforts in the Gulf Coast region affected by Katrina. The
Federal Government should mandate universal design and full accessibility
for all new construction in the region affected by Hurricane Katrina.

Disability organizations must be joined with all Hurricane Katrina
recovery, rebuilding, and resettlement government (and non-government)
operations and be relied upon for ongoing advice, guidance, and
leadership.

NCD is deeply concerned for all of the citizens who are now homeless as a
result of Hurricane Katrina devastation, many of whom have disabilities
and who are older Americans who experience a high rate of disabling
conditions. NCD continues to offer our support and assistance to all
branches of government in their ongoing work to help people rebuild their
lives.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. We appreciate your personal
commitment to insuring the recovery of all those affected by this
catastrophic disaster, including those with disabilities.

Sincerely,

Lex Frieden
Chairperson
National Council on Disability

# # #

Experts on Disaster Recovery Focus on Long Term Recovery

The Enterprise Foundation sponsored a conference call on response to Katrina. While the speakers did not specifcally address disabilities they did provide useful information based on experience managing disaster recovery such as for the Loma Prieta earthquake, which as noted elsewhere, resulted in accessible built environments.

Experts are calling for long term planning to begin now and emphasized the need for an ADA compliant during the Question & Answer period following their presentations.

Speakers:

o Carol Wilkins, Director of Intergovernmental Policy, Corporation for Supportive Housing (then San Francisco Deputy Mayor for Finance)

o Sally Richman, Director, Policy & Planning, Executive Management, City of Los Angeles Housing Department (then Housing Planning and Economic Analyst, City of Los Angeles Housing Department)

o John Sucich (then Assistant to the Mayor, San Francisco and FEMA Disaster Preparedness Officer)
o Ali Solis, Director, Public Policy, Enterprise (Moderator)

The purpose of the call was to hear from former disaster recovery experts who led the rebuilding in their respective cities. The major recommendations based on their lessons learned are listed below.

Recommendations

1. The media's attention on Katrina will be short-lived. The first six weeks are the most critical time to use the media to: build broad support for the national affordable housing crisis, highlight FEMA and the Red Cross's deficient resource delivery systems and mobilize the field to weigh in with congressional members about the need for additional resources both in the impacted region and across the country in communities that are serving evacuees.

2. The Stafford Act allows for states to administer FEMA funds. The speakers highly recommend that advocates push the states to request this. State administration allows for more flexibility and allows the Governor to provide more immediate assistance.

3. Immediately get the word out to community and faith-based organizations about what resources the evacuees are eligible to receive. Most evacuees are turning to institutions they trust like CDCs and churches to help them navigate the system. (Note: our next call will address this issue.)

4. Flexible housing vouchers are critical and advocates should push for the Sarbanes amendment that passed the Senate earlier this week. (A legislative summary can be found on NLIHC's website:www.nlihc.org) In addition, there is an immediate need for counseling and financial education so that evacuees are making informed decisions about where to relocate, how best to use the resources for which they are eligible, etc.

5. Long-term rebuilding plans with community input must begin now. Speculators and others are already planning to maximize this tragedy as an opportunity for personal gain. (Enterprise convened a call of national community development organizations to begin this process. A national field call will be set up to discuss this group's ideas in the coming weeks.)

The Immigrant Population in the Katrina-Impacted Areas

As we discussed on the call, immigrants and limited-English proficient individuals experience unique barriers to accessing important safety-net programs. Below are preliminary estimates from the press on how many people may be in this situation.

“The Honduran government said at least 40,000 Hondurans could have been affected by Katrina. The government has set up a temporary consulate in Baton Rouge, La., and the ambassador to the U.S. has flown to the region. The Mexican government also has reached out to its people who have helped fuel a wave of migration to the South. Officials said about 40,000 Mexicans were thought to be living in Louisiana, which has historically drawn immigrants across the Gulf from Yucatan state." (Chicago Tribune, Immigrants told to seek help, whatever their legal status, Oscar Avila and Hugh Dellios, 9/8/05).

"The destruction of New Orleans, Louisiana by Hurricane Katrina has devastated what was the largest community of Hondurans in the U.S. Thousands of Hondurans in South Florida and in Central America have yet to learn the fate of loved ones who were living in the New Orleans area. The New Orleans area was home to an estimated 120,000 Hondurans, according to Carlos Siercke, the Honduran consul general in Miami. The Honduran embassy in Washington said some 125,000 Hondurans were living in the area devastated by Katrina. The Honduran government sent a special envoy to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to help find Hondurans; the consulate in New Orleans was destroyed-”disappeared,” according to the embassy in Washington-and the whereabouts of its staff are unknown. A toll-free telephone line was set up for families to call in, Siercke said. Some survivors have begun trickling into South Florida-home to about 60,000 Hondurans-to stay with relatives. New Orleans area Hondurans were responsible for between 20 percent and 30 percent of the $1.3 billion in remittances sent home; that total is now expected to drop by more than $40 million a year. (South Florida Sun-Sentinel 9/2/05)

Packing for the "Unexpected Trip"

Hurricane Katrina's aftermath has also wreaked havoc on my categorization system at Rolling Rains. "Disaster preparedness" seems a timely topic. Think of it as a sub-specialty of "packing for vacation."

This link to a helpful resource comes via my colleague in the ZeroDivide Fellowsip, Michelle Shutzer:

www.72hours.org

Related Reading:

How to Prepare for One Really Quick Getaway
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/01/business/01docs.ready.html?incamp=article_popular

Hurricane Katrina

Wheelchair in the Woods

"For people with mobility challenges, expectations are going up," said Bob Bond, [Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center's ] wilderness program director. "There's great demand for access to front country terrain."

Read about one outdoor access project here.

Tourists will return to New Orleans in 6 months, official predicts

The following comes from the tourism industry publication, eTurboNews. The full article may be found here:

LOS ANGELES (eTurboNews) -- Tourists will start returning to New Orleans in perhaps six month's time, a New Orleans tourism official predicted Tuesday.

According to J. Stephen Perry, the head of New Orleans’ convention and visitors bureau expects, despite Katrina’s wrath, most hotels, the French Quarter, and the fabled Garden District emerged from the disaster structurally sound.

Related Reading:

Recovery Post-Katrina
http://www.rollingrains.com/archives/000654.html

Katrina as a Tipping Point for Universal Design Acceptance in the UShttp://www.rollingrains.com/archives/000649.html

Register for the Inclusive Tourism Conference in Mazatlan

Here is another page on Mexico's upcoming Inclusive Tourism conference. This link will take you to the registration form as a .zip file.

Further Reading:

http://www.teatroangelaperalta.com/Eventos/2005/Septiembre/2005TurismoParaTodos_Sep10.htm

Universal Design. Katrina, and the News Cycle

A note to those working on advocating Universal Design in post-Katrina recovery work.

FEMA operates on a time-tested cycle. The agency knows, and paces its response, to the news cycle which consistently stops disaster coverage after six weeks. We are in week two.

Strategize approptiately.

NY Times Update on Inclusive Destination Development in St. John's

As is so often the case, what began as an individual Inclusive Travel project -- the innovative Estate Concordia design -- has become a regional Inclusive Destination Development intitiative. Here the Houston Chronicle runs a New York Times report on the phenomenon.

Observant Rolling Rains readers have seen this positive side-effect before in Tasmania, Dubai, and the Canary Islands:

• Tasmania
  http://www.rollingrains.com/archives/000195.html
• Dubai
  http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/travel_with_disabilities/116552
• The Canary Islands
  http://www.rollingrains.com/archives/000658.html

Right to Travel with a Service Animal in the Airline Cabin Threatened

Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty -- and it sounds like it is time to pay up again according to the International Association of Assistance Dog Partners press release below.

From the International Association of Assistance Dog Partners:

Right to Travel with a Service Animal in the Airline Cabin Threatened by
DOT Proposed Rule

The United States Department of Transportation has issued
proposed rules permitting airlines to charge disabled passengers
traveling with large guide, hearing or service dogs for an extra
seat. If their canine assistants cannot fit in the floor space
in front of them, DOT suggests three options unacceptable to the
disabled community. These are charge for a second seat; separate
the team and ship the dog in cargo or make them wait for a later
flight which might or might not be less crowded. These
alternatives penalize, disempower and discriminate against the
disabled traveler. Friends and members of the International
Association of Assistance Dog Partners (IAADP) flooded the DOT
public comment site with more than 1,000 responses critical of
these proposed rules. There is strong support for IAADP's common
sense alternative proposals. This issue is critical to
maintaining the right to freedom of travel for assistance dog
partners.

DOT is currently in the process of writing the new rules and we
urge [you] to contact their Congressional and Senate
representatives to write to DOT Secretary Norman Minetta opposing
the proposed language and substituting the IAADP alternative
language. At this stage in the process, political pressure seems
to be the only viable approach!

The Problem

In the Notice of Proposed Rule Making published by the Department
of Transportation in the Federal Register on November 4, 2004,
the following language appears:

"If the service animal does not fit, it should be relocated to
another space in the cabin if possible in the same
service class. If no single seat will accommodate you may offer
the option of purchasing a second seat, traveling on a later
flight or having the service animal travel in the cargo hold."

Purchasing a second seat is not a viable option since the
financial burden would exclude most disabled people with large
guide, hearing and service dogs from traveling by air.
Traveling on a later flight does not guarantee the issue will be
resolved, since the same circumstances may exist on the later
flight. Taking a later flight would interfere with the disabled
traveler's ability to make appointments and meet commitments.
Shipping the assistance dog in cargo is an option unacceptable to
assistance dog partners. In addition to the safety of the
assistance dog in the cargo hold, what about the independence,
safety and quality of life issues for the disabled partner?

These recommendations would impose a set of conditions that would
make air travel unpredictable and stressful for those of us
working with large canine assistants. In fact, they would become
barriers to air travel by a segment of the disabled population.

The Solution

IAADP has suggested the following language be substituted as
advice to airline personnel:

"You may offer the passenger sitting in a seat adjacent to the
disabled passenger traveling with a large service animal a seat
in the same class of service in another part of the cabin. If no
seats are available in that class of service, you may ask for a
volunteer willing to occupy the seat next to the disabled
passenger requiring sharing of leg room. If no volunteer is
forthcoming and seats are available in another class of service
in another part of the cabin, you may ask the adjacent passenger
or the disabled passenger to occupy a seat in that other class of
service."

These suggestions would place no financial burden on the airlines
nor would it inconvenience other passengers. This language would
maintain current practice throughout the airline industry.

Below is a letter addressed to our local congressional
representative which can be used as a model:

Ed Eames, Ph.D. / Toni Eames, M.S.

Authors / Educators / Disability Advocates

3376 N. Wishon, Fresno, CA 93704-4832
Phone: (559) 224-0544 Fax: (559) 224-5851
E-mail: eeames@csufresno.edu

As a blind constituent, I urgently request your help with an air
travel issue of importance to me and other disabled Americans who
work with guide, hearing and service dogs. A rule recently
recommended by the Department of Transportation for airline
personnel would infringe on my ability and right to travel by
air.

On November 4, 2004 DOT published a Notice of Proposed Rule
Making in the Federal Register concerning air travel by
passengers with disabilities. The stated goal was to clarify
existing rules and make air travel more accessible for disabled
Americans. However, a segment of that document would have the
opposite effect.

My area of concern focuses on the situation where a guide,
hearing or service dog cannot fit within the floor space in front
of the disabled passenger and there are no open seats in the
class of service purchased. In its Notice of Proposed Rule
Making, DOT states:

"...If no single seat will accommodate you may offer the option
of purchasing a second seat, traveling on a later flight or
having the service animal travel in the cargo hold."

If the cabin is fully booked and no open seats are available, the
DOT recommendations would make it virtually impossible for me and
others working with large assistance dogs to continue traveling
by air.

The three DOT recommended options are unacceptable and
unconscionable!
The first, charging for a second seat, would disenfranchise me
and many other disabled persons, since few could afford to pay
two fares to travel by air. Requiring the disabled passenger to
take a later flight makes little sense since the same crowded
conditions might exist on other flights. Furthermore, the
uncertainty this would create, the fear of being forced to miss
connections, scheduled pickups or appointments makes this option
unworkable. The third recommendation, shipping the dog in the
cargo hold is unacceptable because none of us would expose our
assistance dogs to this danger. In addition, separating the
service animal from the disabled partner threatens his /her
independence and is a violation of the decision made by the Ninth
Circuit Court of Appeals in the case involving quarantine
restrictions imposed by the state of Hawaii on guide dog partners
from the mainland. The court clearly indicated that separation
of blind travelers from their guide dogs was a violation of the
Americans with Disabilities Act.

The outrage and distress these DOT recommendations evoked in
members of the disabled community and the general public who
responded to the NPRM can be viewed on the DOT's website. Of the
more than 1,200 comments posted, over 1,100 focus on this issue,
and request the elimination of those three unacceptable options.

Current airline practices of providing an empty seat where space
is available or asking for a volunteer to share leg space with
the assistance dog, have created excellent working relationships
between disabled passengers and the airline industry. The
International Association of Assistance Dog Partners, a consumer
advocacy organization opposing the DOT's proposed rules, has
recommended the following language:

""If no single seat accommodates, you may offer the passenger
sitting in a seat adjacent to the disabled passenger traveling
with a large service animal a seat in the same class of service
in another part of the cabin. If no seats are available in that
class of service, you may ask for a volunteer willing to occupy
the seat next to the disabled passenger requiring sharing of leg
room. If no volunteer is forthcoming and seats are available in
another class of service in another part of the cabin, you may
ask the adjacent passenger or the disabled passenger to occupy a
seat in that other class of service."

As the author of A Guide to Guide Dog Schools and Partners in
Independence: A Success Story of Dogs and the Disabled and many
articles in general and professional magazines, I can attest on
both a personal and professional basis to the life-changing
impact of assistance dogs on the lives of their disabled
partners.

I urge you to contact DOT on my behalf and on the behalf of the
more than 20,000 Americans with disabilities who work with canine
assistants and need them in the cabin of an airplane! These DOT
recommendations cannot be allowed to stand.

Sincerely,

Ed Eames, Ph.D.
International Association of Assistance Dog Partners

President: Ed Eames, Ph.D.
3376 N. Wishon, Fresno, CA 93704-4832
Phone: (559) 224-0544 Fax: (559) 224-5851 E-mail: eeames@csufresno.edu

Board of Directors:
Chris Branson, Toni Eames, Jill Exposito, Joan Froling,
Lynn Houston, Carol King, Michael Osborn, Devon Wilkins

# # #

This press release is available at JFA ARCHIVES:
http://www.aapd-dc.org/JFA/JFAabout.html

Posted by rollingrains at 10:00 PM

Ragged Edge Online

Fred Schotz reports on the outcome of his suit against that airline in " Crash and Burn: My airline case goes down in flames" at Ragged Edge online.

Welcome to California, Katrina Evacuees!

The California Hotel & Lodging Association (CH&LA), the same people who brought us the "We Welcome Service Animals" campaign, has risen to assist Hurricane Katrina evacuees in a big way. Their goal is to provide 200,000 places for guests.

While the press release does not specify, and I have been unable to reach Jim Abrams, CH&LA president this past week, one would hope that an agency as atuned to the needs of people with disabilities has the logistical and IT infrastructure in place to smoothly match disabled guests with appropriate accommodations.

Wouldn't that task be so much easier in an ideal world where Visitability were the norm? Let's look forward to the Gulf area rebuilding with Universal Design and Visitability as the norm. We Californians will be counting on their legendary Southern hospitality when the "Big One" shakes us!

Welcome to California, Katrina evacuees!

SACRAMENTO, Calif.----Sept. 9, 2005-- California's Premier Lodging Association, in Conjunction with Its National Affiliate, Establishes Nationwide Program to Provide 250,000 "Homes" for Victims

The California Hotel & Lodging Association (CH&LA), through its national affiliate, the American Hotel & Lodging Association, has been requested by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to assist in securing guest rooms for housing of evacuees and emergency contractors. DHS estimates that an additional 250,000 guestrooms are needed.

A key logistical goal is to move evacuees from hotels in close proximity to the areas directly impacted by Katrina to make those rooms available for staff and emergency workers involved in restoring services. Concurrently, DHS is establishing, with CH&LA and its affiliates across the country, a way to provide long-term housing for these victims, as well as all other evacuees.

DHS is first seeking hotel rooms within a large concentric circle of the affected area. Hotels should be willing to commit to a large block of rooms, or even an entire hotel, so that evacuees can be administratively managed and access appropriate resources via FEMA. Hotels should either have kitchenettes or be able to provide 3 meals per day. Where this is not possible, FEMA will coordinate with local shelters or restaurants to provide meal vouchers. Housekeeping services can be weekly and other amenities can be excluded as deemed appropriate by the hotel.

FEMA will provide transportation to get the evacuees to the hotels that have contracted to provide this type of long-term housing.

Contracts will extend for six months, with possible renewal for an additional six months to a maximum of 18 months. Compensation, probably a per diem or lease rate based on established fair market rates within each state and county, will be paid to the hotel, with the exact amount determined before contracts are signed.

"California lodging operators have been asking us how they can best support the Katrina relief efforts, and this program provides the perfect way for our members to have an immediate and direct impact, here in California, on helping all of these displaced individuals," said Jim Abrams, president & CEO of the California Hotel & Lodging Association. "CH&LA is strongly urging each of its members to make an assessment of the number of rooms that they can make available for this type of long-term contractual arrangement, and then to act promptly to be part of this critical component of the relief effort," said Abrams.

CH&LA is urging especially its members, including timeshares and condos, which have seasonal operations, and are going to be mostly vacant during the post-summer period, to assist this effort by utilizing this mechanism to fill empty guest rooms with people who are in desperate need of longer-term housing.

Hotels, inns, and other lodging establishments that wish to participate in this vital program can go to AH&LA's web site ( www.ahla.com ) and fill out online a form that requests specific information about guest room availability and then submit it to join in this effort.

Will FEMA-funded Post-Katrina Homes be Universally Designed? Visitable?

National Public Radio reports that Stewart Park Homes has been contracted by FEMA to produce 1,000 manufactured homes as rapidly as possible for those left without shelter by Katrina.

Will those homes incorporate Universal Design? Will they be sited so as to be Visitable?

Universally designed manufactered homes are both "readily achievable" and demonstrably beneficial as we read here from the Minnesota Manufactured Hoimes Association on August 12.

Further Reading:

Minnesota Manufactered Homes Assocition
http://www.mnmfghome.org/

Hurricane Katrina

Universal Design in High Style: Hotel Dunas Canteras, Canary Islands

Well, let me begin this post with the erudite observation, "I told you so!"

Universal Design has finally passed from a novelty in home design and remodelling to the heart and soul of the business model of an innovative hotel brand - Duna Salud in the Canary Islands. In the process it is also working a minor renaissance in the region - a de facto, grassroots Inclusive Destination Development campaign.

Ángel Luis Tadeo in the Canary Islands has launched the Dunas Canteras Hotel and the Duna Salud brand to launch the next phase in the evolution of Inclusive Travel options. The article below (Spanish) lays out in detail the market niche sought, demographic analysis utilized, and array of ammenities available for this undertaking that consciously seeks to exmplify the best thinking in Universal Design.

Un hotel para todos. Unas instalaciones en las que puedan moverse sin dificultad discapacitados, personas mayores o turistas convencionales y encontrar todas sus necesidades cubiertas. Ésta es la filosofía que ha impulsado al grupo turístico que preside Ángel Luis Tadeo a crear la marca Dunas Salud, de la que el Hotel Dunas Canteras es su primer exponente.

Se trata de un recinto hotelero cuyas características son pioneras en Canarias y escasas en Europa, especialmente si a su equipamiento se unen las características de «un hotel que permite estancias largas, cortas o residenciales en la mejor playa de Europa con el mejor clima», explica el consejero de Dunas Salud, Cristóbal del Rosario.

Su objetivo principal es «permitir a toda la población, pero en especial a las personas con alguna limitación física, psíquica o sensorial que en el período vacacional, o con carácter residencial, puedan disfrutar de una estancia placentera», continúa Del Rosario.

Para ello, el hotel, situado en el inmueble que ocupaba antes el Sansofé, cuenta con unas instalaciones que permiten la accesibilidad para todos, sin barreras arquitectónicas de ningún tipo. Con una plantilla de 50 personas, «a la que prevemos sumar otras 50 a medida que el producto vaya funcionando» y una oferta de 169 camas, el Dunas Salud ya ha despertado el interés de numerosos turoperadores -entre los que se comercializará como un producto más de Grupo Dunas-, agentes locales y familias isleñas, dada la versatilidad del producto, que permite pasar unas vacaciones a una familia convencional, tratar a un enfermo, vencer las barreras a un discapacitado o tener a un familiar bien cuidado en un ambiente agradable tanto en los períodos en los que no puede hacerse cargo de él la familia como de manera permanente.

Las canteras. «Es un concepto -expone Del Rosario- que de entrada cuesta entender porque en él cabe todo tipo de turismo pero en realidad se adelanta en cinco años a las tendencias que marcarán la actividad turística».

Un cliente convencional disfrutará de todos los servicios de cualquier hotel, que contará además con todos los avances para que sea también un hotel cómodo y placentero para personas con discapacidades. Por ejemplo, habrá un sistema especial para permitir una audición óptima a aquélos que no la tienen sin que el resto de clientes note siquiera la existencia de esta técnica. Y todo ello en un proyecto «con ambición social», destaca el consejero de Dunas.Del Rosario espera que este proyecto conciencie a las administraciones públicas y privadas para que se mejore toda la accesibilidad del Paseo de Las Canteras.

A su juicio, este recinto hotelero «movilizará el comercio y la restauración en la zona, que se encuentra en un período difícil, obligándo de esta forma a los empresarios a adaptarse a la Ley de Accesibilidad, que en estos momentos no cumple ni el Auditorio Alfredo Kraus».

El perfil del visitante que se espera recibir es de poder adquisitivo medio-alto, de edad avanzada, sin estacionalidad -más proclive a viajar en temporada de invierno o de verano- y acompañado por otra persona.

Un proyecto, considera su responsable, de futuro. De hecho, sólo el 8% de los hoteles españoles han eliminado las barreras arquitectónicas «y no totalmente», resalta Del Rosario. Además, «el capital humanos de esos hoteles suele tener escasos conocimientos de cómo tratar a este tipo de cliente pero si forzamos la formación de los trabajadores la gente se interesará en conocer este nuevo producto». Por ello el Grupo Dunas ha procurado cuidar especialmente el capital humano de este hotel abierto a la ciudad.

Es una mezcla de balneario, clínica de salud y hotel

«Es una mezcla de balneario, clínica de salud y hotel». así define el consejero de la marca Dunas Salud, Cristóbal del Rosario, la nueva iniciativa del Grupo Dunas. «El objetivo principal de este proyecto es eliminar las barreras de tal manera que el hotel y su entorno se acoplen a los nuevos planes de accesibilidad que promueven los gobiernos europeos».

Se trata de un campo, la accesibilidad, de la que se viene hablando tanto desde los servicios sociales como del Ministerio de Turismo desde 1948. En numerosas declaraciones internacionales se ha abogado por la política de diseño universal que, asegura Del Rosario, este hotel cumple a la perfección al estar diseñado para cualquier tipo de huésped.

La idea de lanzar este producto nace, explica Del Rosario, de la evidencia de la inversión en la pirámide poblacional que otorga un importante papel al envejecimiento en el turismo. «Aumentan los accidentes de tráfico o laborales, se incrementa la esperanza de vida y crecen las enfermedades crónicas, todo lo cual crea un enorme mercado potencial», expone el consejero de Dunas Salud, quien resalta igualmente que «las personas mayores no quieren ir a una residencia con otras personas mayores. Quieren un entorno normal y con gente de cualquier edad además de actividades, lo que hace al Dunas Canteras una elección perfecta».

«Dunas Salud -concluye Del Rosario- como entidad tiene nuevos proyectos dentro y fuera del turismo, con la visión de que las personas tomen conciencia de que a partir de cierta edad hay que empezar a acostumbrarse a comprar tiempo, y que éste sea de calidad».

50 millones de clientes potenciales

El mercado potencial de los hoteles accesibles alcanza en el mundo los 500 millones de personas, que se convierten en 50 en el mercado turístico natural para Canarias, Europa. De éstos, Reino Unido, Alemania y Francia acaparan el 64,5%. España registra 3,5 millones y Canarias, 20.000 personas. «Se trata de potenciales clientes que no suelen viajar porque no hay hoteles adaptados a sus necesidades», explica Del Rosario, pese a la inversión de la pirámide poblacional y el alza de los accidentes.

Instalaciones universales, servicio personalizado

Barreras arquitectónicas.

El Dunas Canteras ha eliminado todas las barreras arquitectónicas del inmueble y cuenta con elementos domóticos para las personas con falta de capacidad auditiva o visual, además de algunas camas con dispositivos especiales según las necesidades del cliente.

Spa.

El hotel tiene un Spa adaptado para todo tipo de clientes, además de un gimnasio y una sala de Internet con cámaras web para comunicarse con el exterior. El personal ha sido concienciado sobre las atenciones precisas para todos los públicos.

Piano bar.

Las instalaciones buscan su apertura hacia el exterior, para lo que, además de otras actividades, no descuida el ocio nocturno, cuyo principal exponente será un piano bar.

Dieta.

Los clientes del Dunas Salud podrán, al realizar su reserva, optar por el servicio de dieta personalizada según sus necesidades, así como por un servicio médico permanente, que incluye rehabilitación y fisioterapia.

Terapia ocupacional.

Este servicio permite a las personas con pérdida de memoria o aptitudes no olvidar las actividades rutinarias del día a día, como la forma de preparar un café.

Actividades complementarias.

Los huéspedes, así como los interesados que no se alojen en el hotel, podrán disfrutar de clases de educación física y de artes plásticas. Pintura y cerámica serán dos actividades abiertas a la ciudad.

Universal Design in the Canary Islandshttp://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/18423/118152

Anne Finger Reflects on Hurricane Katrina

Anne Finger is a leader in the field of Disability Studies. Below is a letter she has circulated among disability scholars asking questions that have important implications for rebuilding in the wake of Katrina.

I don't think that the discussion of the "tragedy" of Hurricane Katrina should be seen as a diversion from these issues--in fact, I think this "natural" disaster provides a stark and telling illustration of how the intersections of issues of race and disability play out in a concrete way in people's lives.

Throughout this week, I've been struck by the presence of disability. In the New York Times, I read of a woman in the Superdome grabbing a reporter's arm, pleading for water for her daughter, a wheelchair user. "I'm afraid she's going to have a seizure," the mother cried. On NPR, I heard the voice of a man calling out, "Dilantin! I need Dilantin!" The president of Jefferson Parrish breaking down as he told of a man who'd been reassuring his mother, institutionalized in a nursing home, that help was on the way--only to learn that she had drowned--on Friday. And, of course, that image of the woman in the wheelchair, dead outside the Convention Center.

I've been enraged on so many different levels this past week--at the way that disabled people seem to have been forgotten by those who ordered the evacuation of the city and the rescuers, at the appalling conditions everyone--disabled and nondisabled-- who sought shelter in the Superdome and the Convention Center endured. I was heartened when I read of Jesse Jackson and other African American ministers and Kayne West, stating the obvious racial dimension to this disaster. That this disaster had an especially horrific impact on disabled African Americans is clear.

I do think we need to rethink our use of the word "tragedy" when applied to this. While these events were undeniably tragic, they were hardly inevitable.

For a start, let's think about why the levees broke in the first place. Our nation as a whole may have problems with its infrastructure, but these problems are particularly acute in poor communities. I am sure there are statistics about this, which I don't have at the ready, but anyone whose ever wheeled or walked along the sidewalk in an upper middle class neighborhood and also wheeled or walked along one in a poor neighborhood knows this difference in their bones. Infrastructure--from sidewalks to curb cuts to levees--is underfunded in poor communities. That a hurricane would hit New Orleans was inevitable. That the levees, which had been neglected during both Republic and Democratic administrations, were not being adequately maintained was also a known fact. And while we may be assured that the increase in ferocity of hurricanes has nothing to do with global warming, I know I'm not the only one--Daniel Shorr was voicing the same question on NPR--who wonders if this spate of recent hurricanes is an opening salvo in the more extreme weather predicted as a result of global warming.

I'm also wary when the sole solution offered is to donate to the victims. The impulse to reach out and offer help those in need is a generous and good one. But as disabled people, many of us have experienced charity first-hand, and we understand that the charity model has many drawbacks. There are the worthy recipients of charity--the smiling, grateful cripples--and the unworthy--the angry, bitter cripples; the "looters," those who, as Barbara Bush put it, "were
underprivileged anyway, so this is working very well for them." Above all, charity keeps in place the notion that the "problem" is located in the bodies of disabled people, in the individuals who have been displaced, rather than in social structures and economic policies. I would like to see us putting our energies, our time, our money into demanding structural change.

I think we, as disability activists and scholars, need to enter into the national dialogue, loudly and clearly, stating that these deaths of PWD's were not inevitable tragedies, but were the result of government policies that ignore our needs.

We need to say that this neglect does not hit all disabled people equally, but was especially lethal for the
poor, predominantely African-American, residents of New Orleans and surrounding communities.

I think we should also demand that, as the dead are counted, the powers that be also collect statistics on how many disabled people are among the dead. How many were found in nursing homes? How many were found in community care facilities? I think the answers to those questions will shock the conscience of our nation. We need to reach out to those disabled people who survived, and do all we can to enable their voices to be heard.

In general, I'm not a big fan of working within the legislative process, but I think this is a time when it makes sense to contact your senators and representatives and get them to ask some hard questions in the hearings that will be happening in the upcoming weeks. What were the plans for evacuating institutions--nursing homes, community care facilities? What were the plans for communicating with people who were deaf and hearing impaired? How was lifesaving medication going to be delivered to people who had been forced to flee? In short, what thought was given to the lives and needs of disabled people? We should be writing letters to editors, calling reporters, talking in our classes and to everyone we can about the impact of Katrina on disabled people, and especially on those in our community who have the fewest resources.

Anne Finger
anniedigit@mindspring.com

Hurricane Katrina

Universal Design in Korea

Korean museum patrons are getting another look at the latest in Japanese innovation in Universal Design. Seoul's Hangaram Design Museum hosts this year's exhibit.

Design Shows Way to Comfort
By Park Chung-a
The Korea Times

``Universal Design is not yet a familiar concept to the public. However, a handful of people are beginning to understand the new idea, which is aimed at creating environments usable for people of all different abilities, be they children, the elderly, men, women, disabled or pregnant women.

If you cannot grasp the idea, try looking around the Hangaram Design Museum at Seoul Arts Center will give you a clue to understanding of this humanitarian concept. The museum displays works of universal design until Oct. 3, following the last years exhibition under the same theme.

The exhibition not only presents images of Korean cities that went through changes of spaces and design environment but also presents the best examples of universal designs both inside and outside of Korea. Some of the examples are reproduced in the exhibition so that the visitors can experience for themselves the convenience that they offer.

Some of the examples are Japan’s Miho Museum which has no ledge on the front door so that it can be accessed by people in wheel chairs, the public rest room of Fukuoka’s Canal City which has toilet stools and washstands of different heights for the use of children. Stairs have a slope in the center so that old people, bicycle-users and people dragging their baggage can use the stairs together is also part of universal design.

``In the case of Korea, the aging of society is becoming an urgent issue, which makes universal design even more necessary, said Lee Yeun-sook, a Housing and Interior Design Professor from Yonsei University. ``Although Korean people seem to be aware of the problem, efforts at applying universal design to their living environment are insufficient.

Satoshi Nakagawa, one of Japans most renown universal design experts and a representative of Tripod Design participated in organizing the exhibition. He said that while last year’s exhibition focused on teaching the concept of universal design, this exhibition has focused on showing how it can actually be applied to the urban environment.

Nakagawa said that universal design would naturally flourish in a society where respect and sincere care for others is prevalent.

``One of the reasons why Japan could become the world leader in the universal design industry is that it has a tradition of cherishing the value of community and respecting the elderly, rather than the valuing individualism. Although such a tradition has been weakened these days, I still think many Asian countries maintain such attitudes and I think it is the same here in Korea, Nakagawa said.
According to Nakagawa, universal design evolved from a desire to solve fundamental problems of design and its power has been discovered and reinforced since consumers started to participate in the process of making products.

``Before, lots of companies would just focus on mass-production. They would just unilaterally make products and sell them to people. However, since the 21st century, production became more and more user-oriented. Nowadays, the most important issue for producers is how to get close to consumers, he said. ``Thus, products began to be made in cooperation with consumers, and from there universal design naturally developed.

Nakagawa says universal design is aimed at filling the various desires of users by providing products in as many varied forms as possible. It is different from the concept of ``barrier-free products and equipment, which are just for a limited number of people and for specific situations.

``Universal design is for everyone’s comfortable use. It should enable anyone at anytime to use products and equipment without difficulties, he said.

Jaime Vitrano @ Autism Forum

During this period recovery from Hurricane Katrina - and planning the reconstruction of tourist icons like New Orleans - is dominating US news. We monitor the news for items of interest to travelers with disabilities. Travel solutions for people with autism and their companions is a neglected study.

Jaime Vitrano runs the blog, Autism Forum. He sends this link to a story on the work of one preliminary step directed to those with autism.

Thank you, Jaime.

What is Sustainable in Destination Development?

Debate on the proper approach to city & regional planning will flourish in these months following Katrina. Cathy Parsons, CEO of the sustainable tourism organization Green Globe 21 offers these thoughts:

The recent disaster in New Orleans has once again brought the issue of sustainable development to the fore. According to Klaus Jacob, research scientist at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory to New York’s Columbia University, New Orleans was considered to be a perfect example of the unsustainable city. As a result of the development of a complicated system of levees, which enabled the city to expand, the delta subsided and the city got lower as the water around it built up. This increased the coast’s exposure to floods and storms. As well as the impact on individuals’ lives the city will suffer a huge economic loss. Tourism was a major industry with 8.5million tourists contributing US$4.5billion in 2003 to the local economy. The industry will take a long time to recover, assuming New Orleans is rebuilt.

Source:

GREEN GLOBE 21 - Newsletter No. 29, August, 2005

Alongside the environmental question is the human one. To what degree will the design of the rebuilt New Orleans sustain the full social participation of all its citizens and tourists? To what degree will the region adopt Universal Design as a strategy for sustainable development as laid out in the Rio Charter for Sustainable and Inclusive Development?

Further Reading on Sustainability and the New Orleans region:

"Washing Away," special section in the New Orleans Times-Picayune, 2002.

Craig Colton, Unnatural Metropolis (Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 2005). See as well the interview with Colton in Wednesday's New York Times article "After Centuries of 'Controlling' Land, Gulf Learns Who's the Boss."

Mark Fischetti, "Drowning New Orleans," Scientific American, Oct 2001.

Todd Shallat, "In the Wake of Hurricane Betsy," in Craig Colton, ed.,
Transforming New Orleans and Its Environs (Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 2000).

(This resource list originally appeared at Edu-Tourism Jamaica )

"The Man Who Saw It Coming" by Erika Check, News@Nature.com, September 9, 2005

Hurricane Recovery - One Year After Hurricane Ivan

Recent posts at Rolling Rains have focussed on Hurricane Katrina. In the current situation of displacement and destruction it is difficult to imagine a return to normalcy.

However, time and again hope triumphs over disasters and, with attention to planning, reconstruction can bring new opportunities. Below is an update on Grenada one year after Hurricane Ivan.

Tourism Update: Grenada - One Year Later

One year after Hurricane Ivan, Grenada, has experienced remarkable improvements as sustained efforts to rebuild the tourism industry bear fruits. As normalcy returns the following points put Grenada’s present status in relevant context.

Improvements are being made to all aspects of Grenada’s tourism product. Evidence of recovery is therefore visible everywhere. For instance, work continues on the restoration of the Grand Etang Welcome Centre, the Belmont Estate, the Bon Accord facility and the refurbishment of the Leapers Hill attraction. Training for taxi drivers, water taxi operators, ground tour operators, managers and owners of hotels, as well as construction workers has received major priority during the summer months. All of this was structured to ensure that the advent of the new tourist season will take place in an environment overwhelmed with fully trained and highly motivated service providers.

· All of the major festivals were held as scheduled. It means that Carnival, the Carriacou Regatta, Rainbow City festival, the Maroon Music Festival, the Parang Festival, and all of the other events and festivals that make up Grenada’s Calendar of Events were held. The Cricket Classics are therefore carded to take place in the St. Andrew parish during the month of October 2005.
· All of Grenada’s prominent boatyards, marinas, and marine suppliers have reopened. The yachting sector is now verily positioned to properly avail itself to the demands that the new season brings.

Electricity is now available to all Grenadian households. A similar situation exists regarding pipe borne water, and telephone services.

Currently more than 900 rooms are available for occupancy. This constitutes in excess of 60% of the current room stock of the island. By the end of 2005, another 500 rooms will become available. Among those that will commence operations are the “New” 80-room Coyaba Beach Resort and the 64 “elegantly-appointed rooms” at the Spice Island Beach Resort. Recent months have seen the emergence of the renovated Blue Horizons Garden Resort, and the Rex by Grenadian Resort. Overall, by the end of the current calendar year, 94% of the pre-Hurricane Ivan room stock will be functional.

The cruise sub-sector of the industry is being prepared for as work progresses on another important phase of the new cruise ship port and terminal. The inclusion of duty-free shopping facilities and other commercial retail outlets are expected to enhance the experiences that arriving passengers will have in Grenada.

With assistance from several donor agencies and governments, there continues to be emphasis on the rebuilding of homes for low-income and other vulnerable households. Resurfacing of key road ways all over the island continues.

All of Grenada’s schools, banks, financial institutions, supermarkets, hospitals, pharmacies, and other businesses have reopened and are reporting satisfaction with the pace with which Grenada is recovering.

·

The diving infrastructure, which was not impacted by the hurricanes, has maintained its quality, and is today a significant ‘pull’ factor as divers are attracted to the island with its more than fifteen (15) dive sites.

Source:

Travel Newswire

Mexico's National Inclusive Travel Conference: October 6, 7, & 8, 2005

The Hotel Sede Playa Mazatlan will host the 6th National Conference of the Mexican "Tourism for All Network." Information in Spanish is available below and at www.mazatlaninteractivo.com

Gracias to the folks at Mazatlan Iinteractivo for reprint permission and ofr organizing this important event!

Further Information (Spanish):

http://www.mazatlaninteractivo.com.mx/new/images/stories/septOct/tpt2005.jpg

MAZATLAN SEDE DEL VI ENCUENTRO DE LA RED NACIONAL

“TURISMO PARA TODOS”
Los días 6,7 y 8 de Octubre de 2005

Hotel Sede Playa Mazatlán

En lo que se considera una verdadera acción conjunta de autoridades federales, estatales, municipales y la iniciativa privada, misma que arrojó como resultado que por primera vez desde que se inició este programa federal en los 70´s Mazatlán sea sede de tan importante evento.

Es importante destacar que Mazatlán Interactivo fue quien tomó la iniciativa, la que fue ampliamente apoyada por sus Patrocinadores, la Coordinación General de Turismo, La Asociación de Hoteles Tres Islas, La Asociación de Hoteles y Empresas Turísticas y el Municipio, quienes patrocinaron la presencia de este medio en el IV Encuentro de la Red Nacional Turismo pata Todos que se llevó a cabo los días 7,8 Y 9 de Octubre de 2004 en la colonial ciudad de Morelia Michoacán. La consigna que llevamos fue traernos la sede a Mazatlán. Lo cual fue muy bien visto por los organizadores particularmente por la Lic. María Guadalupe Gómez Mont Directora Nacional de Turismo Social de la Sectur y la mazatleca Lic. Aída Rodríguez Bastidas Directora de Turismo Náutico de la misma secretaría. El compromiso pactado fue; Que miembros del sector privado y de la Coordinación General de Turismo del Estado y Mazatlán Interactivo asistieran al V Encuentro de la Red mismo que se programó para llevarse a cabo en la ciudad de Tapachula Chiapas los días 3,4 y 5 de Marzo de 2005 Si se cumplía por parte de Mazatlán este compromiso, en ese evento se le otorgaría la sede del VI Encuentro de la Red.

Nos complace informar que Mazatlán cabalmente cumplió asistiendo al V encuentro, en el que participaron por parte de la Coordinación General de Turismo de Sinaloa la Lic. Lourdes Arellano Chávez Directora de Planeación, El lic. José Ramón Manguart Sánchez e Hildeliza Ávalos Presidente y Gerente General respectivamente de la Asociación de Hoteles Tres Islas e Iván Lizárraga en representación de este medio y sus patrocinadores, así como de la Asociación de Hoteles y Empresas Turísticas. Siendo de esta manera que ambas partes sellaron el compromiso pactado y logrando la sede para Mazatlán del VI Encuentro de la Red Nacional de Turismo para Todos.

Este evento es de suma importancia para el desarrollo turístico de Mazatlán y Sinaloa. Ya que el viejo concepto de Turismo Social que en México se le consideró como Turismo “Aistencialista” o “Turismo para Pobres” por décadas. Ha cambiado totalmente y se ha transformado en un eje motor para el desarrollo de la actividad turística nacional, la cual vale la pena señalar que genera el 80% de los ingresos en la materia. De ese tamaño es de importante.

Al VI encuentro asistirán importantes conferencistas Magistrales de Turismo Social por parte de destacados profesionales de Brasil y México, Talleres y Ponencia, contaremos con Propietarios de importantes desarrollos de turismo para todos y Operadores Mayoristas de Viajes para que los asistentes puedan celebrar operaciones de venta directa.

Bienvenidos a Mazatlán

PROGRAMA DE ACTIVIDADES
(Sujeto a Cambios)

VI ENCUENTRO DE LA RED NACIONAL DE UN TURISMO PARA TODOS
6, 7 y 8 de octubre de 2005, Mazatlán, Sin.

“Herramientas para el Desarrollo del Turismo para Todos”

6 DE OCTUBRE

HORARIO CONTENIDO
9:00 – 9:50 Registro de asistentes
10:00 – 10:45 Ceremonia de Inauguración: Presidida por el Coordinador General de Turismo del Gobierno del Estado de Sinaloa, Lic. Raúl Llera Martínez, el Director General de Desarrollo de Productos Turísticos, Lic. René Rivera Lozano y el Presidente para las Américas del Buró Internacional de Turismo Social, Lic. Gerardo Pérez Aguilar.
11:00 – 11:15 Receso
11:20 – 12:05 Conferencia magistral: El SESC de Brasil, Ejemplo de éxito del turismo socialConferencista: Por la Lic. Flavia Roberta Castro, Coordinadora de Turismo Social, de la SESC Brasil.
12:05 – 12:20 Sesión de preguntas y respuestas
12: 20 - 12:30 Receso
12: 30 – 14:00 Taller: Elaboración de Paquetes Turísticos.Objetivo: Integrar paquetes turísticos sustentables, accesibles, rentables y de calidad.Forma de trabajo: En equiposFacilitadores: Sra. Lourdes Muciño Martínez, Directora General de Mex-Inca viajes y el Lic. Felipe Mendoza Fuentes, Director General de Corporativo Mega Empresarial
14:00 – 16:00 Comida patrocinada por organismos del sector turístico de Mazatlán, Sin.
16:10 – 18:00 Taller: Profesionalización de servicios turísticosForma de trabajo: En equiposFacilitador: Lic. Carlos Cruz Pérez, Director de capacitación Turística de la Secretaría de Turismo del Gobierno Federal.
18:15 – 20:00 Mesas para la concertación de acuerdos de negociación entre los sectores público, privado y social.Objetivo: Enlazar a los tres sectores de la población para la creación de acuerdos de colaboración.Forma de trabajo: Individual. La concertación de citas se llevará a cabo a partir de las 13:00 y hasta las 18:00
20:30 Cena: Patrocinada por el Gobierno del Estado y por el Municipio de Mazatlán, Sin.

7 DE OCTUBRE

HORARIO CONTENIDO
10:00 – 11:00 Mensaje del C. Secretario de Turismo, Lic. Rodolfo Elizondo Torres y del C. Gobernador Constitucional del Estado de Sinaloa, Lic. Jesús Aguilar Padilla.
11:00 – 11:45 Conferencia magistral: Transporte confiable para la movilización del turismo doméstico.Impartido por el Lic. Arturo Juncos Ortega, Gerente General de la Cámara Nacional del Autotransporte de Pasajeros y Turismo.
11:45 – 12:00 Sesión de preguntas y respuestas
12:00 – 12:15 Receso
12:15 – 13:00 Ponencia: Modelos de participación empresarial. Ponente: Lic. Gerardo Pérez Aguilar, Presidente para las Américas del Buró Internacional de Turismo Social (BITS)
13:00 – 13:15 Sesión de preguntas y respuestas
13:15 – 13:30 Receso
13:30 – 14:15 Ponencia: Internet, herramientas electrónicas para la comercialización de productos turísticos a tarifas preferenciales.Ponente: Ing. Roberto Velásquez González, Director de Mercadeo personalizado e Internet del Consejo de Promoción Turística de México.
14:15 – 14:30 Sesión de preguntas y respuestas
14:30 – 16:30 Comida patrocinada por Organismos del sector turístico del Municipio de Mazatlán, Sin.
16:30 – 18:00 Taller: Identificación de oportunidades de negociosObjetivo: Enfocar las oportunidades de negocio alcanzables por las Cadenas Productivas del estado, en el corto, mediano y largo plazo.Forma de Trabajo: EquiposFacilita: Lic. Braulio Ernesto Álvarez Sánchez, Delegado Estatal de la Secretaría de Economía.
18:00 – 20:00 Mesas para la concertación de acuerdos de negociación entre los sectores público, privado y social.Objetivo: Enlazar a los tres sectores de la población para la creación de acuerdos de colaboración.Forma de trabajo: Individual. La concertación de citas se llevará a cabo a partir de las 13:00 y hasta las 18:00.
20:30 Cena: Patrocinada por el H. Ayuntamiento de Mazatlán

POST EVENTO:

8 DE OCTUBRE

10:00 – 18:00 Recorrido al Quelite, Sin.

Further Reading:

http://www.teatroangelaperalta.com/Eventos/2005/Septiembre/2005TurismoParaTodos_Sep10.htm

Katrina as a Tipping Point for Universal Design Acceptance in the US

The reconstruction project following Hurricane Katrina will require local expertise in Universal Design.

Done correctly, results could be economically positive and inclusive for people with disabilities. Participants in the Santa Cruz, California Universal Design Conference reported that fastidious monitoring of reconstruction for ADA compliance after the Loma Prieta earthquake had direct impact on the economic upturn of the Santa Cruz, Soquel, Aptos region.

The systematic application of Universal Design -- and a subsequent shift from ADA compliance to the economically sustainable Unniversal Design model -- will be the cornerstone of Inclusive Destinato Development efforts in New Orleans.

Meanwhile, the blog Katrina Disaster Relief specializes in a housing database to meet the immediate disaster recovery needs of people with disabilities and the Minnesota Manufactured Housing Association supplies premade, universally designed homes.

Study Abroad Resources

Mobility International USA (MIUSA) specializes in makiing foreign exchange possible for students with disabilities.

The University of Minnesota also has a collection of resources such as this.

More on Katrina

Candy Harrington, editor of Emergng Horizons, writes on the availability of accessible accommodations in the three Carnival Cruise Line ships contracted by FEMA for those left in need by Hurricane Katrina: See "More on Cruise Ship Evacuee Housing"

The Federal Emergency Management Agency and Katrina Survivors with Disabilities

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has set up a registration process for people with disabilities and chronic health care needs, and every hurricane survivor with a disability must register to be able to receive the full
range of federal disaster relief assistance.

See https://disasterhelp.gov/portal/jhtml/index.jhtml or call 800-621-FEMA
or 800-462-9029 or TDD/TTY 800-462-7585.

Carnival Cruise Lines & Hurricane Katrina Relief

The Daily ARTA E-News bulletin reports that Carnival Cruise lines will provide assistance in relief efforts for hurricane Katrina. FEMA has contracted to dock the ships Ecstatsy and Sensation in Galveston and the Holiday in Mobile. USA Today reports that the goal is to use them to house up to 7,000 refugees.

The International Herald Tribune reports that the ships will be used mainly for the elderly, the disabled and those with medial needs. Limited information is available on cabin accessibility for refugees with mobility impairments.

Both the Ecstasy and the Sensation contain 4 cabins "fully modified" for passengers with disabilites and 20 "modified" cabins. The Holiday has 6 "fully modified" and 15 "modified" cabins.

According to the agent I spoke to at Carnival's Special Services office, "fully modified" means:

• 185 sq ft cabins


• 32 inch width doorways


• 5 ft X 8 ft bathroom


• roll in shower with stool or seat

"Modified" means:

• 30 inch width doorways


• 4 X 7 ft bathroom


• roll in shower with stool or seat

FEMA has contracted with Carnival to charter the Ecstasy, Sensation and
Holiday for six months to house victims of the hurricane. Employees of Carnival will staff the three ships.

The Ecstasy and Sensation have a capacity of 2,606 each and the Holiday can hold 1,472. The two sister ships have been taken out of service effective today and will be berthed in Galveston while the Holiday will be pulled from service on Thursday. It will be berthed in Mobile.

This has necessitated Carnival to make some schedule changes. The Elation will operate a one-time six night cruise departing September 4 and then take over the Ecstasy's itinerary September 10. The Conquest will move to Galveston and operate its scheduled itinerary from that port. All passengers whose cruise has been cancelled with receive a full refund and will be able to rebook on any Carnival ship. They will receive a $100 per person shipboard credit. Agent commissions will be protected. Those passengers scheduled to sail on the Ecstasy will be shifted to the Elation which is a sister ship and will keep the same cabin.

Carnival CEO Bob Dickinson said "We trust our guests will understand that the decision to enter into these charters was the right one. This inconvenience to our guests will provide desperately needed housing for thousands of individuals."

---

Further Reading:

http://www.carnival.com/cms/Articles/fema_charter.aspx

New Orleans quiets with guard on patrol

Posted by rollingrains at 05:33 PM

Katrina and Resources for People with Disabilities in the Gulf of Mexico

The National Council on Disability released a report on the demographics of disability in the area affected by Hurricane Katrina. It is reprinted in it entirety below.

With the region being such an important tourist destination it is essential to develop reconstruction plans in accordance with the Inclusive Destination Development model in which Universal Design is ubiquitous in infrastructure, Visitability commonplace in private home construction, and the social participation - and safety - of people with disabilities is guaranteed.

Fo more information on inclusive Destination Development see:

Getting the Design Right: Inclusive Destination Development
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/18423/115176

National Council on Disability on Hurricane Katrina Affected Areas

Basic Info

People with disabilities in the
Gulf Coast areas of Alabama , Mississippi , and Louisiana are experiencing tremendous loss of life and devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. Current data indicates that people with disabilities are now most at risk in this situation�and will need recovery assistance for months or years. A disproportionate number of the Hurricane survivors are people with disabilities whose needs for basic necessities are compounded by chronic health conditions and functional impairments.

For example:

In Biloxi, Mississippi , a city of about 50,000 people, 26 percent of residents are people with disabilities. This means that there are 10,700 people with disabilities 5 years of age and older who live in Biloxi .

In Mobile,
Alabama , a city of 198,915 people, 24 percent of the residents are people with disabilities. This means that there are 43,000 people with disabilities 5 years of age and older who live in
Mobile .

In New Orleans , a city of about 484,000 people , 23.2 percent of residents are people with disabilities. This means that there are 102,122 people with disabilities 5 years of age and older who live in New Orleans .

Who are the 102,122 people with disabilities who live in
New Orleans ? About 10 percent (or 12,000) of them are people ages 5 to 20 years old; 61 percent (or 63,000) of them are aged 21 to 64 years old; and 29 percent (or 27,000) of the people are 65 years of age and older.

The 102,122 people with disabilities living in New Orleans include people who are blind, people who are deaf, people who use wheelchairs, canes, walkers, crutches, people with service animals, and people with mental health needs. At least half of the people with disabilities in New Orleans who are of working age are not employed. Many of the people rely on a variety of government programs such as Supplemental Security Income and Medicaid to help them meet their daily service and support needs.

Implications

The total destruction of the physical environment and public/private infrastructure and communications systems in the Gulf Coastal areas affected by Hurricane Katrina has life-threatening implications for all citizens with disabilities, and those without disabilities. The implications for these people include:

� for people with physical disabilities and who are over 65 years of age, being unable to leave their homes, group homes, nursing homes, hospitals without significant assistance;

� for all people with disabilities, being prevented from using any type of accessible public transportation which in all likelihood do not exist anymore;

� for people who are blind, being unable to even get around in their own flooded neighborhoods because they can no longer navigate the environmental landscape;

� for all people with disabilities driven by floods from institutions or group homes or nursing homes, needing to be housed in less than satisfactory conditions with considerably less than the necessary range of services and supports they need for an indeterminate amount of time;

� for people with disabilities who have service animals, are unable to rely on those animals outside of the house or group home because these animals cannot navigate safely in the flooded streets;

� for people who are deaf, being challenged to access emergency information through television, radio, TTY, etc. because public communications systems are somewhat compromised;

� for all people with disabilities, being unable to secure life-saving food and water because many of them are trapped within the confines of inadequate supplied shelters, stadiums, etc.; and

� people may have lost or become separated from the drugs they rely on daily for diabetes, heart disease and other chronic ailments. Pharmacies in the affected areas may have insufficient stocks of vital drugs like insulin for diabetics, creating a need to organize efforts to import and distribute essential medicines in the area. In addition, many pharmacies have been raided by looters.

Where to go for help?

People with disabilities affected by Hurricane Katrina should try to contact their local emergency response officials by using the 9-1-1 system. This system will handle voice and TTY callers.

Louisiana government officials advise that in addition to the existing special needs shelters that have opened in
Alexandria and Monroe , shelters have been opened in two other communities in Louisiana . These shelters are staffed by the Department of Health and Hospitals and Department of Social Services. While these shelters are open it is strongly encouraged that citizens first try to evacuate to the north with their families and get out of harm�s way. These are shelters of last resort and are not for the general public.

At 10:00 am this morning, an additional shelter was opened in Lafayette . At this time, special needs shelters have been opened in Alexandria , Monroe , Lafayette , and Baton Rouge . Due to the uncertainty of the damage that Baton Rouge and Lafayette will sustain from the storm, DHH officials stress that it is very important to move to a shelter further north in Alexandria or Monroe if at all possible.

Special Needs Shelters are designed for individuals who are homebound, chronically ill or who have disabilities and are in need of medical or nursing care, and have no other place to receive care.

Those seeking shelter will be screened by nurses to determine the level of care needed. Only people who meet admission criteria can be sheltered. If their condition is too critical, they will be referred to a hospital for sheltering, or admission. If their condition is not severe enough for Special Needs Sheltering, they will be referred to a general shelter.

Special triage telephone lines are being established in each region to accept the calls of citizens seeking special needs sheltering. Citizens with special needs seeking shelter must call telephone number in their area BEFORE attempting to access a shelter. These numbers are listed below.

Alexandria : 800-841-5778 Shreveport : 800-841-5776

Baton Rouge : 800-349-1372 Monroe : 866-280-7287

Houma/Thibodaux: 800-228-9409 Slidell/Hammond: 866-280-7724

Lafayette : 800-901-3210

Lake Charles : 866-280-2711

Special Needs Shelters are not designed for the general public or for nursing home patients. Nursing homes in
Louisiana are required to have emergency evacuation plans in place that ensure the health and safety of their residents. In most instances, these plans allow for homes in affected areas to transport their patients to nursing homes in areas safe from the storm.

Health officials note that if individuals have health problems that require medical expertise and must evacuate, it is best for them to go with family members or caretakers north and west to areas that are out of harm�s way . These will provide medical support services only. Because of limited staffing, those going to a Special Needs Shelter must have a caretaker to assist with ongoing support and they should bring all necessary supplies including sheets, blankets and pillows.

Community And Residential Services Association (CARSA), a trade organization for providers of services with developmental disabilities, in cooperation with the ARC of Louisiana, the Developmental Disabilities Council and The Advocacy Center, is available to assist families who may have relatives who were evacuated from community homes and other service programs in the Greater New Orleans area.

Families seeking information may call the following numbers for assistance:

CARSA � 225-343-8811

The ARC of
Louisiana � 1-866-966-6261

Developmental Disabilities Council � 1-800-450-8108

The Advocacy Center ( Baton Rouge ) � 1-800-711-1696

The Advocacy Center ( Lafayette ) � 1-800-822-0210

How can we help?

(This note was distributed by an Independent Living Center )

Dear IL Colleague,

As you may know, the Centers for Independent Living in Biloxi , Mississippi and New Orleans have been gravely affected by the hurricane. In fact the Biloxi, MS center was totally destroyed. Many of you are asking how you can help. Here is what we have learned from colleagues in those states.

Sending money is the first priority. Sending supplies to those centers is helpful too but NOT RIGHT NOW, because they can't get through the water.

Here are the suggested options for right now:

1) Send a check or credit card payment to the Red Cross and designate it for Hurricane Relief, or designate it for people with disabilities in the Biloxi/Hattiesburg or New Orleans areas.

2) If you want to send money for the CILs that are dealing with this disaster directly, here are your options:

For the Biloxi Center , mail the check (payable to LIFE of Central MS and designated for the
Biloxi Center ) to:

LIFE of Central Mississippi
754 North President Street, Suite 1
Jackson, MS 39202

For the centers in Louisiana (make checks payable to Resources for Independent Living - this is a branch of the N.O. center - and designate for the New Orleans center)and mail to:

Resources for IL
11931 Industriplex Blvd. Suite 200
Baton Rouge,
LA 70809

We have also learned from Mack Marsh of the Shreveport Center that centers in
Shreveport , Baton Rouge , and Lake Charles are assisting evacuees. Mack says they would also appreciate supplies if there is any way to get those supplies to the centers. His list includes: manual wheelchairs, hospital beds, adult diapers, bed pads, catheters and other supplies. The address for the Baton Rouge center is shown above, addresses for the Shreveport and Lake Charles centers follow.

Southwest LA Independence Center, Inc.
Mitch Granger
1202 Kirkman, Suite C
Lake Charles ,
LA 70601

New Horizons, Inc.
Jerry Kidwell
9300 Mansfield Road, Suite 204
Shreveport,
LA 71118

Coordinated Federal-State-Local response

A coordinated Federal Disability Recovery Plan for Hurricane Katrina should be immediately developed and implemented. The decisions the Federal Government makes, the priority it accords to civil rights, and the methods it adopts to ensure uniformity in the ways agencies handle their disability-related responsibilities are likely to be established in the early days of this emergency situation and be difficult to change if not set on the right course at the outset. This response must include people with disabilities.

An urgent priority is to provide funds and secure resources that specifically meet the critical needs of Katrina survivors with disabilities, help to rebuild the organizations that serve them, identify accessible temporary and permanent housing and address the specific requests being made by leaders in the devastated areas and those in the areas that people with disabilities are being evacuated to. At the minimum, this response should include:

Accessible Disaster Facilities and Services. Communications technology is vital for people with disabilities during this disaster to help assess damage, collect information, and deploy supplies. Access to appropriate facilities -- housing, beds, toilets, and other necessities -- must be monitored and made available to individuals with disabilities before, during, and after a disaster. This access also must be ensured for those who incur a disability as a result of a disaster.

Accessible Communications and Assistance. As communications technology and policy become more integral to disaster relief and mitigation, providing accessibility to the technology for people with disabilities will be life-saving. For example, people with hearing impairments require interpreters, TTY communications, and signaling devices. People with cognitive impairments, such as those with developmental disabilities, Alzheimer's disease, or brain injury, will likely require assistance to cope with hurricane-ravaged surroundings and to minimize confusion factors.

Accessible and Reliable Rescue Communications. Accessible and reliable communications technology is critical to ensuring fast, effective, and competent field treatment of people with disabilities. Communications technologies can assist field personnel in rescue coordination and tracking and can be combined with databases that house information on optimal treatment for particular disabilities or that track the allocation of post-disaster resources.

# # #

Note: The National Council on Disability is an independent federal agency making recommendations to the President and Congress to enhance the quality of life for Americans with disabilities and their families.

Mark S. Quigley

Director of Communications

National Council on Disability

1331 F Street, NW, Suite 850

Washington , DC 20004

202-272-2004

202-272-2074 TTY

www.ncd.gov

"Access to Fun " Design Winners Announced

In a followup to the February 14, 2005 story on the design competition for disabled access to amusement park rides, the winners of "Access to Fun" have been announced.

Alexandria, Virginia — The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) and the US Access Board announced today the winners of the Access to Fun design project. The Access to Fun contest asked participants to develop design concepts for a device that would facilitate access for persons with mobility impairments into and out of an amusement ride seat that is located below the surface of a loading platform, such as a water flume ride.

The three winning teams are from the University of Kansas School of Engineering. Teams win a monetary award of $5000 for first place, $500 for second place and $200 for third place. The first place team will also be provided with funding to construct a mock-up of its design that will be showcased at the IAAPA Attractions Expo 2005 Annual Conference and Trade Show being held at the Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, Ga., November 14-19, 2005.

“While we do not endorse or approve these proposals as the only solution to disabled access to amusement park rides, we hope this exercise has stimulated a train of thought on a design to enable individuals with limitations to use more amusement park rides,” said J. Clark Robinson, IAAPA President and CEO. “Each of these teams demonstrates great ingenuity.”

Source:

http://www.e-kmi.com/FYI/080805/081205_fyi_Amusement.htm

Destination Oceans

The web site at Destination Oceans offers quick access to the policies of several cruise lines regarding disabilities. Sadly, the dominant motif is still the medical model with doctors' waivers required and extra insurance encouraged. Some policies are more debilitating than disability.

The Brazil / San Francisco Bay Connection

Rolling Rains readers have commented on how frequently Brazil and its contributions to Inclusive Tourism appear here.

Chuy Varela reveals one of the reasons for that as he writes an excellent review of the growth of a vibrant Brazilian community here in the San Francisco Bay area, BRAZILIAN PULSE POUNDS IN BAY AREA . With announcement that Brazilian Minister of Culture Gilberto Gil will visit the area in February 2006 to explore the possibility of recognizing it as a "Point of [Brazilian] Culture" one can expect more coverage like this of Brazil's trendsetting culture of social inclusion:

• Scott Rains @ Designing for the 21st Century III - Rio de Janeiro
  
• É Inegável a Nossa Vocação Para o Turismo
  
• The Dialogue on Sustainable Inclusive Development
  
• Tourism & Social Inclusion: A Brazilian Online Community of Practice
  
• Analise da Programa de Roteirização
  
• Disability in the Brazilian Context
  
• Bibliografia Basica: Recursos para Projetar Inclusive Destination Development
  
• Catharina de Medeiros Lacerda @ IREST – Université Paris I Panthéon Sorbonne
  
• Brazil: Barrier Free Tourism/Turismo sem Barreiras
  



Further Reading

Brazil for Beginners
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/travel_with_disabilities/115923


inclusive travel

travel

Posted by rollingrains at 05:07 PM

Disaster Planning & Disability

Among readers of the Rolling Rains Report are a group of Universal Design specialists ( the Working Group on Inclusive Destination Development) who offer technical support to crews on the group in post-tsunami Asia. With the destruction caused by hurricane Katrina there will be a need for similar attention to inclusive design as infrastructure, homes, and businesses are rebuilt in the Gulf Coast region.

While those discussions are still to come, current concern centers on the situation of people with disabilities in the aftermath. The National Council on Disability is circulating the following

Recovery Plan in Response to Hurricane Katrina

WASHINGTONThe National Council on Disability (NCD) expresses its deep
concern for the tremendous loss of life and devastation caused in the
southern part of the United States by Hurricane Katrina and urges the
Federal Government to craft a strong coordinated Federal Disability
Recovery Plan for the victims and survivors of the hurricane.

According to NCD chairperson Lex Frieden, Current data indicates that
people with disabilities are now most at risk in this situation and will
need recovery assistance for months or years. A disproportionate number
of the Hurricane survivors are people with disabilities whose needs for
basic necessities are compounded by chronic health conditions and
functional impairments. Relief agencies must prioritize efforts and take
special steps to address the unique and complex needs of this population.

NCDs 2005 report titled Saving Lives: Including People with Disabilities
in Emergency Planning
(http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2005/publications.htm)
recommends immediate federal changes in emergency planning for people
with disabilities. NCD encourages Hurricane Katrina responders to follow
the findings and recommendations in this timely report.

Saving Lives: Including People with Disabilities in Emergency Planning,
NCDs 2005 report, provides an overview of steps the Federal Government
should take to build a solid and resilient infrastructure that will
enable the government to include the diverse populations of people with
disabilities in emergency preparedness, disaster relief, and homeland
security programs. This infrastructure would incorporate access to
technology, physical plants, programs, and communications. It also would
include procurement and emergency programs and services.

NCD commends the Administration and those in leadership positions for the
issuance of the July 22, 2004, Executive Order on people with
disabilities and emergency preparedness. In addition, NCD acknowledges
the work of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) in their efforts to ensure that Americans
with disabilities are included in the developing infrastructure.

All too often in emergency situations the legitimate concerns of people
with disabilities are overlooked or swept aside. In areas ranging from
the accessibility of emergency information to the evacuation plans for
high-rise buildings, great urgency surrounds the need for responding to
the concerns of people with disabilities in all planning, preparedness,
response, recovery, and mitigation activities. The homeland security
terrorist event of September 11, 2001, as well as the recent energy
blackouts in the U.S. Northeast and Midwest and, more recently, the
natural disaster hurricane events in Florida, the tsunami event of 2004,
and this most recent event, Hurricane Katrina, underscore the need to pay
attention to the concerns raised in this report, Frieden said.

The decisions the Federal Government makes, the priority it accords to
civil rights, and the methods it adopts to ensure uniformity in the ways
agencies handle their disability-related responsibilities are likely to
be established in the early days of an emergency situation and be
difficult to change if not set on the right course at the outset. By way
of this report, NCD offers advice to assist the Federal Government in
establishing policies and practices in these areas. This report provides
examples of community efforts with respect to people with disabilities,
but by no means does it provide a comprehensive treatment of the
emergency preparedness, disaster relief, or homeland security program
efforts by state and local governments.

Please visit https://disasterhelp.gov/portal/jhtml/index.jhtml, the
Federal Governments Web portal for disaster information and help.

For more information, contact Mark Quigley at 202-272-2008.

Mark S. Quigley
Director of Communications
National Council on Disability
1331 F Street, NW, Suite 850
Washington, DC 20004
202-272-2008

Travel Japan

Inclusive travel has taken hold with remarkable vigor across the globe in the past five years. Japan Travel Marketing (http://www.tourism.jp/english/) is an example of level of maturity and sophistication that has been achieved during this time of heightened interest.

For frequently updated figures on Japanese inbound and outbound travel trends involving travelers with disabilities see the "What's New" section:

http://www.tourism.jp/english/whatsnew/

travel

inclusive travel

Course about autism and product design highlights fall offerings in Disability Studies

This semester UC Berkeley has an intirguing line up of courses in the area of Disability Studies. See the press release, " Course about autism and product design highlights fall offerings in Disability Studies":

http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2005/08/25_autism.shtml

disability studies