Rolling Rains Report:

Will Vietnam Rise to Its Challenge?

Topong Kulkhanchit of Disabled People's International is a tireless advocate for justice. His travels through Asia are extensive. He was one of tne of the organizers of the 2004 Taipei conference on accessible travel and the 2006 international conference on peace through tourism in Thailand. He is the lead organizer for the 2007 follow-up to the Taipei conference to be held in Phuket, Thailand.

Below Topong circulates an open letter to his colleagues in Vietnam urging adoption of Universal Design, as incorporated in numerous UN and regional documents, in upcoming infrastructure and major public works projects.

Dear All Friends in Vietnam,

Sorry if my message is considered intervention your internal affairs. I've read some Thai newspapers which have been impressed by the rapid and stable development of Vietnam in comparation with stagnated Thailand. My message here is not about politics and economics but relevant to the disability movement.

I've spoken and written about progress of disability development in Vietnam several times particularly about self-help organizations, training and employment, enthusiasm to study English, etc. I've been positively impressed in Vietnam, too, as from my commitment from engaging with self-help movement in your country since 1999 as regional development officer of DPI Asia-Pacific.

I'm quite sure that most of you, GOs, NGOs, DPOs, are aware of BMF which prioritizes SHOs (1), WWDs(2), Accessibility (5,6). Concerning several mega-projects which are mostly related to infrastructure such as construction of buildings, mass transit systems; it is still happening in several countries that accessibility features are neglected. The newly "Barrier-full" Suvarnabhum Intern'l Airport in Thailand is the most obvious witness of negligence of Thai government in spite of continuous follow-up from disability-related sectors. Tomorrow (Tuesday 1st August), the cabinet will again approve 3 new lines of mass transit system which are again designed without full awareness of accessibility. The Minister promised to the disability movement on Nov 26, 2005 in front of the Min. of Transportation that drafting TOR and design would be carried out in consultation with DPOs but he failed to keep his promise.

I don't know exactly what has been wrong with disability movement in Thailand. SHOs have been playing their roles. The Govt. has been informed. Intern'l and regional instruments are in place. National policy and legislation are in place. Leaders of disabled people had been appointed as disability advisors to the Govt. Series of letters have been submitted to related governmentt agencies both from internal and external DPOs to remind and offer free consultation. Demonstrations were held times to times. Contacts with funding agencies have been done, Japan Bank for Intern'l Cooperation (JBIC) for instance.

I'd like to share the lessons with all of my friends and don't want to see the similar mistakes to be repeated in your country. Please cautiously consider steps to be taken according to your context in connection with UN World Program of Action, UN Standard Rules, BMF etc. especially coming ICRDP.

Tan San Nhat Intern'l Airport is nearly completed extension while the new international airport in Long Thanh will be next. A new terminal at Noi Bai Intern'l Airport is under-construction. The airport in Quang Nam will be improved. New suspension bridges will be constructed in Rach Mieu, Can Tho, Dong Thap, Phu My. Big habours will be constructed in Thi Vai, Dung Quat and Tien Sa. the first subway system between HCMC-Dong Nai will be constructed soon. Several new highways, bridges, railways will be improved or new constructed. In addition, new public transportation systems are considered in Hanoi, HCMC and Da Nang. 22 other airports will be improved and upgraded nationwide. The tourism industry is well promoted by the government, as well. Why not "Tourism for All"?

This is your challenge!!!

ESCAP is under its way to evaluate mid-decade achievement of BMF. BMF+5 meeting has just been held recently and will be held again in October 2006. High-Level Intergovernmental Meetings will be held next year to approve BMF+5.

This is your challenge!!! This is our challenge!!!

I'm strongly believe that PWDs regardless of their economic, educational level will never achieve full participation and equality without accessible environment or barrier-free society.

Best wishes.

Topong Kulkhanchit

Regional Development Officer
Disabled Peoples’ International Asia Pacific Region
325 Bondstreet Rd., Muangthong Thani, Pakkred, Nonthaburi 11120 THAILAND
Tel/Fax 66-2984-1007, 66-2984-1008 Mobile: 01-558-1902
E-mail: rdo@dpiap.org

Universal Design Promotion in Spain

Spanish disability groups and the government of Spain have developed new guidelines for the implementattion of Universal Design in transportation infrastructure, buildings, public facilities, and public services. The proposal includes retrofitting construction by the Instituto de la Vivienda (Ivima) to remove architectural barriers. (Article in Spanish.)

Blogged Reflections on Disability & Identity

Wheelchair Dancer has some new thought-provoking posts up on disability and identity:

Wheelchair Dancer: Transabled- Pretending

Wheelchair Dancer: The (Dis)ability Status Game

An EU Culture of Mobility

Connecting Ability and Disability in AEGEE launched the Bridge project in Wroclaw.The event, "The disabled and the facilitator - a complex relationship", took place on 14-17 April 2005 with the support and participation of a number of people with different disabilities, and disabled people's organisations.

From the site:

"The Bridge" is a way to explain disabled reality to non-disabled young people, discover tools for supporting young disabled people's involvement in civil society, and help to increase their involvement in mainstream youth organizations. In 2005 there will be three more conferences, dealing with Design and Disability, Disabled people in European mobility programmes, and European legislation for disabled people.

http://www.karl.aegee.org/aeg-web.nsf/Full/About--About?OpenDocumentAEGEE is one of the biggest interdisciplinary student associations in Europe; it is represented by 15.000 students, active in 241 academic cities, in 40 countries all around Europe, which presents amazing culture variety. AEGEE is a secular, non-profit organization, not linked to any political party. All projects and activities are based on voluntarily work of its members.

Aims:

o to promote a unified Europe without prejudices
o to strive for creating an open and tolerant society of today and tomorrow
o to foster democracy, human rights, tolerance, cross-boarder co-operation, mobility and European dimension in education

Fields of action:

o Cultural Exchange
o Active Citizenship
o Higher Education
o Peace & Stability

Contact Information:

Virag Szabo
Director for Public Relations

European Students' Forum - AEGEE
Rue Nestor de Tiere 15
1030 Bruxelles
Phone: +32 2 245 23 00
Fax: +32 2 245 62 60
Web: www.aegee.org
Email: virag.szabo@aegee.org

Accessible Sounds

In New Jersey this weekend and looking for a wheelchair accessible park and an outdoor concert? Blues harmonica player James Cotton plays at Duke Island Park this Sunday. There's no indication that the event will be sign language interpretted but you can read, hear, and see video snippets of the process at one of Paul Simon's concerts. The story is at NPR.

Of Scotland, New Mexico, and the World at Large

Thanks to Darren Hillock at Get Around Guide we have news of accessibility at Loch Lomond

He also picked up a good story about a Boy Scout's good deed and an interview with Jeanne Amendola who was just appointed to the board of the Able Trust.

True Blue on Architecting Exclusion

Temple University's post for the anniversary of the ADA is an extensive review of the voices in the disability community. Reading through reveals one insight after another. Blue, at The Gimp Parade, refers back to a post from June 2005 on the opposite of Universal Design -- exclusion by design in The Excuse of Architecture

With Tom Chun on the Grand Tour

Tom Chun, northern Californian, scuba diver, wheeler, and now "International Man of Leisure", checks in from his around the world tour.

Dear Friends,

This email is a couple days late. Yes, I am still alive.

In Egypt, my brother and I visit the pyramids of Giza. I imagined it to be bigger, but nevertheless the pyramids are an amazing geometrical human feat. From Giza we take the 10 hour "sleeping train" south towards Aswan, and then another 3 hour bus convoy to view the temple of Abu Simbel on the border of Egypt and Sudan. The Abu Simbel temple was moved and raised a couple hundred feet from the river to avoid flooding. It is cool and peaceful inside away from the blistering heat. At our hotels, there are bomb sniffing dogs and guards with AK-47 and Uzi machine guns. From Aswan, we head up north to Luxor to view The Valley of the Kings/Queens (underground tombs), Hatshepsut (two tiered temple with beautiful view of the Luxor valley), Karnak (with huge giant pillars), etc. We rest well in a hotel with a pool overlooking the Nile. The ancient Egyptians were not the only sun worshippers!

From Egypt, we fly to Amman, Jordan where many Palestinians reside now. I see familiar names: Safeway, Burger King, etc. It's a mixture of traditional clothing and Western fashion. It's crazy knowing that a few hundred miles surrounding us, there is much conflict in Lebanon and Iraq. From Amman, we travel 3 hours south to Petra, an ancient city built by the Nabatean people, which later the Romans took over. It's a city forgotten for 1000 years built into and around the walls of the colored stone mountains, similar to Zion's Canyon in Utah. You may have seen it in the movies "Indian Jones and the Last Crusade" and the "Mummy Returns". My brother had to venture off and take photos because the paths are full of sand, highly in-navigable by wheelchair.

We are now in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The country of around 4 million is full of migrant workers from India, Pakistan, Phillipines, and all over. I feel like a mall rat, because there isn't much here to do except shopping inside the air-conditioned malls.

Next Dubai, still in the UAE...

Sorry, no pics yet. I still haven't found a great internet connection. Check back later at http://photos.yahoo.com/tompchun under "ATWorld 3".

Cheers,
Tom =)
"International Man of Leisure"

Candy Harrington Researches Airline Shennanigans

Candy Harrington at Emerging Horizons is often first to break important stories related to inclusive travel and accessibility. Even when she's not she does an excellent job of digging deeper than most people. Her July 19 post, Air Asia Discriminates?, delves into the latest case of airline industry nosediving on accessibility.

Crossing Over - and Landing in the ADA's Safety Net

Gerald Ensley, Senior Writer for the Tallahasee Democrat, has a story to tell as a Temporarily Able Bodied person (TAB) who has crossed-over.

Especially interesting to me is Gerald's epiphany while engaging in the subject matter of the Rolling Rains Report -- traveling with a disability:

It was a vivid lesson in how necessary those accommodations must be to people with disabilities - and a reminder that all of us are just an unexpected injury away from needing them ourselves.

His article, No Grumbling about the Americans with Disabilities Act, is worth reading and can be found here.

Congratulations on your recovery, Gerald. And thanks for the wisdom.

Vasi's Site is Up & Going - and So is He!

On July 7 I mentioned Vasile Stoica's trek and his site. His site is now up -- and looking very good!

On the 7th of July 2006, Vasile Stoica launched a new challenge, starting a new journey in the wheelchair. Therefore, he will cross Europe, from the symbolic 0 km marking point of Romania to Cabo Finisterre, Spain’s most western point. The legend tells that Cabo Finisterre represents in fact the end of the world, and who reaches this point can overcame his/her limit. From ancient times, Cabo Finisterre is referred as the end of a journey and pilgrimage for the hopes of all the civilizations that passed the Old Continent.

Suggestively entitled “The journey to the end of the World”, this campaign is aimed to encourage the disabled persons, being initiated and supported financially by Medrom, represented by its president of honour, Prince Maximilian von Habsburg.

Source: press release

From his site:

To Land’s End, by wheelchair

Over 5000 km, beyond the boundaries of handicap, in search of human limits.

Vasi Stoica is one of the twelve Romanians that are recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records. And he is maybe one of the most remarkable character that represents the disabled people’s community in Romania. The destiny wasn’t very kind to him, being born with a congenital paraplegia, but he fought back against his handicap. He is now a man of challenges. By the end of this autumn, he will have crossed Europe by manual wheelchair, on a 5000 km tour.This tour represents more than simply proving his outstanding spirit, more than excelling his own limits, it is a pilgrimage of hope for all disabled people.

With every step he makes and every spirit he conquers in this long journey, the world-wide community of disabled people will be one step closer to a normal life and a more rapidly integration in our society.
The final destination of this tour it is not chosen randomly: Cape Finisterre. Or more commonly known as Land's End. Cape Finisterre is the most western point of Spain, a rock-bound peninsula in west Galicia, situated in the tempestuous waters of the Atlantic. Ever since antiquity, this point represented the final destination for many civilizations that passed trough here. The legends tell us about Finisterre's status as the edge of the world, as we all know it. It is believed that who reaches Cape Finisterre can overcome his/her limits. Namely, precisely what Vasi is trying to achieve.

So – in a symbolic act, which envolves a major effort - Vasi is trying to match the performances of those who enjoy a normal life, reckoning only upon his spiritual force. This is the gift Vasi will return with, from his journey. His wish is to share it with all the members from the comunity he proudly represents.

Ultimately, his story is the proof that anybody can realize a dream. Even if having a disability, he is setting as an example for all disabled people in Romania and abroad so that they start to wish more from their life, to become more hopeful, because, why not admit that nowdays our society is not trying very hard to give them the life they deserve.

For further information, please contact:

Valentin Petcu

PR Consultant
Ph.: 0723 361 812
E-mail: valentin@troutandpartners.ro

http://www.rollingrains.com

Canparaplegia: Promoting Accessible Travel Options

The Canadian Paraplegic Association maintians a helpful website. One portion is a good listing of inclusive travel destinations and services.

Here is a link to a recent piece on van rental in Nova Scotia. Below is the text of a draft Code of Practice developed by the Canadian Transportation Agency dealing with terminal accessibility for persons who travel in Canada by air, rail or ferry. Public comment is requested until July 28.

Code of Practice: Passenger Terminal Accessibility
Draft Code for public consultation - summer 2006

Table of Contents

* Introduction
o A. Role of the Canadian Transportation Agency
o B. Purpose of this Code of Practice
o C. Scope
o D. Who is Covered by this Code
o E. Background Research and Consultations
o F. Administration
o G. Definitions
o H. Training and Communications
o I. Universal Design
o J. Implementation
o K. Accompanying Guide
* Section 1: Technical Specifications for Accessibility
* Section 2: Facility Considerations
o 2.1 General Considerations
o 2.2 Outdoor Considerations
o 2.3 Rest Areas
o 2.4 Boarding and Deboarding
o 2.5 Relieving Areas for Service Animals
o 2.6 Transportation Within and Between Passenger Terminals
o 2.7 Ground Transportation
* Section 3: Service Considerations
o 3.1 Passenger Assistance
o 3.2 Consultation
o 3.3 Customer Service
o 3.4 Escort Passes
o 3.5 Facility and Service Awareness Program
* Section 4: Considerations for Security Screening of Passengers
* Appendix 1: Principles of Universal Design ©
* Appendix 2 Partial list of items included in CAN/CSA-B651 Accessible Design for the Built Environment
* Appendix 3 Elements to be Included in Contracts for Accessible Ground Transportation

Introduction
A. Role of the Canadian Transportation Agency

The Canadian Transportation Agency (the Agency) is a quasi-judicial administrative tribunal of the Government of Canada. Under Canadian legislation, the Agency has the responsibility for ensuring that persons with disabilities obtain access to this country's federal transportation system by eliminating unnecessary or unjustified barriers. One way to achieve this goal is to develop and administer accessibility standards covering the transportation network under federal jurisdiction. Other ways include addressing complaints through the formal process, mediation, and facilitation, and by consulting with stakeholders.

Under subsection 170(1) of the Canada Transportation Act, the Agency may make regulations to eliminate undue obstacles in the transportation network under federal jurisdiction. For example, the Agency may regulate:

* the design, construction or modification of means of transportation and related facilities and premises and their equipment;
* signage;
* training of personnel interacting with persons with disabilities;
* the tariffs, rates, fares, charges and terms and conditions of carriage of persons with disabilities; and
* communication of information for persons with disabilities.

Two sets of regulations regarding accessible transportation are administered by the Agency. The first set, Personnel Training for the Assistance of Persons with Disabilities Regulations (Personnel Training Regulations), ensures that personnel in the federal air, rail and marine transportation network have the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to assist passengers with disabilities in an effective and sensitive fashion. The other - Air Transportation Regulations, Part VII, Terms and Conditions of Carriage of Persons (with Disabilities) - ensures that air carriers provide uniform services to passengers with disabilities travelling in Canada on aircraft with 30 or more passenger seats. In addition, the Agency has introduced the following four Codes of Practice:

* Aircraft Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities;
* Passenger Rail Car Accessibility and Terms and Conditions of Carriage by Rail of Persons with Disabilities;
* Ferry Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities; and
* Removing Communication Barriers for Travellers with Disabilities (Communication Code).

In addition to this Code that addresses aspects of the accessibility of passenger terminals, two of the above standards also address certain aspects of terminal accessibility. These are the Personnel Training Regulations and the Communication Code. These are discussed further in section H.

B. Purpose of this Code of Practice

The purpose of this Code is to provide a minimum level of accessibility for passenger terminals across Canada and to further improve the accessibility of terminals for persons with disabilities on a systemic basis as they use the federal transportation system. The Agency recognizes that terminals may vary significantly depending on the mode of transportation, location and passenger volume at each. As such, not all provisions in this Code will be relevant to all terminals.

In the most recent Participation and Activity Limitation Survey1 of Statistics Canada in 2001, it was estimated that 3.4 million Canadians 15 years of age and over have some level of disability. It was further estimated that approximately 600,000 adults with disabilities travelled by air, and 100,000 travelled by rail2. Since the incidence of disability increases with age, the demand for accessible transportation will be even greater as Canada's population ages.

While this Code focuses on the needs of persons with disabilities while they travel, the terminal enhancements contained in the Code will benefit most travellers. The Agency recognizes that the availability of some of the services described in this Code can only be provided when passengers communicate their needs. Passengers with disabilities may need to self-identify to take advantage of services that may be available.

The Agency wishes to emphasize that this Code presents minimum standards that those subject to the Code are to meet and urges them to strive to exceed these standards wherever feasible.

C. Scope

This Code is applicable to public facilities and services, operated and maintained by terminal operators, and located inside or outside the main terminal facility and which are necessary to the successful execution of a trip. This includes parking, passenger drop-off and pick-up areas, transportation within and between terminals, public security screening and baggage claim areas. This also includes work which may be contracted out by terminal operators and which is necessary to the successful execution of a trip, such as parking services or ground transportation. While this does not include retail outlets such as shops and restaurants, or other areas or services that are not vital, integral or necessary to the operation of a terminal, these are nevertheless encouraged to meet the provisions of this Code to better serve the needs of all of their customers.

Those covered by this Code may also be subject to the regulations and codes of practice listed in the introduction under Section A, which are already in effect.

There is nothing in this Code of Practice that relieves any organization subject to this Code from complying with the provisions of any applicable safety and security standards or building codes.

D. Who is Covered by this Code

The following terminal operators are to comply with the provisions contained within sections 1 to 3 of this Code:

Air Terminal Operators: Operators of terminals within the National Airports System. The definition of National Airports System can be found on page 7.

Rail Terminal Operators: Operators of terminals with 10,000 or more passengers embarking and 10,000 or more passengers disembarking in each of the two preceding calendar years, excluding those terminals operated and maintained by carriers that provide primarily commuter or tourist services.

Ferry Terminal Operators: Canadian ferry terminals with 10,000 or more passengers embarking and 10,000 or more passengers disembarking in each of the two preceding calendar years; and at which ferries of 1,000 gross tonnes or more operate between provinces or territories, or between a province or territory and the United States.

Although other passenger terminal operators in Canada are not subject to this Code, they are encouraged to implement its provisions.

Any security agency or authority responsible for pre-board screening of passengers and their belongings, operating in any air, rail or ferry terminal covered by this Code, is to comply with the provisions contained within section 4 of this Code.

E. Background Research and Consultations

This Code has been produced by the Agency in consultation with its Accessibility Advisory Committee and stakeholders. The Committee is made up of representatives of organizations of and for persons with disabilities, representatives of the transportation industry as well as other departments of the Government of Canada. The mandate of the Committee is to provide input toward the development of the Agency's regulations and standards on the accessibility of transportation.

Work on a terminal accessibility standard dates back to 1983 when Transport Canada prepared and consulted on barrier free design standards for air terminals. In 1988, the standards work was moved to the jurisdiction of the Agency. In 1991, the focus shifted from regulating terminals and equipment to regulating services for persons with disabilities. In 1997, a report was published which was entitled A Look at Barriers to Communication Facing Persons with Disabilities Who Travel by Air. During consultations on communication barriers, a number of suggestions were made to modify the physical accessibility features of airports to improve the communication of information to travellers with disabilities. No recommendations were made at the time regarding physical features of terminals because the Agency believed that physical features should be dealt with in a comprehensive and global standard on terminal accessibility. The report noted that passengers with disabilities need to have access to information about the accessibility of equipment, accommodations and services available to them.

The Agency's research for this Code included a review of complaints pertaining to terminal accessibility filed with the Agency since 1989. These complaints included issues pertaining to ground transportation, physical accessibility of terminal facilities and boarding devices, all of which are covered in this Code. In addition, the Agency reviewed the National Transportation Agency's report from 1994 on the Inquiry into the Accessibility of Ground Transportation Services at Canadian Airports, and the Canadian Standards Association's 2004 standard, B651, Accessible Design for the Built Environment (barrier free design standard). Additionally, the Agency reviewed the Agency's Air Travel Accessibility Report from May 2001. In the year 2000, the Agency conducted a national survey of persons with disabilities who travelled by air. The Air Travel Accessibility Survey identified the following problems related to the accessibility of airport terminals:

* 12% of respondents had difficulty to get from the entrance to the check-in counter;
* 15% of respondents had difficulty accessing the help desk;
* 14% of respondents had difficulty accessing the baggage retrieval area; and
* 46% of respondents required an accessible taxi, shuttle, city bus or other mode of transportation to get to or leave the airport and 13% said that ground transportation was not accessible to them.

F. Administration

The Agency will monitor the progress on the implementation of this Code using a variety of means. For example, the Agency may monitor via site visits, discussions with terminal operators, Web sites, review of contracts, or other methods deemed appropriate to obtain information on compliance by industry. The findings will be provided to the Agency's Accessibility Advisory Committee and results will be made available to the public.

In addition, the Agency will undertake periodic reviews of the Code. Any problems identified will be presented to the Accessibility Advisory Committee for consultation and any proposed amendments will be distributed to stakeholders for comment.

Independent of this process, the Agency will also continue to exercise its authority to deal with individual complaints regarding the accessibility of Canadian air, rail and ferry terminals to determine whether there are undue obstacles to the mobility of persons with disabilities.

G. Definitions

"Ground Transportation Service Providers" include taxis, limousines, motor coaches, shuttle buses and rental vehicle companies that operate from a terminal under contract or permit with the terminal operator.

"National Airports System" is comprised of a number of Canadian airports as determined by Transport Canada and amended from time to time, and includes airports serving the national, provincial and territorial capitals3.

"Terminal Operators" include organizations, authorities and operators responsible for the management and operation of air, rail and ferry terminals.

"Transportation Service Providers" include air, rail and ferry carriers that are subject to the Agency's Communication Code.

"Universal Design" is the design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design4.

H. Training and Communications

As noted earlier, the Agency's Personnel Training Regulations and Communication Code also address the accessibility of terminals. As such, training and communication issues for terminals are not covered in this Code.

Training is an integral and vital part of most aspects of terminal accessibility and plays a key role in many of the provisions contained within this Code of Practice, including those regarding the operation of specialized equipment such as boarding devices, the provision of passenger assistance, ground transportation, and the security screening process.

Under the Personnel Training Regulations, air, rail and ferry terminal operators, with the exception of small air terminal operators, are required to ensure that their employees and contractors who provide different types of transportation-related services to persons with disabilities are properly trained to do so. Employees and contractors of terminal operators who interact with the public or make decisions respecting the carriage of persons with disabilities have to know the terminal operator's policies and procedures with respect to persons with disabilities. In addition, they have to receive general sensitivity training to be able to identify and respond to the needs of persons of disabilities while they travel.

The Communication Code applies to airports in the National Airports System and rail and ferry terminals where 10,000 or more passengers embark and disembark annually. The Communication Code includes general provisions for improving access to print, telephone, and Web-based information, as well as provisions related to improving communications in terminals including signage, public announcements, public telephones and TTY machines, dispensing machines, automated information kiosks and arrival and departure monitors. Overlapping sections of this Code and the Communication Code have been identified.

I. Universal Design

Universal design results in design that is useable by the widest range of users, not just an "average" user. This means that a design is intended for use by all users, not just people with disabilities. For example, instead of providing a lift at staircases for people who use wheelchairs, a ramp or an elevator in addition to stairs will allow all people an alternative to using the staircase, including people who use wheelchairs and people with strollers or luggage.

Universal design in terminals benefits all travellers, including people with disabilities, people who are elderly, people travelling with many suitcases, heavy luggage, luggage on wheels, and people travelling with young children in strollers. This may result in an increased use of public transportation as transportation becomes more accessible for all.

See Appendix 1 for a list of the Principles of Universal Design5 © 1997 NC State University, The Center for Universal Design and examples of their implementation.

J. Implementation

Those covered by this Code are to implement its provisions as soon as possible, but by no later than 20xx (2 years after release). The only two exceptions to the 20xx implementation apply to section 1 which deals with new construction and renovations and subsection 2.7.1 which deals with ground transportation.

Section 1 and subsection 2.7.1 are to be effective immediately to ensure that any contract or document pertaining to both new construction and renovations, and ground transportation, drawn up or renewed at any time after the release of the Code includes the provisions contained within this Code. That is, as contracts or other documents are drawn up for new buildings, renovations or replacement of equipment covered under the Canadian Standards Association's (CSA) standard, such contracts or documents will require that buildings, renovations or changes will conform with the provisions contained within the CSA's standard, as set out in section 1 of the Code. In addition, as contracts with ground transportation service providers are drawn up or renewed, those contracts will include clauses that require the provision of accessible ground transportation as set out in subsection 2.7.1 of the Code.

K. Accompanying Guide*

To assist terminal operators in implementing the provisions of this Code, the Guide to Passenger Terminal Accessibility has been created by the Agency. This Guide provides technical and community resources for implementing the Code, as well as examples of best practices. The Guide was developed as a practical information resource and is not intended to restrict or specify any operational decisions to be taken during implementation of this Code. Those subject to the Code are encouraged to consult the accompanying Guide.

* Note: The Guide is currently being prepared and is not part of this consultation.

Section 1: Technical Specifications for Accessibility

The Agency recognizes the expertise of the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) in establishing appropriate dimensions and design features for buildings and other facilities which are meant to ensure access and use by persons with disabilities.

The CSA is an association engaged in the development of standards and certification activities. CSA standards reflect a national consensus of producers and users, including consumers, retailers, unions, governmental agencies, and manufacturers. The standards are used by industry and have been adopted by all levels of government in their regulations, particularly in the fields of health, safety, building and construction, and the environment. Approximately one-third of the CSA standards have been referenced into law by provincial and federal authorities.

The CSA's CAN/CSA-B651, Accessible Design for the Built Environment, 2004 (barrier-free design standard), is the third edition of a design standard for barrier-free design that was first published in 1990. The standard states that it was developed to fulfill an expressed need for a national, technical standard covering a broad range of building and environmental facilities and that can be referenced in whole or in part by a variety of adopting authorities.

The barrier-free design standard contains requirements for making buildings and other facilities accessible to persons with a range of physical, sensory, and cognitive abilities. The provisions contained in this standard are minimum levels and include requirements for, among other things, operating controls (door handles, faucets, etc.), floor and ground surfaces, protrusion hazards, detectable floor and ground surfaces, doors, handrails, stairs, ramps, elevators, signs, washrooms, parking, ticketing machines for parking, drinking fountains, etc. (See Appendix 2 for a more comprehensive list of the technical specifications that are contained within the CSA standard for barrier-free design.)

As noted above, the Agency recognizes the expertise of the CSA. As such, terminal operators are to specify in their requests for proposals, contracts and other governing documents for the design and construction of new buildings; the alteration, reconstruction and renovation of existing buildings; and the replacement of equipment, that work will comply with the applicable provisions of the CSA's barrier-free design standard. That is, as new buildings are constructed, existing buildings are renovated, or equipment covered under the CSA's standard such as drinking fountains and handrails are replaced, those buildings, renovations, or changes will conform with the provisions contained within the CSA's standard.

There is nothing in this Code of Practice that relieves any organization subject to this Code from complying with the provisions of any applicable safety and security standards or building codes.

Section 2: Facility Considerations
2.1 General Considerations

2.1.1 The needs of persons with physical, sensory or cognitive disabilities are to be included at the planning and design stage of projects including renovations and new construction, rather than after a project has been completed. The Agency is of the view that it is important to consult with persons knowledgeable in disability issues. This is especially important when addressing issues that are not already considered in other relevant accessibility standards such as the CSA's barrier-free design standard referred to in section 1.

In addition, during the planning stage of projects, terminal operators are to apply the Principles of Universal Design©.

2.1.2 During the design phase of new construction and renovations, terminal operators are to incorporate wayfinding methods that allow a person to find his or her way to a given destination.

Buildings should be designed to minimize reliance on directional signage. Wayfinding considerations include, among other things, the positioning of entrances and exits, the use of colour contrasting, pattern direction on floors or walls, the arrangement of architectural features such as walls or columns, acoustics, and lighting. These features can help direct people to their intended destination.

Further information on wayfinding, including resources, can be found in the accompanying Guide* to this Code.

* Note: The Guide is currently being prepared and is not part of this consultation.

2.1.3 Terminal operators are to ensure that accessibility features are maintained in good working order.

2.1.4 To avoid the creation of new barriers, the repair of uneven surfaces and the removal of furniture, fixtures or obstructions that encroach on corridors or accessible paths of travel and other such maintenance is to be performed on a regular basis.

If repairs or maintenance are required, or if an obstruction must remain in the path of travel, terminal operators are to ensure that the obstruction is detectable by those persons using canes to guide them and clearly colour-contrasted so as to be detectable by a person with a visual disability.
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2.2 Outdoor Considerations

2.2.1 Where applicable, passenger drop-off and pick-up areas for passengers with disabilities are to be available at the curb, as close as possible to entrance and exit areas. Where this is not possible or practical, drop-off and pick-up areas should be as close as possible to the entrance and exit areas.

2.2.2 Exterior accessible paths of travel, including for example, from parking areas, drop-off and pick-up areas, are to be kept clear of snow and ice for the safety of all passengers. It is recognized however, that there may be extenuating circumstances, such as severe winter storms or breakdown in equipment for example, that may hinder the timely removal of snow and ice.
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2.3 Rest Areas

People who have difficulty standing for long periods or walking long distances may find areas of certain terminals problematic if seating is not provided. This may be particularly relevant in larger terminals where there may be long circulation paths from the time of entry to boarding areas. Potentially problematic areas include, for example, baggage retrieval areas, long corridors, and passages to boarding platforms or boarding gates.

2.3.1 Where this is the case, terminal operators are to provide seating along the circulation path at regular intervals to ensure that persons who need to rest, have a place to do so. If seating is not possible, some other means should be available upon request, to assist passengers with mobility impairments in getting to their destination.

2.3.2 In some areas there may be long waiting periods and inherent problems in providing fixed seating due to queueing systems, such as those for ticket sale counters, check-in counters, and secured screening and customs areas.

In cases such as this, rail and ferry terminal operators are to have an alternative means available to address the needs of people who may have difficulty standing in lines.

Air terminal operators should discuss with the authorities who operate and maintain those areas, the possibility of providing alternative means for persons with disabilities to avoid having them stand for long periods of time.

Terminal operators are reminded that they must also comply with section 2.6 of the Communication Code that deals with designated seating at boarding gates and departure areas.
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2.4 Boarding and Deboarding

Ownership and operation of boarding equipment varies depending on the mode of transportation. In rail and ferry transportation, terminals are generally owned by rail and ferry carriers and boarding equipment is generally owned and operated by the same entities. In air transportation however, ownership and operation of boarding equipment varies greatly. Boarding equipment may be owned by an air carrier, an airport operator, a ground handling company or, a combination of these.

Given the possible scenarios for ownership and operation of boarding equipment, airport operators are encouraged to work with carriers and other entities such as ground handling companies responsible for boarding and deboarding, to ensure that, whenever possible, appropriate boarding equipment for carriers operating from that facility is available and used for boarding and deboarding people with disabilities.

In addition, problems can arise when transferring mobility aids from the boarding level in preparation for carriage, or when boarding equipment is available but is not used due to a lack of training or information on the part of staff responsible for boarding and deboarding.

2.4.1 Where boarding bridges, platforms, or gangways are provided, they are to be accessible to persons with disabilities during the boarding and deboarding process.

2.4.2 Where the usual route of travel for boarding or deboarding is not accessible to persons with disabilities because of the presence of stairs, escalators or for other reasons, an alternate accessible means is to be available. Any alternate means is to be adequately maintained.

2.4.3 For the passenger who will not have access to his/her mobility aid during travel, such aid must be stored. A means is to be available to securely transfer the aid from the boarding level in preparation for carriage, without hand carrying it, to minimize the risk of damage.

2.4.4 Where terminal operators own and operate boarding devices or equipment, they are to be properly maintained and available for use to board and deboard.

2.4.5 Where terminals are owned or operated by transportation service providers, and boarding equipment is available for use at that terminal, it is to be used to board and deboard persons with disabilities.
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2.5 Relieving Areas for Service Animals

People travelling with service animals need to relieve their animals regularly, particularly during lengthy trips. In many cases, the location and layout of the facility will provide suitable space outdoors where animals may be relieved. However, if passengers have limited connecting time between flights, leaving and reentering the secured screening area can pose an additional challenge to persons who may need to relieve their animals. To avoid unnecessary delays or problems, staff or volunteers should be provided with the necessary information to direct travellers along a safe path of travel, to the location of the nearest suitable relieving area, whether designated or not.

2.5.1 Terminal operators are to ensure that there is an area available for animals to relieve themselves, whether designated or not. In addition, terminal operators are to ensure that there is a safe path of travel between the terminal and suitable relieving areas.

Where possible, persons travelling with service animals should have access to a relieving area within secured areas for use between connections. Where this is not possible, one should be easily accessed from secured areas to minimize the time required to relieve a service animal.

2.5.2 Where designated relieving areas are provided, they are to be clearly identified and accessible directional signs to these designated relieving areas are to be provided.

Signs are to comply with section 2.2 of the Agency's Communication Code.

2.5.3 Terminal operators are to ensure that terminal staff or volunteers who may interact with the public, as well as carriers operating from that terminal, are made aware of the location of relieving areas so that they may make known to the public, upon request, where service animals may relieve themselves.

2.5.4 Terminal operators are to ensure that staff, volunteers and carriers are made aware of any procedures, if applicable, to facilitate passage for travellers from security screening areas to a relieving area for service animals, and re-entry to make connections.

2.5.5 Designated relieving areas are to be adequately maintained.

2.6 Transportation Within and Between Passenger Terminals

All modes of transportation within and between passenger terminals (for example, shuttle buses and light rail) are to be accessible.

Public announcements within these modes of transportation are also to be made in both audio and visual format.
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2.7 Ground Transportation

Ground transportation is a key element to the successful execution of a trip for passengers who do not have their own means of transportation from a terminal. As such, terminal operators are expected to ensure that accessible ground transportation is available for passengers and enter into contracts to this end.

Ground transportation at terminals, including accessible ground transportation, varies by type and availability. In addition, passenger needs for ground transportation may vary greatly from person to person. For example, small mobility aids, such as folding wheelchairs and walkers, are similar in size to luggage and as such, while recognizing that available space is dependant on the number of passengers and pieces of luggage being carried, can be carried by any vehicle. However, those passengers who use larger mobility aids such as power wheelchairs and scooters will have different needs than those using smaller mobility aids. As such, passengers need to have access to information as to the type of ground transportation that is available, including accessible ground transportation, prior to making a decision about travel to or from a particular terminal.

2.7.1 Terminal operators are to include in contracts with ground transportation service providers, as contracts are being drawn up or renewed, clauses that require the provision of accessible ground transportation.

2.7.2 Ground transportation service providers should have adapted vehicles to accommodate the transportation of people with disabilities using large mobility aids.

In very limited circumstances, ground transportation service providers may not, themselves, own or operate adapted vehicles. In these cases, where accessible transportation is available in the community through another service provider or community organization, terminal operators are to advise the public of the means to access these other service providers. Upon request, terminal operators are also to make their best efforts to assist passengers with disabilities who have difficulty making suitable ground transportation arrangements.

Key elements for the provision of accessible ground transportation that are to be included by terminal operators in their contracts with ground transportation service providers such as those that operate rental cars, buses, shuttles or taxis have been developed and are included in Appendix 3.

2.7.3 Terminal operators are to have means to inform the public of the types of ground transportation available at the terminal and resource information for these services, including accessible ground transportation, in advance of travel.

In addition, terminal operators are to ensure that information is available to the public about the procedures for the provision of ground transportation services to persons with disabilities. For example, passengers should be made aware of any need to make advance reservations for accessible ground transportation.

Conversely, where accessible ground transportation is not available at the terminal for persons using larger mobility aids, terminal operators are to include this fact in public information on ground transportation.

Terminal operators are reminded that they must also comply with section 2.5 of the Communication Code that deals with information on ground transportation.

Section 3: Service Considerations
3.1 Passenger Assistance

Terminals vary greatly in size and complexity. Given the complexity of some larger terminals, particularly in entrance and exit areas, terminal operators are to provide a means for passengers to get information or assistance, during hours of service, once they have arrived at the terminal.

Terminal operators are reminded that they must also comply with section 1.3 of the Communication Code that deals with automated information kiosks.

3.2 Consultation

Terminal operators are to have a means to consult with representatives of a variety of groups of and for persons with disabilities to inform themselves about the concerns of persons with disabilities in terms of the accessibility of their terminal and explore ways of addressing these concerns .

3.3 Customer Service

Open communication between parties goes a long way towards resolving issues which may arise between a passenger and a terminal operator. Passengers with concerns about accessibility issues should address these directly to terminal operators so that they may be resolved at the earliest possible stage. Terminal operators have a responsibility to address any such concerns or complaints as expeditiously and effectively as possible, directly with the consumer.

3.3.1 Terminal operators are to have a process in place to deal with public concerns or complaints. This process is to include a designated person or group to deal with accessibility related concerns.

3.3.2 Terminal operators are to have a means to inform the public of the availability of this service, including how to voice a concern or make a complaint. Terminal operators' Web sites are to provide information about this service.

The Agency works to resolve accessibility disputes and to address concerns in three ways: by facilitation, mediation and complaint adjudication. In situations where issues cannot be resolved between a person and a terminal operator, terminal operators are encouraged to contact the Agency for assistance or inform the person that he or she may contact staff of the Accessible Transportation Directorate of the Canadian Transportation Agency to address a disability-related concern.

For more information, please contact the Agency at:

Telephone: 1-888-222-2592 {Canada only}
TTY: 1-800-669-5575 {Canada only}
email: cta.comment@cta-otc.gc.ca

3.4 Escort Passes

While carriers are required to provide assistance to passengers with disabilities while travelling, having an additional escort who is not travelling accompany a passenger with a disability to the boarding area could also be useful for many passengers. For example, if a passenger travels infrequently, or if a passenger uses oxygen and cannot take his or her own supply on board, an escort, whether a friend or a family member, could provide additional assistance to the passenger.

Terminal operators are to work with carriers to have a process in place to provide temporary passes to escorts, so that persons with disabilities can be escorted by someone in addition to carrier or terminal staff, or volunteers, through secured areas to boarding areas.

3.5 Facility and Service Awareness Program

3.5.1 Terminal operators are to have a means available to make terminal accessibility features and services known to travellers.

This allows travellers with disabilities, including passengers who may travel infrequently or are uncomfortable travelling, to be aware of what accessibility features and services are available at terminal facilities prior to travel.

This also allows passengers to familiarize themselves with any required accessibility information independently, prior to travel. In addition, it helps to ensure that if terminal operators expend resources to provide accessible features and services, the intended users will be aware of their existence and be able to make use of them.

3.5.2 At a minimum, information on the following features and services are to be made available to the public, where applicable:

* hours of operation;
* location of designated parking areas;
* location of designated drop-off and pick-up areas;
* passenger assistance information, including telephone numbers for accessibility information;
* wheelchair or electric cart service;
* location of designated relieving areas for service animals;
* accessible inter-terminal transportation;
* accessible ground transportation;
* complaint resolution service;
* escort passes; and
* any other relevant information.

Section 4: Considerations for Security Screening of Passengers

This section applies only to security agencies or authorities responsible for pre-board screening of passengers and their belongings, operating in any air, rail or ferry terminal covered by this Code.

Secured screening areas may pose additional challenges for some passengers with disabilities. For example, they may be travelling with service animals, there may be long queues, different search procedures may be necessary, or mobility aids may be too wide for screening devices. It is essential to treat with respect and dignity all persons subject to the screening process.

4.1 An alternative means to the queuing system is to be available to people with disabilities.

4.2 Some passengers may not be able to undergo screening using either walk-through and/or hand-held metal detection equipment. In such cases, if a physical search is required or requested in lieu of metal detection screening, the physical search is to be performed in a search area which is not open to public viewing, if requested by the passenger.

4.3 Security agencies or authorities are to ensure that all information presented in instructional or briefing videos for the public in a visual format is described verbally; and that all audible information is presented visually.

4.4 Some assistance with the screening process is to be provided to the passenger upon request. Assistance includes, for example, ensuring a passenger is stable while his cane is processed through an X-ray machine, and picking up a boarding pass on the floor if a passenger drops it and has difficulty picking it up.

4.5 Security agencies or authorities are to have a means available to make their accessibility services known to travellers. This allows travellers to be aware of what accessibility services are available prior to travel.

4.6 Security agencies or authorities are to have a process in place to deal with public concerns or complaints. Such concerns or complaints are to be treated as expeditiously and effectively as possible. This process is to include a designated person or group to deal with accessibility-related concerns or complaints. Web sites and written materials are also to provide information about this service.

4.7 Security agencies or authorities are to have a means to consult with persons knowledgeable in disability issues as accessibility issues arise.

Screening personnel are to comply with section 2.7 of the Communications Code that deals with security at airports and the need to use both audible and visual means to communicate with passengers during the screening process.

Appendix 1: Principles of Universal Design ©

The seven Principles of Universal Design © can be used to evaluate existing designs or to guide the design process of new projects. The principles are found below with a description of each6.

PRINCIPLE ONE: Equitable Use
The design is useful and marketable to people with diverse abilities.

PRINCIPLE TWO: Flexibility in Use
The design accommodates a wide range of individual preferences and abilities.

PRINCIPLE THREE: Simple and Intuitive
Use of the design is easy to understand, regardless of the user's experience, knowledge, language skills, or current concentration level.

PRINCIPLE FOUR: Perceptible Information
The design communicates necessary information effectively to the user, regardless of ambient conditions or the user's sensory abilities.

PRINCIPLE FIVE: Tolerance for Error
The design minimizes hazards and the adverse consequences of accidental or unintended actions.

PRINCIPLE SIX: Low Physical Effort
The design can be used efficiently and comfortably and with a minimum of fatigue.

PRINCIPLE SEVEN: Size and Space for Approach and Use
Appropriate size and space is provided for approach, reach, manipulation, and use regardless of user's body size, posture, or mobility.

The following are some examples of applications of the Principles of Universal Design ©:

* curb cuts aid many people including people who use wheelchairs, people with strollers, people with luggage on wheels;
* large print pamphlets and documents are easier to read by everyone;
* low buttons and slots on vending machines make them accessible to everyone including people in wheelchairs, children, and people of short stature;
* low floor buses are easier to use by everyone including children, elderly people, people carrying packages; and
* individual washroom facilities accommodate the needs of persons who use wheelchairs and/or attendants and also provide benefits to parents travelling with young children of the opposite sex, offering changing room facilities and amenities for families.

Appendix 2 Partial list of items included in CAN/CSA-B651 Accessible Design for the Built Environment
General requirements

* Area allowances (size of clear floor area)
* Operating controls (including height, operation, settings, displays, lighting, colour contrast, signage)
* Floor and ground surfaces (including changes in level, carpeting, gratings)
* Protrusion hazards (including protruding objects, width, height, overhead hazards)

Interior requirements

* Circulation (including accessible routes, lineup guides, detectable floor and ground surfaces, hazard indicators, direction indicators, doors and doorways, handrails, stairs, ramps, elevating devices, emergency and security)
* Drinking fountains
* washroom facilities (including stalls, urinals, lavatories, grab bars, and accessories)
* Communications (including assistive listening systems, public telephones, TTYs, and signage)
* Seating (including spaces at tables and counters, and rest area seating)

Vehicular Access

* Parking (including signage, designated parking, ticketing/payment machines and passenger pick-up areas)

Exterior requirements

* Accessible routes
* Stairs
* Ramps
* Signage
* Lighting
* Pedestrian crossings
* Rest area seating

Note: The annexes contain information on:

Annex A: Environmental considerations (including wayfinding, acoustics, lighting and indoor air quality)

Annex B: Anthropometrics

Annex C: Wheeled mobility devices

Annex D: Potential for slip of floor and tread finishes

Annex E: Elevator requirements for persons with physical disabilities

Appendix 3 Elements to be Included in Contracts for Accessible Ground Transportation

The following key elements are to be included, where applicable, by terminal operators in their contracts with ground transportation service providers such as bus, shuttle or taxi companies:

* an accessible vehicle shall be permitted to be called out of the airport taxi queue to serve travellers with disabilities;
* service animals shall be permitted to accompany the customer in the passenger compartment of the vehicle;
* aids to mobility for persons with disabilities shall be carried consistent with the capability of the vehicle; however, small mobility aids such as walkers, canes, crutches, braces and manually operated folding wheelchairs, are to be carried in all vehicles;
* there will be no extra charge to transport service animals or aids to mobility;
* in cases where a ground transportation service provider does not have the necessary means to transport a person with a disability and where alternative means are available by other service providers, the ground transportation service provider must have an agreement with the alternative provider to provide the service. The fee charged to the passenger must not be higher than the fee that would have been charged by the ground transportation service provider had it been able to transport the passenger;
* a process is to be in place to deal with passenger concerns or complaints; and
* training in accordance with the Personnel Training Regulations is required of staff interacting with persons with disabilities.

The following key elements are to be included by terminal operators in their contracts with car rental agencies for hand control systems for vehicles:

* hand-control systems are to be available to fill reservations received at least forty-eight hours in advance; however, if a reservation for a vehicle with a hand-control system is received at least forty-eight hours before the vehicle is required and the provider is unable to fulfill the reservation upon the customer's arrival, convenient, alternative transportation shall be arranged until a vehicle with hand-controls is made available and the provider will pay any cost for the alternative transportation that exceeds the cost of renting a vehicle with hand-controls for the same period of time;
* for reservations for a hand-controlled vehicle not received by the provider at least forty-eight hours in advance, the provider will make its best efforts to provide one if one is available at the time the reservation is received;
* hand-control systems shall be provided at no additional cost to the customer;
* hand controls shall meet Canadian Standards Association and other applicable certifications and standards set by regulatory agencies and provincial licensing bodies;
* a process is to be in place to deal with passenger concerns or complaints; and
* training in accordance with the Personnel Training Regulations is required of staff interacting with persons with disabilities.

1 http://www.statcan.ca/english/freepub/89-577-XIE/

2 The Participation and Activity Limitation Survey does not cover long distance travel by ferry.

3 See http://www.tc.gc.ca/programs/airports/policy/nap/NAS.htm for more details about Transport Canada's National Airports System.

4 Ron Mace. See www.design.ncsu.edu/cud/ for more details about Universal Design.

5 The Center for Universal Design (1997). The Principles of Universal Design, Version 2.0. Raleigh, NC: North Carolina State University. For more information, see www.design.ncsu.edu/cud/

6 The Center for Universal Design has also developed guidelines to accompany the seven principles. These can be found on the Center's Web site, www.design.ncsu.edu/cud/, and in the Guide* which accompanies this Code.

* Note: The Guide is currently being prepared and is not part of this consultation.

]
Last Updated: 2006-06-19

Spas on Cruises

Anitra Brown has a page over at About.com listing onboard spas available to passengers with disabilities. The ideal would be to see it someday containing examples from every cruise line in existence. In the meantime, she lists those who are with the program at http://spas.about.com/cs/crspasfordisabled/index.htm

Swiss Federation of the Blind & Visually Impaired

Here is a European lodging resource put together by the Swiss Federation of the Blind and Visually Impaired.

Try OZIV in Austria for Travel Information

OZIV (Österreichischer Zivil-Invalidenverband Bundessekretariat) has gathered some useful information here if you are planning to travel in Austria (and can read German.)

The Canary Islands: El Hotel Dorado Beach

"We intend to adapt ourselves every day," explains Ana Montesdeoca director of El Hotel Dorado Beach, en Arguineguín, Canary Islands. With an annual occupancy of 500 vacationers with disabilities and the support of inclusive travel advocates like Spain's Fundación ONCE we can believe that she means what she says.

To which we say, "Muchisimas gracias!"

For the story in Spanish.

Google Promotes Information Access

Travel information became much easier to find with the advent of the web. Google is making it even easier with Google Accessible Search. Leave it to T. V. Rahman to keep pushing digital frontiers for our community!

The Disabled Vet Factor -- Setting Trends for Inclusion

The war in Iraq is sending home injured soldiers who may represent a future wave of elite disabled athletes. Injured troops are given sports training as soon as possible. The military and medical communities believe sports not only rebuilds confidence, but also pushes injured veterans to re-learn physical skills that war took away from them.

Michelle Hiskey, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A quick Google locates stories illustrating the breadth of activity involving travel and recreational activities that this niche is involved in.

• Ski Blog featured a post on newly disabled vets taking to the slopes
• DefenseLink news writes on a similar event in Vail, Colorado
• Here two disabled vets get an introduction to handcycling - and plan for the NYC Marathon
• Where's Cherie took a look at vets learning to sail
• The Chicago Sun-Times covered the 26th National Wheelchair Veterans Wheelchair Gamesin Anchorage
• MSNBC reported that 10% of the athletes in the 2012 Paralympic Games in London are predicted to be newly disabled veterans

Center for Inclusive Design and Environmental Access (I.D.E.A)

The summer 2006 IDEA Center E-Newsletter is now available.

This month’s contents include:

· Information and links to the numerous articles, lectures and conferences IDEA Center staff have published and attended
· A report on the National Endowment for the Arts Symposium on the Universal Design Identity Project
· Information on cabin prototypes designed in a University at Buffalo graduate architecture studio
· Opportunities to participate in universal design research
· A link to the Global Universal Design Educators Online News

Report on the 2006 Mexican "Turismo Para Todos" Conference (in Spanish)

Vera Cruz, Mexico was the site of the 7th National Conference of the Tourism for All Network of Mexico. The reports are here.

Advertising with a Crip Culture Edge

"Hail Mary full of grace, help me find a parking space!" goes the old bit of Catholic humor.

This sign, brought to our attention by Penny Richards at Temple University's Disability Studies Blog makes you wonder if being first is all its cracked up to be.

The work of the Latvians who created these signs is discussed at AdverBox. The campaign seems like a compliment to Gimp Eye for the Clueless Guy

If the first sign in the campaign calls to mind a prayer...

...the next ones are reminiscent of a curse.

For more fun on the road see Caroline Cardus' work.

Blindpeople: Traveling Alone

The author of Blindpople Blog has a posted a request for tips about travel. Head on over if you have some helpful hints.

To follow other posts at Blindpeople look at the main page here.

Trapped: Rescued from a Reclining Seat at 30,000 Feet!

Don Norman is a hero to many of us who work in Human Computer Interfaces and design in general. So, it was particularly interesting to find some of his writing had shaded into a topic that is often covered in the Rolling Rains Report -- airplane passenger cabin design.

After recounting an inconvenience in the air with humor he concludes:

Kudos to Lufthansa for wonderful flight attendants, for a marvelous meal and for trying so hard to make seats that truly deliver. If it is the thought that counts, Lufthansa wins. If execution also matters, well, they need to call in the human-centered design experts.

Source:
http://www.jnd.org/dn.mss/trapped_in_a_lu_1.html

Being There in Bamako, Mali

Boots n All Travel askes the question, " Why go to Bamako, Mali?"

Their answer:

* Find anything you want at the Grand Marché Market
* Take a camel ride to Timbuktu
* Ride the river down the Niger
* Hike to cliff dwellings
* Spend the night in a desert camp under the stars after a long camel ride
* Check out the Djenne mosque made out of mud bricks
* Explore the desert in west Africa
* Go where the tourist track doesn't

Mudcloth is a local artform.

AfricaTraveling.net has this to say about the history of the area but information on accessibility is hard to come by.

Mike Wants You to Visit Cebu in the Philipines

Go ahead. Make his day! Visit Cebu on Wheels and see what he has to offer.

FreeWheeling Info

If you have not yet discoverd the blog at Freewheeling.info you ought to give it a try. Here is a post with some insights on travel in Europe. There is plenty more on the site worth exploring. Take a look.

Personalities of Note in Truckee, California

Truckee, California is worth visiting on its own. It is also home to Candace Cable a nine-time gold medal winner in winter and summer Paralympic competition.

Looking for a motivational speaker? See her site or these news items.

The North Tahoe-Truckee area is home to many extreme athletes who are disabled, including Mark Wellman, who was the first paraplegic to climb El Capitan and the only paraplegic to climb Half Dome.

See an interview with Mark included in the article "http://www.sierrasun.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060613/NEWS/60613010&template=printart">A Tough Road" from the Sierra Sun and his site No Limits.

Preparing for a visit there in September I came across this resource: Disabled Sports USA Far West at www.dsusafw.org (530) 581-4161

Meet Terry Breen - Cruise Expert

Those who followed my recent road trip from peak to peak through the Cascade mountain range know that I have an appreciation for natural beauty. A cruise down the Inside Passage from Alaska in 2004 provided day after day of such beauty but held a partiicularly unexpected pleasure -- getting to know tour guide Terry Breen.

It was immediately obvious to my wife and I from the first time Terry came on the ship's loudspeaker narrating a portion of the cruise that we were listening to someone of intelligence, wit, and experience. Meeting her in persn and corresponding with her over the years confirmed that first impression.

You can meet her too at Terry Breen's Cruiser Friendly Blog

Terry's site is the best place to pick up her new book, Terry Breen's Cruiser Friendly Onboard Guide to Alaska's Inside Passage

Terry brings her extensive scholarship as an anthropologist and broad travel experience together with a love for people in her tourism work and writing. With an interest in promoting inclusive, comfortable travel as well the disablity community is fortunate to have her as an advocate inside the industry.

Vasile Stoica is on the Move!

Vasile Stoica is on his way to somewhere I'd like to visit -- Finisterra, Galicia. the difference is, he's going by land - by wheelchair actually - from his home country of Romania!

Once he gets his site going too you can follow his progress at www.govasigo.ro

Stoica, 36, is the holder of a Guiness Book record for the longest distance in a wheelchair in a day - 128 kilometers. He is also the first to have crossed the U.S. from Los Angeles to Chicago in a wheel chair on the famous Route 66.

Suffering from a congenital paraplegia, Stoica, who was born in a poor family with seven children, underwent thirteen surgical operations before he was seven, but his condition didn't change. "I am a normal person and I have no problem with being in a wheel chair except that there are not many facilities for people like us in Romania like they do in other countries," Stoica said on Friday, adding that one of his goals is to raise people's awareness towards handicapped persons.

Source:
http://www.daily-news.ro/article_detail.php?idarticle=28502

Vasile's site:
http://www.angelfire.com/va3/lica/

"Free2Pee" - Part II ?

This post from the DS-HUM Listserve:

I'm trying to get word out on a new site I've set up called Worldwide Accessible Washrooms. I'm hoping this page will become a comprehensive list of wheelchair accessible washrooms throughout the world. I came up with the idea on a recent trip to Europe, originally just taking notes for myself, but then thinking that the info could be useful to other travellers or inhabitants of different areas. Please check out http://ca.geocities.com/mcsting@rogers.com/index.html and email me with any additions you may be aware of in your area or in places you have travelled to. There's not much on it now, only some listed in a few cities in Italy and Canada. Hopefully it will grow soon with your help. I'd appreciate any input you can give me. Thanks a lot!

Ranter

mcsting@rogers.com

Toward a Global History of Inclusive Travel

The publication of the special forum on travel, disability, and Universal Design in the Review of Disability Studies marks the first sustained look at travel and tourism through the lens of Disability Studies. Below is an abstract of the lead article, "Toward a Global History of Inclusive Travel." The entire work is available the Review of Disability Studies.

With the project of a global chronicle of the development of inclusive travel underway through the work of Laurel Van Horn and José Isola I invite Rolling Rains Readers to submit comments, updates, and contributions of their own.

Toward a Global History of Inclusive Travel

Laurel Van Horn, M.A.
Open Doors Organization

José Isola, President
Peruvian Polio Society

Abstract:

This paper provides an overview of
the development of inclusive travel and tourism,
from its origins in the United States and Europe
following World War I and II to its current status
as an increasingly important and viable move-
ment worldwide. The paper investigates the key
roles played by disability organizations, disabili-
ty rights legislation, technological change, inter-
national organizations and pioneers within the
travel and tourism industry. Developments are
described sector by sector for air travel, ground
transport, the cruise lines and the hospitality in-
dustry. While the primary historical focus is the
U.S., the paper also highlights advances taking
place in Dubai, Egypt, India, Japan, South Af-
rica, Thailand and other countries. It concludes
with a case study by José Isola of the develop-
ment of inclusive travel in Peru. Mr. Isola also
describes disability conferences that took place
in South America in 2004. It is hoped others
will begin to investigate the development of in-
clusive travel in their own countries and regions
and contribute to a truly global history.

Key Words:

inclusive travel, disability move-
ment history, accessible travel

The Review of Disability Studies on Tourism Through a Disability Lens

"While the history of accessible travel and tourism is intertwined with the disability rights and independent living movements, sharing their triumphs and setbacks, it has its own landmark events, advocacy organizations, heroes and villains." So begins the first article of volume 2, number 2 of the journal Review of Disability Studies.

The piece is entitled, "Toward a Global History of Inclusive Travel", by Laurel Van Horn, M.A. of the Open Doors Organization and by José Isola, President of the Peruvian Polio Society. In my opinion, one of the landmark events in the progress of inclusive travel is RDS' decision to publish this volume. I am proud to have had the opportunity to edit it - and moreso to have been associated with the scholars whose work is the heart of this issue of the Review of Disability Studies.

Congratulations to those who researched, wrote (and rewrote) for this first examination of travel, disability, and Universal Design from within the field of Disability Studies!

The Review of Disability Studies: An International Journal
Volume 2, Issue 2
Copyright 2006

Table of Contents

Forum: Travel and Tourism, Through the Lens of Disability Studies

Introduction – Scott Rains, Guest Editor

Toward a Global History of Inclusive Travel – Laurel Van Horn, United States & Jose Isola, Peru

Invention of Accessibility: French Urban Public Transportation Accessibility from 1975 to 2006 – Muriel Larrouy, France

Ethnobotany on a Roll! Access to Vietnam - My Lien Nguyen, United States

No. 1 Piano Paralympic in Japan – Lee-ching Heng, Malaysia

Making an Impact: The Benefits of Studying Abroad – Michele Scheib, United States

Optimization of Hotel Reception and Accommodation Service Management for Guests with Disabilities – Marina Flores, Russia

Universal Management: A Proposal to Change the Direction of Accessibility Management in the Australian Tourism Industry to Create Benefits for All Australians and Visitors to Australia – Peter Rice, Australia

Disability Classics

How Long Must We Wait? - Beth Omansky & Mike Oliver

Research Articles

Learning from Each Other: A Theoretical and Applied Overview of the Relationship Between Disability Studies and Peace Studies – Mike Clear & Frank Hutchinson

RASEM Squared: Assisting Students in their Transition to the STEM Workforce –Joseph Misquez, William McCarthy & Stephen Stile

Learning Disabilities, the Missing Discussion in Disability Studies: Is There a Possibility for Alliance? - Waseem Mazher & D. Kim Reid

RDS Information
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Travel and Tourism Through the Lens of Disability Studies
Scott Rains, D. Min.
Zero Divide Fellow, Community Technology Foundation of California

The purpose of this Forum is to establish the topic of travel as a legitimate and illuminating area of inquiry within the broader realm of Disability Studies. My hope is to provide a volume containing works that will be foundational as well as evocative of future lines of research. To that end, this Forum began with a call for papers addressing four topics:

• The history of inclusive travel (travel accommodating those with disabilities)
• The impact of travel on self-identity and disability culture(s)
• The representation of travelers with disabilities in the myth and practice of the travel and hospitality industry
• The place of Universal Design in the sustainability of inclusive travel

History

“Toward a Global History of Inclusive Travel,” by Laurel Van Horn and Jose Isola, is the first published attempt to document the history of inclusive travel. Van Horn, from the USA, and Isola, from Peru, trace this development as one of many topics within the disability rights movement. The authors bring extensive personal knowledge of the emergence of a movement promoting inclusive travel and its maturation process.
Muriel Larrouy examines the development of the disability rights movement in her native France in the article, “Invention of Accessibility: French Urban Public Transportation Accessibility: 1975 to 2004.” She writes as a sociologist through the lens of Baker’s theory of the moral enterprise. Her study analyzes the campaign for accessible public transit in France and the transformative effect on both disability advocacy groups and the definition of disability.

Self and Cultural Identities

An ethnobotanist, My Lien T. Nguyen plunges into the complex intersections created when a Vietnamese-American, wheelchair-using scientist undertakes field research in Vietnam. Part travelogue – recounting the logistical realities of travel and suggesting practical solutions - and part orientation to the work of ethnobotany, “Ethnobotany on a Roll! Access to Vietnam,” also contributes to an understanding of the impact of individuals with disabilities upon their chosen professions.
Malaysian pianist, Lee-chin Heng, reports as a participant in the “No. 1 Piano Paralympic in Japan,” the first Piano Paralympics held in Tokyo, Japan during January, 2005. The event included 99 musicians with disabilities selected from around the world for their high achievement. The tension between great personal accomplishment and the demands of travel with a disability is manifest in various glimpses of the value often attributed to disability cultures – interdependence.
Michele Sheib moves the dialogue on identity forward with, “Making an Impact: The Benefits of Studying Abroad.” Writing from the Mobility International, USA’s National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange, Sheib compares the experiences of ten study abroad alumni with published accounts from the general study abroad alumni population and draws out the implications for identity creation.

Travel and Hospitality Industry

The travel and hospitality industry occupies a gatekeeper role in the universe of travel options for those with disabilities. Marina Flores of Russia observes the hospitality industry from within the profession. Her contribution on representation of travelers with disabilities, “Optimization of Hotel Reception and Accommodation Service Management for Guests with Disabilities” is based on original research she has undertaken to measure attitudes toward guests with disabilities and their reflection in the behavior of hotel management and staff.
Universal Management is a concept incorporating the seven principles of Universal Design into the policies and processes of business. Australian Peter Rice provides an in-depth overview of Universal Management in an article of the same name and applies it to inclusive tourism in the Australian context.

Acknowledgements

The production of a work such as this Forum is a collaborative effort. I am grateful for the support of the editors of the Review of Disability Studies, Steven E. Brown and Megan Conway. Their policy of encouraging submissions from previously unpublished authors attracted me to this project and added to its richness. It has been a privilege to work with each of the authors who contributed their work.
With hindsight the years 2004 and 2005 may be revealed as a turning point in the effort to open the travel and hospitality industry to full participation by travelers with disabilities. Australia, Brazil, and Mexico held national conferences on the topic. Taiwan, Japan, Brazil, Germany, and England held regional or international conferences. It is an auspicious time for RDS to bring this dialogue into the heart of the academy with the launch of this Forum.

Scott Rains, D. Min. is a ZeroDivide Fellow of the Community Technology Foundation of California and Director of Programs and Services at SeniorNet, an international organization specializing in technology education for seniors by seniors. He speaks internationally on the topic of travel and Universal Design and the development of tourist destinations. Dr. Rains recently completed a year appointment to the Center for Cultural Studies of the University of California Santa Cruz as Resident Scholar pursuing independent research on the topic. He publishes the Rolling Rains Report on Universal Design, Travel & Disability at http://www.RollingRains.com. He may be reached at srains@oco.net.

Toward a Global History of Inclusive Travel
Laurel Van Horn, M.A.
Open Doors Organization
&
José Isola, President
Peruvian Polio Society

Abstract: This paper provides an overview of the development of inclusive travel and tourism, from its origins in the United States and Europe following World War I and II to its current status as an increasingly important and viable movement worldwide. The paper investigates the key roles played by disability organizations, disability rights legislation, technological change, international organizations and pioneers within the travel and tourism industry. Developments are described sector by sector for air travel, ground transport, the cruise lines and the hospitality industry. While the primary historical focus is the U.S., the paper also highlights advances taking place in Dubai, Egypt, India, Japan, South Africa, Thailand and other countries. It concludes with a case study by José Isola of the development of inclusive travel in Peru. Mr. Isola also describes disability conferences that took place in South America in 2004. It is hoped others will begin to investigate the development of inclusive travel in their own countries and regions and contribute to a truly global history.

Key Words: inclusive travel, disability movement history, accessible travel

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Hotels: Barrierfrei -- or Nicht?

For those who read German, Christianne Link in her Behindertenparkplatz Blog asks an important question, "Wie barrierefrei ist unser Hotel?" - "How barrierfree is our hotel?" For those who would rather follow using Katya Stokeley's translation at Broken Clay Journal try here.

It is always a pleasure to share stories of excellent customer service!

The manager was very nice, I told her about my travels, and how great my room was, and how I had noticed that this hotel offered more for blind guests than many others. We talked for about an hour, then she gave me her card and said that I should write if I thought of anything else that could be improved. One or two things have occurred to me since (the control for the AC is too high), but these things are peanuts compared to other hotels. Just the fact that the manager asked shows me that they get it. They don’t have six accessible rooms because they have to, they have them because they want to, in order to offer disabled guests optimal service. You don’t see that every day.

Source:

http://brokenclay.org/journal/wp_archives/2006/05/28/more-hotels/

Translation by Katya Stokely

Patient-Consumer Parade

The Patient-Consumer Parade published a blog carnival on the topic, "Why must we be ‘patient’? The blog is here and worth reading if you are not yet a regular there.

Penny Richards rightly points out on the Disability Studies blog at Temple University that the Rolling Rains post selected for honorable mention, Lithia Park Provides Wildlife Adventures, is a stretch. Then she offers an important observation in the form of a question about the carnival:

This is planned as a weekly event, so submit your "best writing about being a medical patient or healthcare consumer." The criteria must be fairly broad: for example, I'm not really sure how Scott Rains' travelogue at Oregon's Lithia Park counts as a "patient" experience (using a wheelchair, by itself, doesn't give you permanent and constant patient status, right?)

Excellent critique, Penny. Thank you for engaging the question! Constant vigilance for "medicalization" of disability is a key survival skill for anyone with a disability.

As an optic, vigilant monitoring for the inappropriate medical/patient power dynamic cuts to the heart of many problematic public, non-medical social interactions. Sometimes thoroughly understanding and explaining the classic distinction between "handicap" and "disability" is enough. Observing that pseudo-medicalized social relations is a likely cross-cultural power dynamic has made international travel easier on various Rolling Rains trips. The point at which it becomes possible to expose the fallacy of wheelchair users having "permanent and constant patient status" is always a point at which I introduce the concept of Universal Design.

The beauty of that intellectual dance step is that Universal Design embodies, in concrete fashion, the heritage of pan-disability culture.

The UD concept grew parallel to - and out of the same value base as - the disability rights legislative thrust that gave US citizens section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act (where the spinal cord injury community, to take one example, learned decisively that it was a major consumer powerhouse) and eventually the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Blogmaster Trapier clarified that

To answer your question, you're absolutely correct; using a wheelchair doesn't necessarily make you a "patient". But it does make you a healthcare "consumer," just as using a car makes you an automobile consumer or riding a plane makes you an airline consumer.

The purpose of the Patient-Consumer Parade, then, is to bring people together who 1) think of themselves as purely "patients," 2) consider themselves healthcare "consumers," and 3) are someplace in between!

Disability Studies, Temple U.: A Parade, and a Podcast

There is an art to being an effective "impatient patient" if the goal is to become a formidable self-advocate and well-informed consumer of medicine and durable medical goods.

I wonder if there is a further line of questions to be asked. The doctor/patient relationship is a complex power dynamic. Does something unique take place when the patient is disabled? If nearly everyone can fit under the category of healthcare consumer is there something that makes a person with a disabiity distinct as such a consumer?

Returning to the Rolling Rains topic of travel. Did you know that there is a travel niche known as "Medical Travel?" Universal Design is making an impact on regional medical travel in British Columbia. Perhaps the experiences of such travelers has something important for those in medical profession to study and integrate into their practice.

********

Late addition:
See Patient-Consumer Parade 2 here.

Access Dinghies and the Seven Principles of Universal Design

"Sailing for Everyone" is the kind of motto that is only possible when folks like Access Dinghies and Socio Engineering Research institute get together.

You can find the seven priciples of Universal Design applied to sailing at Access Dinghies.

A First in Bus Travel Comes From Canada

Northern Health Connections provides transportation to medical services. Their territory, northern British Columbia, covers 600,000 square kilometers and includes 300,000 people. What is particularly farsighted about the assisted travel program that they will launch this month is the extent to which they have made their busses accessible.

The service will have custom-fitted coaches and buses. All of the new vehicles will be wheelchair accessible. Highway coaches will also have wheelchair accessible washrooms, a first in North America.

This region is a beautiful part of Canada. Integrating Universal Design into the regional healthcare system will be a boon to residents -- permanent as well as summer -- and provides a powerful impetus to the local travel & hospitality industry to become inclusive.

Northern Health Introducing Assisted Travel

By Opinion 250 News
Friday, July 07, 2006 12:02 PM

Northern Health is almost ready to begin phasing in a low-cost travel program for those who must go to larger centres for specialized health services. The new program is part of the Province’s commitment to expand access to health services for rural residents.

"The hope is the start of this service will make a real difference to Northern British Columbians, particularly seniors and people with limited incomes for whom travel for specialized health services has been a problem," says Deputy Premier/Prince George Mount Robson MLA Shirley Bond.

The new service will be gradually introduced to communities, to give time to work out problems and to get feedback on the service, says Northern Health CEO Malcolm Maxwell.

The service will have custom-fitted coaches and buses. All of the new vehicles will be wheelchair accessible. Highway coaches will also have wheelchair accessible washrooms, a first in North America.

Most long distance routes will have a minimum of two round trips a week. Short distance routes will have one same-day, round trip per week, letting a patient from a small community to travel into a larger center in the morning, receive health service, and return later that day.

The service will be available for any Northern BC residents who need a physician-referred health service that isn’t available in their home community. Fares will range from $20 return for short distance routes, to between $40 and $80 return for long distance routes, depending on the length of travel. Patients can find out specific travel dates and fares or reserve a seat by calling 1-888-647-4997. Information is also on-line at www.northernhealth.ca/nhconnections.

Source:
http://www.opinion250.com/blog/view/2992/3/northern+health+introducing+assisted+travel

Other bus news:

Singapore has modified 100 bus stops and purchased 10 accessible buses through its Land Transport Authority. Quoting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Vivian Balakrishnan "Getting on a public bus is just step one. The real objective is that they can go to work, to schools and enjoy recreational activities."

Meanwhile, in the west of England the Greater Bristol Bus Network nods to Universal Design by incorporating improved passenger i nformation on low-floor busses.

Key features of the proposed showcase bus corridors will include: more dedicated bus lanes, priority for buses and enhanced traffic signals, improved passenger information, modern low-floor buses, plus significant improvements in road safety, as well as specific measure to improve access for cyclists and pedestrians.

Source:
http://www.24dash.com/content/news/viewNews.php?navID=2&newsID=7836

Something You Already Knew

Universal Design and barrier free homes used to be reserved for senior housing and nursing homes, but now it's the design trend for the future.

So says NBC News in Madison, Wisconsin.

It's the right design trend for hotels, motels, and cruise ships too.

Wheelchair Dancer on Travel, Clothes, and Universal Design

The Rolling Rains Report occassionally has taken up the topic of clothing and accessories in the context of travel but Wheelchair Dancer has a more thorough discussion in which she muses on Universal Design in fashion as well.

Notice also her travelogue on a Wonderful 4th of July Trip.

Turismo de Aventura para portadores de necessidades especiais

Social inclusion, adventure travel, agroturism, an ecoturism all converge in the tourism economy of Brazil. Below is a report (in Portuguese) on the maturation of this trend.

Turismo para portadores de necessidades especiais é um caso de sucesso

RAQUEL TEIXEIRA
Redação/Secom-MT

Inclusão social por meio do turismo e o ecoturismo são dois dos exemplos expostos sobre casos de sucesso já desenvolvidos no Estado de São Paulo e que servem como opções a serem fortalecidas em Mato Grosso.

Dirigido a estudantes, empresários e dirigentes públicos, nas oficinas desenvolvidas na tarde desta quinta-feira (27) durante a Festa Internacional do Pantanal foram apresentados os casos de sucesso do “Turismo para portadores de necessidades especiais e melhor idade”, de Piracicaba e “Turismo de aventuras em Brotas”, ambos desenvolvidos no interior paulista.

Para a secretária de turismo de Piracicaba, Maria Cristina Arzolla, o número de pessoas que buscam por atividades turísticas levou a prefeitura do município a desenvolver programas voltados ao segmento com a preocupação de incluí-las socialmente.

“Trabalhamos com a meta de incluir essas pessoas. Inclusão essa que passa por estruturar as opções turísticas e estabelecer a quebra de barreiras arquitetônicas”, enfatizou a secretária.

O programa é desenvolvido há dois anos em Piracicaba e, segundo Maria Cristina, são desenvolvidas dentre outras atividades passeios de barco, city tours e turismo rural.

“Além de incluir socialmente por meio do turismo centenas de pessoas que consomem, são cidadãos, o programa serve de exemplo para que outras cidades possam aliar a prática social às atividades turísticas”, observou Maria Cristina, destacando que o programa é um exemplo a ser aplicado em Mato Grosso.

“Com patrimônio natural da humanidade como o Pantanal e Chapada dos Guimarães, Mato Grosso tem um amplo potencial para desenvolver essas atividades de turismo e quebrar barreiras, oportunizando a inclusão social”, enfatizou.

Turismo de aventura

Umas das atividades que mais crescem no setor turístico, o turismo de aventuras foi outro caso de sucesso implantado em um município paulista que tem no agronegócio a principal fonte econômica.

Em Brotas já é desenvolvida a atividade há mais de dez anos e há seis, empresários de turismo criaram, em parceria com o setor público, um código de proteção ambiental e de segurança aos desportistas.

“A necessidade desse código veio pela crescente expansão das atividades de aventura junto com a preocupação em proporcionar segurança aos visitantes”, observou o empresário Carlos Zaith, que ministrou a palestra.

Conforme Carlos, em Brotas o turismo gera cerca de 1.500 empregos diretos e indiretos. As principais atividades de aventura são o rafting, o canyioning e o circuito de arborismo. "Mato Grosso tem inúmeras características e locais que proporcionam o crescimento dessa atividade", frisou o empresário.

Fonte: SECOM-MT
Visite o website: www.secom.mt.gov.br

Artists in Residence

Meet J. L. Chuites, leather sculptor and teacher of the leather arts.

Intimate Apparel, The Winter's Tale, and The Importance of Being Earnest were the productions that drew me to Ashland, Oregon and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival - theater (& accessibility) tales for another post.

Surprise and paradox abound in Ahsland. Beyond the bear who frequents Lithia Park (who I did not meet) I encountered a deer -- who seemed to be watching the Wendy's longingly from the bushes one morning at breakfast time. But the unique ecosystem of Ashland is the performing arts and artisan class.

Strolling the waterway artisans' market I was captivated by jewelry of recycled glass and native gemstones, photography of the outdoors, sculpture, painting, and the soft art of textiles. All were quality but all were somewhat expected wares for an arts fair.

J. L Chuites' booth was a surprise. His work uniquely exemplifies the thespian spirit that permeates Ashland. His medium is leather. His art is the mask.

Quite tempted to leave with a lighter wallet and several of the masks I saw, I restrained myself, took his business card, and asked if I could take his photo. I did not realize until then that he also has a disability.

For more on J.L.'s work see http://www.leathershaman.com or write him at jaxonchuites@yahoo.com.

Cyprus Disability Groups Positive About EU Air Accessibility Policy

From an announcement forwarded via Disabled Peoples’ International Asia Pacific Region:

EU boost for disabled travellers
By Alexia Saoulli

CYPRIOT disabled organisations yesterday welcomed EU legislation that will protect wheelchair users from discrimination when travelling by air.

The regulation was adopted by Transport Ministers in Luxembourg on June 9 in an effort to end daily discrimination against disabled passengers by airports and airlines.

“This move is an important step, because all airports and airlines will be forced to adhere to obligations regarding disabled travellers, instead of it being up to the sensitivity of each country,” said Dimitris Lambrianides, president of the Cyprus Paraplegics’ Association.

Source:
http://www.cyprus-mail.com/news/main.php?id=26613&cat_id=1

Lithia Park Provides Wildlife Adventures

From the Oregon Shakespeare Festival Box Office, safely above Lithia Park, the ticket sellers attend to playgoers sometimes offering friendly advice, "Watch out for the bear in Lithia Park."

The first time I was here - recently sprung from the hospital by my best friends from high school - the strategy for deterring overnight camping in the creekside park was signs. Now they seem to have turned over enforcement to the forces of nature!

We saw no bears. Then again, we did stop meandering the trails of Lithia Park before curfew having experienced the terrifyingly convincing bear growl during the death of Camillo during the matinee performance of "A Winter's Tale" in the Angus Bowman Theater. I wonder where they got that recording?

Along the creekside path, behind the business district, artisans show their wares on weekends. Dan Elster's wildlife photography was stunning.

It was not so much the array of North American wildlife he has captured but the composition. Every piece that he had on display in his booth contained some element of drama - one wing akimbo as a hawk stretched on its persh, one foot held mid-step as an egret stands fishing, eight pelicans overhead on a telephone wire.

See his work, and read his philosophy at Elster Photography.

Mt St Helens Recovery

The drive to and up Mt St Helens offers quite a vista. It is a reminder of the awesome power of a volcano to see "matchsticks" laid out like a repeating pattern on the slopes only to discover up close that they are age-bleached trees - some twice as big around as telephone poles - blown down by the blast.

In some spots whole ecosystems are returning as whith this roadside colony of Erythronium.

For those following the subtheme on this year's North American liliy species, the Lilium columbianum on Route 131 at the base of Mt St Helens are about two weeks behind the colonies in Del Norte County, California and Mt Baker and Mt Rainier in Washington State.

Ashland Shakespeare Festival: Food & Lodging

After a long drive to Ashland, Oregon for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival lodging is the first order of business -- quickly followed by food.

Don't expect to just drop in here during the festival and easily find lodging. Plan ahead. Making plans I chose the Windmill Inns because of the 110% service motto (and because I procrastinated reserving an room at one of the few bed & breakfasts with wheelchair-friendly rooms.)

When it comes to dining in Ashland Duane seems to be the man to know. See his site Duane's Ashland Restaurant Review

Red Lion Inn, Portland, Oregon

Along the Columbia River Gorge there are plenty of interesting and challenging site for rock climbing. What I didn't expect was that the same techniques would prove useful trying to climb into bed at the Red Lion Inn in Portland.

Captivated by the "shoulder-height-bed" craz,e Red Lion on the River is not recommended for folks of short stature, those with difficuty climbing or wheelchair users traveling alone.

That is unfortunate because their restaurant service was good and the food well prepared. Watching sailboats, barges, and later fireworks displays out the window on the Columbia River made the dining experience one to recommend.

You can even chose betweentwo competing soundscapes -- early 50's in the restaurant or disco building in crescendo through the evening in the adjoinging bar. Too bad Universal Design wasn't on their playlist.