Rolling Rains Report:

Spain & Inclusive Tourism: Ara Lleida

Ara Lleida presents Inclusive Tourism in the typical European fashion as a "social benefit that ought to be available to all." This "rights-based" orientation may be somewhat foreign to those in the United States. It should not be. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) affirms transportation accessibility as a right. Tourism is a specific case of that right to transportation access. In fact, in Asia, the UNESCAP Biwako Plus Five document explicitly calls for promotion of Inclusive Tourism as goal of regional development policy.

Take a look t Ara Lleida's approach to inclusion on the Iberian Peninsula available here in Spanish

A Disability Movement is to be Born - Some Reflections from an Outsider

The situation of people with disabilities in Malta is similar to many other countries. In 2005 Dr Andrew Azzopardi published a reflection on the dynamics of the Disability Rights Movement in his country.

A Disability Movement is to be Born - Some Reflections from an Outsider
by Dr Andrew Azzopardi

Dr Andrew Azzopardi asks why is there is so much struggle within disability groups
Friday, 27 May, 2005

In this last decade, the disability community in Malta has made significant progress on the "services" dimension. What was previously focused on charity-based and individualised, fragmented and sporadic initiatives, is now emerging in a package of community services and new programmes in the health, welfare and educational spheres. There has also been a significant increase in public awareness with certain disability issues finding their way into the national agenda.

However, locally we look as if we have given a lot of impetus to "needs based initiatives" and focused almost entirely on the conception of new services. Little, in my opinion, has been invested so far in dialogue and maturing discourse - in this facet we have been left with a dearth.

Disabled people in Malta have really and truly been silenced by the fears that non-disabled citizens have created. The politics of "difference" within the disability community began to be recognised following the establishment of the National Commission Persons with Disability in the 80's and the momentum of initiatives this strategy produced.

In the UK and the USA, other influential movements like Black activism, Feminist campaigning and Gay pride militancy, contributed to the "conception" of an organised disability lobby (Oliver, 1990; Corbett, 1994; Davies, 1994), Even though gays and disabled communities vary in other fundamental concepts, such as, the 'body beautiful notion', which is fundamental for gays and an issue of oppression for disabled people, the convergence of such issues as citizenship, lack of political involvement, oppressive discourses, invisibility, a-sexualisation and discrimination in employment opportunities are all issues that find a great deal of commonality. An assortment of minorities have lots to learn from each other on how to do activism. Maybe it is the right time to join forces and share tactics.

The local situation is probably unique in many ways. We have only seen one organised activist group made up solely of disabled people these last couple of years (Maltese Council of Disabled People). It is the one and only group completely controlled by disabled people in these last ten years that attempts to create an activist approach to disability issues, which in my opinion is still too meagre and far apart in its inventiveness and enterprise. The Maltese Disability Studies Group is a welcome addition of the MCODP that will now start creating a forum for debate based on the converging of numerous research projects that are happening around us.

However, within all this hullabaloo, I find myself asking a number of questions:

- Why it is so difficult in Malta to recognise the importance of such groups controlled by disabled people?

- Why do professionals and some of the parents of disabled parents find it so threatening to have organisations managed by disabled persons themselves, whatever the impairment?

- Why is there such an intense internal struggle and fragmentation amongst and within disability groups? Don't they recognise that this disallows coalition?

- Why is the parent lobby so strong and seemingly overpowering at times? Is there a power struggle between the parents lobby and disabled activists? Do they talk?

- Why is there so much diffusion of roles and personality clashes that heighten discontinuity rather than convergence amongst professionals and organistaions?

Understanding the disability context in Malta requires a thorough reflection on our historical context, understanding "group" politics, developing a clear picture of policy direction and reflecting on personality dynamics.

I don't think anyone knows for sure what a disability movement is but essentially what we are talking about is a set of ideas and an analysis which people can then support in different ways. I always think of the movement as a set of people that have somehow made a connection with a set of ideas (Lisicki as cited in Campbell & Oliver, 1997, p. 21).

The basic premise is to look at disability politics in Malta and identify areas that need to be addressed on the policy, political and service realm, to make sure that there is the right climate to set up a respectable disability movement based on the values of intelligence, motivation and research.

Dr. Andrew Azzopardi is a social worker and teacher by profession. He is qualified in inclusive education and disability politics, lectures at the University of Malta and has presented research papers in numerous conferences and symposia.

E-Mail: drew@waldonet.net.mt

Tom Chun is " Rolling Down Under!"

Tom Chun reports on his current wanderings:

Hi Friends,

From Auckland I took a couple side trips out of the city. My first trip is to Rotorua to see the geothermal springs in the Maori Whakarewarewa Village. The boiling hot springs give out the smell of sulfur, some say it smells like rotten eggs. While on my way there, I stopped at the Agrodome where I was introduced to the many varieties of sheep and sheep shearing.

"Mary had a little lamb", ...and the Kiwis have 40 million sheep. For a country of 4 million residents, that's heaps! I met up with some Kiwi friends who took me to Whakatane ("Wha-" pronounced as "Fah-", at first I thought they were swearing at me. LOL!) Whakatane is on the East coast in the Bay of Plenty. It is a picturesque beachside town that is many people retire to. It took all but 1 1/2 hours to tour the town and vista points. And that was taking our time, including a picnic! =) On my second venture out, I head north to the Bay of Islands to take a boat cruise out to the "Hole in the Rock" and visit the Waitangi Treaty House. This is where the Maori and British sign their famous treaty. It is the only treaty agreed upon during peace and not war. Unusual huh? In Wellington at Archives New Zealand, I was able to see the original Waitangi Treaty up close and personal. It's like going down to Washington D.C. to see our founding document. Incredible!

All aboard! Choo! Choo! From Auckland, I took a 12 hour TranScenic train down to Wellington, New Zealand's capital. It was one of the most scenic train rides I have been on. Every view from my carriage was a picture taking opportunity. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get to the rear open deck carriage to take unobstructed photos. Wellington is a harborside city surrounded by steep hills. You can take a cable car up the steep hills of Wellington to the Botanical Gardens for some fresh air, nature, and great views. The city is so steep, there are 400 box-like private cable cars that climb up to some homes. It's not just for the old or lazy. People have built private cable cars so that their aging dogs don't have to climb the stairs. Ah, how nice! =) The Te Papa Museum has 6 floors of amazing facts and museum articles of every kind. It truly is the country's museum! Cuba Street is the bohemian district and cannot be missed, literally, it's in the center of town. Inside Old St. Paul's Cathedral is unique in that it is Gothic structure but built with wood, instead of stone that you see in other churches.

New photos: tompchun.shutterfly.com
Old blogs: tompchun.blogspot.com

Cheers mates!
Tom =)
"International Man or Leisure"

Oficina Técnica de Accesibilidad de Castilla-La Mancha

La Consejería de Ordenación del Territorio y Vivienda firmó hoy un convenio de colaboración con COCEMFE-Castilla-La Mancha mediante el cual, el Gobierno regional aporta 265.000 euros para dar continuidad a la Oficina Técnica de Accesibilidad, para contribuir a la mejora de las condiciones de accesibilidad para la eliminación de barreras arquitectónicas.

Este convenio tiene por objeto la defensa de los intereses de las personas con discapacidad en referencia a la accesibilidad, divulgando para ello la normativa legal existente y haciendo efectivo su cumplimiento.

Según informó hoy la Junta en nota de prensa, de esta forma se da continuidad a la Oficina Técnica de Accesibilidad en Albacete, Ciudad Real, Cuenca, Guadalajara y Toledo.

En concreto, el objetivo de la Oficina Técnica de Accesibilidad es implantar la cultura de la accesibilidad para todos, informando, difundiendo, concienciando, formando y asesorando en todos los niveles de la sociedad castellano-manchega para conseguir la plena integración de las personas con discapacidad en una sociedad más justa y solidaria.

El consejero de Ordenación del Territorio y Vivienda, Julián Sánchez Pingarrón, manifestó el interés de la Junta en trabajar "en pro de una mejora sustancial de las condiciones de accesibilidad para la eliminación de barreras arquitectónicas", tanto de las edificaciones como de los espacios urbanos, para "adecuarlos al uso y disfrute de las personas con problemas de discapacidad".

La Oficina Técnica de Accesibilidad surge ante la necesidad de establecer canales divulgativos, formativos, de asesoramiento y de actuaciones que, de acuerdo con el marco normativo y las buenas prácticas en la materia, sirviera como referente especializado de difusión, formación, asesoramiento técnico y jurídico en Accesibilidad Integral y Diseño Universal al servicio de la sociedad castellano-manchega.

Promoting the UN Millennium Development Goals in the Tourism Industry

Imtiaz Muqbil writes the Travel Impact Newswire. Coincidentally his recent commitment to using this widely-read tourism industry publication to promote the UN Millennium Development Goals parallels messages about the need for non-governmental collaboration given by presenters such as Theresia Degener at the World Assembly of Disabled Peoples International in Seoul and myself at ICAT 2007 as it pursues the theme of a rights-based approach to disability. Announcing his campaign Muqbil writes:

The eight Millennium Development Goals are: 1: Eradicate extreme poverty & hunger; 2: Achieve universal primary education; 3: Promote gender equality and empower women; 4: Reduce child mortality; 5: Improve maternal health; 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria & other diseases; 7: Ensure environmental sustainability; 8: Develop a global partnership for development.

The year 2007 marks the half-way point of the 2015 target set for attainment of the goals by the UN Millennium Summit in 2000. With a mere seven years left, and time time running out, the travel & tourism industry can and should put its shoulder to the wheel. Because of its relationship with each of the eight MDGS, the travel & tourism can be a major contributor to facilitating the success of the MDGS.

As a responsible member of the travel industry media, Travel Impact Newswire is proud to contribute to the process by becoming a conduit for a) raising awareness of the MDGs; and b) providing a one-stop service for information about the many ways companies, institutions and organisations worldwide are helping. This will save my readers valuable time in keeping up with global developments in this effort, and provide a useful platform and reference point for brainstorming ideas and initiatives that can be taken by like-minded companies, institutions and individuals.

The MDGs are all about helping to improve the human condition. We can all play a role. Let’s get on with it.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-

ABOUT TRAVEL IMPACT NEWSWIRE

Set up in August 1998, Travel Impact Newswire is the Asia-Pacific’s first email travel industry news feature and analysis service. Mission Statement: Dedicated to reporting with Integrity, Trust, Accuracy and Respect the issues that impact on the Asia-Pacific Travel & Tourism industry. Distributed every week to 40,000 senior industry readers worldwide, mainly in the Asia-Pacific and Middle East.

Advertorial sponsorship messages cost 750 Euro per dispatch. Please contact: Imtiaz Muqbil, Executive Editor, 24 Soi Chidlom, Bangkok, Thailand 10330. T: (66-2) 2551480, 2537590. Fax: (66-2) 2544316. Email: imtiaz@travel-impact-newswire.com

Inclusive Tourism: A New Strategic Alliance for the Disability Rights Movement

Below is the text of the opening keynote of Presentation to ICAT 2007 held at the UN in Bangkok, Thailand. My appreciation to the various ministries of the Thai government, UNESCAP, and several disabled peoples' organizations (DPOs) including Disabled Peoples International - Asia Pacific (DPI-AP) and the Asia Pacific Disability Forum (APDF).

Dedication

Before I begin I would like to dedicate my comments today to my friend Topong Kulkanchit. I met Topong in 2005. We decided to work together to see that a conference was held in 2007. Mostly through his hard work early preparations were made so that Saowalak Thongkuay and Sawang Srisom their team could make this event a success. Thank you. I look forward to our next gathering in Singapore in 2009. I challenge everyone here to continue the work that Topong poured his life into.

Inclusive Tourism: A New Strategic Alliance for the Disability Rights Movement
by Dr. Scott Rains
srains@oco.net

Models of Disability

We are here to do some thinking on a global scale. That’s a big task.

Big thinkers like to give names to the boundaries they put around ideas – handles to make them easier to grasp. When we talk about disability we usually talk about these “idea packages” as models of disability. The Charity Model, the Medical Model, and the Social Model are the names we usually use.

The first two present people with disabilities as recipients rather than as sources of action. The Charity Model places people with disabilities as recipients of the moral responsibility of others to care for them. The Medical Model further limits responsibility to those with professional medical knowledge. Both models define the limits of the world that a person with a disability “really” belongs to: The world of family or its extensions of church or service organizations in the Charity Model and the world of the doctor or their delegate in the Medical Model on the assumption that the disabled person’s highest and constant concern in life is to be “cured.” Both models prevent people with disabilities from political expression and economic participation as adults because both models assume worlds that are too small for real people.

After an introduction like that it is obvious that I am going to endorse the Social Model. It claims that the world where people with disabilities “really” belong is the real world, the whole world – like everybody else! That’s a big world.

Universal Design is what lets us live at home in this world. Wheelchair user and architect Ron Mace, with his colleagues, set the foundation for everything we do at this conference by creating Universal Design more than 30 years ago. These thinkers in the Disability Rights Movement understood that our desire to be full participants in society required us to develop a simple elegant solution to achieve accessibility.

The seven principles defining Universal Design start from the reality that not every individual has the same stature, strength, or range of abilities. Diversity between individuals is the “normal” in any collection of human beings – change in ability is the defining characteristic of each individual over time. Accessibility in tourism improves quality for the growing senior population too. Universal Design is a framework for the design of places, things, information, communication and policy to be usable by the widest range of people operating in the widest range of situations without special or separate design. Most simply, Universal Design is human-centered design of everything with everyone in mind.

Trend 1: Creation of a Market

I said we’re here to think but to be more complete I should add that we’re here also to dream. Imagination becomes alive in every person’s life when the limits of their world go from family to some larger institution and finally on to the limitlessness of free participation in the whole world. Dreaming is the first step in thinking on that global scale – and everyone who works in the global travel industry knows what we do. We sell dreams and we make them real. As the disability community around the world acts on this dream of global participation the travel industry is here providing for them as what they have become – a market.

I have been invited here to talk about global trends in accessible travel. I have just told you the first trend. A group of people with disabilities have gathered. They are the actors. They are the political and economic force. They, we, came here to say that we have a dream. That dream is the freedom to travel. They have become a market and they have their own voice.

As we gather for two days in Asia another group of people from all over Europe are going home. They have just finished two days of meeting on accessible travel at the European Network for Accessible Tourism – ENAT run by Ivor Ambrose. This trend – this dream – is global among people with disabilities.

Now let’s think together.

Trend Two: The Rights-Based and Profit-Based Approach to Disability

the second trend we see is that a “profit-based approach to disability” is inseparable from our conference theme of “a rights-based approach to disability.” Aiko Akiyama of UNESCAP will speak to us later about the Biwako Millennium Goals where rights and development converge in tourism. Is there a profit-based approach to disability for the travel industry?

Research done by Eric Lipp and Laurel van Horn of the Open Doors Organization have taught us that American adults with disabilities or reduced mobility currently spend an average of $13.6 billion U.S. a year on tourism. In 2002, these individuals made 32 million trips and spent $4.2 billion on hotels, $3.3 billion on airline tickets, and $2.7 billion on food and beverages while traveling.

In the UK 10 million adults with disabilities have an annual purchasing power of 80 billion pounds sterling. In 2001 economically active Canadians with disabilities had $25 billion Canadian dollars available. Americans with disabilities or reduced mobility have $175 billion in purchasing/consumer power.

Cruise lines know from research that people with disabilities favor cruise vacations at 12% compared to 8% of the general population. Studies also show that people with disabilities are loyal customers: 59% report that they plan to take another cruise. Creating accessible cruise ships, accessible ship terminals, accessible ground transportation, and accessible tourist destinations in port cities is not charity. It is good business! In a few minutes I will tell you how stakeholders in North & South America are working together to build that business.

Trend Three: Standardization in the Years Ahead

Two years ago a group of us got together in Taipei and began to plan for today. Then it was easy to report on trends in accessible tourism. The pattern was clear. The trend in 2005 was experimentation and local standardization in controlled regional environments.

New "islands of innovation" were evident around the world. In fact, in most cases they were either actual islands like Crete, Hawai'i, Tenerife, Japan, St. John's Virgin Islands, and Tasmania or they were geographically isolated regions like Western Australia.

The trend in 2007 is less about new invention and more about standardization across larger areas and on an international level. It is a new stage of maturity but it will be over in about two years when we meet next in Singapore – this time with our European friends. For these next two years the main trend around the world will continue to be establishing common practices and agreeing on standards.

Sometimes it will feel like a tug-of-war; pulling in two opposite directions: one direction pulls toward a rights-based approach to standards and the other a profit-based approach. The first starts with persons with disabilities as citizens; the second as customers. The first approach speaks in the language of governments; the second the language of business. Effective standards result when people with disabilities are active in defining both approaches.

In fact, that is what this organization is about. It is a voice of people with disabilities in conversation with government and business to serve the interests of all three groups regarding travel and hospitality.

Let me anticipate 2009 with a grandiose statement about the historic importance of today: The tourism industry has become a vehicle for social good. Industry practices increasingly honor green design and ecologically responsible practices. With Universal Design tourism has also become a vehicle for what the Disability Rights Movement has fought so hard to articulate and to achieve for more than 30 years. So here today we set the Disability Rights Movement on a new path accompanied by partners from business and government. That path of promoting accessible travel will pass through every country in Asia.

The trend when we meet again in Singapore in 2009, this time with our colleagues in ENAT from Europe, will be the emergence of Centers of Excellence that strategically disseminate sustainable innovations, grounded in standards, and fluent in customer service respecting the rights and dignity of people with disabilities.

After ICAT 2007 I will spend time consulting with government and industry leaders in Pattaya to see if we can make Thailand one of the first of those Centers. I will assist UNESCAP create a set of guidelines

From my work around the world I have three cases that illustrate the current trend toward creating standards of good practice: one example in South America, one in North America, and one in Africa. South America brings four countries together with the cruise industry around accessibility. North American national park officials draw in a business partner and showcase accessible cultural tourism. Africa is shaping a continental accessible tourism market through the research and advocacy of an entrepreneur with a disability who promotes safaris.

Three Cases

Example 1: South America

The Inter-American Institute on Disability and Inclusive Development has formed a network to develop accessibility along the cruise corridor from northern Brazil to Tierra del Fuego at the southern tip of Argentina. In 2007 disability advocates and organizations, government, academics, cruise lines, and the land-based tourism industry joined together as stakeholders to begin to adopt standards, infrastructures, and practices that guarantee a consistent quality of travel experience between Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina for seniors and others with disabilities. The major activity at this stage is in Brazil which will host an international conference on Accessible Tourism in May 2008.

Individuals in the South American network have begun to appear in the media, speak at tourism conferences, and write articles on the value of this market of travelers with disabilities. Data is being collected on the number of people with disabilities and their purchasing power. One of the most rewarding things I do now is work with university students and young professionals in South America guiding their research, their career choices, and their businesses.

At the same time accomplished architects like Veronica Camisão are drawing up plans for improved ship terminals. Wheelchair-using Brazilian architect Silvana Cambiaghi has published Brazil's first full-length book on Universal Design. Museum specialists like Viviane Panelli Sarraf simultaneously provide attractions of interest to international and domestic tourists with disabilities by making museums and other cultural sites accessible. Dada Morreira, Ricardo Shimosakai, and others with disabilities sell accessible land-based excursions that include whitewater rafting, jungle off-road treks, multi-sensory walks, parasailing, and exhilarating treetop tours. In addition to this explosion of new businesses by people with disabilities, this group has written new regulation on maritime access to standardize accessibility in cruise ship terminals and on passenger ships serving Brazil. Industry and government, led by professionals, advocates, and business owners with disabilities have identified an underserved market and are building a strategy together to serve it.

Research shows that the more cruises a person takes the more likely he or she is to disembark in port and buy a land-based excursion. We know that more people with disabilities are cruising. We also know that they tend to take repeat cruises more often than the general public. They will grow disproportionately as a market inclined to take land excursions. Argentina has planned ahead for this trend. It is holding its first rural workshop on serving people with disabilities for the rural tourism industry that will see some of these cruise passengers on land excursions. Keep in mind that disability accompanies aging. The Open Doors Organization recorded that about 50% more of the existing group of Americans traveled between their 2002 and 2005 studies – even though it the travel industry had not done anything to make it significantly easier to do so. That group of people with disabilities and the leisure to travel is about to expand as the huge post-WWII generation ages. This market is big and travelers will reward those who build welcoming environments to accommodate them.

Take the example of the United States.

Example 2: North America

In the United States this global trend toward standardization on best practices by government, industry, and people with disabilities takes place on Alcatraz Island. Many people know this steep rocky island near from San Francisco from movies about its time as a maximum security prison. As the saying goes, "Break the rules and you go to prison. Break the prison rules and you go to Alcatraz."

Today the island is a National Park run by some of the most passionate supporters of disability rights in the US Park Service. Early in November I had the opportunity to inspect the island with the National Accessibility Center from Indiana University. The park is a model for the entire world and continuously hosts international park and government officials. The practices used at Alcatraz are further disseminated because one out of four visitors comes from outside the US and brings their experience home.

The message of accessible tourism is not only coming from conference like our or ENAT in Europe or the one this May in Brazil. Every day people from Asia are seeing accessibility in action at Alcatraz.

Physical access for the mobility impaired was one of the first barriers to be addressed on the island. More than a decade ago National Park Rangers, including James Adams and Rich Weiderman, invented a tram system for the island that anticipated current trends calling for green and sustainable development in tourism. Using an electric motor designed for the tractors that pull jet airliners at airports they applied Universal Design principles to manufacture this uniquely powerful but non-polluting tram. It was estimated that it would serve 15,000 park visitors in its first year. Everyone was surprised to find that 30,000 used it. Today it averages 70,000 to 80,000 users annually. Keep in mind that about 25% of these users are people who bring the expectation of such accessible and eco-sensitive service back to their home park systems.

The island can only be reached by boat and only one company, Alcatraz Cruises, serves the island. Early in their contract the cruise line saw that they needed to invent a new type of dock and ramp system. Doing so made them the only cruise facility on the West Coast of the USA able to accommodate passengers 365 days a year in all extremes of weather and tides. I, for example, had no difficulty getting off the island the day 580,000 gallons of tanker fuel spilled in the Bay near the island and the park was systematically being shut down for the emergency.

Standardizing on the dock design and evacuation practices perfected at Alcatraz National Park disseminates good physical design and safety policy. It also affirms a profitable collaboration between business and government where innovation to achieve accessibility resulted in better service for those with no disability.

Program accessibility, or accessibility to all the services and benefits offered by the park beyond simple physical access, is another area where Alcatraz first set the standard and then became the living university teaching by example. Alcatraz was the first park to adopt audio walking tours narrated in the first person voices of rangers, former prisoners, and guards. The approach was so successful that the tiny recording company that produced the first tours became the largest in the world in that field and was just recently purchased by a television channel. Once again, accessibility proved to be profitable and trend-setting.

Example 3: Africa

The final example, Africa, represents something different. One of Africa's most popular forms of tourism is the safari. It operates in isolated areas. That isolation means the safari industry has less structure for formalizing best practices. In this case, the significant current trend is the result of the vision of a European entrepreneur who, with a vision and his sturdy wheelchair, has just completed visits to over 130 hotels and tourism destinations throughout the continent. Gordon Rattray runs Able Travel. On his research tours he is able to spread standards through his individual consultations.

Here neither government nor industry are in the lead. Leadership comes from within the disability community itself. The end result of Gordon’s accessibility audits throughout Africa will be a published tour guide, "African Safaris for People with Limited Mobility". In that way his work promotes adoption of standard practices much as US author Candy Harrington does through her magazine Emerging Horizons and her various books, "101 Accessible Vacations," "There is Room at the Inn," and "Barrier-Free Travels." Bruce Cameron has taken a similar approach to standards promotion through his book "Easy Access Australia" and frequently contributes to academic and policy work with Australian academics like Dr. Simon Darcy and Dr. Tanya Packer. Mary Chen in Malaysia will launch the disability lifestyle magazine, Challenges, in Malaysia in January where I will write on travel. I have been asked to edit a special issue on travel and disability for the academic journal, Review of Disability Studies published by the University of Hawaii. Dr. Sunil Bhatia has also invited academics to contribute articles specifically about Thailand to the journal of the Design for All Institute of India. I invite any of you here today who would like to submit an article or discuss an idea for an article to talk to me during the conference.

Gordon Rattray's work in Africa is a "profit-based approach to disability" where he establishes himself, a person with a disability, as the expert on an entire continent. As an individual consultant he brokers and disseminates standards in a region where only a sparse business and social network serves the accessible tourism market. In contrast, the Inter-American Institute on Disability and Inclusive Development takes a "rights-based approach to disability."

South America is a heavily networked environment that produced the important accessible tourism document in 2004 known as the Rio Charter: Universal Design for Sustainable and Inclusive Development. It is further linked by a flourishing route of cruise ship destinations sharing similar needs. The orientation to disability rights of the Institute emphasizes the experience of the organization's founder, Rosangela Berman-Bieler, who worked with Judy Heumann to establish the Disability & Development program of the World Bank. Both women are wheelchair users and professionals in international development.

In the United States with Alcatraz National Park we see yet another model. Here the key professionals working in the National Park System and the contracted cruise line do not have disabilities themselves. There has been a systemic adoption of disability rights values by this government agency and this business -- although only through the sustained pressure of these professionals from within and sometimes with the addition of pressure such as lawsuits from without. Here professionals lacking disabilities guide the institutions through their own sense of justice, legal obligation, and business opportunity. As a prominent international tourism destination what they have created becomes a school of Accessible Tourism for any visitor who cares to learn from it.

Tourism ministries, and the industry they support, have begun to apply results from studies about our travel behavior and purchasing power. Facility construction and business practices based on Universal Design that were once considered innovations and were known only locally are now better known and adopted worldwide. There is increasing consensus on what are proper - and profitable - ways to attract us as a market. The fact that this conference takes place today through the generous sponsorship of the Thai government with support from the tourism industry is one world-class demonstration that thoughtful leadership has recognized the value of the full participation of all its citizens and how concrete action to include citizens with disabilities creates the environment of hospitality that attracts tourists from around the world.

Review

Let me end by speaking in sequence to the three groups that will make accessible tourism possible: governments, businesses, and the disability community.

Government

Governments, when we promote a rights-based approach to disability we commit ourselves to a tradition that affirms the dignity and worth of every individual human being. We raise the individual beyond the context of the body and its functions or limits; beyond, family, race, or nationality. We state that we support the rule of law and hold our governments accountable for protecting the freedoms that we believe are due to all human beings.

By promoting the UN Declaration on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities we are actually holding more than our own national government to this standard. We are claiming that all governments of all nations must unequivocally promote and protect the right to full social inclusion of all people with disabilities throughout their lifespan. A rights-based approach to tourism claims that there must be equal opportunity of access for people with disabilities allowing them to enjoy the benefits of travel and hospitality whether for business or for leisure. That access must be physical as with the design and construction of buildings or transportation systems. That access must also be to the non-physical benefits available to travelers without disabilities. This could be as simple as receiving the same respect offered to other customers during a transaction. It could be as complex as comprehensively planning safety and evacuation procedures appropriate to people with various sensory, intellectual, and mobility capacities.

Business

Businesses, when we promote a profit-based approach to disability we acknowledge that a business must pay attention to its profitability - once it has met the minimum standards set by law and by best practices. We expect to see variation between the products offered by different businesses. We expect to see accessible tourism products both inexpensive and extravagant because our community includes members who can afford both. In fact, we count on businesses to take the lead in innovation. We trust them to do their work so well that, like moths to flame, we will want to experience the products that they have developed to entice us. So let me offer to the industry this cheeky invitation from Jesús Hernández, accessibility director of Spain's ONCE Foundation, first in its original Spanish:

"No te preocupes de mis derechos, preocúpate de mi cartera"! [Spanish]

"Don't overly concern yourself about my rights, pay attention to my wallet!"

Businesses do what you do well! We want to spend our money!

Studies show that people with disabilities have that legendary trio of characteristics that all travel agents look for: the desire to travel, the means, to travel, and the freedom to travel. In fact, the study I quoted earlier from the Open Doors Organization predicted that those billions of dollars spent on travel by Americans with disabilities could easily double with the creation of appropriate travel products. Now that’s a bold prediction!

People with Disabilities

People with Disabilities, when we travel we represent more than ourselves because we are part of a community. As a person with a disability you carry two items of unusual value -- especially in combination. Both tend to surprise those you meet as you travel. The two items are money and pride. By money I mean more than the change in your pocket. By pride I mean that confident self-determination of knowing who you are beyond any economic measures of worth.

The very fact that you have a disability and travel suggests something about your economic condition. It indicates that you have credit, savings, education, maybe a profession that requires travel. It demonstrates more importantly that you have the ability to make decisions about the course of your life for yourself. That combination of means and dignity are potent tools of social transformation.

Travel the world today and you will find that there is a hunger for community and solidarity among people with disabilities. As an exchange student, backpacker, business or vacation traveler, your identity as a person with a disability gives you access to faces of the tourism industry that others may not have. Some are positive. Some need improvement.

The next two years will be a surprise to those in the industry who have not yet prepared their profit-based approach to disability. Some will be asking you to help. You have an opportunity to contribute and to shape the travel industry. That may be with the rights-based emphasis through government, education, or policy. It may on the profit-based side through invention, construction, marketing, or business creation.

Whatever opportunity you choose, take your pride - and your money - on the road. Travel. Teach the industry and level the path for the ones who come after you!

*************

Scott Rains, D. Min. writes daily on travel and issues of interest to people with disabilities occurring in the tourism industry at www.RollingRains.com His research on the topic of Universal Design and the travel and hospitality industry has included appointment as Resident Scholar at the Center for Cultural Studies of the University of California Santa Cruz (2004-05). He consultants globally on accessible travel & hospitality. He can be reached at srains@oco.net

Inaccessibility Challenged in Mexico

Architect José Luis Gutiérrez Brezmes of Mexico's Universidad Iberoamericana reminded attendees to attend to Universal Design and diversity at the Jornada Académica de Ingeniería Biomédica Espacio Biomédico 2007. Recognition of the diversity in human size and capacity as well as inaccessibility as a societal, rather than an individual, problem are key to achieving a solution he indicated.

MÉXICO, PAÍS INACCESIBLE A LA DISCAPACIDAD

México, DF.- Las instalaciones urbanas de México son en general inaccesibles para las personas con discapacidad –motriz, sensorial o intelectual-, señaló José Luis Gutiérrez Brezmes, profesor del Departamento de Arquitectura de la Universidad Iberoamericana Ciudad de México al participar en la Jornada Académica de Ingeniería Biomédica Espacio Biomédico 2007, donde brindó la ponencia Accesibilidad y diseño universal en los entornos construidos, tema en el que nuestro país tiene un rezago de más de 30 años.

La razón es que no forma parte de nuestra sensibilidad reconocer que no todos somos físicamente iguales, lo que deriva en que los entornos materiales no estén pensados para la diversidad, sino hechos para estándares, y construidos para seres humanos idealizados, algo que no se cuestiona en las escuelas de arquitectura mexicanas.

Gutiérrez aseguró que la accesibilidad no es un problema del individuo, sino de la sociedad. Y en el caso de la Ciudad de México, ésta resulta crítica, presenta una falta de recursos, estudios específicos y de sensibilidad entre los profesionistas para reconocer la discapacidad, informó la Universidad Iberoamericana (UIA).

Fuente:

http://www.cimacnoticias.com/site/07111411-BREVES-DE-CIMAC-14.31068.0.html

Detroit Free Press: Travel Becoming More Accessible

Ellen Creager of the Detroit Free Press did a little research on trends in accessible travel:

Good news. The world is getting friendlier for travelers who use a wheelchair, scooter or who just walk slowly.

"It is getting better," says Candy Harrington, an accessible travel expert who has monitored the scene for more than a decade.

For a more in-depth look or to plan your own vacation take a look at Candy's latest book "101 Accessible Vacations" at bookstores or online at www.emerginghorizons.com.

Source:

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071111/COL21/711110540/1032/FEATURES07

Living Independently and in the Community: Implementation Lessons from the United States

In 2005 Lex Frieden wrote a review of lessons learned in the Independent Living Movement in the United States. Speaking at the time as Chairman of the National Council on Disability his paper sought to:

• outline key concepts central to the understanding of living independently and in the community as expressed by the American disability community;

• identify the principal barriers that impede the enjoyment of living independently and in the community by people with disabilities;

• provide a summary overview of the existing international legal framework that promotes living independently and in the community;

• identify examples drawn from the American law and policy context that advance living independently and in the community; and

• provide a tool for assessing implementation of these rights in anticipation that they will be given full expression in the drafting of a convention on the rights of people with disabilities.

As a precursor to a focused campaign on access to recreation and travel Frieden's study provides helpful background to place current work on developing Inclusive Tourism in historic context.

The full article is available at:

http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2005/livingindependently.htm

Sidewalks & the ADA

Tuesday, November 27, The Universityhouse Channel will show Episode
138 of "Perils For Pedestrians" -- "The ADA and Sidewalks".

Contents of Episode 138 (2007):
--The Coordinator of Research at the US Access Board explains how the
Americans With Disabilities Act applies to sidewalks.
--A lawyer in Barden v. Sacramento discusses the lawsuit, which
determined that sidewalks are a government program covered by the ADA.
--A plaintiff in Barden v. Sacramento describes the negotiations that
led to the settlement.

DISH Network Channel 9411 -- The Universityhouse Channel
Tuesday -- 9:30 PM Eastern, 6:30 Pacific

Episode 138 is also available on Google Video:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6783218059010695745

Jerry Romansky's Advice

TH Online writer Jerry Romansky advises a reader on a gray area of air travel -- accommodating people of large stature. The suggestion, standardizing practices, anticipates the trend we will see as the industry registers the combined impact from initiatives like the UN Declaration on the Rights of People with Disabilities (the rights-based approach to disability) and the market potential and studies on travel behavior of PwD (the profit-based approach to disability):

If requested, the airline on which you traveled that day is willing to sell an overweight passenger two seats and refund the price of the second seat should the flight depart with any empty seats.

In any case, a protocol should be established.

Airline personnel should be trained to diplomatically offer two seats when a passenger exceeds the space between armrests. In such instances, I would like to see airlines offer two seats for the price of one whether or not the flight is full. It would be similar to other concessions that include special meals and accommodations for people with disabilities.

By the way, the article references some useful publications for travelers.

Source:

http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=179788

The Rhetoric Favors Universal Design

Even if Universal Design has not spread uniformly through the consumer product lineup yet we can take heart that it is getting a marketing push with arguments like this one for a Canadian design conference:

Are your designs excluding 20% of the market? According to Health Canada, one in five Canadians will have reached the age of 65 by 2026. Find out what essential factors you should take into consideration when making decisions, designing products, and looking at spaces to accommodate our rapidly aging population.

Source:

http://www.canadianarchitect.com/issues/ISArticle.asp?id=75963&issue=10312007

Walt Balenovich: North America's Disabled Adventurer

Walt Balenovich just wrote to tell me about his excellent adventures!

I' know some PwD who do a lot of travel - but Walt just moved himself to the top of the list in terms of places he has been in the world. See his blog at http://travelsinabluechair.blogspot.com/:

6 Continents, 28 Countries, over 50 stories, countless new friends and only 1 backpacker in a dusty old blue chair.

Take a look at his book "Travels in a Blue Wheelchair."

What would you do as you lay in a Zambian clinic alone with a broken leg? Or stranded aboard a small boat, in the dark, on the Java Sea, off Indonesia?

Inclusive Tourism Conference - Italian Style!

Jill Paradis is busy setting up an inclusive tourism operation in northern Italy. She forwarded this report form the INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE TURISMO PER TUTTI IN PIEDMONT. For the document in Word 2007 format Download file

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE TURISMO PER TUTTI IN PIEDMONT
Palace of Venaria Reale – 15 October 2007
CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS

OFFICIAL WELCOME

Paolo Osiride Ferrero, Chairman of Consulta per le Persone in Difficoltà, opened the conference, saying

Today is a special day. I would like to thank the Mr Pernice for this opportunity of holding the conference here today.

Addresses of guest speakers then followed, in the order below.

FRANCESCO PERNICE
Superintendent for the Artistic, Architectural, and Naturalistic Heritage of Piedmont

Today we find ourselves in the Restoration Centre, which is part of the greater complex that is the Palace of Venaria, whose reopening was recently inaugurated. This conference room was once the stables, as can be seen from the sloping floor, which was designed to help clear away the excrement of the horses. In restoring the stables, we decided to conserve the original sloping floor as it was, which shows how even the most extensive restoration project can still respect original historical features. The Palace of Venaria is the only building of its kind in Italy where barriers have been removed without disturbing the original architectural and historical features. In fact, we removed three steps from the entrance to the Church of Saint Hubertus so as to enable wheelchair access. Even the Sacra di San Michele has been made accessible thanks to its new lifts. In this way, what we saw was that with carefully studied action, barriers can be removed.
Today, tourism means visiting monuments and churches, which means they have to be adapted. Everybody has to be able to reach the destinations they desire without effort, also because the population is getting older and older. Today, I can guarantee that 70% of all our monumental buildings have been rendered accessible. Glaring errors can often be made though, such as building a lift then leaving steps at the entrance. This happens when things are first built, and then corrected afterwards in an effort to fix the faults. What is needed is a different approach and greater awareness. Yet even at our Faculty of Architecture, there is no specific course focused on architectural barriers.

GIULIO CAPOZZOLO
Welfare Councillor – Town Council of Venaria

I welcome you all on behalf of the Mayor. After last Friday’s inauguration of the Palace, here we are again for another important event for Venaria, as we are pleased to host the first-ever international conference on accessible tourism. We would like to thank the organisers of Turismabile for this honour. The twenty-five itineraries proposed demonstrate the commitment and effort that has been dedicated in recent years to tourism and mobility. Nevertheless, a long-term investment programme is needed; our hope is that all institutions, from local government upwards, will realize this.

ANNA MARIA PATISSO
Representative of the Provincial Secretary for Sport & Tourism, Patrizia Bugnano – Province of Turin

The Province is strongly committed to promoting accessible tourism initiatives, as can be seen in provincial projects such as “Walks without Barriers” in Ivrea, the “Playing with the Senses” initiative in Ceresole Reale, the project “A Mountain for Everybody,” and last but not least, the provincial government’s fully accessible website. Generally speaking, much has been done, but there is still much left to do.

TIZIANA NASI
President of the Piedmont Section of the Italian Paralympic Committee

I would like to thank the CPD and Regione Piemonte for all that they are doing. The great leaps forward that have been made in accessible tourism can be seen in the sheer number of disabled athletes that we have hosted and continue to host. Just a few days ago it was Paralympic Day, which was celebrated with the participation of some five thousand school pupils. It is always wonderful sight to see non-disabled children helping their disabled companions while playing sport together. Many other sporting events have also been scheduled for disabled athletes; shortly, in fact, we will be hosting the European Ice Sledge Hockey championships.
If I call a hotel in Turin today, they tell me that all their rooms are accessible. This Royal Palace, which is accessible to all people, is another example of all that Piedmont is doing and intends to keep on doing.

GIULIANA MANICA
Regional Secretary for Tourism – Regione Piemonte

I welcome you all here on behalf the Regional President Ms Bresso, the regional government and the regional assembly. The Olympics and Paralympics launched Turin onto the national and international tourist stage. While before we only had business tourism, tied to trade conferences and fairs, today we also have recreational tourism. Before, Piedmont was considered little more than an industrial region, with little appeal. Today, all this has changed thanks to the investment that has been made into the Residences of the Royal House of Savoy. The Region is also outlining a strategic plan for tourism, with the assistance of Professor Martin Brackenbury of the University of Cambridge.
Today, Piedmont has become not only glamorous, but also friendly to all. The promotion of the local territory and the message we send to Italian and international visitors has increasingly been targeted at all people without distinction, as regards both short breaks and longer events.
In the field of equal opportunities, Melting Box will be launched in forthcoming days, representing the most important event this year for Italy. Our goal here is for this conference and fair to become a regular event, held every two years.
When it comes to the topics and fields that I have mentioned, Piedmont can truly be considered an authentic laboratory and test bed for social innovation. What we also want to affirm though is the wealth of tourist opportunities that abounds in our region, a wealth that is open to everybody. Hence the task that lies ahead of us is not just a social one but also a question of marketing. Working towards fully accessible tourism is an investment of strategic value. Our goal is to raise the tourism sector in Piedmont from its current 2% of regional GDP to 4%.

SESSION I: FROM AN INSTITUTIONAL POINT OF VIEW

PAOLA CASAGRANDE
Director General – Sector for the Co-ordination & Promotion of Tourism – Regione Piemonte

The project Turismabile, involving many people and organisations, is an emblematic example of regional policy, aimed at boosting the quality and excellence of the tourism sector and innovation. Piedmont must open its doors up wide to all visitors, and become fully accessible to everybody.
From the point of view of innovation, the project is innovative because it opens up a whole new approach, promoting itineraries and hence the creation of tourist packages that can be worked on and sold. Potential travellers with special needs represent a potential boost for regional GDP, as considering that many elderly people are disabled, we are talking about a potential additional turnover of 165 billion euros, and an extra 260 million people on the move each year. With the Olympics we saw that Turin really was up to the task of accommodating everybody. Now, with these twenty-five itineraries, we have a new occasion and opportunity to show the world that Piedmont’s masterpieces really are open to all people. This is also one of the objectives identified by the strategic regional plan for tourism.
What we have seen today is a first step. The intention of the regional secretary, Ms Manica, is to establish a standing committee on accessible tourism. For this to become a reality though, ongoing financial backing is needed, along with legislative changes. New ideas are needed, and barriers have to be broken down. We also need to invest in raising awareness of the limits of physical efficiency, which is what often brings accessibility and usability to be neglected. We intend to educate and train engineers and architects in this way.

DANIELA BAS
Journalist and Expert in Fundamental Human Rights

I would first like to thank those who have spoken so far, because they did not speak too quickly, as Italians so often do. This greatly helped the interpreters here from ENS, which is battling to have sign language recognised as the second official national language.
Paola Casagrande and Giuliana Manica both expressed my own thoughts, and that is, that this project is not about social welfare but about tourism – and tourism is an industry.
Today’s event is innovative compared to many others I have taken part in.
Invalid, normal, disabled and handicapped are all terms of common currency, however the United Nations and the European Union are pushing to change the language we use, so as to stress first and foremost the “person”, and only then his/her being “disabled.”
Many are the people around us with disabilities – not only those in wheelchairs, as there are visible and invisible disabilities (such as for people who are heart patients or in need of dialysis). Reduced mobility may even be a temporary phenomenon, as if I break a leg whilst skiing, I have to be given the opportunity to continue my holiday if I so wish. Along with tourists whose mobility is permanently impaired though, we also have coeliacs, senior citizens, the obese, and allergy sufferers. The concept of accessible is very different to usable; I might very well be able to enter a museum, but I also have to be able to make use of what is in there. The twenty-five Turismabile itineraries are not just accessible, but also usable down to every last detail.

FRANCO VITALE
Director General – Ministry for Economic Development

We need to stop seeing people with disabilities as “a problem.” For years now in other countries, awareness of the disabled is taken for granted.
In the past once, I tried to have a fund established to address issues relating to accessible tourism, though without success. It would seem that the times were still not ripe back then.
In this field though, the availability of ready, easy-to-understand information is indispensable. It is also one of the fundamental principles of the “Tourists’ Charter of Rights,” which I also worked on.
The problem is not about making adaptations afterwards, but suitably designing to guarantee accessibility in the first place. This obviously does not count for buildings such as the Coliseum or the Palace of Venaria, which simply have to be adapted.
An accessible and usable building need not necessarily be ugly. Usability is about good living – and tourism is a part of life. What is most important is a change in approach; education then comes later. First we need to make architects change their mentality and start designing buildings that are accessible and usable right from the very start.

ROBERT LANGELA
Director General – Belgian Ministry for Tourism

I am a founding member of an association that since 1983 has been committed to promoting accessible tourism in German-speaking communities in Belgium, which number some 70,000 people. At a certain point, we decided – together with the Flemish community – to develop a rating system for accessible tourism, to be used for hotels and other tourist facilities. In this way we wanted to provide precise and pertinent information, as well as a tool to help promote the sector.
And so we began by drawing up a road map. In 2001 national and international debate got underway to discuss and develop the rating system. The principles identified were that the rating system had to be recognisable throughout Belgium and abroad; and that the rating system had to give immediate primary information, indicating how a person could move about, with and without assistance. Any additional information desired could then be found in a database – talking about databases, between 2003 and 2004, seven different databases existed, though we have since unified them all. Before approving the final rating system, we decided to compare it to the system in use in Switzerland, where accessibility is rated over three levels. In this way, we arrived at the following rating system:
1) Grade A+ = usable without the need for assistance
2) Grade A = usable only with assistance
3) Grade I = not usable, book elsewhere
A fundamental criterion for every hotel is that there is direct access to the building via a ramp. Furthermore, the reception counter should not be too high. For all this to be possible though, it is indispensable that there is general acceptance of a barrier-free environment. In Belgium this began back at the beginning of the eighties. For us, a barrier-free environment is considered just as important as having an efficient fire alarm system. Of course, this does not mean that when you are staying in a hotel you want to feel like you are in a hospital.
Turning our sights from Belgium to Europe, at the time the Maastricht Treaty was signed, there was little interest in promoting accessible tourism. Later though, the advisory committee that I belong to was created. It was the European Commission that decided to create a working group on sustainable tourism, made up of 24 members, though it should be added that the group is not a centralised one, as the initiative did not come from Brussels but from the Committee of the Regions.
The first initiative of the Group was the Eden Project, which identifies tourist destinations of excellence to be promoted and published on the project’s web site. Localities wishing to be featured on the web site have to have met accessibility standards for at least two years. I do not know if Turin is already a part of this European circuit, though from today onwards it certainly will be.
Accessible tourism means opening the doors to everybody without distinction – something which will be important for our children, and our children’s children.

CARMEN DUARTE
Vice-president EASPD – European Association of Service Providers for Persons with Disability

The EASPD provides services for people with disabilities, so as to ensure that assistance is distributed equally. Our mission is to provide information and build a network at the European level, though also to conduct research and studies into related issues. The organisation consists of four standing committees – on employment, education, enlargement, and policy impact.
Our objective is to achieve high-quality service levels and the suitable integration of people with disabilities into society.
Of the standing committees I mentioned before, the policy impact group is of particular importance as it seeks to give a greater political voice to people with disabilities at the European level (especially within the Council of Europe).
We also work to promote legislative change in favour of people with disabilities, by building direct, profitable relationships with European institutions, such as the Social Affairs Committee and all the committee bureaux of the European Union.
As regards communication campaigns, we regularly inform the public of the EASPD’s work by e-mail, Internet and through workshops. The latest development in the organisation has been the creation of a “Mental Health and Disability” committee. In addition to this, we have begun working with Handicap International to involve the Balkan nations in our projects.
We also organise many conferences, with the next event scheduled for 7th December, 2007, to mark and celebrate the EASPD’s seventh anniversary.
The EASPD has been busy in this European Year of Equal Opportunities for All, also because the United Nations and the European Union have approved important new documents concerning the rights of disabled people and their full inclusion in society.
As service providers we want to see the right to tourism and recreation extended to all people. This aspect of life was once largely neglected, and only work and education were spoken of.
In the past, only people of means could afford to travel; then this right was slowly extended to people who were less well-off, and finally today, also to people with special needs.
This conference today is a good practice to be followed, and a sign that the seeds that have been sown have begun to bear their fruit.

SESSION II – CONCRETE EXAMPLES OF ACCESSIBLE TOURISM & TURISMO PER TUTTI

ANGELO D’ALBANO
UIC – Unione Italiana Ciechi e Ipovedenti Onlus

When we speak of accessible tourism, we need to keep in mind sensorial and perceptive barriers, and not just architectural impediments.

REMO EDER
Vice-chairman of Federalberghi

Federalberghi is strongly committed to seeing accessible tourism develop to its full potential throughout the nation. Hence it was with great enthusiasm that we accepted the invitation to speak at this conference today. Usability cannot be achieved through one-off initiatives, but only through ongoing commitment. As a citizen, I would like to see greater space given to the participation of all people; as a hotelier, I see myself as a representative of a hospitality culture, and as such would like to see hotels open their doors to all people, so that everyone can feel at ease wherever they are. Much has been done in recent years, though we are still striving to improve and offer increasingly diversified services for different customer segments. The preparedness of hoteliers has also improved considerably.
The hospitality industry has a long tradition here in Italy. It may not be not easy to render old hotels in city centres accessible and usable, but it has to be done, in accordance with traditional Italian hospitality. New hotels are all compliant with standards; it is only a specific segment of our hotels which represent a problem.
That said, the financial and bureaucratic burden tied to breaking down architectural barriers also needs to be lightened. Some buildings cannot be touched because they are subject to heritage restrictions, but even in these cases, alternative solutions need to be found. Removing barriers is a sign of civilisation, and Italy, as a civilised nation, certainly cannot exclude itself from this.
Nevertheless, breaking down architectural barriers in itself is not enough; we also need to break down social and cultural barriers and promote a hospitality culture, as hospitality also means solidarity.

CARLO BORTOTT
FIAVET Chairman for Piedmont and the Aosta Valley – Federazione Italiana Associazioni Imprese di Viaggi e Turismo

I welcome you all on behalf of Fiavet. I would like to go straight to the heart of the problem and say that to make tourism truly accessible to all people, we need to raise the quality of the industry. The problem is that handicapped travellers are seen as too specific a sector. The same error can often be seen in tourism for the elderly – guides and assistants have not been trained for customers with special, age-related needs.
When it comes to transport the problem becomes even more serious, especially on transport means that are designed to move huge numbers of tourists. This sort of “natural selection” then ends up conditioning tour operators, who do not know how to cater for their disabled customers. Institutions higher up the ladder need to promote better education, while tour operators will have to get used to the idea of selling tourist packages designed for all people.
I too agree in saying that usability is of great importance – I have seen situations in which people could enter a museum, but then had to wait in the foyer until the others had finished their tours. The Internet is a powerful instrument, though at the same time it overloads us with information. This is why tour operators exist – to act as intermediaries and guarantee the quality of tourist packages.
Turin has a lot to offer, but it needs to learn to communicate and promote itself better. Though it must be said that good results were achieved with the Olympics.

ROBERTO VITALI
Chairman of Si Può Viaggiare

Si Può Viaggiare is a non-profit organisation which decided to work in the tourist sector because the tourist sector is renowned for being much more attentive to what the customer wants. The tourist industry was also the first sector to recognise disabled people as customers.
So what is the tourist market all about? Shopping and sight-seeing, though now the gourmet tourism sector has also become an important niche market.
In reality, there is no difference between people with special needs and people without – even tourists with special needs appreciate fine food, museums, natural wonders, and enjoy shopping.
Disabled people do not travel around looking for hotels with ramps. What they seek is cordiality and a willingness to help meet needs. A ramp is just a tool.
Exactly 80.9% of disabled tourists are in wheelchairs. Though if we look a little closer, a person in a wheelchair really has the same needs as a family with young children in strollers. Hence we need to learn to focus more on individual needs, as only in this way can we create an environment to accommodate all people, and open up the potential of a much wider market. For all this to happen though, a much more efficient education programme is needed.
Of the words disability, accessibility, and tourism, the most important is tourism. We need to take a Toyota–style “total quality” approach, where overall customer satisfaction is more important than the exact measurements of the bathroom. A bathroom for the disabled is not the answer to everything. In fact often the approach is much too hospital-like – just look at the toilet bowl; why does it have to be so big?
It is much better not to turn to consultants interested only in respecting the law to the letter and little else, and who ignore the importance of hospitality. We also need to stop talking about accessible tourism and instead talk about quality tourism, which expertly meets the needs of everyone. Our goal must go beyond attaining the National Health Service’s stamp of approval, and aim to build a new world which is truly open to all people. From today onwards, whenever somebody tells me that it is impossible, I will reply “Go and visit the Sacra di San Michele,” which positively struck me on yesterday’s tour.
Another thing is that we need to stop asking for funding for the removal of architectural barriers. When ordinary maintenance work needs to be done (such as repairs to the pavement), it should automatically be seen as an opportunity to remove the step that was previously there.
Disabled people are to all effects and purposes customers with rights and responsibilities. The best thing about the project Turismabile is that it is backed by a whole system, made up of the local territory, institutions, partner associations, and usable venues and facilities.
A last point that I would like to make, which is of no lesser importance, is that places that can host disabled people also have the facilities to employ disabled people.

MICHELE D’INNELLA
Editorial Director of Touring Club Italiano

I recently was the editor for our new guide to “Tourism without Barriers.” I second everything that was said by Roberto Vitali, and would add that there also exist other types of special needs, such as when travelling with pets.
Every guidebook ought to include a section on accessibility, so as to truly make publications “for all people.”
Even Ventaglio, Italy’s leading tour operator in the organisation of travel packages for all people, has published a special catalogue for its disabled customers.
The guidebook on accessible tourism is on sale alongside every other guidebook we publish, which is a way of saying that it was not an act of charity, but rather that we see it as a fully-fledged market on par with all the others.
I have seen remarkable improvements made in the tourist industry, even though many problems still remain unresolved. It would be nice to think that in the future, information on accessibility might be given on every individual sight and monument. The problem today is that the tourist industry still does not consider customers with special needs as real customers.

AVRIL ACCOLLA
Vice-president of European Institute for Design and Disability

George Bernard Shaw once said that “The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.” To this I would add that “Good design enables, bad design disables.”
The design process can produce results which are creative and functional, if a multidisciplinary, synergetic approach is taken which consults the user every step of the way.
Every person has his/her specificity and this must be respected. By accommodating for the highest number of people possible, not only are you doing a good thing, but you also obtain more money and more votes.
It must be remembered though that accessibility must already be taken into account in the design brief, that is to say, from the very start of the project. When Giugiaro was asked why he designed a non-accessible underground for Milan, he replied “Because nobody asked me to.”
Even an aid can be attractive. Laws governing accessibility requirements can also be a good help. By the year 2000 all of London’s taxis had to be accessible; the same will apply for taxis throughout the entire United Kingdom by 2012. Looking at a photo of such a taxi though, you will notice that London’s accessible taxis are exactly the same as all their other taxis!
There is another problem though, which I call “functionally accessible discrimination.” I have come across cinemas, for example, which were accessible but which placed disabled people on special “platforms” away from the rest of the audience. In this way, disabled people in the cinema were forced to remain separated from their friends and “ghettoized.” A cinema of this kind was without a doubt designed by an architect who considered disabled people a “problem,” “a pain in the neck.” The platforms were therefore a convenient solution to satisfy regulations and obtain a license to open. This way of thinking needs to be progressively phased out. People with special needs must no longer be considered an inconvenience, but rather an opportunity for creative new solutions to be found.
When Copenhagen’s underground was designed, a survey was then conducted asking people if they liked the new trains. The majority of passengers replied that they did, though a problem was highlighted with the central turning points of the carriages – as the floors were all grey, when the train turned and the central turning point moved, passengers risked falling over because they did not realise the floor was moving. To draw attention to the turning points, Giugiaro had a darker-coloured cross painted on the floors.
The underlying concept is that you always need to “respond” to whatever need is expressed. An example of this principle is again provided by Copenhagen’s underground. Windows were inserted into the ceilings of the carriages, so that when the train passed under open-air shafts, natural light would flood in from street level. This helped people who suffer from claustrophobia, who otherwise would not take the underground.
Making a city accessible means making it more attractive. In Barcelona, after a city redevelopment plan was implemented to remove its numerous architectural barriers, and a “Bars and Restaurants for All” guide was released, the number of visitors to the city rose by 22%.

After the address of Avril Accolla, Daniela Bas and Paolo Osiride Ferrero added the following comments.
Daniela Bas – Ms Accolla has shown us how tourist numbers inevitably grow when accessible facilities and transport are available, as there is greater usability for all people.
Paolo Osiride Ferrero - Turin’s accessible underground railway is very similar to Copenhagen’s, though there is still the problem that the button panels are too high. As concerns cinemas, here in Turin I have seen seating reserved for the disabled right up underneath the screen, though the situation is beginning to change.

SESSION III – PRESENTATION OF TURISMO PER TUTTI ITINERARIES IN PIEDMONT

DANIELA BAS
Journalist and Expert in Fundamental Human Rights

The 25 Turismabile itineraries in Piedmont constitute a complete tourism project. Each itinerary focuses on different sensations; what we are hoping to do is hold workshops in the future on the different itineraries together with tour operators.
In this conference today, we have talked about living life to the full, not about health assistance. We hope that marketable tourist packages can be built from the itineraries. Another idea is to launch a Turismo per Tutti trade fair within two years.

After the presentation of the itineraries, various tour operators and representatives of European associations spoke to tell about their experiences in the sector.

WOLFGANG GRABOWSKI
Grabo Tours Reisen - Germany

In 1978 we organised our first trip to Italy for the disabled, to San Felice Circeo. Back then, there was still little awareness of the issue, and Italy was rightly considered a “country of stairs.” We nevertheless managed to cope.
Right from the very start for us, people with disabilities were not seen as such, but rather as customers like everybody else, with the right to make certain demands for the money they spent.
On this occasion, I feel it is necessary to stress to travel agencies and their staff that the disabled are customers!
Grabo Tours Reisen has forty-eight travel packages designed specially for tourists with disabilities. This year we even organised a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. It really is a profitable market.
Turismabile is an important project. In the past, due to all the stairs, wheelchairs had to take the back entrance or otherwise be carried by hand. Luckily today there are ramps and specially adapted rooms.
We try to satisfy all the requests made of us. Next year, for example, one of our customers will be turning 85 and wants to go to Tibet! We then hope to organise many more trips to China after the Paralympics in 2008.
I have been coming to Italy for thirty years now, but this is my first trip to Turin. I will definitely be coming back to Piedmont with a group next year.

TONY BOVE
APF (Association Paralysées France) - France

APF is the second-largest association in Europe, after the Red Cross. We have been working in the sector since 1937, organising trips for all people, and giving many disabled people the chance to have fun and enjoy themselves, whereas once they were shut up in institutions and treated like sick people. Our target goes from the age of six to sixty. We organise trips from June to September to sixty different destinations. For every tour, we have three levels of speed and difficulty, to accommodate for all travellers.
We also offer “integration stays,” where one or two disabled people are placed in groups with non-disabled people, on language or sporting stays.
We at the APF were the first in France to introduce medical vacations for people with serious handicaps, where people are accompanied by nurses and doctors. We also introduced special trips for people with mental health problems.
Today, some 1500 people in France and a further 400 people abroad turn to us for help in organising their holidays. Furthermore, APF is a decentralised organisation, thanks to which we are present in every department throughout France. We also take care of our tour operators by arranging special winter trips for them.
As a more open mentality to accessible tourism has progressively spread, we came to realise that an increasing number of people with slight handicaps can easily travel on their own. For this reason, for some time now, we have chosen to dedicate our services to people with more serious forms of disabilities. We use a 1x1 formula for all out trips, which means one helper to every patient.
In 2007 we visited Venice and northern Italy’s lakes. In 2008 we plan to take tourist groups to Sardinia and probably to Piedmont. All we ask is suitable solutions for air travel, double rooms to accommodate helpers, and skilled guides.
Tours are open to a maximum of sixteen people per trip, while the trip itself lasts between 8 and 15 days.

DENISE HITCHEN
Heroes Project – United Kingdom

My organisation provides services which are renowned not only in Great Britain. Inclusion means satisfying the needs of people with physical and learning difficulties. I would very much like to bring “family groups” to Turin, by charter plane. The idea would be to bring three or four families, so twenty people in all, with children with special needs.

AMAR LATIF
Traveleyes – United Kingdom

People often ask me what it is like to be blind. I always respond that being blind is better than being bald or Asian.
Jokes aside, in 2005 we crossed the Central American jungle with a group of eleven people, including people without arms or legs, deaf people, blind people and people in wheelchairs. We were accompanied by a television crew who filmed the trip, which was then shown in Britain on BBC 2 and Discovery Channel.
This year we visited Florence, but soon we will be back here in Turin, because the city is fantastic.
We normally travel with mixed groups of visually-impaired and non-visually-impaired people, so the non-visually-impaired can explain to the others what they see. The problem is the language though. Our groups only speak English, but we would like to have speakers of other languages with us as well.

Paolo Osiride Ferrero closed the conference saying:

I would like to thank you all. We have heard some very good speakers today. It has been a long haul, though I truly hope that this conference will give a fresh impulse to the “accessible” in all fields, and in particular to accessible tourism. We need to stop thinking of the disabled as a weight to be borne. It has been shown, in fact, that disabled people working in the NHS are twice as productive... but let’s stop talking about the disabled and start talk about tourism instead.

Lesotho - Traditional & Socio-Political Disability paradigms

There is an interplay between progress on social inclusion for citizens and Inclusive Destination development. As the general level of accessibility for people with disabilities increases so can the desirability of a location as a destination of choice for the disability community. The influx of tourism dollars can provide for the continued improvement of barrier-free infrastructure.

Below is a paper written by Mojalefa Zacharia Ntlatlapa on the evolving scene in Lesotho in regard to the infrastructure of basic services for people with disabilities there.

INDEPENDENT LIVING CENTRE – LESOTHO AND TRADITIONAL DISABILITY PARADIGMS

By Mojalefa Zacharia Ntlatlapa (B.Phil; B.S.Th; MDisSt.)

Abstract

The Independent Living Centre - Lesotho (ILC Lesotho) is a leader in the application of the socio-political approach to disability services in Lesotho. The philosophical foundation for ILC Lesotho’s very first strategic plan 2007-2011, “Facilitating Independence” is based on consumer choice and control, independence, personal autonomy, self-direction, barrier-free environments, non-dependency services, and consumer leadership.

This article serves to highlight the difference between the Independent Living Centre approach and the previously existing disability services in Lesotho by demonstrating the contrast in approach between its consumer-driven, socio-political paradigm and the medical, charity and/or vocational rehabilitation traditional approaches that have hitherto been used within the Lesotho disability sector.

Guided by the “Draft National Policy on the Inclusion of People with Disabilities into Society”, ILC Lesotho recognises that there are limited allied health services available to people living with disabilities. As consequence among its future development areas, ILC will strive to work with the disability sector to: improve the range and quality of assistive technology available to the Lesotho community of PWDs; develop an outreach service to the rural communities of Lesotho; source out local and overseas opportunities for ILC staff and for the Lesotho disability sector as a whole; as well as to establish a research demonstration, dissemination, and utilisation centre, in order to promote access to information for PWDs, DPOs, other independent living related service providers.

Table of contents

Abstract 1
Introduction 3
Background 3
ILC Lesotho Programmes 4
The Options Coordination Service 4
The Client Therapy Service (CTS) 6
The Independent Living Equipment Programme (ILEP) 7
Respite Services 8
Paradigms/Models of Disability 9
The Socio-political (Independent Living) and Traditional Paradigms 10
Independent Living and the National Policy 11
Future Directions for the Independent Living Centre - Lesotho 14
Development Areas 16
Conclusion 16
Values 17
We value our clients 17
We value our staff 17
We value our relationships and partnerships 17
We value prudent management 17

Introduction
The concept of the Independent Living Centre – Lesotho (ILC Lesotho) has been in existence since 2006 and has been incubating at its current location at the Maseru Industrial Area since then. ILC Lesotho was legally registered under the Societies Act of 1966, in March 2007, as a non-profit making, non-governmental organisation whose ultimate end is to build a vibrant and responsible community that takes care of marginalised severely disabled individuals and families of People with severe and/or multiple disabilities including those who are either infected or affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic within their communities of origin throughout the Kingdom of Lesotho.

The ultimate vision of ILC Lesotho is to provide equipment, home modifications, client therapy and respite services for people with disabilities who are eligible under the Options Coordination Programme, as well as information for the general community. As a registered organisation, the ILC Lesotho has a constitution and is governed by a Board of Directors made up of people with a wide range of professional skills and backgrounds.

The Independent Living Centre is a leader in the national Independent Living services in Lesotho. The ILC Lesotho will assist with database development and facilitate the development of the IL website. The ILC Lesotho website will run a home page for IL information and advice service, research demonstration, dissemination, and utilisation centre, and collate detailed information about the equipment and aids available in Lesotho and the neighbouring cities of South Africa. The ILC intends to work with the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to implement its strategic agenda (2007-2011) for Families and Communities. The “Draft National Policy on the Inclusion of People with Disabilities into Society” has also guided the development of this organisation.
Background
The Independent Living Centre – Lesotho is a vibrant, client focused organisation that intends to assist people living with disabilities, including the frail age, to achieve greater independence. Our strongest knowledge base is assistive technology – aids and equipment - which assist people living with disabilities and their carers to remain safe and independent in the community. Our staff will be composed of a multidisciplinary team, consisting of Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Registered Nurses, Speech Pathologists, Special Needs Educators, Social workers and other Therapy Aids.

We intend to build up a flexible and responsive administrative team and a Management Group who work with the Board, staff, clients and stakeholders to achieve positive organisational outcomes. Our aim is to pride ourselves on our productivity which will be achieved through the effective use of technology, staff using their time efficiently and managers, staff and stakeholders working together to identify innovative approaches.

The philosophical foundation for our very first strategic plan 2007-2011, “Facilitating Independence” is based on consumer choice and control, independence, personal autonomy, self-direction, barrier-free environments, non-dependency services, and consumer leadership. In conformity with these philosophical principles, the Board of the Independent Living Centre strives to work with the Management and potential service users to implement this plan. There have been several discussions with other stakeholders to ensure that this plan fits with other developments and changes occurring within the disability sector and other health sectors in Lesotho.
ILC Lesotho Programmes
The centre plans to kick-start its services with the establishment of four programmes. These will include:
• The Options Coordination Service,
• the Client Therapy Service (CTS),
• the Independent Living Equipment Programme (ILEP) and
• Respite Services
The Options Coordination Service
This programme will coordinate the allied health assessments for Clients with Physical, Neurological, Sensory, Intellectual disabilities and Traumatic Brain Injuries. The Options Coordination Service will contribute to planning and to the development of community-based services and informal support networks to ensure that individuals with disability are able to achieve their full potential and attain a quality lifestyle within the community of their choice.

The Options Coordination Service will to provide specialist knowledge and expertise through the following programmes:
• Options Coordination - for children who have physical and neurological disability or brain injury
• Options Coordination - for adults who have a physical and/or neurological disability
• Options Coordination - for adults who have acquired brain injury
• Options Coordination – for people who have intellectual disability and/or autism.
• Sensory Directions - for people who have sensory disability such as hearing and vision impairments

We believe that access to information assists people to make an informed choice in relation to their specific needs. Information is collected on all aspects of living with a disability and shared with anybody who asks. The Options coordination service will contribute to the planning, provision and evaluation of direct services to people with disability and their families inter alia by:
• Providing information
o Printed information will be available for all visitors to the Centre including product description, product suppliers and approximate cost;
o An extensive database will be maintained on availability of equipment, manufacturers and suppliers within Lesotho and South Africa;
o A directory of organisations and services offering assistance to people with disabilities;
o Details on design and access and the relevant Australian Standards.
• Displaying equipment
o A large range of aids and equipment is on display. Items can be demonstrated or visitors can try out products to determine which equipment best suits their needs.
The Client Therapy Service (CTS)
CTS will provide therapy, training and equipment prescription for, and together with, persons with disabilities in the community. CTS may provide services in the client’s home, work or educational environment, day service and/or at the ILC. Assessments for equipment such as wheelchairs may need to take place at the CTS office. CTS Occupational therapists will be highly trained in the assessment, prescription and training for accessing systems, which will enable people with disabilities to undertake daily tasks with greater independence. Under the CTS therapists will provide particular services for people with different types of impairments. These will include:
1. Communication
Here Speech Pathologists can provide:
• Communication, speech and language assessment and therapy programs,
• Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) system prescription, support and training, for those with little or no verbal communication.
• Training for parents, care-givers, community staff, teachers and relevant others within the community to help support those with communication difficulties.
2. Mealtimes
Speech Pathologists can provide:
• Assessment and management recommendations for swallowing and mealtime difficulties
• Written documentation (mealtime guidelines) and training for carers, outlining how to safely assist clients with swallowing.
3. Mobility
CTS therapists will be able to:
• Prescribe suitable wheelchairs, seating and modifications to mobility equipment, and advise on and prescribe standing or walking frames
• Develop chest care and hydrotherapy programs.
4. Manual Handling
CTS therapists are able to:
• Provide manual handling plans for carers to assist with safely transferring clients
• Provide advice and suggestions for manual handling equipment.
• Provide training to care-givers on lifting and handling methods for individual clients.
5. Activities of Daily living
ATS Occupational Therapists will provide expert advice, assessment and training in supporting clients with disabilities to undertake day-to-day activities. These may include:
• Advice and suggestions on home modifications, including bathroom equipment
• Splints, wheelchair trays and customised beds
• Mechanical and electrically operated hoists.
• Wheelchair driver training.
The Independent Living Equipment Programme (ILEP)
ILEP will cater for people who have permanent disabilities and are clients of Options Coordination. The role of the ILEP is to assist people with disabilities to remain living safely and independently within their homes and the community by providing them with assistive technological equipment.

ILEP will provide the more complex types of equipment designed for use by people with disabilities. The types of equipment available from ILEP will include (Please refer to the ILEP policy for full details):
• Bedding: Electric Beds, Pressure Management Overlay Communication Devices
• Home Modifications: Ramps, Bathrooms, Kitchens, Doorways
• Mobility Devices: Specialised Footwear, Children?s Walking Frames, Adult walking frames, Manual Wheelchairs, Powered Scooters, Powered wheelchairs, Children?s Buggy Pusher, Children?s Manual Tricycle, Children?s Manual Castor Cart, Children?s Powered Castor Cart
• Orthosis and Prosthetics: Orthosis, Mammary Prosthesis, Wig
• Bathing and Toileting: Mobile commode chair, Static shower chair: customised, Static toilet chair: customised, Change Table, Children’s Toilet Chair, Children’s Bath Insert and Continence Aids (reusable only)
• Seating: Adult Postural Chairs, Children’s Postural Equipment, Electric Recliner Chairs
• Manual Wheelchair Transport: Portable ramps for wheelchair transport, Tow bar mounted manual wheelchair carrier,
• Hoists: Mobile Hoist, Ceiling Hoist, Portable Bath Hoist, Car hoist for a person, Roof mounted manual wheelchair hoist.
Respite Services
Respite Services will lead in developing a countrywide, comprehensive, and integrated home and community-based service system that supports dignity, diversity, and choice for persons with disabilities, their caregivers, and families.

Providing full-time care for someone with severe or multiple disabilities that involve health problems such as HIV/AIDS, in our case, can be fulfilling, but it can also be hard work and leave a carer feeling exhausted and isolated. This is where respite services come in. Taking a break from the pressure of supporting someone who depends on someone's care, can prevent the care-giver from becoming over-tired, stressed, resentful or depressed.

Respite care will help both carers and the people they support to gain confidence and independence, and build new relationships. Using respite services on a regular basis – however happy the caregiver is to be a carer – can re-energise him/her and enable him/her to look after the person they care for more effectively. The key goals of ILC Lesotho's respite services are:
• Public policy will reflect the priorities of ILC's respite services and its advocacy partners;
• All members of ILC's respite services will have access to the information, resources, and peer support necessary to fulfil their leadership role;
• The organisation will have the financial resources to attain its Mission;
• The organisation will have successful working relationships with all partners in the home and community-based services network; and
• Educate and enlist the support of the public in furthering the priorities of ILC's respite services and its advocacy partners.

Our services will provide support in the home to give the caregiver regular, planned breaks. A Community Support Worker (usually the same person every time) will visit each week and look after the person who needs support, freeing the caregiver to do other things and have some time to herself/himself. We will offer:
• someone to talk to about the caregiver’s caring routines and responsibilities who can offer practical advice and support
• care that the client's caregiver can be confident in – we will engage professionals who have both disability and mental health expertise, and our staff will respect both the needs of the caregiver and those of the person s/he supports
• information on how to deal with things like social benefits
• a plan of support – drawn up with the agreement of both of the caregiver and the client – so that they can make the most of our services
• flexibility – we aim to give service users the support they need when they most want it, and can also help with emergency, illness or holiday cover
• Consistency – we aim to make sure that service users are supported by the same person week to week, so that they can build a relationship with them.

Most respite-care services provide support for as long as it is needed. The maximum amount of time each person can get will vary between about four and ten hours a week. The amount of support the service user will receive will be reviewed regularly.

The service can be withdrawn if our Community Support Worker experiences mistreatment such as insulting or discriminatory behaviour, threats or physical violence from either the carer or the person being cared for.
Paradigms/Models of Disability
Prior to 1970's disability policies revolved around a "Segregation Model". This involved:
• legally sanctioned segregation and exclusion based on widespread fears, myths and stereotypes
• segregated schools
• Institutions without options for integration often referred to a "special"
• why 'special' is not a popular word among disability advocates
• 'Special' often connotes unequal and separate!

In the 1970's Rehabilitation/Charity/Medical Models emerged. According to these models, the burden of dealing with consequences of disability rested with person. Attempts were made to medically and vocationally rehabilitate people with disabilities but society had no responsibility to remove barriers. For example:
• For a wheelchair user: no accessible parking spaces – hence a disabled person would have negotiate long distances to get to work site from his/her vehicle;
• At a work-site, he/she would have to negotiate two sets of steps, to get to job on third floor of a non-elevator building;
• A person using braces and crutches, who is forced to laboriously make way up steps, takes 20 minutes to get to worksite instead of two.

As a result of the awareness about the impact of institutional barriers imposed by society on people with disabilities, gradually disability policy models began to move to a Socio-political rather than the traditional Rehabilitation/charity/medical models.
The Socio-political (Independent Living) and Traditional Paradigms
The Independent Living Centre – Lesotho (ILC Lesotho) advocates the socio-political paradigm or approach to disability. The chart below compares traditional paradigms such as the medical, vocational rehabilitation and charity models with the consumer-driven, socio-political paradigm.
MEDICAL, CHARITY &
REHABILITATION
PARADIGMS INDEPENDENT LIVING OR SOCIO-POLITICAL PARADIGM
Definition of problem Physical or mental impairment; lack of vocational skill (in the VR system); lack of abilities to think, walk, see or hear (Medical system); lack of ability for independent living skills (charity system). Dependence upon professionals, family members & others is rooted in social attitudes & environments that are hostile. These are the elements that need to be fixed not the person with a disability.
Locus of problem The problem is perceived to rest in the individual who is seen to be sick or incapacitated and needs to be "fixed" in order to become normal. Disability is a common part of the human condition. Some people are born with disabilities while many others acquire disabilities due to common mishaps in real life.
In the medical/charity and/or rehabilitation processes disability is treated as if it is not a strange human factor.
Solution to the problem Professional intervention; treatment (fixing). 1. civil rights & advocacy
2. barrier removal
3. self-help
4. peer role models & peer support
5. consumer control over options & services
Social role The individual with a disability is a "patient" or "client". He/she becomes the object of pity. The individual with a disability is a "consumer," "customer" or "user" of services and products.
Who controls Professionals in Medicine, welfare officers or vocational trainers choose the best intention mechanisms for their helpless patients or clients. The consumer or individual with a disability is the main stakeholder with a right to choose the most appropriate service.
Desired outcomes Palliative care or activities of daily living (in medical system);
Gainful employment (in VR system) or
Hand outs/ disability grand (in charity system). Independent Living through control over ACCEPTABLE options for every day living in an integrated community and/or personal support depending on gravity of the impairment.
Independent Living and the National Policy
Around the globe disabled persons started organising themselves to engage society on the question of their fundamental human rights and basic freedoms. The United Nations has in turn issued a number of documents to this effect. These include:
• The Declaration on the Rights of Mentally Retarded Persons (1971),
• The Declaration on the Rights of Disabled Persons (1975),
• The World Programme of Action Concerning Disabled Persons (1982),
• The United Nations Decade of Disabled Persons (1983-1992),
• The United Nations Standard Rules for the Equalisation of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities (1993), and
• The Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (2006).

Lesotho as a member of the United Nations system and other international and sub-regional bodies, such as the Southern African Development Community (SADC), has acceded to several international and sub-regional agreements, declarations, protocols and instruments that commit it to implement and follow certain actions and norms for promoting and respecting the rights of persons with disabilities in the country. United Nations (UN) has put in place the principles of participation, integration and equalisation of opportunities in the World Programme of Action Concerning Disabled Persons. It also set the UN Standard Rules for the Equalisation of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities.

In addition, Article 2 of the ILO Convention No. 159 on the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment of Disabled Persons states that “each member shall in accordance with national conditions, practice and possibilities, formulate, implement and periodically review a national policy on vocational rehabilitation and employment of disabled persons.” The UN Standard Rules that recognize the necessity of addressing both the individual needs of persons with disabilities and the shortcomings of society provided a very useful tool in the development of the Kingdom of Lesotho’s up-coming “National Policy on the Inclusion of People with disabilities into Society”.

This policy has been inspired by the Constitution of Lesotho and other national policies, such as, Vision 2020 and the Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS). The constitution provides for support to persons with disabilities as a principle of national policy through, Part II and Part III of the Constitution of Lesotho 1993 that provide for the Protection of Fundamental Human Rights and Principles of State Policy respectively. These documents call for extensive changes in the environment to accommodate the diverse needs of disabled persons in society. The emphasis is on a fundamental shift from the unfortunate situation that has imposed environmental, institutional, attitudinal and economic barriers between people with disabilities and the mainstream society.

Prior to the drafting of this policy, other national legal instruments that enhance the protection of a person with a disability had already been in existence though without much enforcements mechanisms. These include the following promulgated laws:
• Section 19 (1) and (2) of the Building Control Act 1995 which provides for the Identification of draughtsman of plans, specifications, documents and diagrams to the extent that “plans… shall provide for the physical access to the proposed building to persons of different categories of disabilities.”
• Section 3 of the Education Act 1995 provides for Access to education of children with disabilities;
• Section 5(1) and (2) of the Local Government Act of 1997 which for Powers of the Local Authority;
• Criminal Procedure and Evidence (Amendment) Act 2000 has some protection clauses under non-bailable offences;
• Section 3 of the National Assembly (Amendment) Act 2001 provides for Disability, gender and Youth, in that PWDs should participate in politics for development;
• Section 15(1) and (2) of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 provides for sexual offences against disabled persons;
• Clause 12 of the Children’s Protection and Welfare Bill 2005 provides for the protection of children with Disabilities.

These documents generally prohibit discrimination in areas such as:
• Employment opportunities;
• Public accommodations (museums, theatres, malls, grocery stores, doctors offices, schools, hotels, restaurants, etc.);
• Social activities at both central and local government;
• Transportation;
• Telecommunications and so on.

With the advancement of the Socio-political model for the first time, national and international legal structures recognized that people with disabilities are also worthy citizens, regardless of which disability they have. The model acknowledges that everyone citizen has equal rights in society and no one deserves to experience discrimination based on biological impairments. This attitude is a predisposition to a major shift in public policy regarding the promotion and protection of the rights of people with disabilities. The discrimination based on biological or medically diagnosed impairment was recognized as root cause for the isolation, segregation and second-class citizenship of PWDs. The shift marked a significant shift in the way the society looks at biological impairments. The burden of impairment shifted from the individual to the society. Referring back to those steps, mentioned above, the model recognises, inter alia, that people with disabilities have as a civil right, the right to enter a building, to work, and do not deserve to be discriminated against by environmental barriers.
Future Directions for the Independent Living Centre - Lesotho
The current situation analysis shows that there are a number of stakeholders trying to address disability issues in Lesotho. Their efforts are aimed at ensuring that persons with disabilities can lead decent lives. These stakeholders face various challenges. The institutional arrangements for dealing with issues of disability need to be examined to ensure capacity building and effective utilisation of the scarce resources.

One of the weaknesses of the country’s institutional set-up has for a long time been the absence of a national policy that clearly sets up the vision for provision of services within and outside the disability sector. This has resulted in the lack of sound direction for all stakeholders. Thus, the development of the up-coming National Policy referred to above, is a milestone in government’s efforts to mainstream disability issues. An Act of Parliament to provide the legal basis for this Policy would be significant in effectively addressing the issues and problems that affect persons with disabilities.

The situation analysis of the status of persons with disabilities that lead to the formulation of this policy helped to identify challenges and key policy areas to be followed up by appropriate programmes. The identified policy areas include disability prevention, early identification and intervention; rehabilitation; accessibility (which includes access to physical environment, transport, information and communication); Capacity building (which includes: education and training and economic empowerment); quality and essential healthcare (including HIV/AIDS); social protection (including social welfare and Housing); self representation and participation; sports, recreation and entertainment; research and appropriate technology; and legal protection of PWDs. The need for capacity building and wide public education is also highlighted. The policy has developed objectives and strategies for each of these areas.

As a follow-up to the policy formulation process, the Independent Living Centre has been established in order to enhance the quality of access to information and advice on services for PWDs in the country. During the life of its current strategic plan (2007-2011) there will be particular emphasis on providing services to the rural communities. ILC Lesotho intends to establish a mobile service that will continue to visit all districts of the country at least once a year and the ILEP and CTS teams will coordinate with the Options Coordination Services to improve the access of rural community clients to ILC services.

The staff of the Independent Living Centre will be given more opportunities to expand their skills and expertise with a more systematic staff development program, included as part of staff meetings. A whole of agency staff development plan, which will be based on the outcomes of the staff performance management system, will be developed. Staff will be linked to overseas opportunities, by being encouraged to register as volunteers with Business Volunteers Abroad. ILC Lesotho is ensuring there is greater understanding of the Disability Services as well as the training opportunities that may be available for Lesotho organisations in overseas countries.

The Independent Living Equipment Program (ILEP) has been streamlined so that the path for clients is simpler and the relative priority of need can be ascertained. The Independent Living Centre believes that the new system works very well but requires more recurrent funding to match the growing needs of the community. ILC Lesotho recognises that there are limited allied health services available to people living with disabilities. The Centre will work collaboratively with other agencies in the disability sector to ensure adequate availability of allied health services.

The ILC Lesotho Board of Directors will continue to monitor and improve its own performance and the performance of the Executive Director so that the Independent Living Centre remains a highly successful, dynamic and client focussed organisation, in accordance with the philosophical foundation of consumer choice and control, independence, personal autonomy, self-direction, barrier-free environments, non-dependency services, and consumer leadership.
Development Areas
• Seeking adequate recurrent funding for the ILEP program
• Providing a broader range and more coordinated training and development programs for individuals and outside organisations
• Collaborating with other disability and health agencies to expand the availability and coordination of allied therapy services
• Working with the disability sector to improve the range and quality of assistive technology available to the Lesotho community
• developing an outreach service to the rural communities of Lesotho
• Developing local and overseas opportunities for ILC staff and for the Lesotho disability sector as a whole
• Establishing a research demonstration, dissemination, and utilisation centre, the Technology & Research Information Centre (TRIC)

Conclusion

The mission of ILC Lesotho is, henceforth, to enhance the power of people with disabilities and/or their families especially those who are either infected or affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic, to be independent and safe, to make their own informed choices, through increasing access to information, therapy services and to life opportunities. ILC Lesotho’s ultimate vision, therefore, is to ensure that people with disabilities have access to information, advice and provision of appropriate therapy, technology and design to enhance daily living.

Values
We value our clients
• by ensuring easy and equitable access to information and services
• by providing effective and responsive services
• by respecting our clients’ dignity, valuing their opinions and participation
• by developing flexible systems to support clients, carers and their safety
We value our staff
• by ensuring their safety
• by providing excellence in leadership and management
• by facilitating their growth and professional development
• by respecting their individual and family responsibilities
• by providing flexible work arrangements
We value our relationships and partnerships
• by committing ourselves to developing collaborative relationships with other agencies and groups
• by communicating information and concerns
We value prudent management
• by maximising the potential of our available resources

How To Judge a Bathroom: Tips from the "Bathroom Diaries"

"How to judge a bathroom" is the title of this page at Mary Ann Racin's Bathroom Diaries. You won't find ADA/DDA regulations or auditors checklists. Instead she sets cleanliness as the highest criteria and:

Other considerations for good restrooms are: safety, handicap access, changing tables (anyone who changed his/her baby on an airport floor will agree) and hours of operation. Unisex bathrooms are helpful both to parents with young children as well as to our pre-and post-op trans-gendered brothers and sisters

Her site sets out to answer the age old question, "So we know what we want, but how do we find it?"

Read Elizabeth Tai's review in theStarOnline.

Tai Lihua and Thousand-Hand Guanyin

This dance is called the Thousand-Hand Guanyin.

Considering the tight coordination required, their accomplishment is
Nothing short of amazing, even if they were not all DEAF. Yes, you
Read correctly. All 21 of the dancers are complete deaf-mutes . Relying
Only on signals from trainers at the four corners of the stage, these
Extraordinary dancers deliver a visual spectacle that is at once
Intricate and stirring.

Its first major international debut was in
Athens at the closing ceremonies for the 2004 Paralympics.
But it had long been in the repertoire of the China Disabled People's
Performing Art Troupe and had traveled to more than 40 countries.

Its lead dancer is 29-year-old Tai Lihua, who has a BA from The Hubei
Fine Art s Institute. The video was recorded in Beijing during the Spring
Festival celebrations this year.

Grabs Bars as Elements of Style?

It may seem a far-fetched claim but Sally Ann Sullivan, CKD, of Showcase Kitchens and Baths, Inc. in Tulsa, OK captures the sea change in attitude toward style taking place as Boomers age and redefine standards around themselves. They are starting to more and more like what the disability community has been saying for over three decades with Universal Design:

“Grab bars are now quite attractive to people and they can be done in a very sophisticated way, [especially] since the showers are so huge.”

Here is an excerpt from The Simple Life by John Fillipelli:

He concludes: “Time spent in master baths is becoming more and more precious, combining practicality and indulgence. The ‘spa at home’ feel and the efficiency needs required when in master baths are often gathered under the same roof.”

Curbless Enthusiasm

[Carlene] Anderson sees curbless showers as another growing factor in the bath.

“We’re eliminating the threshold at the shower, so the bathroom floor slopes right into the shower drain. So, if anyone is in a wheelchair, they can get in and out quickly,” she says.

[James R.] Dase agrees: “Curbless showers are very popular right now. I am even doing one in my home. While it does take up more space, people love them because you don’t have glass to clean.”

He continues: “If they are not doing a steam shower, it is a much cleaner and sanitary way to do a shower because it also dries out faster, especially when natural materials are used.”

And, this ties into the growing impact of Universal Design, the designers point out.

Anderson offers: “By doing Universal Design, we are trying to make people want to stay in their homes.”

Most bath designers agree that accessible design elements, such as grab bars, are beginning to be accepted universally by clients of all ages for the tub and shower.

http://www.kitchenbathdesign.com/print/Kitchen-and-Bath-Design-News/Poughkeepsie-Bath-Showroom-Seeks-to-Wow/2$4206

RollOn Travel: Thailand by Wheelchair

Volker Posselt and Mitsch Schreiner are making an impact on Thailand with RollOn Travel. Here is an interview with Mitsch ( in German). Find out more about their team here.

More on RollOn Travel:

http://www.accessible-asia.com/

Tel: +49 6221 329544

VibeAgent Unveiled

This afternoon I had the opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look at VibeAgent just 24 hours after its public launch from Adam Healey, VibeAgent’s co-founder and CEO.

We know that the travel industry has not yet built the "killer travel research & reservation app" for the market of people with disabillities. We also know, from studies by the Open Doors Organization, that this market depends on the advice of trusted sources - usually other PwD - because it looks for very specific data. Simon Darcy and Bruce Cameron in Australia have published reports on the importance of visual documentation of hotel accommodations in the decision making of people with disabilities. That is one of the reasons I found TripTV.com to be so promising.

I think VibeAgent surpasses them in usefulness to the disability community right out of the box -- and they don't even offer video yet. Rather than write a definitive review of VibeAgent at the moment I am going to invite readers to register. Play with it and join the group that I have started: Disability & Travel.

Press Release:

Features Personalized Hotel Recommendations and Booking at Best Available Rates

Orlando, FL, Wednesday, November 14, 2007 – Pushing the envelope in online travel, VibeAgent (www.vibeagent.com) announced today at the PhoCusWright Travel Conference the general availability of a new online resource for travelers to save time and money when researching and booking hotel accommodations. VibeAgent is the first travel site that combines user-generated content, meta-search, and social networking to deliver personalized, trustworthy hotel recommendations and booking at the best available rates, all in one convenient place. VibeAgent is addressing an unmet need that helps travelers simplify the hotel research and booking process by providing hotel recommendations based on the reviews of friends, colleagues, and like-minded travelers.

PhoCusWright, the leading travel research firm, estimates that online hotel bookings will total $86.6 billion in 2007 and grow by 20% in 2008. When researching accommodations online, consumers are increasingly turning to travel community sites for objective advice. While these sites provide feedback, their trustworthiness and relevance to the user often falls short. There are few reliable mechanisms in place to keep hotel operators and businesses from posting biased reviews. Feedback is presented in a cumbersome way with minimal information provided about the review writer. Some sites take advertising money from hotels to prioritize their placement in search results, limiting their value for consumers and creating mistrust about their relevance. Lastly, because the source for the best available hotel rates fluctuates so widely, travelers typically visit 4 different web sites before booking a hotel room.

VibeAgent improves the hotel research and booking process by being the first site to offer travelers personalized hotel recommendations, for more than 120,000 hotels, based on the content and connections within a traveler’s social network. VibeAgent then “meta” searches a multitude of travel and hotel web sites in real-time to find all the available room rates for each hotel, so users know they are booking their chosen accommodations at the best available rate. VibeAgent’s features include:

VibeIndex – VibeAgent has developed a proprietary algorithm that combines demographics, site behavior, and the concept of six degrees of separation to rank hotels based on the likelihood they will appeal to each individual traveler. This “VibeIndex” incorporates how the members and groups in each user’s network have rated and tagged hotels to create personalized recommendations for each search. By mining the content and connections in each user’s social network, VibeAgent provides two people conducting the same hotel search with two different sets of recommendations.

Meta-Search – When a hotel search is conducted on VibeAgent, the site gathers rates and availability in real time from multiple online travel agencies (OTAs) and directly from the hotels’ web sites. In total, VibeAgent provides rates and availability for over 120,000 hotels, making it the fifth-largest collection of bookable hotel inventory in the world. VibeAgent users frequently have access to the best rates available online for each of these hotels.

Hotel Tagging – VibeAgent helps travelers make informed hotel booking decisions via a unique tag-based tool that quickly personalizes a search via three categories: Ambience, Activities, and Recommended For. These categories drive the customization of hotel preferences, such as a hotel with a romantic ambience, a day spa, and gourmet dining for food lovers. Registered users can tag a hotel from any search or hotel page without writing a review, for easy reference later.

Groups & Forums – VibeAgent enables registered users to create custom groups or join groups of like-minded travelers, to exchange stories, tips and recommendations with people that share similar travel interests. VibeAgent features a broad array of groups, ranging from Marathon Travelers, to Napa Valley wine lovers, to company groups for business travelers. Once users have joined a group, they have access to the group members' reviews and can create and post messages in group-only forums. Groups can be open or closed for added privacy.

“My Map” - My Map is a customizable dashboard that presents a personalized map of one’s friends, reviews, and groups. Using “My Map,” a traveler can do a quick geo-search of their network to pull up any city in the world and see all the hotels where people in their network have stayed. They can also read reviews, view hotel photos, check room availability, and book a hotel room ─ all without leaving the dashboard.

“My Trips” – The My Trips feature lets travelers keep track of their planned trips while updating their friends, family and colleagues. Conversely, they can also stay informed of their friends’ adventures or planned trips. A status bar gives users a dynamic snapshot of where the friends within their personal network are traveling to at any given time.

“My News” – My News is a personalized news feed of all the activity occurring in one’s travel network. Users are informed whenever their friends, family and colleagues write reviews, plan trips, post questions, or expand their network. VibeAgent also gives users the option to customize what news is presented in their personalized news feed.

“VibeAgent has strived to create a best-of-breed site that provides travelers with trustworthy hotel recommendations, personalized to their individual tastes and preferences, at the best available rates,” stated Adam Healey, VibeAgent’s co-founder and CEO. “VibeAgent users can be confident they’re making the best accommodation choice possible.”

VibeAgent’s formal launch comes on the heels of announcing a round of financing and the appointment of Trip Davis, President and CEO of TRX Inc. (NASD: TRXI), to the company’s Board of Directors. Mr. Davis is recognized as a travel technology industry leader and has received numerous honors and awards, including Business Travel News magazine’s 2007 “Top 25 most influential executives” in the travel industry.

About VibeAgent Inc.

VibeAgent.com is a new online resource for travelers to research and book hotel accommodations. It is the first and only site that combines user-generated hotel reviews, meta-search, and social networking to provide its users with personalized hotel recommendations and booking at the best available rates. VibeAgent’s unparalleled meta-search engine assembles rates and availability for more than 120,000 hotels worldwide from leading sites and providers such as Priceline, HotelBook, InterContinental Hotels, Holiday Inn, Skoosh, Reserve Travel, Venere, Booking.com, Crowne Plaza, Staybridge Suites, TravelWorm, and Travel Intelligence. Founded in 2006, VibeAgent is based in Charlottesville, Virginia. For more information, please visit www.vibeagent.com.

ICAT 2007 - Bangkok

The revised schedule for the Second International Conference on Accessible Tourism has been released. The section Exchange of Experiences on Accessible Tourism has an especially impressive range of contributors :

• Thailand
• Bangladesh
• Singapore
• Nepal
• Hong Kong
• Greece
• Turkey
• Pakistan
• Vietnam

TENTATIVE PROGRAMME

Thursday, 22 November 2007

0800 – 0900 Registration

0900 – 0930 Agenda item 1: Opening of the Conference

*Opening Statement by Mr. Shigeru Mochida, Deputy Executive Secretary of ESCAP
*Welcome Statement by Bangkok Metropolitan Administration
*Welcome Statement by Ministry of Social Development and Human Security
*Inaugural Statement by His Excellency Mr. Suvit Yodmani, Minister of Tourism and Sports
[Master of Ceremony: Ms. Arunee Limmanee
Interpreter: Ms. Natagamont Roongtim]

0930 – 1000 Keynote Address on “Bangkok: City for Life”
by Bangkok Metropolitan Administration

1000 – 1020 Coffee Break

1020 - 1030 Agenda item 2: Adoption of the Programme

1030 – 1200 Agenda item 3: Trends and Sustainability

(a) Global Trends in Accessible Tourism (presented by Mr. Scott Rains)
(b) Sustainable Tourism Aspects (presented by Mr. Joseph Kwan)

Agenda item 4: Biwako Millennium Framework, Economic, and Social Development

(a) Biwako Millennium Framework (BMF): Tool for Promoting Sustainable
Tourism (presented by Ms. Aiko Akiyama)
(b) Accessible Tourism as a Means of Economic and Social Development
(presented by Mr. Ryuji Yamakawa)

1200 – 1300 Lunch break at the UNCC Hall
1300 – 1500 Agenda item 5: Exchange of Experiences on Accessible Tourism

Session I
Thailand
Bangladesh
Singapore
Nepal
Hong Kong

Session II
Greece
Turkey
Pakistan
Vietnam

1500 – 1520 Coffee Break

1520 – 1650 Agenda item 6: Group Discussions

(a) Accessible Planning Information
(b) Transportation Barrier
(c) Accessible Tourist Sites
(d) Accessible Accommodation
(e) Mainstream Services for All Tourists
(f) Destination Experiences

1650 – 1745 Report of the Outcomes by Group Leaders

1745 – 1830 Drafting Committee of the Bangkok Recommendations
by Keynote speakers, UNESCAP, Office of Tourism Development(OTD),
Bangkok Metropolitan Administration,
Representative of Ministry of Social Development and Human Security and
participants and DPI/AP

1830 – 2100 Cultural Performances and welcome Reception hosted by Office of the Tourism Reception Area, UNCC

Friday, 23 November 2007

0900 – 1010 Agenda item 7: Actions needed to Promote Accessible Tourism - Roles of Tourism Business Operators

Representative, Tourism Council of Thailand
Mr. Fabrice Brechet, Group Development Tourism
Mr. Volkes Posselt, Rollon Travel
Representative, Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Thailand Chapter
(Travel Agent)

1010 – 1030 Coffee Break

1030 – 1200 Agenda item 8: Adoption of the Bangkok Recommendations on Accessible Tourism
1200 – 1300 Lunch Break at the UNCC Hall

1300 – 1700 Study Tour to tourist sites and shopping malls

Option A: Trip to Pattaya City (limited for 35 participants on the “First-come-first-served” basis (arranged by Pattaya City and Redemptorist Foundation for People with Disabilities)

Option B: Visit at MBK Shopping Centre (arranged by Ministry of Social Development and Human Security)

Saturday, 24 November 2007

0900 – 1600 Study Tour to Grand Palace and Sampran Graden (arranged by Bangkok Metropolitan Administration)

1800 – 2000 Boat Cruising along the Chao Praya River (arranged by Bangkok Metropolitan Administration

Closing Ceremony:
* Closing Statement by ESCAP
* Closing statement by Bangkok Metropolitan Administration

Christina Li on City Design for Usability

As ENAT's Accessible Tourism Conference in Spain winds down and the Second Annual Conference on Accessible Tourism reaches its finale in Bangkok, Christina Li, founder of UIGarden will speak in Beijing at User Friendly 2007.

An expert on digital design Ms. Li, will address the gathering on the topic, "Designing an Enjoyable Living for Your Residents." Her talk will include Universal Design considerations.

In this talk, we will be looking at factors affect city residents' living experience. The talk will answer you the following questions: What are their aspirations living in the city? What will have effects on people's living experience? How we could improve it? Both good and bad examples will be given to help understanding the rules.

Source:

http://www.upachina.org/userfriendly2007/pwcontent/p_christina_en.html

Call for Participants: Disability Studies Meets Sociology in Research, Teaching and Activism

Event announcement:

CFP: Disability Studies Meets Sociology in Research, Teaching and Activism
Session organized by the Disability Division,
Society for the Studies of Social Problems (SSSP),
July 31- August 2, 2008,
Boston, MA

(more on the conference and SSSP at http://www.sssp1.org/index.cfm/m/293).

This is an open session that invites scholars from sociology and disability studies to engage in meaningful dialogue about the connections, affinities and possible tensions between sociological thinking, teaching and activism and the understanding informed by disability studies work and activism.
This is a wonderful opportunity to engage with the intersection of social science based research and practice from a critical disability angle, and vice versa; a connection that is currently invisible in contemporary works in both fields.

If you have done work that scholarly engages with these themes, please consider presenting it at SSSP. For submission guidelines and extended call for papers go to http://www.sssp1.org/index.cfm/m/293. All papers or extended abstracts have to be submitted electronically by January 31, 2008 at http://www.sssp1.org/index.cfm/pageId/591.

For more inquiries, please contac<

Liat Ben-Moshe
Sociology & Disability Studies
302 Maxwell Hall
Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY 13244
lbenmosh@maxwell.syr.edu

Hand in Hand - Performed by Ma Li and Zhai Xiaowei.

Hand in Hand - Performed by Ma Li and Zhai Xiaowei.

Braille Bank Receipts and that "Slippery Slope" Toward Social Inclusion

If you are sighted have you ever thought about how you would tell the difference between a one dollar bill and a five if you were blind? How about a one and a ten, a twenty, or a one hundred dollar bill?

Come come think of it, how would you know if the printed receipt you received after a bank deposit was accurate? Brazil's Bradseco has introduced the country's first system for producing Braille or large print receipts. Most foreign visitors too the country are not likely to be there long enough to open their own bank account but such major steps in social inclusion for citizens inevitably transform a country into a more hospitable and desireable destination for all.

Parabems Brasil! Congratulations Brazil!

Bradesco lança extrato em Braille

Numa iniciativa inédita no mercado brasileiro, o Bradesco lançou o primeiro extrato bancário impresso em Braille para facilitar a leitura pelos próprios correntistas e pessoas com deficiência visual. A medida, que entrará em operação a partir de novembro, visa a aprimorar ainda mais a qualidade do atendimento e a política de responsabilidade socioambiental da Organização. Com isso, o Banco pretende atender melhor ao grupo de clientes com deficiência visual total ou parcial, proporcionando acessibilidade, privacidade e segurança na consulta de sua movimentação financeira.

O demonstrativo consolidado, espécie de extrato que contempla informações de Conta Corrente e de outros produtos, além da versão em Braille, poderá ser impresso no formato ampliado. Neste caso, terá fontes (letras e números) maiores para facilitar a leitura dos que apresentam deficiência visual parcial. Os demonstrativos já estão prontos e começam a ser enviados, gratuitamente, a partir do próximo mês, acompanhados da versão normal, que será mantida por motivos legais, sem nenhum custo adicional ao cliente.

A iniciativa do Bradesco será divulgada por emissoras de rádio das principais capitais do País, além da Internet. O objetivo é prestar a melhor orientação a quem necessita e tem interesse em receber os novos extratos. Para ter acesso aos demonstrativos adaptados, o cliente deve procurar a agência ou ligar para o Fone Fácil.

O Sistema Braille

Em 1829, o jovem francês Luis Braille, nascido em Coupvray, com apenas 15 anos e cego desde os três, criou o chamado Sistema Braille, composto por seis pontos agrupados em duas fileiras de três pontos cada - a cela Braille. A combinação desses seis pontos permite que se formem 63 caracteres que simbolizam as letras do alfabeto convencional e suas variações como acentos, pontuação, números, símbolos matemáticos e químicos e as notas musicais. Atualmente, esse sistema de leitura por tato é amplamente utilizado na educação de cegos, aumentando as chances de conseguirem um emprego, serem incluídos socialmente e se tornarem cidadãos independentes.

Survival Strategies for Going Abroad: A Guide for People with Disabilities from MIUSA

MIUSA is having a holiday sale on the book "Survival Strategies for Going Abroad: A Guide for People with Disabilities." They sent the following information:

Survival Strategies for Going Abroad: A Guide for People with Disabilities is an intuitive step-by-step guide sharing the best advice on:

· Choosing the right kind of international program to meet individual goals and plans

· Advice on the application, fundraising and preparation process as a person with a disability

· Tips on air travel, navigating unfamiliar places, and cultural considerations once abroad

· How to readjust after the overseas experience to life at home

· And More!

November 7, 2007— Beginning November 12, 2007 and continuing through the 2007 holiday season, Mobility international USA will reduce the prices by 40% for the popular book Survival Strategies for Going Abroad: A Guide for People with Disabilities. It’s now only $10! This book brings together people with disabilities from a wide variety of backgrounds to share their experiences as people who have studied, worked, taught and volunteered all over the world.

“Laura Hershey’s combination of personal experience and excellent writing makes this book extraordinarily valuable for international travelers with disabilities and their families. Kudos to Laura and Mobility International USA for creating such a valuable resource.” Andrew J. Imparato, President and CEO at American Association of People with Disabilities.

The NCDE is administered by Mobility International USA and sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State.

“If you have a disability and are planning an international trip for any reason, Mobility International USA’s new book, Survival Strategies for Going Abroad: A Guide for People with Disabilities, should be your first destination.” Greg Smith, Host/Founder of On a Roll – Talk Radio on Life & Disability.

The practical advice and candid stories in this book will show readers that anyone with or without a disability can have an amazing international experience.

Don’t miss this opportunity! Go to http://www.miusa.org/publications/books/ss, and order a sale copy of Survival Strategies before December31, 2007, or while supplies last.

Islamic View of Disabilities and Autism

Ustadha Zaynab Ansari responds to a question posed by the mother of two children with autism. The compassionate answer outlines seven points and ends:

And, above all, there is love. Love your children. Don’t let them see you or anyone else get angry or resentful because this will hurt them and they will blame themselves. Even if they can’t articulate it, they know when people are upset. And it affects them. Deeply. Laugh with them, smile, kiss them, hug them and let them know how loved they are. And they will respond. Don’t buy into that myth that autistic children cannot show affection. That is a lie. They love you more than you’ll ever know.

As we build a world where inclusion is commonplace and Universal Design is ubiquitous it is always good to revisit foundational values.

Source:

http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/islamic_view_of_disabilities_and_autism/0014698

Sweden Pays Attention to How Seniors Travel

Travel Daily News reports:

“Senior travellers are one of the most interesting sectors in Sweden right now,” says Johan F Lundberg, ITTFA President and Exhibition Manager for TUR. “In a few years there will be more than 3 million people over 55 years, which represents 30% of the total population in Sweden.”

Lundberg continues, “As well as an increase in numbers, there are also notable changes in the behaviour and demands of this market segment. These days Seniors now spend more money on themselves than before, not just on their own trips but also together with their families and grandchildren. They are also very experienced travellers, most of them having travelled for many years. “

“Recognising this new market, the Swedish Exhibition Centre started a specialist senior exhibition two years ago, where travel is the biggest product sector at the fair... “

In order to succeed, it is therefore essential that holiday companies adapt to provide the over 50s market with opportunities that are appealing, accessible and original. Trips that reflect their wanderlust, capture their imagination but also meet their specific needs in a mature and uncomplicated manner. This Third Age of travellers can only get bigger and more powerful. In order not to miss the boat, train or plane, companies need to get on board now and embrace a whole new generation.

Up Kilimanjaro

Kilimanjaro has racked up a growing reputation as a backdrop for some extraordinary accomplishments by people with disabilities.

* Michele Norris talks to Nicolai Calabria, 13, who climbed Mount Kilimanjaro this summer. He climbed the 19,000-foot mountain on crutches, braving arctic temperatures. Listen to the interview on NPR.

*Jimmy Goddard on Kilimanjaro.

Seniors Travel Back to Campus?

The travel and leisure industry is abuzz with the question, "What are the trends to watch coming out of the Boomer generation?" One may be new ways of forming community.

Campus Continuum LLC, based in Newton, Mass., organizes residential 55+ Active Adult Communities for life-long learners on or near college campuses. The firm plans to develop a network of communities across the country boostrapping on each other's best practices. Will this include Universal Design?

Gerard Badler, Campus Continuum's managing director, says many Boomers are finding a sense of place that bypasses more conventional retreats such as beaches or golf courses: they're looking for a retirement -- or semiretirement -- lifestyle different from that experienced by their parents. They're looking for stimulating intellectual, social and volunteer opportunities.

In Campus Continuum's vision, residents will have access to the programs and facilities of the university, as well as seminars and other programs they organize themselves. Depending on their interests and backgrounds, some might become part-time lecturers, advise student clubs and organizations, act as tutors, mentors, or career advisors, and be an enthusiastic audience for music, theater and sports.

http://www.thematuremarket.com/SeniorStrategic/dossier.php?numtxt=9278&idrb=5&titre=SurveyShows:%2055+%20Residence%20Concept%20Is%20Catching%20On

Australia Launches Transport Infoline

Press release:

Parents with prams and people in wheelchairs will now be able to plan their trip from the comfort of their homes by searching for easy access trains, buses and ferries before they travel.

A website set up by the State Government allows travellers to identify accessible services, such as low-floor buses and train stations with lifts.

Commuters wanting to pre-plan their trip can now do so by logging on to www.131500.com.au.

"In the past, planning a trip based around easy access public transport could be an onerous task,'' said Transport Minister John Watkins.

Teri Adams on Models of Disability

Teri Adams presents brief reviews of the various theoretical models of social response to disability while personalizing them with her own experience. Read "Moloka'i: Disability History in Microcosm?" over at Crip Chronicles. Referring to the currently dominant models aligned around the concepts of "culture" and 'civil rights" she rights:

I reject the moniker of "cultural" model as being unworkable. The non-disabled public does not embrace disability culture as another culture to be recognized, like African or Hispanic culture....

I'll Take The Civil Rights Model

Born in the 1970's, with the Independent Living Movement, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, all the way to the coming of age in 1990 with the Americans With Disabilities Act, American society is saying that persons with disabilities are entitled to the same civil rights as citizens who are not [presently] disabled.

I wonder. Is there a model that is emerging beyond these that we traditionally have named?

Où partir quand on est une personne handicapée... (French)

"La France, pays du tourisme, est encore très en retard", déplore la Fnath (Fédération nationale des accidentés de la vie, 200.000 adhérents), malgré l'obligation d'accessibilité inscrite dans la loi 2005 pour les établissements accueillant du public, et le développement récent de l'offre commerciale, sites web et guides.

Lire l'article:

http://informations.handica.com/art-tourisme-culture-15.0.0.0-2307.php

Passeata SuperAção (Portuguese)

Convidamos você para participar e apoiar a Passeata SuperAção – Incluindo Diferenças em Defesa dos Direitos Humanos, que será realizada no dia 1º de dezembro, a partir das 10h, saindo da Praça Oswaldo Cruz, com destino ao vão livre do MASP.

O movimento surgiu com a idéia de comemorar o Dia Internacional da Pessoa com Deficiência, que acontece no dia 3 de dezembro.

Para reforçar o clima de comemoração, alegria e descontração teremos um trio elétrico, música e atrações artísticas. Gostaríamos que caminhasse ao nosso lado até o vão livre do MASP.

Este ano estamos na 4ª edição do evento e além de reivindicarmos a pauta das pessoas com deficiência e de seus direitos, estamos incluindo em nosso movimento outros grupos.

Nosso intuito é alertar a todos sobre a importância do reconhecimento da diversidade humana e da inclusão de suas diferenças.

Realização:

Movimento SuperAção

Mais Diferenças

Participe!!!

http://www.movimentosuperacao.org.br/supernovo/
http://blog.movimentosuperacao.com.br

24th Annual Pac Rim Conference Call for Papers: Deadline November 26th

The International Forum 2008: Securing the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is a pre-conference event to the 24th Annual Pac Rim Conference. The web site includes the following description:

* What are implications of the Convention [on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities CRPD] to persons with disabilities in countries of the Asia Pacific Region?

* What are regional concerns surrounding implementation of the CRPD?

* What are the challenges for “developing countries” as they seek to implement the Convention?

* How can applying the guiding principles of the Convention affect positive real change for persons with disabilities?

* In what ways do international norms help or hinder local activism and advocacy?

* How can activists use international norms to promote disability rights within their nations?

The design of the forum will consist of Noted Speakers, breakout sessions, discussion panels and workshops. Select speakers including experts with regional and UN experience, advocates and community leaders will present and participate in panels and lead discussions around the posed questions. The forum will also provide a space for dialogue and informal conversations. We invite you to host a dialogue session and to share your insights and expertise. The forum will be participant driven and focuses around issues and needs of the attendees.

From the organizers:

Registration now open!

Mark your calendar now and plan on joining us for the 24th Annual Pac Rim Conference taking place on April 14-15, 2008 at the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel and Resort. Registration is now open. Visit the Pac Rim website for more information on Registration and the Call for Papers.

CDS is celebrating 20 years of academic and community excellence. Building on the overwhelming positive outcome of previous Annual Pacific Rim Conferences and harnessing the excitement of this anniversary, this will be a conference you won’t want to miss. There is something for everyone including over ten topical areas, interactive workshops, a film festival, exciting speakers and even a writing workshop, entitled “Writing our Stories” facilitated by acclaimed author Patricia Wood. Pre-conference activities include the International Forum 2008: Securing the Rights of Persons with Disabilities where people from all over the world will be discussing the rights of persons with disabilities. Updates on a weekly basis will be provided on our website.

Pac Rim continues to promote cutting-edge opportunities to learn from one another, and to share resources and ideas that support the quality of life, community inclusion and self-determination for all persons with disabilities and their families to help shape our world community. Please consider submitting a proposal in one of our topical areas. We want your participation.

Opportunities for exhibiting, advertising and sponsorship are available as well and we invite you to call us to discuss options. We are always on the lookout for Scholarship Sponsors which allow us to underwrite the costs for self-advocates, parents, family members and others who would not otherwise be able to afford to attend this event. We welcome your support.

If you have attended previous Pac Rim Conferences, we look forward to seeing you again. If you have considered attending before but haven’t, this is the year for you to visit our lovely islands and experience one of the country’s largest conference on disabilities.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Aloha,
Valerie Shearer and Charmaine Crockett

Inclusive Tourism: Some Definitions

When does travel - moving from point A to point B - become tourism?

Webster says that tourism is:

Function: noun
1 : the practice of traveling for recreation
2 : the guidance or management of tourists
3 a : the promotion or encouragement of touring b : the accommodation of tourists

(Source: http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=tourism)

Wikipedia elaborates with:

Tourism can be defined as the act of travel for the purpose of recreation, and the provision of services for this act. A tourist is someone who travels at least fifty miles from home, as defined by the World Tourism Organization (a United Nations body).

A more comprehensive definition would be that tourism is a service industry, comprising a number of tangible and intangible components. The tangible elements include transport systems - air, rail, road, water and now, space; hospitality services - accommodation, foods and beverages, tours, souvenirs; and related services such as banking, insurance and safety & security.

The intangible elements include: rest and relaxation, culture, escape, adventure, new and different experiences.

(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourism)

Bottom line? Tourism is when you find yourself 50 miles or more away from home - for the right reasons.

Travel & Disability at Suite 101 concerns itself with "Inclusive Tourism" and the means to achieving it, "Inclusive Destination Development."

In this case "inclusive" refers to accommodating a broad range of tourists not to a particular payment scheme for the travel product. There can be confusion because "all inclusive" is also used by the travel industry to describe self-contained resorts and/or packaged tours where all expenses and amenities are included in the initial price.

Rather "inclusive" is used in the sense that it is used by the World Bank in its promotion of "Inclusive Development."

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

"Inclusive Destination Development" uses the word "inclusive", in the sense it is used by the World Bank, to mean "allowing for the full social participation of people with disabilities." Thus, Inclusive Destination Development is "the systematic and strategic application of resources to render a location a destination of choice for persons with disabilities."

The goal of Inclusive Tourism is to accommodate the broadest range of tourists possible without stigma or the need for special accommodation

Inclusive Tourism is one important means through which persons with disabilities participate in society at a distance from their homes. At the same time, the presence of these tourists provides a model - and source of funding - for the inclusive practices and infrastructure necessary for their presence. Inclusive Tourism partially funds Inclusive Destination Development. Inclusive tourism is an example of democratization and the dissemination of human rights through a market-driven mechanism.

Known by various names in various places such as, accessible tourism or tourism for all, inclusive tourism is made possible by the widespread adoption of the Seven Principles of Universal Design:

1. Equitable Use: The design does not disadvantage or stigmatize any group of users.
2. Flexibility in Use: The design accommodates a wide range of individual preferences and abilities.
3. Simple, Intuitive Use: Use of the design is easy to understand, regardless of the user's experience, knowledge, language skills, or current concentration level.
4. Perceptible Information: The design communicates necessary information effectively to the user, regardless of ambient conditions or the user's sensory abilities.
5. Tolerance for Error: The design minimizes hazards and the adverse consequences of accidental or unintended actions.
6. Low Physical Effort: The design can be used efficiently and comfortably, and with a minimum of fatigue.
7. Size and Space for Approach & Use: Appropriate size and space is provided for approach, reach, manipulation, and use, regardless of the user's body size, posture, or mobility. *

Related to Universal Design is the concept "Visitability." Visitability refers to private homes and a certain minimum set of standards that make them hospitable to one subgroup of those with disabiities - guests using wheelchairs:

While the concept of Visitability is very simple, the definition has several interactive layers: The spirit of Visitability is as important as the list of features.

That spirit says, it's not just unwise, but unacceptable that new homes continue to be built with basic barriers... These barriers cause daily, draining drudgery; physically unsafe conditions; social isolation; and undesired institutionalization... The features list must be partly rigid and partly flexible. The inflexible Visitability features are:

* Wide passage doors
* At least a half bath/powder room on the main floor
* At least one zero-step entrance

(source: http://www.concretechange.org/Definition_of_Visitability.htm)

Visitability is not directly relevant to the hospitality industry, and thus tourism, as it only seeks address the construction of new private homes. However, as the concepts of Universal Design and Visitability redefine the housing market, hotel and resort guests will come to expect non-exclusionary architecture in order to recreate the familiar sense of home and socialize with their disabled travel companions.

Resources:

The World Tourism Organization http://www.world-tourism.org

Concrete Change http://www.concretechange.org

The Rolling Rains Report http://www.RollingRains.com

* Compiled by advocates of universal design, listed in alphabetical order: Bettye Rose Connell, Mike Jones, Ron Mace, Jim Mueller, Abir Mullick, Elaine Ostroff, Jon Sanford, Ed Steinfeld, Molly Story, Gregg Vanderheiden

Accessible London - and a Few Other Places

It's a sign that Inclusive Tourism has caught on when Spain's premiere disability & travel e-zine, Polibea Turismo, features a story on accessibility in London. You can read about Artsline in the latest issue. Artsline's CEO, Alan Kerr, writes tha the organization was was founded in 1981 and now has an online database with information on over 1,400 accessible arts and entertainment venues in London.

Next door, Accessible Portugal, writes about BritRail, Eurail and new EU-wide air transportation regulations for people with disabilities. Somewhere on the ocean DeafMom writes about the first all deaf cruise - the Deaf Freedom Cruise. Across the pond, Global Access News has a story about wheelchair travel in Outer Mongolia! And, if you have been reading your subscription to Candy Harrington's Emerging Horizons, you would know that "New Orleans is Open for Business."

From all the press one might guess that we're a community on the move!

Say It Right in Any Language

Marco Nicoli, Executive Director of Lextracon – Language Solutions and Consulting has just announced a new social entrepreneurial initiative:

Lextracon LLC, a US-based company specializing in legal and financial language services, is launching a corporate social responsibility initiative called "Disability Focus."

Disability Focus has the goal of creating working opportunities for persons with disabilities, while providing disability-specialized translation services that are expected to be in demand during the process of implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The idea combines a response to a market-driven demand with a social initiative. The social initiative consists of creating a worldwide network of persons with disabilities with advanced language skills, familiar with culturally sensitive terminology in the field of disability, and with a basic knowledge of computer (use of emails, word processors, scanners, handling of PDF files).

While the long-term goal is to create an e-network of certified translators, the short-term objective is to create on-line specialized translation opportunities that will be complemented with continuing vocational training, allowing the members of the network to gradually reach national accreditation as professional translators.

If you believe that you have the above-mentioned requisites, and you are interested in this challenge, please send your resume with details on translation and computing skills to: marco.nicoli@lextracon.com, referencing "Disability Focus Initiative." Please indicate also if you are interested in being considered for more extended opportunities in legal / financial translations and what your qualifications are.

Posted by rollingrains at 01:31 AM

Contribute to UN Work on Crisis Prevention and Recovery Approaches for Persons with Disabilities

Mugiho Takeshita, at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), is asking for assistance in gathering information that many Rolling Rains readers may be able to provide for her.

I am working on disabilities issues for UNDP’s Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery. We have been developing a discussion paper for proposing sustainable and comprehensive crisis prevention and recovery approaches for persons with physical and mental disabilities caused by landmines, small arms and violence in conflict and in post-conflict situations, and by natural disasters.

For developing this paper, I would like to know some examples of:

- How countries that signed the CRPD have modified their regulations and laws (including existence of committees working on this); and

- What they have been doing concretely for persons with disability, after the adoption of the CRPD.

We will use the information to include into our discussion paper, mentioned above, which will be circulated inside of UNDP, and possibly to other UN agencies and organizations. We would also like to have your feedback, in case we decide to circulate externally our paper for reviewing.

Thank you very sincerely for your support.

Kind regards,

Mugi

-------------------------------------------------

Ms. Mugiho TAKESHITA
Early Recovery & Cross-Cutting Issues Team
Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery (BCPR)
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
11-13 Chemin des Anémones
Châtelaine, CH-1219 Geneva, Switzerland

Tel.: +41 22 917 8113

Email: mugiho.takeshita@undp.org

Beautiful Universal Design by Cynthia Leibrock and James Evan Terry

Beautiful Universal Design by Cynthia Leibrock and James Evan Terry contains a wealth of information on doing UD right:

In the design of airports, courthouses, and correctional facilities, there is constant tension between the security and accessibility requirements. In historic properties, there is also a tension between the need to preserve and the need to change for access. Hospitality design must balance commercial and residential universal design needs.

In other occupancies, conveniences become requirements. A covered entrance must be installed in health care facilities while an assistive listening system is mandated in most assembly areas. Line-of-sight is required for seated customers in stadiums, and a bench must be added to each stadium dressing room. The ticket counter must be planned at heights tall, average, and short users as well as people in wheelchairs and children. These details often make the difference between empowerment and disability by design.

For more see Case Studies

New Book on Universal Design by Silvana Cambiaghi (Portuguese)

A Photo Essay on Accessibility in China -- And a Show for Outsiders

Ember Swift has a great collection of photos and anecdotes at "A Canadian in Beijing: Accessibility? If You Roll When You Stroll, 麻烦！"

Stephen Hallet of the BBC writes about the cosmetic changes taking place in China in preparation for the upcoming Olympics. See "One Eye on China; Mainly for Show"

Thanks to Marti at Global Access News for this research. Read the entire issue of her e-zine here:

http://www.globalaccessnews.com/november07.htm

Subscribe. It's free and always worth the read!

Accessible Mexico: Updated Web Site

Adriana Ramirez Gonzalez is a pioneer in making Puerto Vallarta, Mexico a destination of choice for travelers with disabilities. She has just written to announce the expansion of her web site. See it at: http://www.accesiblemexico.com/

"No te preocupes de mis derechos, preocúpate de mi cartera"!

Del Heraldo.es viene:

El 45% de los hoteles de tres y cuatro estrellas no cumple ningún estándar de accesibilidad, y sólo el 0,7% alcanza niveles óptimos. Hay leyes suficientes, pero falta formación específica en la Universidad y sobran "barreras mentales" en las empresas turísticas.

COLPISA. Madrid | El "turismo para todos" que garantice ese "bien social" a los 3,5 millones de españoles con discapacidad sigue siendo una asignatura pendiente, y "lo que más está costando es romper la barrera mental, sobre todo de los empresarios". Lo subraya Jesús Hernández, director de Accesibilidad de la Fundación ONCE, convencido de que, "si se aplicara, el material legislativo sería suficiente para poder avanzar" y de que, por tanto, hay que buscar la solución en otro sitio, como la formación universitaria especializada o la información adecuada a ese sector clave de la economía.

Al presentar el II Congreso Internacional Turismo para Todos ENAT que reunirá a una veintena de países en la Comunidad Valenciana del 21 al 23 de noviembre, Hernández apostó por convencer a las empresas con argumentos financieros, "a través de la cuenta de resultados". Y recalcó su invitación a "que vean en las personas con discapacidad un mercado potencial" con un punto de ironía: "No te preocupes de mis derechos, preocúpate de mi cartera".

Pasión viajera

No hay duda alguna sobre la pasión viajera de ese colectivo, cuyo 60% de movilidad turística anual supera al 53% de la población española, y podría hacerlo más: casi el 84% de las personas con discapacidad física asegura que le gusta viajar, y al 54% le sobra tiempo para ello. Si no salen, remachó Hernández, "no es por ganas, sino porque es toda una aventura". O tres. Una aventura económica, porque la mayor accesibilidad suele coincidir con la mayor categoría y precio de los alojamientos. Otra física, porque los transportes, hoteles y lugares de ocio componen una generalizada carrera de obstáculos. Y una tercera profesional, porque sigue fallando la atención del personal turístico. .

Basten, como reflejo de esos problemas, unas pocas cifras. En el ámbito hotelero, el Plan Nacional de Accesibilidad dibuja una realidad desoladora en los establecimientos de 3 y 4 estrellas: de los 431 analizados, sólo el 0,7% alcanza niveles óptimos, y la oferta para usuarios de sillas de rueda apenas llega al 8%; peor aún, el 45% no cumple ningún estándar de accesibilidad, y ni siquiera permite un acceso aceptable a personas con muletas. En cuanto al trato recibido, el 72% de clientes con discapacidad señala que el personal conoce poco o nada sus necesidades concretas.

Ejemplos a seguir

Estos datos ayudan a perfilar las posibles soluciones, que van más allá de la imprescindible eliminación de barreras arquitectónicas, urbanísticas y de transporte. Y un ámbito clave debe ser la Universidad, enfatiza Hernández, que echa en falta "formación para hacer el turismo accesible y de diseño para todos" en las carreras de Ingeniería, Arquitectura y Turismo. Ese vacío se está tapando parcialmente con "cursos de posgrado y asignaturas de libre configuración, pero no con asignaturas troncales ni de forma estructurada". Además, hay que pensar en la atención integral al colectivo desde todos los ámbitos del ocio, lo que exige, por ejemplo, guías turísticos preparados para dar explicaciones a una persona ciega o personal de una recepción hotelera que conozca y sepa tratar a su clientela con discapacidad.

El II Congreso Internacional Turismo para Todos ENAT, siglas en inglés de la Red Europea para el Turismo Accesible que lo avala, examinará a fondo esos problemas y será escaparate de las experiencias más exitosas en ocio y discapacidad. Frente a las barreras mentales que perduran en la sociedad y en ese sector económico, el encuentro incidirá en las oportunidades de futuro, tanto para la "mejora del modelo de negocio" empresarial como, en palabras de Mercé Luz, directora de Cultura y Ocio de la Fundación ONCE, para "beneficiar a toda la población", porque los "lugares accesibles pueden servir también para familias con niños pequeños en carritos" y para personas mayores.

Fuente:

Suspenso en "turismo para todos"
http://www.heraldo.es/heraldo.html?noticia=%20212251

Thulasi Venkat @ Information On Travel Articles and News

Thulasi Venkat has reprinted several articles on disability and travel at the blog Information On Travel Articles and News. Mine on Universal Design and the travel industry, A Travel Trend on the Horizon is part of a collection that includes:

A taste of travel in Tasmania by Greg Killeen

Travelling with a disability: Europe by Bruce Mumford

Before You Go: Accessible Travel Tips by Bruce Mumford

For more stories on travel and disability go to Sandra's excellent collection at eBility.com

Prospect Endangering Passenger's Safety at SFO?

On October 1,2007 the San Francisco International airport (SFO) passed a regulation that staff may not push two wheelchairs at the same time when assisting passengers. The instruction seems clear enough. However, reports have come in that the regulation has been ignored in some cases. If you have observed or experienced this, or other, unsafe practices at SFO please contact the Rolling Rains Report.

Unfortunately, the union reports that as of October 26, 2007 none of the workers in the agency responsible for this service at SFO, Prospect, had been formally notified of this new rule. In addition, they characterize Prospect management as engaged in stalling contract negotiations leaving workers frustrated and ready to take on major actions.

At the same time, the Prospect web site offers one of the most insightful observations on the importance of this service. In describing this demanding time-critical work environment faced by those who assist airline passengers with disabilities Prospect signals its best intentions:

How important are these services to the image of any airline? From skycap service to wheelchair assistance to baggage service personnel, they are often the first and last impression that customers receive when traveling. These representatives also frequently spend the most time of any personnel interacting directly with the passengers.

This high level of interaction is particularly true of passengers requiring physical assistance in navigating through the airport. As the fastest growing segment of the traveling population, the number of those requiring a wheelchair or electric cart continues to rise dramatically.

The SFO situation is similar to Los Angeles LAX.

Troubling reports circulate that Prospect workers there have been working with 1 or 2 trainings in
the past 5 years on this topic - some never received any since they started working in
2004 - and they're still working with broken wheelchairs, even though
the company has new wheelchairs that they're not letting the workers
use.

At one level situations such as this are complicated involving the interests of individual workers, their union, multiple airlines, contract services, airport management, regulators, travelers with disabilities, and disability advocates. At another level, as I have said previously, it is too frequently the service industry worker who takes the brunt of a traveler's dissatisfaction - even while they may be quietly serving to improve services for people with disabilities within their own organization at work.

If you encounter unsafe equipment or practices, report them. If you experience good service, tip generously! The good service you reward today will result in safer service for everybody tomorrow.

For previous coverage see:

LAX Compromises the Safety, Security and Health of Passengers
http://www.rollingrains.com/archives/001736.html

Due Diligence on the Part of Airport Assistants for People with Disabilities
http://www.rollingrains.com/archives/001690.html

Open Social: Social Networking Goes Open Source?

As social networks like My Space and Facebook proliferate - and get relevant as in the case of Disaboom and others under production - Google has placed itself in the Open Source camp with Open Social announced today. Early reporting in Tech Crunch here coverage of the announcement, and a Ning site on Open Social offer background. How will developers utilize this new initiative to the benefit of the disability community?

Picking on the Wrong Passenger: AirAsia Gambles on Discrimination

AirAsia is not happy with Peter Tan.

Peter has a healthy sense of self-worth, a well-informed sense of social justice, and a widely read blog -- Digital Awakening. When he names his treatment by AirAsia as "discriminatory" he does not choose his words lightly.

Aside from the moral and legal issues involved in denying equal levels of service to passengers based on race or ability the tactic creates a public relations nightmare. Articulate and connected advocates like Peter are chided by their industry contacts for being precipitous, "We could have worked this out privately" is the line of argument-cum-shaming. That approach is ignorant of the ethos of advocacy that operates within a community when it becomes aware that it is tolerated as "special" rather than sought after as lucrative.

Peter was compelled to sign a waiver of liability as he reports in "AirAsia Still Practices Discrimination Against Disabled People." See the notation next to the signature block on he form below, "Under Protest."

Risk analysis can be used to justify innumerable utilitarian reasons for businesses to take morally questionable actions but it is fiction, not cold facts, that is more illuminating in this case. Ursula K. Le Guin's "The Ones Who Walked Away From Omelas" weaves the tale of a utopian society -- whose existence relies on the silent abuse of a single individual. Airline strategies that single out a class of customer and then attempt to co-opt those who resist will backfire.

For example, AirAsia is attempting to extend its route to Coventry, UK. However disability advocates there, having learned of their practices, and have alerted officials to review the company's practices in light of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA).

It is simply better business to adopt Universal Design in airplane and airport design and extend the philosophy to business practices and policy. At the line level, management needs to read and apply the research done by Darcy & Daruwalla on discrimination in the travel industry. Download file

The December 2007 My Spin column in New Mobility magazine will begin with this premise. Peter Tan embodies the message:

When we travel we represent more than ourselves because we are part of a community. As a person with a disability you carry two items of unusual value -- especially in combination. Both tend to surprise those you meet as you travel. The two items are money and pride. By money I don’t just mean the change in your pocket. By pride I mean the self-determination of knowing who you are beyond economic measures of worth.

Further Reading:

Air Asia
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/main.jhtml?xml=/travel/2007/01/06/etairasia06.xml

Travelers with Disabilities: Responding to a Business Opportunity
http://www.rollingrains.com/archives/001848.html

The Global Reach of Accessible Tourism: IATC 2005 Keynote Address

US FAA Guidelines on transporting passengers with non-stable medical conditions (not appropriate for people with disabilities)
http://www.faa.gov/other_visit/aviation_industry/designees_delegations/designee_types/ame/media/Section%20II.7.2%20Transportation%20of%20Patients%20of%20Air%20Ambulance.doc

Reaching Consumers With Disabilities: The Silver Economy

Over at New Mobility author Mark E. Smith notes that demographics of aging and disability have penetrated into product design thinking. Not just NTT DoCoMo's cell phone but Honda's Monpal and Porsche's P'Gasus represent the maturity of mainstream manufacturer's knowledge about PwD as a market.

Honda Motor Company - known for its automobiles, motorcycles and recreational vehicles - has entered the mobility market, launching its Monpal mobility scooter. As a mobility device, the Monpal is a bold move for Honda, reaching out to a consumer demographic that other mainstream transportation manufacturers haven't yet addressed: those of us with disabilities.

What's intriguing about the Monpal is that Honda approached the mobility market from an automotive perspective rather than a clinical one, integrating aspects like automotive-style lighting and bold body design that obviously take cues from the motorcycle market.

For the full article:
http://www.newmobility.com/articleView.cfm?id=11019