Rolling Rains Report:

Sound Sketch -- Multisensory Travel to a Glacier

The diesel motor rumbles vibrating the ship until we anchor. Even so, this expansive wildness is never silent.

At night we drop anchor. No silence here either. We are at the confluence of the three chutes of the 65 mile long "Y" that is Glacier Bay. The long narrow spaces surrounding us pulse with the sound of living glacier.

The sound signature of glacial motion comes with startling clarity and frequency to where we roll on the sea swells. Sound travels to us down three geologic auditory canals. Sounds are guided down every unobstructed valley and inlet to this place. They roll along the water's surface and sheer rock mountain corridors.

Night falls. We listen to the conversations of mountains from this centerpoint of a world disappearing.

Appropriate, perhaps, that glaciers retreating at a lightning pace -- the fastest glacial retreat in the world -- would produce the sound of thunder. "Sumdum" in Tlingit.

Return from Kayaking Reed Glacier - Glacier Bay, Alaska

While the most unique moment of the day was entering the tandem sea kayak via electric winch and a harness called the McKinnon Hugger this peaceful return to the Sea Wolf after exploring Reed Glacier on a sunny May day was a memorable moment.

My First Kayak Trip (or Ode to the McKinnon Hugger and Crew of the Sea Wolf!)

After years of trepidation about the stability of kayaks I finally got in one using this theatrical "high seas" entry method.

The Sea Wolf is out fitted with a surprisingly comfortable and secure device called the McKinnon Hugger. It uses an ingenious caliper action and, when attached to the ship's davot (arm & winch) becomes a surprisingly effectives way for quads like me to kayak.

Photos from Glacier Bay

Aboard the Sea Wolf cruising near the world's fastest-receding glaciers on Glacier Bay, Alaska:

Find more photos like this on Tour Watch

Waypoint Yacht Charter Services books the wheelchair-adapted wood-hulled yacht the Sea Wolf. Small enough to be intimate (six cabins/ three wheelchair usable) and retrofitted with wheelchair lifts to each of the three main decks cruises in Glacier Bay, Alaska on the Sea Wolf include sea kayaking because the owner has installed a unique lift system. I was out of my wheelchair and into my kayak with the splash skirt fitted down in 60 seconds thanks to a skilled and attentive crew.

To take the trip yourself contact:

Sherri Backstrom
Waypoint Yacht Charter Services
contact@waypointcharter.com

www.waypointcharter.com/accessible_travel.htm
t 888-491-2949 or 360-656-5934

Food - The Key to Nautical Tranquility!

Aboard a small ship or yacht a good crew works hard. The crew of the Sea Wolf is a great crew.

Kimber Owen, owner of Sea Wolf, took me on a ship inspection to examine in detail the retrofitting done to make this World War II minesweeper into a wheelchair-accessible outdoor adventure platform. Boarding in Gustavus in my wheelchair was easy with the long ramp that captain Mike and engineer Wayne had waiting. This sort of attention to detail went far to making me comfortable with a potentially very awkward transfer. Ultimately, it established a baseline sense of the accessibility of the boat, the competence of the crew, and the safety of the upcoming cruise. So many impressions are established in the first four minutes!

Naturalist Sarah is a fountain of information on the natural environment. Quick to share and eager to communicate effectively she gives the voyage depth along with Kimber through their natural history duets as we pass or approach items of interest. An ample library of books and videos adds to the resources and, reportedly, the crew has developed several activities for when kids are aboard.

I will try my hand at bringing in some fish for the table to see what magic chef Heidi can work on it. Fresh dill, cilantro, ginger, as well as salsas, chutneys, and sauces that I have never experienced before show up at every meal -- except for cookie breaks! The 12-foot table stretched across the enclosed stern of Sea Wolf is becoming a warm and friendly gathering place. The addition of an iceberg flake ("bergie bit") as a table decoration reveals just the tip of the thought and preparation that went into planning this cruise.

Documenting the Demand for a Solution to 'Wrap Rage' (Packages That Even Adults Can't Open!)

Future Food and Drinks Packaging: Emerging ethical, food safe and convenient formats is a new report on product trends. One key finding from this report according to the press release:

An ageing population in China, Japan, the US and Europe is driving demand for products suited to the older consumer, including easy grip and easy open packaging as well as smaller portion sizes for consumers with smaller appetites.

Socio-demographic shifts are creating demand for more convenient packaging solutions. Ageing populations in the US, Europe and Japan are placing new demands on packaging design. Easy open, easy grip and smaller portion sizes are all being developed with ageing populations in mind. More fragmented family lives, the growth in the number of women working, growth in single person households and a loss of cooking skills are all contributing to increased demand for more conveniently packaged food formats.

To order this report: Future Food and Drinks Packaging: Emerging ethical, food safe and convenient formats

http://www.reportlinker.com/p088571/Future-Food-and-Drinks-Packaging-Emerging-ethical-food-safe-and-convenient-formats.html

For more information, please contact
Reportlinker.com
Nicolas
(718) 887-3024
Email: nbo@reportlinker.com

Journaling and Natural Beauty

Boo is the ship's dog. She is mix Portuguese Water Dog and Australian Sheep Dog. Besides being genetically outfitted for everything from desert Outback to the rainforest she has the unmistakable habit of circumnavigating the Sea Wolf to watch over her human flock.

At first I was told that she greeted me with such enthusiasm because she mistook this newcomer-in-a-wheelchair for Mike Passo of Elakah Expeditions who provided technical assistance in the skillful redesign of the boat. Eventually I realized that Boo's perpetual motion was just a canine equivalent of my incessant photo taking -- a personal obsession for for making order out of the ever-changing surroundings.

Cruising so close to the geological drama and kayaking within feet of this normally inaccessible wildlife provides so much sensory input that journaling, silence, shutter-snapping, and experience-sharing over family-style meals or late into the night will not be sufficient for holding onto this encounter with beauty. Chaining these impressions into narrative already takes as much mental agility as a dog working her flock. Maybe Boo's moves will give me some insight into herding wild thoughts until they are all heading in the same direction.

Reporting from a Different Perspective

Ranger Randy stands impressively tall at six-feet-and-change even without his hiking boots on.

This afternoon, however, he is wearing them. From here up close I judge their vintage to be about 1988 - the same year as the Toyota pickup he drives around Gustavus, Alaska.

I know these facts because, contrary to what it looks like and not following logically from our conversation seconds ago about traveling through India in the 1960's, I am not doing darshan at his feet. Although, had abject obeisance brought me to my currently prone position I probably would be experiencing a greater sense of dignity than at this moment.

The small towns of Alaska and the era or Paul Bunyan both nurture the "tall-tale" instinct. I will nurture that impulse aboard the Sea Wolf in coming days. At that point I will explain how I came to be folded into a quadriplegic heap here in front of the ticket counter and on the floor somewhere to the left of the wheelchair provided to me by Excursion Air.

For the moment I must sign off and catch a boat from here in Somewhere- Beyond- the Border-of-Litigation-Territory, Alaska, USA.

Meet Annie Mae

Alaksa tests the language of comparatives and scrambles metaphors: "Land of the Midnight Sun," "the No-See-Ums are so big you can see them."

Even the wildlife seems a bit confused as Spring breaks out at the foot of hills (typically called "mountains" in places less topographically-endowed than Macchu Picchu, Nepal, or Tibet) that received more than 360 inches of snow in 2006 according to local yarn spinners and similarly trustworthy chaps.

Here at the Annie Mae Lodge hummingbirds line up like jetliners on approach to O'Hare Airport waiting their turn at a bird feeder while similarly unsuited species of swallows occupy the perches and ponder what theyy can do with the feast arrayed or cousins more genetically suited to hulling millet and cracking open sunflower seeds. The Lodge's mascot is a mix of Newfoundland and Australian sheep dog. Besides looking remarkable like a brown bear cub with dreadlocks it seems to have established a niche for itself in the locl tourism industry. At dinner a couple from the Netherlands recount how they were shepherded across a field earlier in the day by this fuzzy brown-black who turned what they began as a directonless amble through a meadow into a
guided tour of the property's more canine-memorable sights and smells ending at the beach.

Any late-summer Alaska-grown vegetable not suitable to comparison to the image "larger-than-a-dinner plate" is eligible for the Catch & Release Program of Alaskan Hyperbole.

As I enter Glacier Bay on the Sea Wolf and pass beyond Internet, cell phone, and process-server contact I will collect notes for further posts on a state whose northern reaches cross the Artic Circle but, down here in its balmy Southeast, has me shedding the clothing I put on this morning to keep me warm in San Jose, California four hours to the south.

It Would be Easier if...

"Can you walk?" asked the TSA inspector as I came through the line in my wheelchair.

No.

"Can you lift up your foot?"

No.

"Can you take off your belt?"

"Yes, but you will have to put it back on me."

So, I was swabbed five different times with those mini TSA coffee filters. This turned up nothing more interesting than sandy loam, pollen, and ash from the fire storming through the Santa Cruz Mountains for the past 24 hours. After a pat-down that caused me to have serious questions about the agent's short-term memory I was freed to repack the pile of rubble resulting from the recent TSA scavenger hunt through my personal belongings.

Fortunately, on the tarmac the gentleman assigned to assist me with the transfer into the aisle chair, up the loading ramp, and into my bulkhead seat was charming. Ace Castro, really seemed to be an ace at what he did - all the more impressive when he thanked me for being so specific in how best to assist me. Maybe he has developed his customer service skills by listening and questioning to be certain that he understands correctly.

The typical fumbling with carry-ons and wheelchair parts was made painless by Bonnie and others on Alaska flight 333.

The quality continued at the jetway in SeaTac as a competent and congenial team did the Disembarkation Schlepp with grace.

Seattle to Juneau began under typically blue-mottled Seattle skies. As we say in Seattle, "The mountains are out today." Mount Rainier to the south through the concourse window and the snow-covered Olympic Mountains west toward the pacific Ocean gave a taste of what lay ahead in Juneau and beyond

Cruising in Alaska

I travel a lot and I travel on word-of-mouth recommendation.

Excuse my obvious bias but I have a pretty good idea just by looking at somebody how reliable their their recommendation is likely to be.

Skin color, age, gender, nationality don't matter. What catches my attention is when somebody else in a wheelchair tells me that a destination, transportation system, or tour operator is good.

So I listened to my fellow four-wheeler Sherri Backstrom when she told me about the Sea Wolf. Captain Kimber Owen had it redesigned to be wheelchair accessible. She should know about that. She used to run a ranch that specialized in horse therapy for people with disabilities and, just to check her instincts, she works with Mike Passo of Elkah Expeditions -- another wheelchair-using outdoor outfitter.

If this works out, I'll have more business for Sherri and her specialty services renting accessible yachts at Waypoint Yacht Charter Services. Of course, first she has wager against me that she will catch the biggest halibut so I either need to practice telling fish stories about "the one that got away" or deliver on my side of the bargain too!

Right now I'm packing (and getting TripWolf.com wizards do do some real magic like haul Sea Wolf's home port town of Gustavus to the right latitude and longitude so I can add some favorite places once I discover them.) Then it's out the door at 4 am tomorrow to catch ann Alaska airlines flight that will get us to Juneau and our bush flight to Gustavus at the entrance to Glacier Bay.

Two Disability Film Festivals: Australia & Brazil

Accessible Arts and Sydney Film Festival hosts the 2008 Accessible Cinema program.

Brazil's International Disability Film Festival www.assimvivemos.com.br will become a weekly TV program on Brazil's Public TV (TV Brasil)

Accessible Arts and Sydney Film Festival welcomes you to attend the 2008 Accessible Cinema program.

Press Release:

With another bumper year, this Festival for Everyone, is sure to delight, entice and challenge all film-goers. These range from first screenings of Australian disability films to international films and, for the first time, a forum entitled Silence is Golden, that will give people the opportunity to discuss and debate disability issues.

Get on the red carpet with the highly anticipated films and forums including:

Her Name is Sabine France. French actress Sandrine Bonnaires heartfelt portrait of her autistic sister.

Born Without Mexico. Actor and musician, Jose Flores was the sixth child of a poor Mexican family and he was born without arms. Jose's life is beyond remarkable.

Red Like the Sky. Italy. Ten-year-old Mirco is blinded in an accident and sent to a rather stern boarding school for the blind. Red Like the Sky is both thought-provoking and captivating. Recommended for ages 8 and up.

Silence is Golden? Forum. Not to be missed, this forum is a chance for people in the disability arts sector to discuss with leaders in their field, why there has been limited access to films for hearing and visually impaired people and how that barrier can be removed. Hosted by Alex Varley (CEO of Media Access Australia) with panellists:
Leanne Emerson (General Manager, Production and Digital Operations, Roadshow Entertainment); Tony Oldham (Operations Manager, Atlab Australia);
Linda Baker and Michael Gold (Access Services, Red Bee Media Australia); and others to be announced.

For further information, images or media enquiries please contact Accessible Arts at 02 9251 6499 or Sydney Film Festival on 02 9318 0999.

Media Contact:Nadia de Ceglie: 0414 741 089 Email: ndeceglie@aarts.net.au

Regards

Jacqui O'Reilly
Information Coordinator

From Brazil:

We are licensing films to be screened on a new TV program about disability for Brazil's Public TV (TV Brasil). We are searching for short films on this issue. They can be either documentary, fiction or animation films as long as there is a disabled person as the main character. The running time cannot exceed 25 minutes. If you have or know of a film with these characteristics that may interest us, please contact us:

programa@assimvivemos.com.br

lara@lavoroproducoes.com.br

acioli@lavoroproducoes.com.br

About us: We are the producers of Brazil's International Disability Film Festival. www.assimvivemos.com.br After three editions the festival will become a weekly TV program on Brazil's Public TV. www.tvbrasil.org.br Brazil's Public TV Broadcast covers the whole brazilian territory. The Brazilian population is about 200 million people (98% are TV viewers).

Hoping to hear from you soon.

Sincerely,

Lara Pozzobon & Gustavo Acioli

Producers

Muestra de Iniciativas y Productos Elaborados por Personas con Discapacidad, EXPOVAL 2008

El próximo fin de semana Málaga acogerá la Muestra de Iniciativas y Productos Elaborados por Personas con Discapacidad, EXPOVAL 2008, que contará con la participación de 41 asociaciones y entidades sociales de la ciudad. La Muestra, bajo el lema “Hacia el diseño universal”, apuesta por el desarrollo de productos y entornos de fácil acceso para el mayor número de personas posible, sin la necesidad de adaptarlos o rediseñarlos de una forma especial.

EXPOVAL se abrirá el viernes, 9 de mayo, a las 11:00 h. los visitantes podrán obtener en los 46 stands información relativa a la discapacidad, recursos y servicios especializados en relación con la accesibilidad, el empleo o la rehabilitación.

También se ofrecerán productos artesanales elaborados en diferentes talleres. Estos espacios serán ocupados por las distintas asociaciones malagueñas que trabajan diariamente con el sector de las personas con discapacidad física, psíquica o sensorial. Además, se realizarán actividades diversas como proyección de películas, exposiciones, talleres y recorridos por guiados por la ciudad y una fiesta infantil.

A lo largo del fin de semana se proyectarán dos películas en el Cine Albeniz. La primera de ellas, “Piratas del Caribe 3: El fin del mundo”, será una proyección especial para personas sordas y a la que asistirán medio centenar de alumnos sordos del Colegio la Purísima. Tendrá lugar el viernes, 9 de mayo, a las 11:30 h. Previamente, se proyectará un cortometraje audio-descrito en colaboración con la ONCE.
Las proyecciones contarán con intérprete de lengua de signos española para que la comunidad sorda tenga total accesibilidad a las mismas.

One-fifth of Japanese Population Aged 65 or Older in Rapidly Aging Japan

In 2007 the senior population of Japan rose to more than 27 million in 2007. Since 2005 when the country's population peaked at 128 million population has been in decline. This "age-inversion" phenomenon is widely studied among aging and disability scholars but largely unknown to the public and not adequately addressed by policy makers. The Cabinet Office of Japan recently issued a report on the topic.

The annual report by the Cabinet Office showed Japanese aged 65 or over making up 21.5 percent of the population last year, while the so-called "late-stage elderly" — those 75 or older — accounted for nearly 10 percent.

"We have become a full-fledged aged society," the report declared.

"The pace of aging has reached the highest level (among advanced countries) at the beginning of the 21st century, and is expected to enter a phase that no other country in the world has yet experienced," the study added.

For signs of things to come read One-fifth of Japanese population aged 65 or older in rapidly aging Japan

Novotel Jaraguá promove curso para atendimento a pessoas com deficiência (Portuguese)

O Instituto Paradigma o Novotel Jaraguá São Paulo realizam nesta segunda-feira, 26 de maio, das 9h às 13h, a última turma do curso de Capacitação para a Excelência no Atendimento de Pessoas com Deficiência na indústria hoteleira.

O programa foi desenvolvido com exclusividade para o Novotel Jaraguá São Paulo Conventions, mas deverá ser estendido para os outros hotéis da Accor Hospitality. Foram capacitadas cerca de 240 pessoas, em seis turmas.

Durante o curso, as pessoas sem deficiência vivenciem as barreiras enfrentadas pelas pessoas com deficiência no dia a dia. Na oportunidade, também será apresentada a Cartilha de Excelência no Atendimento de Pessoas com Deficiência na Rede Hoteleira.

http://www.mercadoeeventos.com.br/script/FdgDestaqueTemplate.asp?pStrLink=3,28,0,31694&IndSeguro=0
--
Noticias gracas a Marta Gil do Amankay Instituto de Estudos e Pesquisas

Universal Desgn Moves to Vacation Homes (and a Half-Step Closer to Mainstreaming in the Outdoor Leisure Industry)

Yes, we have been tell you that it's coming:

Tim Goorbarry, a Port Hope-based building consultant with Viceroy Homes, says he's starting to see a demand for an unusual cottage luxury - an elevator.

"In the past two or three years we are starting to see more of a request for that, if [clients] like the idea of keeping bedrooms separate and you build one floor on top of another floor."

He notes that installing an elevator in a cottage (or urban home) isn't necessarily a costly venture. They cost $20,000 to $25,000, he says, noting that the expense of laying the foundation of a sprawling single-storey cottage would be the same as for a two-storey building with an elevator.

This article in the Globe and Mail by Katherine Laidlaw goes on to describe forward-thinking cottage owners John and Deb Douma:

The Brampton couple began researching different design options when they bought the plot of land on the Bruce Peninsula nine years ago. Accessibility eventually became the driving factor behind their cottage's design.

"Even though we're young, we thought if it were a place we would retire to some day, it would be a smart move to have the main level contained," says Mr. Douma.

For the full story see, On Lion's Head, the livin' is easy

On Lion's Head, the livin' is easy
Cottage owners like John and Deb Douma are wise to design their getaway homes with their future needs in mind, experts say

KATHERINE LAIDLAW

Special to The Globe and Mail

May 16, 2008

On the shores of Georgian Bay, in the village of Lion's Head, stands a two-storey cottage with tan siding, wooden front steps and a red door. A stroll around back in the early morning hours - with the waves lapping at the shore and the sun rising over the bay - reveals a basement walkout. In short, the cottage looks much like many others along the water.

Once you step inside, you see that the open-concept main floor - with 1,200 square feet - includes the master bedroom and ensuite bathroom. And the cottage's two main-floor bathrooms have been enlarged so that lifts and handles can be installed, while the doorways are extra wide.

"You could manoeuvre around in [the two bathrooms] if you were in a wheelchair," says John Douma, 49, who owns the house with his wife, Deb, 48. "[The doorways] are wide enough that you could go through them with a wheelchair."

The Brampton couple began researching different design options when they bought the plot of land on the Bruce Peninsula nine years ago. Accessibility eventually became the driving factor behind their cottage's design.

"Even though we're young, we thought if it were a place we would retire to some day, it would be a smart move to have the main level contained," says Mr. Douma.

The 500-square-foot second level, with two bedrooms and a bathroom, is intended for the use of the couple's children and grandchildren. (The basement, at 1,200 square feet, houses the furnace and is used only for storage.)

The physical site of a cottage is also a major consideration when designing for accessibility. The Douma's property doesn't present any major difficulties, however.

There are three small wooden steps in front that could be easily converted into a ramp for wheelchair use, Mr. Douma says.

The back lot could easily be enjoyed by retirees, wheelchairs or not, he adds. It slopes gently as the property gets closer to the water, and there is a level terrace and rock garden behind the cottage. "There's a flagstone patio with a fire pit and a sitting area on one side," he says. Again, a ramp would make getting to the smooth patio and fire pit in a wheelchair relatively easy.

Both the Douma's builder and a real estate agent they consulted advised the couple to consider their later years in deciding on a design. The agent said greater accessibility would improve resale options if they decided not to retire there.

Mr. Douma says he and his wife sifted through a lot of plans to find the right shape and size for their recreational home, which is about 80 kilometres north of Owen Sound.

He says that building the master suite on the ground floor didn't increase the cost of the building, which was completed in 2005.

That the couple had accessibility requirements for their cottage isn't particularly unusual these days. With population aging, there has been a shift in the design and construction of vacation properties in Canada.

Blair MacKenzie, sales manager at Pan-Abode log home builders, based in Richmond, B.C., says that he asks his clients when he first meets them if they have considered how their cottage might meet their needs when they are older.

"Our primary customers are baby boomers - they're the bulk of the cottage customers," Mr. MacKenzie says. "Definitely people are planning longer. That's part of the process when we talk to them about what they'll use it for."

He says he has seen an increased demand for designs that position the necessities on the main floor for easy access and long-term use.

Mr. MacKenzie lists three basic elements of an accessible cottage. The first is having the master bedroom and, if possible, a second bedroom on the ground floor.

"Couples tend to sleep apart the older they get, so it gives someone the option to change rooms," he explains. "It also gives them an option for guests to sleep on the main floor, particularly friends who would be in the same age group."

A second element is an open-concept design. Combining the kitchen, dining and living areas means less travel through the cottage and simpler communication.

"It allows you not to have to travel throughout the house to talk to somebody," Mr. MacKenzie points out.

As well, "if somebody had to be in a wheelchair ... you're not dealing with hallways."

The third element: spacious bathrooms with enough room to manoeuvre a wheelchair or install added features for bathtub or toilet use.

"If you ever have to put extra handles or a lift system, you need more space for that."

Wide, easily mountable stairs from the outside to the main floor are also essential.

Tim Goorbarry, a Port Hope-based building consultant with Viceroy Homes, says he's starting to see a demand for an unusual cottage luxury - an elevator.

"In the past two or three years we are starting to see more of a request for that, if [clients] like the idea of keeping bedrooms separate and you build one floor on top of another floor."

He notes that installing an elevator in a cottage (or urban home) isn't necessarily a costly venture. They cost $20,000 to $25,000, he says, noting that the expense of laying the foundation of a sprawling single-storey cottage would be the same as for a two-storey building with an elevator.

"Some people look at it as an additional expense. The truth is ... the cost of the elevator can balance out the [one-storey cottage]."

Mr. Goorbarry also encourages customers to consider accessibility when planning for their future cottage life, but says many people aren't comfortable thinking about potential needs.

"It really doesn't take much change in the planning to make sure your doors are 30, 32, 34 inches wide ... if wheelchair accessibility is a concern," he says.

"[But] to look ahead 20 to 25 years is a long way for a lot of folks."

_!>

Online Course: The Nature of Barriers and the New Demographics Starts July 7, 2008

The IDEA Center announces that registration for the first
course in its new online continuing education program is now open.
Registration will be limited to the first 20 individuals. The four week
course will begin July 7, 2008 and the topic will be The Nature of
Barriers and the New Demographics.

For registration information and an
overview of the course and continuing education curriculum, go to
http://udeworld.com/education/index.php.

The continuing education program is designed for anyone (e.g., advocates, builders/contractors, planners, architects, occupational and physical therapists, and policymakers) interested in learning about the universal design of places, products, and systems with a particular focus on the implications of a life span perspective.

If you choose to register for the course, you will receive an email once
your registration has been processed. Information on how to access the
course will be emailed to you at least two weeks prior to the course
start date.

If you have any questions on the course, curriculum or registration
process, please feel free to call or email me at jlmaisel@buffalo.edu.

Jordana L. Maisel
Center for Inclusive Design and Environmental Access
School of Architecture and Planning
University at Buffalo, State University of New York
3435 Main Street, 375 Hayes Hall
Buffalo, NY 14214-3087

phone: 716.829.3485 x329
fax: 716.829.3861
web: http://www.ap.buffalo.edu/idea

Assist in Researching Tourism and Disability for Two New Books

I have just been invited to contribute to two books on tourism:

ACCESSIBLE TOURISM CONCEPTS/ISSUES: Inclusion, disability, ageing population and tourism

ACCESSIBLE TOURISM PRACTICE: Inclusion, disability, ageing population and tourism

My chapter is titled, "Social networks for senior and accessible tourism."

As I research I would be interested to receive suggestions on social networks, publications, and/or marketing campaigns that you know of that are addressing these groups and their travel behavior. Contact Scott Rains with your recommendations.

The books aim to provide a comprehensive investigation to accessible tourism:

ACCESSIBLE TOURISM CONCEPTS/ISSUES: Inclusion, disability, ageing population and tourism
This book is looking into the issues associated with accessible tourism and explores the concepts and importance

ACCESSIBLE TOURISM PRACTICE: Inclusion, disability, ageing population and tourism
This book is more practical and aims to increase awareness, provide guidelines and
demonstrates best examples through case studies.

This project is not only about tourism for people with disabilities but also for third age citizens.

The ageing population will bring about an inevitable rise in the proportion of disabled people. In past times being (or becoming) disabled was associated with greater dependency and reduced mobility. However, the international trend towards legislating for inclusion of all people in leisure activities, and the desire to travel, coupled with increased spending power, demonstrate that this is a really significant market and that tourism providers will need to take it seriously in order to address its needs.

The World Tourism Organization has published its long-term forecast and assessment of the development of tourism up to the first 20 years of the new millennium in its Tourism 2020 Vision.

An essential outcome of the Tourism 2020 Vision are quantitative forecasts covering a 25 years period, with 1995 as the base year and forecasts for 2000, 2010 and 2020. WTO's Tourism 2020 Vision forecasts that international arrivals are expected to reach over 1.56 billion by the year 2020, double the volume from 700 million international arrivals in 2000. Of these worldwide arrivals in 2020, 1.18 billion will be intra-regional and 0.38 billion will be long-haul travellers. Out of those visitors Buhalis et al (2005) estimated that 25% of the travellers have some sort of disability or impairment. This is estimated to increase as the ageing populations becomes more active and would like to participate more to the leisure activities.

The books aim to:

• provide a conceptual frame for the accessible tourism concepts and issues
• document the principle international and European regulatory frameworks which impact on accessible tourism
• evaluate the market and examine the needs and requirements of the demand side
• explore techniques and methods to improve accessibility from the supply side
• examine architectural and facility design issues
• discuss issues related to service provision
• explore the requirements for information provision
• provide a range of best practice case studies
• Set up the research agenda for the future

The books bring both an academic and practitioner focus to ensure that it is well documented and applicable as well as to expand its readership to all relevant markets.

Make $2.7 Million in Six Months Selling ADA-Compliant Hotel Rooms?

Wheelchairtravel.us has a unique business concept: corner the market on ADA-compliant hotel rooms. The business plan won second place in the Miami Herald Business Plan Challenge and "expects to sell more than 67,000 nights over a six-month period, which would produce a gross income of $2.7 million."

If nothing else, the "secret" is getting out about the consumer power of the rapidly-growing market that is the disability community.

"While many travel websites offer information for special needs travelers and allow customers to request such rooms, none guarantees that you will get such a room, explained Robert Holtzman, the founder of Wheelchairtravel.us."

That, of course, is the reality driving the legal action against Hotels.com (See also here.)

Creating a specialized channel (separate but equal?) for marketing adapted hotel rooms runs counter to the international move toward Universal Design, mainstreamining, and Minimum Guidelines for Hotel Accessibility but it does have a certain marketing logic. As web designers say, "Findability precedes usability."

Wheelchairtravel.us, which is still in the planning stages, would make its money the same way most travel sites do -- buying rooms in bulk and selling them at a mark-up.

Holtzman estimates that start-up costs -- including a $550,000, 180-day national marketing campaign -- would be about $1.8 million.

The story on Wheelchairtravel.us:

Website designed for wheelchair travelers
http://www.miamiherald.com/business_monday/story/537695.html

India: Public Education by AccessAbility on "Carriage by Air of Persons with Disabilities and/or Persons with Reduced Mobility"

This notice was received from AccessAbility, India:

The office of Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), India has recently released the ‘Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR)– Carriage by Air of Persons with Disabilities and/or Persons with Reduced Mobility’. Therefore, it is important that the rights conferred to passengers with disabilities are clearly understood and further disseminated in a simpler format.

We at AccessAbility have taken the initiative of compiling a synopsis of the CAR document, to inform and guide passengers with disabilities of the new rights. The synopsis “Air Travel – Know your Rights” is available at http://accessability.co.in/AirTravel-Know-Your-Rights.pdf as a free download. Please feel free to circulate/ post/ distribute this further.

The complete CAR Document (Section 3, Air Transport Series-M, Part-1) as released by the DGCA on 2nd May 2008 is available for viewing at http://dgca.nic.in/cars/D3M-M1.pdf.

We hope you find the synopsis useful. I also request you to forward this information further.

Warm Regards,

Vikas Sharma | Chief Access Consultant | AccessAbility
Web: www.AccessAbility.co.in | E-mail: contactus@accessability.co.in

“for most people, accessibility makes things easier, for people with disabilities, it makes things possible.”

Passengers with disabilities were done a disservice by the inclusion of a loophole for the industry. The document allows airlines to charge for, "any human assistance rendered."

In other words, as long as Universal Design is not adopted in air terminals, transfer services, and aircraft design airlines are able to charge passengers for less-than-equal service (separate, "special", services are not equal; are not social inclusion, full citizenship, or good customer service. Inclusion of a profit incentive for these "special" and marginalizing substitutes for good design retards progress toward full social participation and inclusion of persons with disabilities.

As India invests heavily in rail transportation modernization will this system of exclusion-by-design also be rewarded financially?

I related news, Imtiaz Muqbil of Travel Impact Newswire reports on regional cooperation among airlines. Will best practices or loopholes be disseminated?

Thursday, May 15, 2008 - The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) today inked an agreement with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to promote mutual cooperation in civil aviation between the two organisations. The Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) was signed by Mr Lim Kim Choon, Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, CAAS, and Dr K. Ramalingam, Chairman, AAI.

Under this arrangement, CAAS and AAI will share knowledge in areas of airport management and operations, exchange information on civil aviation programmes and projects, and coordinate training, research and development programmes.

Conferencia Europea de Diseño para Todos y Accesibilidad Electrónica (Spanish)

La ciudad de León acogerá los próximos días 12 y 13 de junio la Conferencia Europea de Diseño para Todos y Accesibilidad Electrónica, organizada por el Gobierno y la Red Europea de Diseño para Todos y Accesibilidad Electrónica (EDeAN).

La Red EDeAN está compuesta por más de 160 organizaciones de Estados miembros de la Unión Europea (UE) y su objetivo es apoyar el acceso de todos los ciudadanos a la Sociedad de la Información.

La citada conferencia servirá para intercambiar experiencias innovadoras en la formación y la aplicación de los principios del diseño universal y la inclusión digital, con el objetivo de avanzar en el acceso de los ciudadanos a las nuevas tecnologías y en la adaptación de estas a las necesidades de las personas mayores y de las personas con discapacidad, informó el Ministerio de Educación.

El encuentro internacional buscará además impulsar la formación de profesionales en los valores y ventajas de los diseños no discriminatorios para mayores y discapacitados. El evento abarcará también aspectos relacionados con los derechos humanos, políticas europeas, legislación, normas técnicas, guías, indicadores, documentación, experiencias y buenas prácticas formativas.

Además de los representantes de las 160 organizaciones oficiales, en la conferencia participarán representantes de la Comisión Europea, del Consejo de Europa y de diferentes universidades europeas. Entre los ponentes estarán también responsables del movimiento asociativo de las personas mayores y de las personas con discapacidad, del mundo empresarial, de las universidades, de los centros de investigación, así como de los centros y entidades de referencia en accesibilidad y diseño para todos. En total, más de 200 expertos nacionales e internacionales acudirán a León a debatir e intercambiar experiencias innovadoras en el campo de la accesibilidad y el diseño para todos.

Equality of Opportunity in Transportation Rights Upheld

The report below in Portuguese announces the Brazilian Supreme Court affirmation of the constitutionality of a free interstate transportation scheme directly countering industry arguments that such a scheme constituted undue government interference or even amounted to confiscation of private property.

Together with the Canadian Supreme Court decision upholding an "attendant flies free/second seat free" policy these decision offer important precedents for other countries working to implement Article 30 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Passe livre em transporte interestadual é mantido pelo Supremo

A Lei Federal 8.899/94, que concede passe livre no sistema de transporte coletivo interestadual às pessoas carentes portadoras de necessidades especiais, foi declarada constitucional pelo Plenário do Supremo Tribunal Federal (STF) durante o julgamento da Ação Direta de Inconstitucionalidade (ADI) 2649.

A Associação Brasileira das Empresas de Transporte Interestadual, Intermunicipal e Internacional de Passageiros (Abrati), autora da ação, alegava que, ao instituir o passe livre, a lei não indicou fonte correspondente de custeio, o que considerou um verdadeiro confisco por parte do estado no domínio privado, e menosprezou o princípio da livre iniciativa, em desrespeito à Constituição.

Questionava, também, que o transporte rodoviário gratuito tem natureza jurídica de serviço assistencial, incidindo sobre ele as regras de custeio contidas no artigo 195 da Constituição, que obriga a indicação da origem dos recursos necessários ao seu desenvolvimento.

Voto

A relatora da ADI, ministra Cármen Lúcia, afirmou que o artigo 170, caput, da Constituição, dispõe ser a ordem econômica fundada na valorização do trabalho e na livre iniciativa para o fim de assegurar a todos a existência digna. Considerou, também, não se tratar de criação de um benefício sem fonte de custeio, pois o artigo 195, parágrafo 5º, da Constituição, refere-se a benefícios com ônus direto a ser suportado pelos cofres públicos.

"A busca de igualdade de oportunidades e possibilidades de humanização das relações sociais determina a adoção de políticas públicas a fim de que se amenizem os efeitos das carências de seus portadores", ressaltou a ministra ao justificar a manutenção do passe livre.

"Toda sociedade, não apenas o estado, tem obrigação de adotar medidas e providências para incluir todos esses portadores no que seja compatível com suas condições", destacou a ministra relatora ao lembrar as providências que já foram tomadas pela sociedade e pelo estado para integrar o portador de necessidades especiais à sociedade, como: reserva de vagas em estacionamentos públicos, isenção de tributos para aquisição de veículos, prioridade no atendimento em órgãos públicos, dentre outras.

Lembrou também que o Brasil assinou, em março de 2007, na sede da ONU, em Nova York, uma convenção sobre os direitos das pessoas portadoras de necessidades especiais, bem como o seu protocolo que se encontra em tramitação no Congresso. Nesse sentido, ela considera que os países que vierem a ratificar esse tratado "têm a obrigatoriedade de implementar medidas para dar efetividade ao que foi ajustado", ao citar a Lei 8.899.

"Foi com vista aos direitos fundamentais dessas pessoas que o legislador brasileiro elaborou a Lei 8.899/94", ao afirmar não haver contrariedade entre o que foi constitucionalmente estabelecido e a norma legal questionada.

Quanto à alegação da Abrati sobre o ônus que as passagens dos portadores de deficiência (dois lugares em cada transporte) teriam que ser assumidos pelas empresas transportadoras, a relatora também rebateu o argumento, pois, segundo Cármen Lúcia, apresentaram apenas estimativas de cálculo de um possível prejuízo. "Falharam na matemática, quando não fosse bastante falhar no Direito. Ademais, os ônus decorrentes de qualquer prestação de serviço público são repassados aos usuários pagantes, e não suportados pelas empresas como pretendem fazer crer".

Dessa forma, ficou garantido o passe livre para os portadores de deficiência carentes nos moldes da Lei 8.899/94.

LD/LF//EH

Processos relacionados
ADI 2649
http://www.stf.gov.br/portal/cms/verNoticiaDetalhe.asp?idConteudo=88527&tip=UN

Cruiselines 'must make ships more accessible for disabled travellers'

This May 15, 2008 article from Travel Weekly demonstrates the kind of demand/supply bottlenecks caused by years of resistance to Universal Design on the part of port authorities and cruise lines.

A travel agent who specialises in selling holidays to the disabled has called on the cruise industry to make their ships more accessible or risk losing business.

Accessible Travel and Leisure agent and Travel Weekly Cruise Club member Tracy McFall said she had lost bookings worth almost £15,000 in the last three months as wheelchair-bound [sic] customers were uncomfortable about arrangements made to accommodate them.

Full article at Travel Weekly

Although cruise companies have no legal obligation to meet the needs of disabled customers, McFall, who uses crutches having contracted rheumatoid arthritis at the age of 18 months, is hoping improvements will be made.

She said: "The fantastic thing about cruises is that they cut out the flights if they are departing from a UK port. This is a huge help as there are people out there who can’t fly because of their medical condition. They can access the world on a cruise.

"Even with all the cruises in the UK we are still restricted on what we can offer disabled people."

McFall added two of the bookings she lost were on P&O Cruises’ Artemis worth up to £7,600 because it proved impossible to disembark the ship in certain ports. McFall also lost a £7,000 booking with Norwegian Cruise Line as the company would not accept a customer’s electric wheelchair.

A P&O Cruises spokeswoman admitted that while the ability to disembark a disabled person depends on the angle of the gangway in a port, problems are worse on smaller ships such as Artemis.

She added: "P&O Cruises has always excelled itself on facilities for those with disabilities and we make every effort to accommodate passengers with impaired mobility."

NCL UK sales director Nick Wilkinson said: "We appreciate feedback from our agent partners and will be contacting Accessible Travel and Leisure to resolve this issue. NCL welcomes all passengers onboard our ships, including those with disabilities."
-!>

Universal Design and Architecture Education in Mongolia

Gregory Cowan teaches architecture in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. He also writes on accessibility and independent living at Nomadologist. Here are some interesting posts:

http://nomadologist-nomadology.blogspot.com/2007/12/participation-and-access.html

http://nomadologist-nomadology.blogspot.com/2008/05/independent-living.html

Here he reports on the wheelchair users' city tour of December 4, 2007.

Whistler joins ‘accessible tourism’ coalition

From The Question Whistler, BC:

A strategy is underway to help make B.C. a world leader in offering travel that’s accessible to people with disabilities, and the Resort Municipality of Whistler and Tourism Whistler are offering support and the expertise of their employees to help make it happen.

Whistler’s Mayor and Council voted at their regular May 5 meeting to sign onto the Accessible Tourism Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), which is part of an initiative led by 2010 Legacies Now to improve travel services in B.C. for people with disabilities. Signatories to the MOU include the provincial government, the City of Vancouver and five tourism organizations such as Tourism B.C., said John Rae, municipal manager of strategic alliances.

Full article here.

http://www.whistlerquestion.com/madison%5CWQuestion.nsf/0/317094298FE38B098825744A006E18F1?OpenDocument

Cruising with Royal Caribbean International Cruise Lines

Just in case you need another reason to cruise, listen to Ron Pettit, Access Manager for Royal Caribbean/Celebrity Cruises, discuss Royal Caribbean's offerings with Elio Navarro.

In this short, but very informative interview, you see an example of the quality of Elio's work at Xable.com as well as evidence of why I personally find it so rewarding to work with Ron Pettit of RCCL:

How Ashoka Let Me Down (and OXO Tower Wasn't Much Help Either)

I travel a lot. Sorry for stating the obvious. What travel writer doesn't travel? Yet sometimes the obvious needs restating.

I travel for research and consulting a lot but my sometimes my best information comes from a global network of others with disabilities. My work depends on the generosity of others who are free to travel. And there's the rub. When their freedom is hindered, even when I am half a globe away, my freedom is also.

I did not attend the Shine UnConference last week at the Bargehouse on London’s Southbank. Neither did many others with ambulatory disabilities. Maybe because they knew it was not accessible.

This UnConference was designed by and for social entrepreneurs. The goal was for us to "connect, inform, and inspire" us. The problem was someone's definition of "us." Exclusion by design -- organizing an event to facilitate social transformation that does not accommodate a whole class of its own community -- is a fundamental betrayal of the event's reason for existing.

My colleague Eleanor Lisney did attend this UnConference. After noting that organizers attempted to mitigate architectural barriers of the inaccessible venue that they had chosen she muses:

I understood all that and while I appreciated the good stuff that was going on and the good intentions of all that social enterprising and talk of ethical higher ground, I was acutely aware that by having this in an inaccessible building, disabled people were written out of the equation - the acoustics would have made it very difficult for somebody who is hearing impaired too. I supposed I thought maybe so few disabled people are actually engaged in such dialogues - would they have accepted a venue if people of BME community were denied entry?

As she noted the venue was a historic building (built at the turn of the 19th century) that was made available at no charge. However, the fact that a renovation of the building won the Building of the Year Award for Urban Regeneration in 1997 and yet it remained inaccessible simply means that some social entrepreneurs in the neighborhood have acquiesced to an ongoing pattern of discrimination for more than 20 years.

I would have expected better of organizer and participants like Ashoka. Clearly, if they do have Fellows or staff with disabilities they are not being put in positions of authority sufficient to represent the community they are part of. If the temporarily able-bodied social entrepreneurial class in London had been onboard with the project of social inclusion and accessibility this post could have been about all the good accomplished at the Shine UnConference.

As it stands, I haven't a clue what was accomplished because "I" couldn't attend.

One Post-Katrina New Orleans Home to be Retrofitted with Universal Design, Green Features

From press release:

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the Senior Lending Network are joining forces with Rebuilding Together New Orleans to rebuild a home damaged by Hurricane Katrina. Volunteers from NAHB’s 50+ Housing Council will participate in a two-day community service project May 17-18 to help rebuild the home of displaced owners Hazel Tate, age 87, and Hilda Levy, age 67. On May 18, the three groups will host a media event featuring legendary actor Robert Wagner, spokesperson for the Senior Lending Network, to meet the homeowners and provide guided tours of the home and show its progress to date.

The purpose of the project, which is being sponsored by the Senior Lending Network, is to make the home, which is owned by an elderly daughter and mother, both age-appropriate and environmentally friendly through the inclusion of aging-in-place and green features. While a volunteer crew works on the interior and exterior, the turn-of-the-century shotgun home will be equipped with universal design components such as a no-step entrance, wider doorways, ADA-compliant grab bars, raised countertops, comfort-height toilets, ENERGY STAR appliances and other energy-efficient features.

Event --

WHAT:

The community service project is being held in advance of NAHB’s 2008 Building for Boomers & Beyond: 50+ Housing Symposium,SM May 19-21 in New Orleans. Presented by the NAHB 50+ Housing Council, the Symposium is the premier educational and networking event for industry professionals who serve the growing 50+ housing market.

This event also kicks off the Senior Lending Network’s Senior Independent Living Month from May 15 to June 15. All mortgage originators affiliated with the Senior Lending Network will be asked to join forces to promote social responsibility and the ethical treatment of seniors and discuss the positive benefits of reverse mortgages.

Rebuilding Together New Orleans is a local affiliate of the national non-profit organization, Rebuilding Together, Inc. By utilizing volunteer labor and corporate sponsorship, Rebuilding Together New Orleans is able to rebuild the homes of low-income, elderly and disabled residents who are still trying to return home. Since Katrina, the organization has been able to completely rehabilitate 95 homes, with another 30 in progress.

WHEN:

Sunday, May 18, 2008

3:00-4:00 p.m.

WHERE:

1825-27 St. Roch St., New Orleans

*Directions available upon request.

WHO:

* Robert Wagner, legendary actor and Senior Lending Network spokesperson
* Joanne (Jo) Theunissen, Chair, NAHB 50+ Housing Council
* Kristen Gisleson Palmer, Director, Rebuilding Together New Orleans
* A volunteer crew of more than 40 NAHB members, including builders, developers, architects, remodelers, and experts in universal design and green building.

REGISTRATION:

Registration is complimentary for members of the working press for both the media event and Symposium. For more information, please contact Jeff Jenkins at 800-368-5242, ext. 8292, or jjenkins@nahb.com.

Visit www.nahb.org/build4boomers for more information and to download a copy of the Building for Boomers & Beyond: 50+ Housing SymposiumSM brochure.

For more information about the Senior Lending Network, visit

www.seniorlendingnetwork.com.

Comparative Analysis of Disability Laws in the United States to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)

One way to understand the Rolling Rains Report - and the network thriving behind the published word - is to think of it as the Think Tank and resource archive for implementing Article 30 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

A new tool exists to help understand the impact of the CRPD with reference to US standards. The United States National Council of Disabilities has released a Comparative Analysis of Disability Laws in the United States to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). I encourage readers to facilitate similar studies in their own countries and disseminate them internationally. In particular I encourage analysis of Article 30 and contribution of those analyses to the Google group Article 30: The CRPD on Tourism, Sports, & Leisure

Here is the document's analysis of Article 30 of the CRPD as it relates to US Law:

Article 30 - Participation in Cultural Life, Recreation, Leisure, and Sport

The United States’ approach to participation in cultural life, recreation, leisure, and sport is based almost entirely on an antidiscrimination model. This means that to the extent that such opportunities exist for the general population, the federal government provides a legal right to people with disabilities to participate in such activities without discrimination. In terms of enforcement, the Department of Justice has made accessibility of cultural and recreation facilities a priority. But the larger project envisioned by Article 30, including enabling persons with disabilities to develop and utilize creative and artistic potential, establishing support and recognition of specific cultural and linguistic identities, and encouraging mainstreaming of sporting opportunities, is largely left to private actors and advocacy organizations. Accordingly, a gap exists between U.S. law and CRPD protection, albeit one that could be filled with aggressive implementation and/or additional Congressional action.

In the Appendix they further elaborate:

Coverage of United States Law

United States domestic law has several provisions that prevent discrimination against people with disabilities in cultural life, recreation, leisure, and sport. Many such activities take place at privately owned places of public accommodation – that is, privately owned businesses or establishments that open themselves up to the public – and are covered by Title III of the ADA. As such, the owners and operators cannot discriminate in the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations.

Title III’s reach has therefore extended significantly into recreation and cultural opportunities for people with disabilities. The organizers of sports and recreation activities must make reasonable accommodations unless such accommodation would fundamentally alter the nature of the goods or services being provided. Thus, for example, the Professional Golf Association had to provide a golf cart as a reasonable accommodation to a professional golfer to allow him to participate in tournament play. A requested accommodation also does not have to made if it causes a direct threat to the health or safety of others. Title III has been applied to sports leagues; i.e., its coverage is not limited to actual locations.

As discussed above, pursuant to the Telecommunications Act of 1996, the Federal Communications Commission has adopted rules requiring closed captioning of most, though not all, television programming.

Similarly, as with any Title III covered entity, facilities that house cultural and recreational opportunities have accessibility obligations. Facilities that predate the ADA must be accessible to the extent that doing so is “readily achievable,” and new facilities (and modifications to existing facilities) must be more fully accessible to people with disabilities in accordance with the ADAAG standards. The accessibility of entertainment venues (sports stadiums and movie theatres) has been a heavily litigated area. In particular, there have been several “line of sight” cases, involving the issue of whether people who used wheelchairs are entitled to seats where they can see over people who stand in the rows in front of them. Another frequently litigated issue is whether wheelchair seating in stadium-style movie theaters must offer choices of position within the theater, and to what extent wheelchair seating must be integrated into the stadium seating section of the theater.

Some of the parties that control and manage recreational opportunities are public entities; for example, public parks and high school athletic associations. Therefore, Title II of the ADA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (to the extent these entities receive federal funds) are relevant as well. A public entities’ obligations regarding recreation opportunities under Title II and Section 504 closely track those of private operators of places of public accommodation: they cannot discriminate on the basis of disability in their operations (which includes a duty to provide reasonable accommodation), and must make their facilities accessible. One frequently litigated issue in this area involves public sports associations’ role as standard-setters for who gets to participate in high school athletics.

The (Sometimes) Walking Wounded

War creates casualties. So do ritualized battles. Civilized nations maintain humane systems appropriate for these facts of life.

While it is supremely tragic to endure the parade of death and disability that is the product of war there is a redemptive quality in the compassion and instinct for social reconstruction following war or natural disasters. We have seen it after events such as Katrina, the Indian Ocean tsunami, or the Chengdu earthquake. Even as we have commented on the incompetence and bad faith efforts in response to Katrina and are now witnessing the absence of a fully human response in Myanmar we see Bruce Curtis at the World Institute on Disability (WID) recently returning from a tour of national redemption in Iraq.

I experienced a seismic wave of dissonance while scanning through my email today. Sequentially I learned:

• Bruce Curtis, with WID, is contributing to peacemaking in Iraq by empowering Disabled People's Organizations (DPOs)
• Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has promised a $100 million Federal Budget funding boost for families with disabled adult children "to help older carers of children with a disability to plan for the transition of their children to appropriate supported accommodation in the future."
• At 36, former NFL player Brian DeMarco walks with a cane because of a spinal injury from sports yet he and his family have been left homeless three times due to uncovered medical expenses.
  

Or to state it differently:

• Regular citizens with disabilities like Bruce Curtis step in providing global leadership in a conflict situation.


• National electorates reject political philosophies of unmitigated greed and the abdication of the governmental mandate to insure the common good.


• Heroes of the politically-anesthetizing war-substitute spectacle of professional sports are dumped on the street. Stripped of their role as warriors of the playing field they are shunted into the ranks of the untouchable ostracized -- the marginalized community of people with disabilities.



The solution is to be found in the political will to enact social inclusion.

This site revolves around implementation of Article 30 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, "Participation in Cultural Life, Recreation, Leisure and Sport".

No individual, no government, no nation -- no sports team -- is exempt.

Article 30 of the UN CRPD:

http://blogs.bootsnall.com/Scott-Rains/tourism-in-the-united-nations-convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities-crpd.html

Posted by rollingrains at 02:58 PM

Gilda Quintua and Inclusive Tourism in the Philippines

Key to the philosophy of economic development inspired by the Disability Rights movement is recognition that persons ith disability are themselves in a unique position to know and express their needs. Occasionally an innovator arises setting direction for many others. Gilda Quintua founder of M.G.I.Q. Deaf Tourist Assistance in the Philippines is one such person. She is one of the reason's for that country's growing tourism industry:

In 2006 alone, the country recorded 2.84 million tourist arrivals due to the country’s fast growing industry, marketing success and affordable air travels. 20% of these are Koreans, followed by the Americans, Japanese and Chinese. A classic example is the Marine Life Tour in Pamilacan Island, Bohol.

At the regional and policy level the groundwork for pioneers like Gilda has ben established over the years by UN-ESCAP Social Development Officer Aiko Akiyama working on frameworks such as the CRPD and the Biwako Millennium Framework (BMF) Plus Five.

Further reading:

http://www.ncwdp.gov.ph/index.php?rt=&tsq1=57

Mapping an Alternate Future - Using Social Media to Implement Article 30 of the CRPD

Toronto constitutional lawyer David Lepofsky is all fired up and he is making some changes that mean accessibility for us all.

The article "Improving accessibility is taking too long: critic" recounts one of the action suggestions he made at the recent Intermunicipal Accessibility Symposium:

To continue the fight for accessibility, Lepofsky encouraged all participants at Saturday’s symposium to take action by hosting events such as a barrier-buster scavenger hunt, where people could look and start to identify barriers. He also suggested community forums to get more people educated and aware.

Let me suggest a tool for multiplying the impact of such a Barrier-Buster Scavenger Hunt that will make the results instantly available to the entire world. Create a Green Map documenting results that in itself becomes a community forum available 24/7/365 or, as they say, "Think Global, Map Local!":

Green Map ® System promotes inclusive participation in sustainable community development around the world, using mapmaking as our medium.

GMS supports local Green Mapmakers as they create perspective-changing community ‘portraits’ which act as comprehensive inventories for decision-making and as practical guides for residents and tourists.Mapmaking teams pair our adaptable tools and universal iconography with local knowledge and leadership to chart green living, ecological, social and cultural resources.

This approach is the application of social media to the implementation of Article 30 of the UN Convention on the Rights of persons with Disabilities (CRPD).

More on Green Maps:

http://www.greenmap.org/greenhouse/en/participate

You are invited to Green Map’s Top Ten Party on May 21!

Join us at our global office, 220A East 4th Street in Manhattan on Wednesday, May 21 from 5 to 8 pm. We’re celebrating the generosity of our supporters who responded to America's Giving Challenge and made our non-profit a Top Ten winner!

At the party, our OpenGreenMap interactive mapmaking website will be previewed. We'd love to hear what you think about this inclusive new global project-in-progress that was seeded by hundreds of small Giving Challenge donations. We'll also be introducing the updated Green Map iconography and showing some of the newest resources we offer for youth and citywide Green Map projects, locally and globally.

Come and enjoy refreshments provided by Angelica Kitchen, Brooklyn Brewery, the Sixth Street Community Center and others. Bring friends and network with our staff, board and supporters. 220A East 4th Street is between Avenues A & B in the East Village. The closest subway is the F or V at 2nd Ave or the 6 train at Astor Place. There is no need to RSVP, but if you have questions, email apple [at] greenmap [dot] org or call 212 674 1631. Thanks again to all who put Green Map in the Top Ten - we look forward to seeing you on May 21st!

Another Local Event, the Green Apple Cycling Tour

On Saturday, May 17, see places you never knew about and find great ways to get involved in everyday green living in New York. Join us during Bike Month for free community sustainability tour covering East Village, Lower East Side, riverside and greenway sites beginning at 11 AM at the Temperance Monument near 9th & Avenue A in Tompkins Square Park. This easy ride concludes nearby 2 hours later. All cyclists are welcome. Those 14 and under need helmets. Ride cosponsored by Time’s Up! and rain cancels. Click GreenAppleMap.org/page/events for details!

A Decade of Green Growth

Ten years ago, our director met Maeve Lydon of Victoria BC’s Common Grounds/LifeCycles project and Beth Ferguson, then a Hampshire College student, in Havana at a conference on the ethics and culture of sustainable development. It was there, too, that the seeds of Green Mapmaking were planted in Cuba, soon to be cultivated by Liana Bidart Cisneros and a network of biologists and educators at Centro Felix Varela.

This May, a reunion took place at the Community University Expo hosted by the University of Victoria, Canada. A host of remarkable Green Map outcomes were presented, including 113 diverse Mapa Verde Cuba projects; a dozen Green Maps published in the Victoria region along with a new project base within UVic’s Office of Community Based Research; and Beth’s ongoing youth resources development with Green Map System and her creative lino-cut Austin Texas neighborhood map. Our thanks to everyone at UVic, as well as the Canadian, Swedish and Latin American Mapmakers who took part in a half-dozen Green Map presentations and helped our Americas network development planning move forward!

Our Wonderful Interns!

We very much appreciate the work of spring interns Dru Hara, Akiko Rokube and Ana Isabel Lagos. Yelena Zolotorevskaya will be with us all summer, joined by Yoko Ishibashi and Andrew Sass, along with trainees Miikka Lammela and Gottfried Haider, whose presence was made possible by CDS International and the Pall Mall Foundation. These talented interns are joining the OpenGreenMap development team of Wendy Brawer (director), Thomas Turnbull (lead technology developer), Carlos Martinez (project assistant), Lee Frankel-Goldwater (technology develoment assistant) and Bob Zuber (outreach specialist). Watch for more news as our inclusive, interactive project heats up with the season!

See you at our party, tour and other events (including the NetSquared Challenge and Beyond Broadcasting conferences) in the coming weeks!

Britain's Camping, Caravan and Holiday Parks 2008 Guide

This publicity piece for Britain's Camping, Caravan and Holiday Parks 2008 guide (British Tourist Board) reports:

There are more than 1,000 places listed to stay, with short breaks and offers, David Bellamy Conservation Award winners are listed, there are colour maps, a guide to events and attractions, ideas for days out and you are also able to choose sites with National Accessible Scheme accommodation at a glance if that is what is required.

The National Accessible Scheme has mobility impairment symbols, and also for visual and hearing problems.

Aeroporto de João Pessoa Ofereceu Curso de Atendimento às Pessoas com Deficiência

O Aeroporto Internacional de João Pessoa (PB), Presidente Castro Pinto, realizou 06/05 até o dia 10, o Curso de Atendimento às Pessoas com Deficiência ou Mobilidade Reduzida. Além dos profissionais da Infraero e das empresas que atuam em suas dependências, o órgão oficial de turismo do Estado, a Polícia Rodoviária Federal (PRF), o Serviço de Atendimento Médico de Urgência (Samu) e taxistas forão capacitados para lidar com o público que necessita de atendimento especial.

Mais de cem pessoas participam desse curso, que tem um cronograma para percorrer todos os aeroportos da rede, em cumprimento à legislação vigente. As peculiaridades regionais são observadas. O aeroporto de João Pessoa, por exemplo, está situado em outro município, em Bayeux, distante 25 km da capital. Por isso a PRF, o Samu e os taxistas participam do evento. A idéia é integrar o aeroporto a todo o sítio aeroportuário, e dele partir para a integração com a rodovia (BR) e as cidades.

O conteúdo programático abrange política de acessibilidade, sensibilização, direitos humanos, perfil dos consumidores, técnicas de atendimento, facilidades, segurança e equipamentos. Os participantes assistirão, ainda, a palestras ministradas por deficientes.

http://www.mercadoeeventos.com.br/script/FdgDestaqueTemplate.asp?pStrLink=3,26,0,31185&IndSeguro=0

9th Global Conference on Ageing: Ageing and Design Montréal 2008

From September 4 to 8, 2008, the International Federation on Ageing (IFA) will be hosting the 9th Global Confhttp://www.ageingdesignmontreal.ca/UserFiles/File/Flyer_Med_EN.pdference on Ageing and an exposition entitled Ageing and Design Montréal 2008 at the Palais des Congrès in Montréal, Canada.

All events are focused on bringing together key stakeholders in the fields of ageing and design in an environment that provides cross-discipline dialogue and fosters partnerships for the future. A conference flyer is available here as .pdf.

The organisers have confirmed almost all key note speakers to IFA's 9th Global Conference on Ageing next September.

For instance the first plenary panel of the conference, on the morning of September 5, titled The New Paradigm - Ageing and Design, will bring together Dr. Chris Luebkeman and Ms Valerie Fletcher, in addition to Mr. Gordon Lishman, Director General of Age Concern in England.

Dr Luebkeman is director and leader of Arup's global Foresight & Innovation, a global design and business consulting firm. Based in London, UK, he is currently working with some of the world's leading corporations to develop scenarios to better understand the opportunities that change is creating in the built environment.

Ms Fletcher is Executive Director of the Institute for Human Centered Design in Boston, Massachusetts (formerly Adaptive Environments). The Institute's mission is to advance the role of design in expanding opportunity and enhancing experience for people of all ages and abilities. Valerie is currently overseeing projects ranging from universal design, at the urban scale, in public transit, mixed use development, and residential and school design.

Later that same day, delegates will have the pleasure of meeting Dr. Howard Bergman, a prominent scholar from McGill University, in Montreal, and immediate past President of the Canadian Geriatrics Society, Ms Ann Soden. Ms Soden is the Founding Chair of the National Elder Law Section of the Canadian Bar Association (CBA), also based in Montreal. These highly regarded experts will speak during the plenary panel titled Innovations in the Canadian Environment.

Other speakers at the conference will be profiled in upcoming issues of the Newsletter. This is just a glimpse of what awaits delegates in Montreal in September.

Keynote speakers:

Ms Enid Borden
Dr. Robert Butler
Mr. Mathew Cherian
Ms. Valerie Fletcher
Mrs. Irene Hoskins
Mr. Yoshinobu Ishikawa
Mr. Gordon Lishman
Mr. Robert Mcnulty
Ms. Ann Soden
Dr. Peter Walker

For a complete list of speakers, view the Preliminary Conference Programme.

Deadline for abstracts extended to May 30
Abstracts have been coming in at a fast pace, many from developing countries. In response to many re

Source:
Dexigner

Federal Court of Appeal Denies Airline Application to Overturn Historic Disability Transport Decision

May 7, 2008 For Immediate Release

The Federal Court of Appeal has denied Air Canada and Westjet's application
for leave to appeal a historic decision of the Canadian Transportation
Agency (CTA) that allows Canadians with disabilities to travel by air
without having to pay for a second seat to accommodate their disabilities,
whether for themselves or their attendant.

In January 2008 the CTA ruled on a complaint launched by the Council of
Canadians with Disabilities (CCD), the late Eric Norman and Joanne Neubauer
seeking to ensure that persons with disabilities traveling by air would not
have to pay for a second seat for their attendant or because of the nature
of their disability. Train, bus and marine services do not charge for
additional seats. Only the airlines made people with disabilities
effectively pay double what others pay to fly.

"CCD is ecstatic over the decision of the Federal Court of Appeal." said
Marie White, Chair of CCD. "We knew the airlines did not have a legal
argument. They were simply trying to stall implementation of the CTA
decision and thus save money by continuing to discriminate against people
with disabilities," said White.

"Canadians with disabilities have been raising this issue for over 20 years
and the decision of the Federal Court of Appeal says to the airlines they
must abide by the CTA decision. Finally this issue is put to rest and once
again the courts have made it clear that people with disabilities must be
accommodated," said Pat Danforth, Chair of CCD Transportation Committee.

CCD thanks David Baker our legal counsel for his long and determined
support. CCD also thanks the CTA for understanding the importance of this
issue and the strong decision they handed down.

CCD calls upon the Minister of Transport to regulate access to federal
transportation systems thus making it clear that carriers must remove
barriers to the mobility of Canadians with disabilities. "It is time for
the Department of Transport to show some leadership and lessen the burden
disabled persons and their organizations are having to bear through long
hard fought legal battles like this and VIA Rail," said Laurie Beachell, CCD
National Coordinator.

Brasil: Hotéis Devem Ter 5% de Seus Quartos Acessíveis (Portuguese)

Desde janeiro de 2005 os novos empreendimentos hoteleiros em São Sebastião devem deixar pelo menos 5% de seus leitos de forma a atender a Lei de Acessibilidade. As áreas comuns devem ser 100% acessíveis. Esse panorama foi apresentado para proprietários de hotéis e pousadas, além de comerciantes durante a última reunião do Conselho Municipal de Turismo (Comtur), pela presidente da Comissão de Acessibilidade, Kátia Gomes Severi.

Ela aproveitou a ocasião para tirar as dúvidas dos presentes e mostrar o que o município tem feito para adequar os prédios e espaços públicos à legislação nacional.

É importante que vocês perceberam que há todo um leque de mercado com relação à acessibilidade e aqueles que estiveram em acordo serão os maiores beneficiados", explicou a arquiteta e também diretora do Departamento de Planejamento, da Secretaria de Obras e Planejamento.

Segundo Kátia Severi, o Brasil tem atualmente cerca de 25 milhões de deficientes e a cidade que tem esse perfil sai na frente do turismo acessível.

A diretora de Receita da Secretaria da Fazenda, Marica Avramidis, também participou da reunião e explicou aos membros e convidados do Comtur sobre as leis de Incentivo Fiscal que o município oferece para aqueles que se adequam à legislação.

"Foi uma reunião muito produtiva e tenho certeza que os empresários entendem essa necessidade de adequação", disse o presidente do Conselho, Eduardo Cimino, que também é empresário do setor hoteleiro e presidente do Litoral Norte de São Paulo Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Por: Depto. Imprensa - Prefeitura Municipal de São Sebastião

Chapulín gana el concurso Taxi de la Ciudad de México

Ayer, con la ausencia de funcionarios del Gobierno del DF, se premió a los ganadores del concurso de diseño del Taxi de la Ciudad de México, que organizó el Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología del DF y la Setravi

El primer lugar, acreedor a 40 mil pesos de premio, una medalla y diploma, fue para el proyecto Chapulín, presentado por la empresa Rigoletti Casa de Diseño y cuyos autores fueron Arturo Millán Martínez, Eduardo González Morón y Juan Alberto Islas.

Éste último explicó que su prototipo cuenta con un diseño universal, es decir, no sólo es para personas con movilidad total sino también para quien posee alguna discapacidad, cuenta con un motor híbrido y aprovecha al máximo el espacio del vehículo.

Chapulín gana el concurso Taxi de la Ciudad de México
por Jessica Castillejos

Ayer, con la ausencia de funcionarios del Gobierno del DF, se premió a los ganadores del concurso de diseño del Taxi de la Ciudad de México, que organizó el Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología del DF (ICyTDF) y la Secretaría de Transportes y Vialidad (Setravi).

Durante la ceremonia realizada en el Palacio del Ayuntamiento, Esther Orozco, directora general del ICyTDF, resaltó que el concurso fue creado con tres objetivos: estimular la creatividad de la ciudadanía; involucrarla en la resolución de los problemas de la ciudad y participar en el diseño del taxi ideal para la capital del país.

El primer lugar, acreedor a 40 mil pesos de premio, una medalla y diploma, fue para el proyecto Chapulín, presentado por la empresa Rigoletti Casa de Diseño y cuyos autores fueron Arturo Millán Martínez, Eduardo González Morón y Juan Alberto Islas.

Éste último explicó que su prototipo cuenta con un diseño universal, es decir, no sólo es para personas con movilidad total sino también para quien posee alguna discapacidad, cuenta con un motor híbrido y aprovecha al máximo el espacio del vehículo.

A finales de 2007, cuando se anunció este certamen, la Setravi dijo que parte fundamental del concurso era el diseño de la cromática “ideal” para los taxis de la ciudad, sin embargo, en la ceremonia de premiación poca mención se hizo de este aspecto, mientras que en las calles los taxis ya comienzan a pintar sus unidades con los colores que se publicaron en la Gaceta Oficial del Distrito Federal y que es la combinación del vino con el dorado.

“Si realmente se pudiera financiar esto, los taxis como Chapulín podrían circular en dos o tres años, el diseño es totalmente producible y viable, a pesar de su estética”, comentó Juan Alberto Islas.

El segundo lugar –que se hizo acreedor a 30 mil pesos y diploma– correspondió al Taxi para Zonas Metropolitanas, diseñado por Daniel Chinchilla Ochoa, mientras el tercer lugar fue para el Taxi inteligente, de Manuel Rangel de Jesús, quien recibió 20 mil pesos y diploma.
Ayer, con la ausencia de funcionarios del Gobierno del DF, se premió a los ganadores del concurso de diseño del Taxi de la Ciudad de México, que organizó el Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología del DF y la Setravi

Ayer, con la ausencia de funcionarios del Gobierno del DF, se premió a los ganadores del concurso de diseño del Taxi de la Ciudad de México, que organizó el Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología del DF (ICyTDF) y la Secretaría de Transportes y Vialidad (Setravi).

Durante la ceremonia realizada en el Palacio del Ayuntamiento, Esther Orozco, directora general del ICyTDF, resaltó que el concurso fue creado con tres objetivos: estimular la creatividad de la ciudadanía; involucrarla en la resolución de los problemas de la ciudad y participar en el diseño del taxi ideal para la capital del país.

El primer lugar, acreedor a 40 mil pesos de premio, una medalla y diploma, fue para el proyecto Chapulín, presentado por la empresa Rigoletti Casa de Diseño y cuyos autores fueron Arturo Millán Martínez, Eduardo González Morón y Juan Alberto Islas.

Éste último explicó que su prototipo cuenta con un diseño universal, es decir, no sólo es para personas con movilidad total sino también para quien posee alguna discapacidad, cuenta con un motor híbrido y aprovecha al máximo el espacio del vehículo.

A finales de 2007, cuando se anunció este certamen, la Setravi dijo que parte fundamental del concurso era el diseño de la cromática “ideal” para los taxis de la ciudad, sin embargo, en la ceremonia de premiación poca mención se hizo de este aspecto, mientras que en las calles los taxis ya comienzan a pintar sus unidades con los colores que se publicaron en la Gaceta Oficial del Distrito Federal y que es la combinación del vino con el dorado.

“Si realmente se pudiera financiar esto, los taxis como Chapulín podrían circular en dos o tres años, el diseño es totalmente producible y viable, a pesar de su estética”, comentó Juan Alberto Islas.

El segundo lugar –que se hizo acreedor a 30 mil pesos y diploma– correspondió al Taxi para Zonas Metropolitanas, diseñado por Daniel Chinchilla Ochoa, mientras el tercer lugar fue para el Taxi inteligente, de Manuel Rangel de Jesús, quien recibió 20 mil pesos y diploma.

New Zealand Recevies the Franklin Delano Roosevelt International Disability Award

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today congratulated the Government and people of New Zealand, the recipient of this year's Franklin Delano Roosevelt International Disability Award, for their efforts to improve the lives of those living with disabilities.

The Award is presented by the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute to a UN Member State that makes noteworthy progress towards the full participation of citizens with disabilities as called for in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

In his remarks at the award ceremony, Mr. Ban noted that New Zealand is widely recognized for its leadership on disability issues, particularly as a leading proponent of the Disabilities Convention, which just entered into force on 3 May.

Ambassador Don McKay of New Zealand chaired the committed tasked with drafting the Convention, and his "inspired leadership ensured an open, transparent and inclusive process that led us to a successful outcome," the Secretary-General noted.

The Ambassador's leadership was a reflection of his country's deep commitment to disability issues domestically, Mr. Ban added, noting that the Government's comprehensive disability strategy led New Zealand to adopt Sign Language as its third official language in 1996. It has also promoted quality living for persons with disabilities within their communities.

"As a result of these many similar measures, New Zealand has become a model for the world on disability issues," said Mr. Ban. "Your example strengthens our resolve to ensure human rights and development for all – especially through the full and meaningful participation of persons with disabilities in every level of society, from the local to the global."

The Secretary-General's own country, the Republic of Korea, was the first recipient of the Award, which was established in 1995.

Source: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=26585&Cr=disab&Cr1=

Wisdom from Wilderness Inquiry

I want to reach back to showcase a pioneer of inclusion - Greg Lais of Wilderness Inquiry.

With the recent emphasis on outdoor sports here as a result of the travelogue covering REATECH in Brazil and the upcoming concurrent Adventure Travel World Summit and Adventure Sports World Summit it seems appropriate to publish this excerpt from Greg's article "Social Inclusion Through Recreation: The Wilderness Inquiry Approach":

As a society we have learned that physical integration – putting people with differences together in one place – is not enough. While we will always need laws to prohibit the most egregious forms of discrimination, we will never be able to force people to respect and accept each other. Wilderness Inquiry recognizes this and uses a unique approach to promote social inclusion within a community. Its formula for inclusion is simple, but it requires that we think more broadly than traditional “special” or “minority population” approaches to inclusion. Briefly, WI’s approach to integration is:

1. Select a popular, voluntary, cooperative venue that has inherent challenges.
2. Provide support so that everyone can participate without changing the fundamental nature of the experience.
3. Actively recruit people from diverse backgrounds and ability levels.
4. Facilitate the process to optimize opportunities for social integration to occur.
5. Provide financial assistance to keep the program within reach of people from all socio-economic backgrounds.

WI has carefully refined its program to seamlessly serve people with disabilities and others who are neither disabled nor associated with other “minority” communities. It is the only program serving people with disabilities and chronic illness in the United States that regularly attracts people who would never consider personally participating in a program for “special populations.” In short, WI has developed a highly effective approach to facilitating social integration – it reaches people from all walks of life, opens their minds and changes their attitudes.

Source:

http://www.ici.umn.edu/products/impact/162/prof1.html

Ministra Suplicy Lança Programa Viaja Mais Jovens (Portuguese)

A ministra do Turismo, Marta Suplicy, lançou ante ontem um novo programa de incentivo ao turismo no Brasil. Segundo reportagem "metade das vagas" dsse programa, Viaja Mais Jovens "serão destinadas a alunos das escolas da capital [da Acre] e o restante para estudantes de municípios com baixo desempenho nos Indicadores de Desenvolvimento da Educação Básica (Ideb). ´´Na hora em que você leva o estudante que não tem acesso a alguma coisa que faz parte da cultura, você está investindo no conhecimento, na oportunidade dele em olhar o mundo, mas não por aquela janelinha pequena que ele vê da casa dele´

E verdade pois sabemos que a deficiencia ocure mais com pobreza. Viaja Mais Jovens tem condicoes transportar jovems portadores de deficiencia? Tem planes atingir acessibilidade nos teatros, museus, e outros pontes turistico-culturais

Ministra lança programa Viaja Mais Jovens

Os jovens são o novo público-alvo dos programas de incentivo ao turismo no Brasil. A ministra do Turismo, Marta Suplicy, lançou nesta quarta-feira, 7 de maio, o programa Viaja Mais Jovens. A iniciativa faz parte do programa Viaja Mais, que desde o ano passado se dedicava à terceira idade. Segundo a ministra, o foco principal estará nas viagens de estudo, o turismo pedagógico. O projeto piloto começará com 600 estudantes de escolas públicas do Acre que visitarão o Vale do Acre. A ação terá início com alunos da 6ª série do ensino fundamental. ´´É um projeto do turismo, mas muito relacionado à educação, porque ele transforma aquela viagem em conhecimento´´, defendeu Marta. O ministério, em parceria com o governo do Acre, investiu R$ 400 mil no projeto. Em um primeiro momento, metade das vagas serão destinadas a alunos das escolas da capital e o restante para estudantes de municípios com baixo desempenho nos Indicadores de Desenvolvimento da Educação Básica (Ideb). As viagens serão integralmente custeadas pelo ministério em parceria com o estado. Segundo Marta, o Distrito Federal também manifestou interesse em aderir ao programa. ´´O projeto vai beneficiar o Brasil todo, mas principalmente o estudante que não teve a oportunidade de viajar. Você viajar, primeiro no seu estado, é você se apropriar da sua cultura´´, afirmou. De acordo com Marta, o ministério está à disposição de outros estados que queiram integrar o Viaja Mais Jovem. ´´Na hora em que você leva o estudante que não tem acesso a alguma coisa que faz parte da cultura, você está investindo no conhecimento, na oportunidade dele em olhar o mundo, mas não por aquela janelinha pequena que ele vê da casa dele´´, disse a ministra.

Agência Brasil
Fonte: Hotel On Line

A Discrimination Case Against Tiger Airways

More on airline discrimination:

The advent of low-cost airlines and zealous interpretation of safety regulations has led to discrimination against people with disabilities, experts say.

A group of deaf people from Melbourne has launched a discrimination case against Tiger Airways after the budget carrier insisted they travel with a carer last month.

But [Australian] federal disability discrimination commissioner Graeme Innes says the problem isn't limited to Tiger.

"There have been endemic problems in airlines over the past few years where people with disabilities have been refused carriage because of their disability,'' Mr Innes told Sky News.

For the complete article:

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23519956-2862,00.html

REATECH: Una Abertura (Spanish)

Reatech 2008 fue una revelación para nosotros: nos permitió comprender la vida en toda su intensidad, más allá de nuestros propios interrogantes como seres humanos y de nuestras inquietudes como padres de una persona discapacitada.

Y es que fue aquí, en este maravilloso espacio que es la feria, donde aprendimos a valorar lo que tenemos sin pensar en lo que nos falta; donde comprendimos que el dolor va de la mano de la felicidad, sucediéndose de a ratos, conformando un continuum que es, nada más y nada menos, que la vida. Y que esa vida vale la pena.

Y es aquí, también, que aprendimos que…

…Se abraza con los brazos o con lo que queda de ellos, pero se abraza…

…Se ve con los ojos del otro y su narración del universo pero, fundamentalmente, se “ve” al otro desde lo profundo de uno mismo.

…Se escucha con el lenguaje de las manos del otro pero se “escucha” al otro…

…Se camina con lo que se puede o con lo que la tecnología brinda, pero se camina, siempre hacia delante, siempre transitando ese camino que se llama vida, sin concesiones…

Viví, valga la redundancia, un espacio de vida pura: cada cual buscaba su propio espacio bajo el sol y lo vivía, con o sin ayuda, pero con toda la fuerza, ésa que a veces es esquiva en aquéllos a quienes, supuestamente, ninguna capacidad les falta.

Me emocioné, me reí, me asombré, me sentí orgullosa cuando mi hija habló en la inauguración, bailé al ritmo de una música que lo inundaba todo de alegría, me sentí parte de un espacio que, generoso, se abre a quien quiera verlo y disfrutarlo, con gente sin prejuicios, sin etiquetas, con “capacidades diferentes”, que son realmente diferentes en cuanto a su capacidad de prodigarse con el amor más pleno que pueda darse.

Disfruté absolutamente de Reatech 2008. Le agradezco profundamente a mi hija que me haya llevado: la experiencia vivida valió la pena.

A todos, mis sinceras felicitaciones y el deseo de que Reatech 2009 siga ofreciendo este espacio de encuentro tan importante para todos, especialmente para quienes la esperan como “su lugar en el mundo”.

Fuente - Blog de Nelida Barbeito:

http://nelidabarbeito.blogspot.com/

REATECH: "E dessa vez a diferente era eu!" (Portuguese)

Há uns dois meses atrás, quando meu namorado me perguntou se gostaria de ir com a ele à Reatech, não pensei duas vezes e disse que sim. Afinal, estou escrevendo num blog sobre acessibilidade, inclusão, reabilitação bla bla etc e tal. Nada mais normal do que acompanhá-lo ao evento. Às vésperas da feira, então, quando percebi que meu namorado não parava de falar nos test drives que poderia fazer e nas cadeiras e acessórios que encontraria por lá, comecei a me perguntar se não me sentiria deslocada num evento como esse. Pra meu alívio, essa desconfiança passou quase que por completo assim que cheguei na feira, pois, como em tudo que é evento de porte internacional, você tem muito o que ver, ouvir, conhecer e explorar.

Mas como eu disse: quase. A primeira meia hora foi estranha.

Continuar lendo este articoo da Bianca Marotta, "E dessa vez a diferente era eu!"

Bianca, foi um prazer te conhecer pessoalmente na REATECH.

Mobile March - Canada

Jeff Preston is on the road with a message:

"Accessible transit, not only in London, [Ontario] but in the province, is broken," the University of Western Ontario Master's student told a crowd of about 150 supporters outside city hall.

He is blogging on his trek to demonstrate the fact at Get Mobilzed. Here's from his first day on the road:

I’ve known all along that this was important and it’s something I just have to do, but when I think of all the people who came out to see me off today, all the people with disabilities around this province stuck in the ridiculousness that is accessible transportation, and all the friendly motorists along the way who happily shared the road with me today, well I know that not only can I accomplish my goal to reach Ottawa, but we truly are on the cusp of something revolutionary. People seem to really understand the problem and empathize with our plight–they genuinely believe that we, the disabled, have the same right to access transportation just like everyone else. I think that’s really significant.

Source:
http://www.getmobilized.ca/travelblog/

More information:

http://getmobilized.ca/mainpage.html

UWO Student Begins Wheelchair Journey
http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/News/Local/2008/05/06/5481326-sun.html

Da AVAPE: Turismo acessível

Convênio entre o Ministério do Turismo, AVAPE e a Prefeitura de Socorro facilitará o acesso de pessoas com deficiência ao turismo de aventura e atividades de lazer

Reportagem: Marília Penteriche

Em matéria de acessibilidade turística, o Brasil ainda engatinha se comparado aos Estados Unidos, Canadá ou Inglaterra. Além das poucas opções de destinos e habitações realmente acessíveis, as existentes costumam ser caras. Mas o município de Socorro (SP), a 130 quilômetros de São Paulo, promete mudar este cenário. Um convênio entre o Ministério do Turismo, a Prefeitura, a AVAPE e o programa Aventura Segura criou o projeto Socorro Acessível, para tornar a cidade - um dos pólos de turismo de aventura mais importantes do interior paulista - o primeiro destino turístico do país totalmente adaptado às pessoas com deficiência.

A AVAPE iniciou a análise do diagnóstico de acessibilidade e do potencial turístico de Socorro há um ano, identificando barreiras arquitetônicas construídas numa época em que as pessoas com deficiência não saíam de suas casas para se divertir, muito menos para viajar. No levantamento, a Organização empregou arquitetos e técnicos em inclusão. 'Ao todo, serão realizadas nove ações para acessibilidade, entre elas a instalação de sinais sonoros nos semáforos e construção e adaptação de rampas de acesso em locais públicos, como ruas, praças e museus', explica a técnica em acessibilidade da AVAPE, Cristiane Ecker. Mais do que promover a inclusão por meio do turismo acessível, Socorro está se adequando ao decreto número 5.296, de 2004, que regulamenta a lei 10.098. Entre outras definições, hotéis e pousadas devem ter 5% de suas acomodações adaptadas para atender pessoas com deficiência, de acordo com a Norma Técnica 9050. Os estabelecimentos de uso público e privado precisam estar adequados até dezembro de 2008.

A adaptação física não foi o único foco da AVAPE. A Organização se preocupou também com a questão comportamental. Em fevereiro, realizou a oficina 'Colocando as Mãos na Massa', para empresários e gestores de empresas que oferecem turismo de aventura, esclarecendo dúvidas sobre como iniciar projetos de acessibilidade e atendimento às pessoas com deficiência.

La région Riviera Cote d'Azur (French)

La région Riviera Cote d'Azur, dont la ville de Nice est l'un des centres majeurs, peut se vanter d'être l'un des principaux sites touristiques français. Une réalité qui a sa part d'ombre !

En effet il y a une catégorie de touristes qui trouve difficilement le gîte et le couvert dans cette magnifique région, ce sont les personnes à mobilité réduite. Malgré le dynamisme de certaines régions en matière de tourisme et handicap, nous pouvons constater que cet aspect n'est pas une préoccupation des professionnels du tourisme locaux. Seulement 79 structures labellisées sur 6 départements, alors que le Languedoc Roussillon en compte 252 et la Région Centre 272. Le Comité Régional de Tourisme a décidé de réagir en mettant les professionnels face à leurs responsabilités, à l'occasion d'un colloque au cours duquel ils ont débattu de cette situation avec des personnes handicapées, des politiques, des responsables d'associations et assisté à la présentation de ce qui se fait dans ce domaine en Espagne grâce à la présentation de l'architecte Francesc Aragall, président de « Design for all » qui a mis en accessibilité de nombreux sites historiques. Dominique Charpentier, le Directeur Général du CRT Riviera Côte d'Azur, estime que la mise en accessibilité des sites d'accueil touristique est une démarche totalement rentable au vu des plus de 130 millions de personnes handicapées identifiées en Europe, qui sont autant de touristes en puissance pour les régions touristiques qui ont une image de zone accessible pour tous.

Le président de l'un des groupements hôteliers de Nice rétorquait que cette démarche est difficile à mettre en œuvre pour nombre de professionnels, coûteuse et non rentable dans la plupart des cas. Un point de vue qui a déclenché les foudres de Muriel Marland-Militello, députée des Alpes Maritimes et qui est, entre autres, vice-présidente du groupe d'étude sur l'intégration des personnes fragilisées, et de Madame Catherine Bachelier, Déléguée ministérielle à l'accessibilité depuis une dizaine d'années. Celles-ci ont su faire valoir le fait que l'investissement dans l'accessibilité était une ambition nationale irréversible dont le bénéfice ne pouvait être remis en question. Pour accompagner les professionnels qui souhaitent obtenir le label Tourisme et Handicap, le CRT anime une commission composée de spécialistes du handicap et de l'accessibilité qui, sur demande, réalisent un diagnostic de la structure et instruisent le dossier qui permet l'obtention du Label. Au vu de la détermination de l'équipe locale de labellisation, on peut espérer que les labellisations actuelles fassent boule de neige.

Source:

http://informations.handicap.fr/art-tourisme-culture-15.0.0.0-2543.php

REATECH Bloggers Summit on Inclusive Tourism

Parque dos Sonhos

REATECH is South America's largest disability expo. Promoters of Inclusive Tourism gathered from throughout North, Central, and South America to add an entirely new topic to the typical showcase on technology, sport, self-help, and disability culture.

The Rolling Rains Report organized a Bloggers Summit during the event and Brazilian pioneers of inclusive adventure and eco-tourism arranged for technical assistance visits to observe their project in partnership with the federal tourism ministry known as "Socorro Acessivel." Below is a multi-lingual pastiche of conference reports from those who came together to run our booth. To the right are photos from only one of the several sites that we visited on the tour. Brazil is taking to inclusion in tourism with zest and innovation! (Note; the zipline in the photo is 1 km long starting in São Paulo state and ending in the state of Minas Gerais.)

Keep the September 4-7 Adventure Travel Summit and Adventure Sports Fair on your calendars as the next event where this corner of the world's Inclusive Tourism team meets up Join us. Vamos la!:

Craig Grimes (English)
Accessible Everything

Ricardo Shimosakai (Portuguese)
Turismo Adaptado blog
EcoViagem post

Nelida Barbeitos (Spanish)
http://nelidabarbeito.blogspot.com/

Eduardo Camara & Bianca Marotti
Mão na Roda

CRPD and the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL)

People come to disability through a variety of means. Landmines is one preventable cause. below the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) hails the passage of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Landmine survivors and all people with disabilities can now count on a powerful tool to ensure their rights are respected and their needs met, the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) said today, hailing the entry into force of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Disability Rights Convention).

The Convention, considered the first major human rights treaty of this century, was signed in December 2006. It will enter into force tomorrow, 30 days after the deposit of the 20th ratification (by Ecuador, on 3 April 2008).

"Like the Mine Ban Treaty just over ten years ago, the Disability Rights Convention is the result of a close partnership between governments and civil society organizations, whose contribution was crucial in achieving a strong legal instrument," said Firoz Ali Alizada, Advisor to the Afghan Landmine Survivors' Organization (ALSO), stressing the high levels of participation of the disability community – including landmine survivors – in the process.

"We are confident that the Disability Rights Convention will help bring about real change in the lives of landmine survivors, through the adoption of effective legislation and a shift in attitude," Alizada added.

In mine-affected countries, the Disability Rights Convention will complement the obligations for assisting landmine victims contained in the Mine Ban Treaty and strengthen the notion that providing comprehensive assistance to landmine survivors and other people with disability is fundamentally a human rights issue.

"Unfortunately, despite repeated verbal commitments, support for landmine survivors is still lacking in many countries, and decisive action is needed to turn promises into real improvements for survivors, their families, and communities," said ICBL Executive Director Sylvie Brigot.

Of the 24 States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty that have identified themselves as having the most pressing needs in terms of victim assistance, only four have so far ratified the Disability Rights Convention: Croatia, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Peru. The ICBL urges all countries to join the Convention and start adopting national legislation to put it into practice as soon as possible.

As the international community prepares to meet in Dublin from 19 May 2008 to negotiate a new treaty to ban cluster munitions that cause unacceptable harm to civilians, the ICBL expressed the hope that the principles of equality and inclusion enshrined in the Disability Rights Convention will be fully reflected in the new treaty.

"From the experience of the Mine Ban Treaty, we have learned the importance of placing concrete requirements on states for victim assistance. We hope the new treaty will include solid implementation and reporting requirements in this area," Brigot said.

Background

The ICBL's Landmine Monitor Report 2007 estimates the global number of landmine survivors at 473,000 but actual numbers are likely to be higher.

During the First Review Conference of the Mine Ban Treaty, held in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2004, the following 23 countries identified themselves as having significant numbers of mine survivors and needs for assistance, but also the greatest responsibility to act: Afghanistan, Albania, Angola, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Burundi, Cambodia, Chad, Colombia, Croatia, Dem. Rep. of Congo, El Salvador, Eritrea, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Peru, Senegal, Serbia, Sudan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Uganda and Yemen. Ethiopia later added itself to the list.

Through the Nairobi Action Plan, adopted at the end of the First Review Conference in 2004, States Parties to the treaty pledged to enhance efforts for the care, rehabilitation and reintegration of landmine survivors during the period 2005-2009.

For more information, or to arrange an interview, please call the ICBL office in Geneva: +41 (0)22 920 03 25

Source: http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/ASAZ-7E9H9Z?OpenDocument

Inclusion in Adventure Sports Makes Inroads in Nepal

High-risk sports are not everyone's cup of tea but stories like these do fix a destination in the minds of some intrepid travelers with disabilities:

Twenty-eight-year-old Sita KC took to the skies today becoming the first disabled person in Nepal to be airborne without the help of an engine.

KC, who is suffering from spinal paralysis and cannot use her limbs waist downwards, went paragliding with Swiss national Sebastian Baqeun in tandem for a 50-minute flight under the aegis of Sunrise Paragliding. She went into launch mode from Sarangkot cliff of Pokhara.

"I was thrilled beyond words after touching down," KC told this daily. "It is just not possible to describe the feeling of elation on getting airborne, and that too in a location like Pokhara. Looking at others paragliding, I had been yearning for a long time to do so."

KC said, "There are several friends of mine who are also disabled in some way or the other. All of them and the doctors and staff at Hariyo Khark Hospital here encouraged me to give wings to my dream. I am grateful to them."
Employed at the hospital as a counsellor, KC said many of her disabled friends also wanted to go paragliding and added that they felt inspired by her effort.

Sunrise Paragliding coordinator Rajesh Bomzan said KC had proved that disability was no deterrent if a person was determined to do something. He added he was happy that she chose his organisation as a platform to prove her point.

Hospital superintendent Sandra Boan lauded KC for her daring and expressed happiness that it went off successfully. "Positive thinking has the power to elevate a person above her or his disability," she said.

http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullstory.asp?filename=aFanata0scqzpca3Sa4ta.axamal&folder=aHaoamW&Name=Home&dtSiteDate=20080429

Sérgio Franco, Marta Suplicy, Hotel Fazenda Campo dos Sonhos em Socorro Continuam Trabalho do Pioneiro De Turismo Inclusivo Dada Moreira

A Ministra do Turismo, Marta Suplicy, visitou o Hotel Fazenda Campo dos Sonhos em Socorro (SP) - o primeiro empreendimento da cidade a ser referência para a acessibilidade a pessoas com necessidades especiais (deficientes auditivos, visuais e de mobilidade)

O Parque dos Sonhos, onde está localizado o hotel, também será referência para a certificação de turismo de aventura, pois é o primeiro a adotar integralmente as normas da ABNT (Associação Brasileira de Normas Técnicas), que foram regulamentadas a partir do Projeto “Aventura Segura”, coordenado pela ABETA (Associação Brasileira das Empresas de Turismo de Aventura) em conjunto com o Ministério do Turismo.

Sérgio Franco, diretor da Adventure Sports Fair, acompanhou a visita, e pode constatar com orgulho o fato de que grande parte das iniciativas hoje implementadas tiveram início nas edições da feira, que se tornou o ponto de encontro anual entre os empresários do turismo, ONGs e Governo.

Todas essas iniciativas tiveram início durante a Adventure Sports Fair – o grande ponto de encontro entre os empresários do Turismo, Ongs e Governo.

Fonte: http://www.adventurefair.com.br/noticias/destaques1.asp?numero_noticia=208

De sitio Adventure Sports Fair:

A Adventure Sports Fair tem papel importante no mercado de turismo de aventura, para a indústria de roupas, calçados e equipamentos para os praticantes de esportes de aventura ou simplesmente para os consumidores que adotam a aventura como estilo de vida.

É também o mais importante salão de veículos 4x4, com a presença das principais marcas do mercado, oferecendo, assim, a possibilidade dos consumidores experimentarem seus lançamentos.

Além de ser uma feira de negócios, a Adventure Sports Fair aproxima os destinos e os operadores das agências de turismo que irão comercializar seus produtos.

E, para os fabricantes de roupas, calçados, equipamentos e bikes, a Adventure Sports Fair é a grande plataforma de lançamento de seus produtos, porque atrai milhares de lojistas de todo o Brasil.

Ao mesmo tempo, é uma feira voltada ao consumidor final, divulgando essa nova categoria de turismo e os novos produtos voltados à aventura para um público de alto poder aquisitivo e formadores de opinião.

Por tudo isso a Adventure Sports Fair está entre as maiores feiras do mundo na sua categoria.

Femme Den: More Linkage Between Universal Design and Women as a Market

As Universal Design continues to establish itself as baseline "good design" innovators like Smart Design continue to innovate and open new markets.

Smart Design introduces 'Femme Den' initiative to connect product design with female audiences

* Women make or influence 80 per cent of household purchases
* 'Pinking and shrinking' products doesn’t meet the needs of today's women

29 April, 2008 - Smart Design, one of the world's leading consumer product design firms, has announced a major initiative called the Femme Den - a grassroots movement which specialises in designing products geared towards women, opening up the potential to increase sales by connecting with this audience. The Femme Den was founded in 2005 by four international members of Smart Design's staff, Erica Eden (American), Agnete Enga (Norwegian), Yvonne Lin (Chinese-American) and Gina Reimann (British) to draw connections between social, cultural, and economic changes in design to satisfy the ‘unmet’ needs of women consumers.

Smart Design's new Femme Den group will specialise in bridging the gap between the assumptions and realities about product design for women customers. According to a recent study by Growth Strategies, US women make or influence 80 per cent of purchases, and manufacturers of consumer electronics and home improvement tools, amongst others, are now recognising the underdeveloped business opportunity in connecting with the female market.

"Producers of male-oriented consumer products are increasingly realising the potential in the female market, yet are unsure how to tackle the issue - especially as women are still under represented in the design industry," explained Erica Eden, Co-founder of the Femme Den. "Some companies believe that by 'pinking and shrinking' products they will appeal to females, but this isn't always the case and by doing so companies are in fact alienating the male population from buying their products.

"Gender boundaries are blurring and products need to keep up with the changes in society," Erica Eden continued. "For example, a significant number of women live on their own, or are single parents, and have to use products that were not really designed for them. We don't adapt products to specifically target men or women, but we work to create cross-gender products. Smart Design has really embraced our individual thinking. Its whole ethos is based around 'universal design' and we believe that by understanding how gender plays a role, our designs will appeal to the largest audience and achieve best selling products."

Davin Stowell, CEO of Smart Design, commented: "The Femme Den takes a fresh approach to existing products and makes them appeal not only to their previous male-oriented market, but also a new female audience. This is a hugely innovative area of the design industry and Smart Design is delighted to have such a pioneering internal team, which has the expertise to discover the female perspective and broaden a company's purchasing audience."

The Femme Den will be presenting their insights at the National Conference of the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) in Phoenix, AZ in early September.

About the Femme Den
The Femme Den is a grassroots movement which first gathered momentum at Smart Design in 2005. It is dedicated to discovering new consumer insight and design methodologies that connect with female consumers. It aims to do this through design that bridges the gap between the realities and assumptions about women. Its goal is to circulate discoveries throughout the design community to facilitate enhanced sensitivity to this compelling and influential topic. Please visit www.femmeden.com for more information.

About Smart Design
Smart Design has been turning insight and innovation into successful consumer experiences for over 25 years. The company's approach integrates product development, interactive experiences, brand communication, and strategic insights to ensure winning design solutions. From its pioneering Universal Design collaboration with OXO International, developing its renowned line of kitchen tools, to its work with leading multi-national companies including HP, Microsoft, Lexar and Acer, developing user-friendly electronics and humanizing technology, Smart Design creates products that truly connect with the consumer. Smart Design has offices in New York, San Francisco and Barcelona. Please visit www.smartdesignworldwide.com for more information or contact:

Mercedes Coats
Global Public Relations
Tel: +1 415 355 6205
Email: mercedes.coats@smartdesignworldwide.com

Manuela Whittaker
The PressOffice - PR for Smart Design
Tel: +44(0)1780 721433
Email: mwhittaker@pressoffice.targetwire.com

Aldo de Jong
European Office Contact
Tel: +34 935 846 615
Email: aldo.deJong@smartdesignworldwide.com

Disability Rights in China

The news note below on the rights of Chinese with disabilities is provided in anticipation of the Paralympic Games:

Last week, the Chinese government adopted a law amendment to better protect the country's more than 83 million persons with a disability, in the run-up to the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games in September..."

The amendment to the Law on Protection of the Disabled, which has been discussed twice by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress in February and April, was expected to go into effect on 1 July 2008.

"Caring for persons with a disability is a sign of social progress, and is an important part of building a harmonious society," said China's government official Wu Bangguo at the meeting. "Persons with a disability should be guaranteed the right to play a fair role in social life and share the fruits of our country's economic and social development", he added.

It is the first law amendment adopted by the 11th NPC Standing Committee, which convened its first meeting in March this year.

The amendment added details about stable financial support, better medical care and rehabilitation for persons with a disability, along with favorable jobs and tax policies. Governments at county level or above should provide stable funding and draw up annual plans to persons with a disability. Governments and social organizations, enterprises, and non-government organizations should have a quota of persons with a disability on their payroll, and should contribute to persons with a disability in other aspects if they failed to meet the quota. Government purchase should also give priority to products or services provided by persons with a disability, according to the amendment.

Furthermore, the amendment also made clearer the legal consequences of violating the rights and interests of persons with a disability.

China is the host of the Beijing 2008 Paralympics in September 2008 as well as the Asian Para Games in Guangzhou in 2010.

According to the China Disabled Persons' Federation (CDPF), the country has about 83 million disabled, accounting for 6.34 percent of the population. More than 75 percent of persons with a disability live in rural areas.

www.cdpf.org.cn/english/index.htm

My Green Map

GreenMap.org is a project that I have followed with interest for several years. I attempted to connect up with one of their projects in Brazil last week but scheduling did not allow it. Below is more on what GreenMaps is doing that's new:

Green Map System has promoted inclusive participation in sustainable community development around the world since 1995, using mapmaking as our medium. Over 450 locally-led map projects in 50 countries have successfully published 335 Green Maps, used by millions to connect with green living, nature, social and cultural resources near home and while traveling. While all use Green Map Icons to highlight both positive and challenging sites, each powerful guide is unique.

Now, we're taking our inclusiveness mission the next step by developing an open interactive Green Mapmaking tool that will help people worldwide quickly share their own selection of sustainability sites, pathways and resources online.

Merging local knowledge and our freshly updated iconography with a Google Map, the resulting interactive Green Maps will be viewable from our own and many other websites, starting in mid-2008. With open commentary, green ratings, multimedia elements, 'impacts index', mobile access, onsite markers and more, everyone will be able to get involved.

My Green Map (working name) will give voice to thousands and ensure that an enormous diversity of successful sustainability activities and models are shared with the broadest audience possible. Merging the booming ‘going local’ and green development movements with social networking and interactive mapping, My Green Map begins with our network's collective inventory of green sites. Each of their maps will be linked to the related profile and locally-designed full-scale Green Map already viewable at GreenMap.org. Once we have helped them overcome technical barriers to participation, we intend to phase in public mapmaking and behavior change assessment, mobile formats, thematic worldviews, and more.

To help people of all ages impact current conditions, My Green Map will encourage local participation that counters global climate change, supports vibrant biodiversity and heritage preservation while addressing social and cultural challenges. It will promote more diverse involvement by guiding newcomers to get involved in important greening activities, encourage long-time residents to make more sustainable everyday choices, build students' eco-literacy and leadership skills, provide visitors with best practice models to share back home, and motivate decision-makers to act for the common good.

See http://www.greenmap.org/greenhouse/en/news/ggm!

Event Announcement -- Include 2009

The RCA Helen Hamlyn Centre is pleased to announce it will be holding
Include 2009 at the Royal College of Art, London 5-8 April 2009.

The title of the event will be Inclusive Design into Innovation:
Transforming Practice in Design, Research and Business.

Include 2009 will be chaired by Professor Alastair Macdonald (Glasgow School of Art), Professor John Clarkson (Engineering Design Centre, University of Cambridge), Steve Wilcox (Design Science) & Melanie Howard (Futurologist and author of ‘The Future Unwrapped’)

We will be shortly announcing a call for papers on completed research
from academic researchers, design managers, designers, design
educators and design commissioners that describe inclusive people
centred approaches in their chosen field and the innovative outcomes.
Themes to be considered include:

- New and emerging practices
- New users (exploring beyond age & disability)
- New designers
- People Centred Innovations

Issues and experiences that may be discussed include:

- Changes in design education to encompass an inclusive approach
- Collaborative research with users in inclusive design
- Boardroom barriers to inclusive design
- Excluding Design – who are we missing?

To Register an interest in Include 09 please join the Include Network
at http://www.hhc.rca.ac.uk/kt/include/network.html to receive further
details and registration discount

To view details of previous Include conferences please go to http://www.hhc.rca.ac.uk/kt/include/index.html