Rolling Rains Report:

Yeoh Siew Hoon's Encounter with the Temporariness of Being Non-Disabled

Yeoh Siew Hoon has been writing on travel for two decades. For 18 months she recently used a hard cast. It changed her writing.

See her piece "This Much I Know About Accessible Tourism." You'll find some themes we all share here:

I am an eternal optimist and I believe in these tough times, and with what has brought the global economy to its knees –all the stories of greed and fraud we have heard – we will become a more caring world. And if each of us look hard for our silver lining, we will all find it.

The niche market of accessible tourism could well be the silver lining for travel companies who are smart enough to recognise the potential and go after it in a targeted, responsible manner. Since it is such a new field, the ones who do it first and who get it right will have an advantage.

I see accessible tourism as the second wave behind the environment, which is now finally top on the agenda for tourism and other businesses. And just as it did with environmental issues, it will take a combination of political will, legislation and growing consumer demand to force the pace of change.

Good Design Award 2008

The Financial resports on the Good Design Award for 2008 - an example of the Universal Design/Green convergence:

The JAL First Class chopsticks won a 2008 Good Design Award in the category of Tabletop for their elegant aesthetics and ergonomic functionality. Commissioned by JAL, the chopsticks were designed by Tripod Design Co. Ltd, Tokyo, represented by Satoshi Nakagawa, Japan.

The Good Design award is a prestigious international award that puts the spotlight on innovative new product designs and graphics. The Museum’s historic GOOD DESIGN program was founded in Chicago in 1950 by some of America’s most important designers, and it remains one of the world’s oldest and most important Awards Program

Made of cedar wood, the smooth surfaced chopsticks have slightly been narrowed towards their upper ends to make them easier and more comfortable to grip. Fulfilling the principles of the Universal Design, this chopstick was created with special consideration for elderly passengers, and passengers who may not be frequent users of chopsticks.

Universal design is an approach to the development and improvement of products, services and environments so that they are usable by as many people as possible regardless of age, ability or situation.

From an environmental perspective, as with all chopsticks used onboard JAL, the award-wining chopsticks have been made with wood obtained in Japan from forest-thinning to supports forest conservation efforts.

Source:
http://finchannel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=27676&Itemid=4

2009 US/Costa Rica: Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Disability Rights Leadership Exchange Program

Image via Wikipedia

MIUSA strives to organize programs that include people with and without disabilities and people from diverse cultural backgrounds. First time travelers with disabilities who are from a cultural minority and of low socioeconomic status are included every year. MIUSA exchange programs are inclusive of people who are Deaf and hard of hearing, or have cognitive, visual, physical, psychiatric, systemic, non-apparent, or other types of disabilities.

* ASL staff interpreters are provided by MIUSA for the duration of the program.
* Materials in alternative formats are provided for all scheduled program activities.
* Personal assistant funding may be available to assist participants who need personal assistance during the program.

PROGRAM DETAILS

When: June 26 – July 10, 2009

Where: San Jose, Costa Rica

Program Cost: $1,100, which includes: round-trip international airfare from US city of departure to San Jose, Costa Rica; one-night hotel in US city of departure; lodging; meals and activities. Program cost does not cover participants’ airfare to the US city of departure or personal spending money. Accepted participants are required to pay a minimum of $220 towards the program fee.

Scholarships: Generous partial scholarships available to qualified applicants.
Deadline: March 20, 2009. Late applications considered as space permits.

ELIGIBILITY

Participants must be excited about new experiences, a once in a lifetime adventure and tolerant of the challenges brought on by a new cultural environment and inconsistent accessibility. Participants are expected to act as positive and respectful citizen ambassadors of the United States and must be committed to work across cultural and other differences to promote intercultural understanding. Participants must show previous leadership experience, positive communication skills and be committed to disability rights.

Participants must be:

* U.S. citizens
* Ages 18 – 24 by summer 2009

To apply see:

http://www.miusa.org/exchange/costarica09/index_html

Looking Back at 2008: An Example from India

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One of the most enjoyable of New Year's traditions is counting achievements and blessings. Here, from Shivani Gupta of India's AccessAbility in New Delhi, is just one example of how Inclusive Tourism is professionalizing and institutionalizing around the world. Watch for more in 2009!

It has been an exciting year for AccessAbility. Some of our key achievements in 2008 have been:

1. Launch of our Diversity Employment Initiative at www.AccessAbility.co.in/jobs that has brought together over 70 sensitised employers who regularly use this portal to recruit disabled job seekers. Working closely with CII & Naukri.com we hope to extend the reach of this initiative to a pan-India level.

2. Launch of Free2Wheel - www.Free2Wheel.co.in - the first Indian tourist guide for disabled travelers. The travel portal is being advertised by the Ministry of Tourism on the Incredible India home page to promote India as an accessible destination.

3. Our Access Consultancy division has assisted premier brand names in the travel and hospitality industries, higher educational institutes, retail and office complexes and builders in incorporating disabled friendly infrastructure in their existing and upcoming properties. We have also had an opportunity to review and develop some path breaking policies with various Government Ministries.

4. Publication of books authored by us:

1. Employing Persons with Disabilities (online version at http://www.accessability.co.in/files/Employing-Persons-with-Disabilities.pdf)
2. A Guidebook on Creating Sporting & Recreational Facilities for Persons with Disabilities (online version at http://ccdisabilities.nic.in/Sportsf.pdf )

5. AccessAbility team members have been adorned with prestigious awards such as the CavinKare Ability Award 2008 and Helen Keller Award 2008.

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has announced a new standard to make sites more accessible to older and disabled people.

Version 2.0 of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) will apply to text, images, audio and video.

It also covers web applications and is said to give developers more flexibility than the old guidelines.

According to the consortium, WCAG 2.0 should also be easier to understand and use.
The guidance is designed to address barriers encountered by people with visual, hearing, physical, cognitive and neurological disabilities and older people with access needs.

For more news see: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7789622.stm or watch the video: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7792662.stm

Four Possible Futures for The Tourism Industry

Travel author and supporter of the principles of Inclusive Tourism, Imtiaz Muqbil, offers the following

THE FOUR PHILOSOPHIES OF THE FUTURE OF TOURISM ARE ALL IN ASIA

The crisis-hit travel & tourism industry is now in search of truly meaningful, sustainable, long-term remedies. And the answers can be found in Asia. The four primary business models and philosophies that will, without a doubt, become the future pillars of the industry were compiled for the first time in a study presented at the first ITB Asia in October 2008.

The holistic social, economic, cultural and environmental concepts of Mahatma Gandhi, the kings of Thailand and Bhutan, and Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus contain clear pointers for a more realistic revival of the industry in a way that puts the fundamentals of need above speed and greed. The study was commissioned by ITB Asia, and compiled by Imtiaz Muqbil, Executive Editor, Travel Impact Newswire. It is available free of charge upon request.

Industry conferences seeking more information about the study, and/or willing to hear insightful forecasts from a travel trade journalist ready to challenge conventional wisdom and stoke democratic public debate on issues that matter, can contact Imtiaz Muqbil at imtiaz@travel-impact-newswire.com.

Four Possible Futures for The Tourism Industry

Travel author and supporter of the principles of Inclusive Tourism, Imtiaz Muqbil, offers the following study:

THE FOUR PHILOSOPHIES OF THE FUTURE OF TOURISM ARE ALL IN ASIA

The crisis-hit travel & tourism industry is now in search of truly meaningful, sustainable, long-term remedies. And the answers can be found in Asia. The four primary business models and philosophies that will, without a doubt, become the future pillars of the industry were compiled for the first time in a study presented at the first ITB Asia in October 2008.

The holistic social, economic, cultural and environmental concepts of Mahatma Gandhi, the kings of Thailand and Bhutan, and Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus contain clear pointers for a more realistic revival of the industry in a way that puts the fundamentals of need above speed and greed. The study was commissioned by ITB Asia, and compiled by Imtiaz Muqbil, Executive Editor, Travel Impact Newswire. It is available free of charge upon request.

Industry conferences seeking more information about the study, and/or willing to hear insightful forecasts from a travel trade journalist ready to challenge conventional wisdom and stoke democratic public debate on issues that matter, can contact Imtiaz Muqbil at imtiaz@travel-impact-newswire.com.

Advertising Hotel Room Accessibility

Simon Darcy has written the definitive article on the needs of travelers with disabilities for lodging information. Most importantly he tackles the question of how to present that information in the article, "A Methodology for Testing Accessible Accommodation Information Provision Formats." Download file

OK, so with a title like that most people will be waiting for the video version to come out...

We will be using Darcy's paper as background to prepare presenters at the 2009 SATH Conference for the panel, "Will this Hotel Fit My Needs?" Some new ideas will be presented involving streamlined accessibility audits and videotaped room reviews. In the meantime, while the travel industry stumbles idly in the general direction of a solution, the folks at Dapper may have created a way to bootstrap to Internet stardom the first hotel chain to get it right.

With accurate and relevant accessibility information captured in its databases and exposed for web developers to use ( to "mashup") such innovators could see themselves as Internet celebrities with a viral word-of-mouth campaign online promoting them.

Who might these disabled-friendly innovative hotel chains turn out to be?

My bets, based on past and current exemplary performance, would be Microtel in the US, Protea in Africa, or the ITC-Welcome group in India.

Below is a screencast on the technology that might be an unexpected boon to hotels pursuing inclusion. Learn how to make a dynamic contextual ad with MashupAds in 5 minutes: Part 1 of 2:

Part 2 of how to make a dynamic, contextual ad with Dapper MashupAds for a travel website and travel publisher.

Special Needs At Sea Announces Commission Program for Travel Agents

Special Needs at Sea offers equipment for travelers with disabilities. They have just announced a program to partner with travel agents allowing agents to source equipment for clients and make a seamless one-stop experience for their clients. The company offers electric scooters, wheelchairs, power chairs, oxygen, supplies for companion animals, hearing devices and Braille printing.

“Travel agents play an important role in vacation planning and we are excited to reward them for working with us on meeting their clients’ needs,” says Andrew Garnett, the company’s founder and CEO. “Beyond the commissions for the special needs equipment rentals, agents have the opportunity to increase overall bookings by offering the travel experience to individuals who might otherwise have opted to avoid travel.”

Mr. Garnett points out that the disability travel market represents $13.6 billion in annual revenues for the industry. An estimated 40 million Americans---about 1 in 7---have some form of disability. Even so, many rentals at Special Needs at Sea are to travelers who may not use scooters or wheelchairs at home, but are concerned about walking long distances on tours or shore excursions and navigating long corridors on the newer, larger cruise vessels.

“There is a large pool of potential travelers waiting to be tapped,” adds Mr. Garnett. “Importantly, with multi-generational travel a growing trend, there’s no need to cancel a family trip or leave anyone out because of a special need or physical limitation.”

Agents can reserve the equipment their clients need via phone or fax. Special Needs at Sea delivers directly to the ship or hotel so the equipment is waiting when the client arrives. The company has a global distribution network and delivers to ports, cruise ships and hotels around the world. Special Needs at Sea, a Special Needs Group Inc. company, is a member of the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA), the National Association of Career Travel Agents (NACTA) and a sponsor of the Society for Accessible Travel & Hospitality (SATH). Special Needs at Sea is not a travel agent, does not compete with travel agents and protects the commission for its preferred agents if a client reserves equipment directly, based on the preferred agent’s referral.

Travel agents must register in advance of any client bookings to qualify for commissions. They may register for the travel agent program at http://www.specialneedsatsea.com/agents/. To reserve equipment, for more details about Special Needs at Sea, or to request a brochure call Special Needs at Sea toll free 1.800.513.4515, (1.954.585.0575 international), email info@specialneedsatsea.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or log onto www.specialneedsatsea.com.

Source:
http://www.ftnnews.com/content/view/4384/31/lang,english/

From AusAID website: Disability in Australia's Aid Program

Working with People with Disability in the region

It is widely recognised that people with disability are among the poorest and most vulnerable in developing countries. The United Nations estimates that approximately 10% of the world’s population, or approximately 650 million people, have a disability and about 80% of the population with a disability live in developing countries (UN Secretariat Disability Paper E/CN.5/2008/6 available at www.ods.un.org).

People with disability face many barriers to full participation in society and are likely to face an increased risk of social exclusion. This may include being unable to access education, health services, earn a living or participate in decision making. Social exclusion is a major contributor to the level of poverty which people with disability experience, particularly those who live in developing countries.

The Australian Government recognises that poverty is both a cause and consequence of disability and is committed to ensuring that the benefits of development reach those who are most excluded. Further, to achieve the targets set for the Millennium Development Goals and to alleviate poverty, the Government believes that people with disability must be actively included in development activities and processes. Therefore, people with disability have been identified as a priority for Australia’s aid program.

Source:
Disability Update: November 25, 2008

The 2008-09 budget honours the Australian Government's commitment to working with people with disability in our region and will invest $45 million over two years to address avoidable blindness and develop a comprehensive strategy to guide a disability-incusive Australian overseas aid program.

Development for All: Towards a disability-inclusive Australian aid program 2009-2014

AusAID, in consultation with key regional and Australian stakeholders, particularly people with disability and their representative organisations, developed the Australian Government's first strategy to make people with disability a priority for Australia’s aid program. On 25 November 2008, Parliamentary Secretary for International Development Assistance, Mr Bob McMullan, launched Development for All: Towards a disability-inclusive Australian aid program 2009-2014, publicly committing the Australian Government to ensuring that people with disability are comprehensively included and supported in improving their quality of life through all aspects of the aid program.

Development for All seeks change over time in the way Australia's aid program is delivered, and central to this change will be the focus on people with disability as an inherent part of all aspects of program planning and development.

The Strategy seeks to improve the quality of life of people with disability through a range of programs and funding mechanisms - including targeted initiatives to meet the specific needs of people with disability, building the leadership skills of people with disability and their organisations, and ensuring major programs in sectors such as education and infrastructure meet the needs and priorities of people with disability. The Strategy will also focus on reducing preventable impairments through support for avoidable blindness and road safety. It will seek to improve our understanding of disability and its links to poverty through strengthened research and data and build AusAID’s leadership and advocacy role in promoting disability as a development priority.

In recognition of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Development for All will also ensure that the rights of people with disability are respected and promoted. Development for All: Towards a disability-inclusive Australian aid program 2009-2014 is available below as a PDF or word document and in large print. Audio format is also available. Braille copies can be ordered online at: www.ausaid.gov.au/publications

For more info go to:

http://www.ausaid.gov.au/keyaid/disability.cfm

Imtiaz Muqbil on an Agenda for the Tourism Industry

Imtiaz Muqbil writes the insightful newsletter Travel Impact Newswire. Below he argues for more rational development in the travel industry - and calls for input from new voices. As the world's population ages who is advising the industry on how to make the structural, operational, and conceptual adjustments necessary to thrive as some degree of disability becomes commonplace through longevity?

AN AGENDA FOR THE FUTURE

The travel & tourism industry is caught in an unprecedented cycle of boom and bust. It is being affected by too much happening too quickly in too many different sectors and parts of the world. The need for new ideas, from new people for a new era has never been more important. Here are some areas that may help fulfill that objective:

1. DEMOCRATISE THE INDUSTRY: The “World” Travel Market reflects the “world” on the trade floor but in the accompanying panels, seminars and discussions there is a distinct lack of representation by industry leaders from Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Arab world. Most of the speakers are from western, and largely British, organisations, companies, universities and institutions who reflect, quite naturally, their own perspective. Most of them tend to be CEOs, ministers or other “top people”.

Also poorly represented are environmentalists, NGOs, trade unionists, consumer protection organisations. There is no forum for young people, indigenous peoples or small and medium-sized enterprises. This appears to reflect a somewhat undemocratic industry and a patronising, top-down attitude that leaves no space to create the pressure groups mentioned by Mrs Hulya Aslantas, the Skål International President (see story above). The assumption is that only CEOs, and mainly those from the west, deserve a platform and have the answers. But whose interests do these industry leaders truly represent? Their own? Their investors? Shareholders? Board members? Or their staff and their guests? What’s good for the rich and the powerful is not necessarily good for those at the bottom of the heap.

One organisation already realising its mistakes is PATA which in the last six years was headed by a European and became a hugely centralised, autocratic organisation that lost sight of many of its grassroots members. An organisation that claims to be the “voice of Asia Pacific travel & tourism” ceased to be a “voice” for its members. This process is now being undone; “democratisation” of the organisation is a primary priority.

2. BROADEN THE AGENDA & CREATE REAL DEBATE: Constructive debate, and a healthy check and balance mechanism is a vital part of any democratic society. A number of sessions at the WTM 2008 were referred to as “debates”. But none were debates in the real sense of the term, with no cross-fire of opposing viewpoints. Perhaps in order not to upset sponsors and corporate backers, hard questions are seldom raised. The result is that new agendas do not enter the mainstream discussion process. An industry of dreams refuses to confront its nightmares. It also conveys the image of an industry that does not tolerate opposing viewpoints and sees critics as enemies.

Although the agenda of economic growth, job creation and sustainability is now well accepted, hearing the other side of the coin is becoming imperative. Numerous issues need to be raised – from the management of security concerns to consumer protection complaints, from human resources management to privacy and the impact of technology and even ceksual harassment in the workplace.

3. BATTLE CONVENTIONAL WISDOM: Not everything that was said to be good for the industry 10 years ago is actually turning out that way. And what may have been good in the past will not necessarily be good in future. Globalisation was seen as a panacea but is coming under increasing fire in global forums. For example, the industry is all excited about how mobile phones are becoming new marketing tools but appears less concerned about the environmental impact of millions of discarded mobile units. At one session on technology in travel, I raised this question, only to receive a frosty non-response from haughty panellists who thought the issue was not worth their time.

Many of the marketing and management and forecasting gurus who made lofty predictions and trends forecasts were just plain wrong. Much is made these days about promoting competitiveness and branding. But branding is becoming boring and the need to compete is diminishing in importance, especially as there is plenty of business going around. In the years ahead, competition may be better directed at raising standards, not raising visitor arrival numbers. Even the industry's focus on sustainability and responsible tourism begins to sound hollow when one sees the monumental waste of paper on the exhibition floor.

4. LEARN FROM OTHER INDUSTRIES: The travel & tourism industry is a major buyer of goods and services from other industries, such as food & beverage, telecommunications, finances and banking. So far, not a single travel conference has chosen to hear the issues and trends prevailing in other sectors. Hence, travel & tourism misses a golden opportunity to indulge in a two-way discussion with its suppliers, get some free market research and influence the way products and services are designed on both sides.

5. BOOST LEVELS OF ACCOUNTABILITY: Leadership means being held accountable, and holding others accountable. In travel & tourism, holding ministers, corporate leaders and association CEOs accountable is virtually unheard of. At the same time, our own industry leaders show a surprising reluctance to hold external political, government and corporate leaders for causing problems. Mr Frangialli's fleeting comment on Alan Greenspan was a rare reference. Mr d'Amore of the IIPT dwelt at length about military expenditures but shows no inclination to hold many of the arms-exporting countries, specifically his own country, the USA, responsible for fomenting war and conflict. Speculation in oil and commodity prices, plus currency speculation, contributes to industry instability and kills jobs. So do the misguided policies of politicians and fundamentalist religious leaders of all ilk. Why should the travel & tourism industry not hold them accountable?

6. BALANCING THE IMBALANCES: One of the most important trends today is a rebooting of the world order. This includes everything from the geopolitical impact of the rise of India and China to addressing the rich-poor income gap and the imbalance between economic growth and ecological impact. Although travel & tourism is being hugely influenced by these trends, it is totally in the dark about how to influence it in a positive way. The key to gaining respect as an important industry sector in the new world order lies in clearly establishing and identifying this role – influencing change, rather than being influenced by it. So far, this has not happened.

ABOUT TRAVEL IMPACT NEWSWIRE

Set up in August 1998, Travel Impact Newswire is the Asia-Pacific's first email travel industry news feature and analysis service. Mission Statement: Dedicated to reporting with Integrity, Trust, Accuracy and Respect the issues that impact on the Asia-Pacific Travel & Tourism industry. Distributed every week to 45,000 senior industry readers worldwide, mainly in the Asia-Pacific and Middle East.

Advertorial sponsorship messages cost 1,000 Euro per dispatch. Please contact: Imtiaz Muqbil, Executive Editor, 24 Soi Chidlom, Bangkok, Thailand 10330. T: (66-2) 2551480, 2537590. Fax: (66-2) 2544316. Email: imtiaz@travel-impact-newswire.com

Journal for Disability and International Development – Call for Contributions

The Journal for Disability and International Development has issued a Call for Contributions for its January 2009 Issue The Topic is, Women with Disabilities: Identification and Participation in the Women’s and Disability Movement
Deadline is 31.01.2009

Since the early 1990s, women with disabilities have increasingly been calling for the recognition and inclusion of the gender dimension to disability, both in disability politics and in the women’s movement.

The women’s movement as such has been emphasising on the multiple dimensions that make up the diverse situations of women around the world. While it therefore could have been key to addressing the specific concerns of women with disabilities, it has fallen short of acknowledging disability as an added liability in the past. As such, disability has long been ignored by the mainstream women’s movement both in theory and practice.

At the same time, the disability movement has, in its beginnings, conveyed disability as a homogeneous aspect: In its efforts to bring disability to the public’s attention, individual diversities in impairments and other dimensions to disability such as the gender dimension, were largely neglected which finally led to limited agendas, excluding women with disabilities over long periods.

Where do we stand now and how has the situation for women with disabilities changed?

Since recent years the international legal framework for women with disabilities has changed positively. Global and regional networks of disabled women have been formed and are now actively promoting their agenda in both the women’s as well as the disability movement. Stakeholders of both movements are increasingly engaging in dialogue or are openly recognising and even including the perspective of women with disabilities.

This issue 01-2009 of the Journal of Disability and International Development intends to look at how these changes have been translated into practice and how these developments have impacted on the identification and participation of women with disabilities in both movements.

Suggestions for contributions:

We welcome contributions especially with a regional or country-specific perspective on:

* What are lessons learned/success stories in bringing/including women with disabilities onto the agenda of both movements?
* How does culture influence the promotion and perception of the rights of women with disabilities in these movements?
* What are barriers for women with disabilities in becoming active participants/actors in the disability and/or women’s movement? Which developments have the disability and/or women’s rights movement undergone with regards to women with disabilities?
* What are ways and means for ensuring the integration of the rights of disabled women and participation of disabled women in these movements?
* What is the impact of these developments on identity and self-perception of women with disabilities as individuals as well as in organisations?
* What are the developments with regard to women with disabilities in these movements in the academic field/research and teaching?
* What has been the influence of including a gender dimension in disability and development on the policy and programming work of international development organisations, especially those working in the field of disability in development of women in development?

Contact: Dr. Christiane Noe: Noe.Christiane@web.de , Susanne Wilm: Susanne_Wilm@yahoo.de

About us
The Journal for Disability and International Development is published by the forum ‘Disability and International Development’. Since 1990, it is published three times a year. The target group of the journal are scientists, activists, professionals and interested people from all over the world.
It aims to be a forum for international exchange about the disability. Beside this, it promotes professional discussions on educational, social, developmental and intercultural issues in the context of disability and development. Each issue of the journal has a leading topic that brings together different articles and views.
The journal team and the advisory board try to win experts from all continents to contribute to the journal. The journal is published in German and English and available online at: http://www.zbdw.de.

Important New Book: Accessible Tourism: Challenges and Opportunities

The Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Centre (STCRC) has recently produced a new publication Accessible Tourism: Challenges and Opportunities. This is a FREE resource available here: http://www.crctourism.com.au/BookShop/BookDetail.aspx?d=632

From the book:

“American adults with disabilities or reduced mobility currently spend an average of $13.6 billion a year on travel. Creating accessible cruise ships, accessible ship terminals, accessible ground transportation, and accessible tourism destinations is not charity. It is just good business.”

Dr Scott Rains, a US expert on disability issues

This publication provides an easy-to-read summary of four key research pieces into accessible tourism, including:

* Setting a Research Agenda for Accessible Tourism
* Developing Business Case Studies for Accessible Tourism
* Tourist Experiences of Individuals with Vision Impairment
* Visitor Accessibility in Urban Centres

The research can be used to assist in better planning for and addressing the needs of visitors with disability and other access issues.

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

About STCRC

Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Centre (STCRC) was established under the Australian Government’s Cooperative Research Centres program in 1997, and has grown to be the largest dedicated tourism research organisation in the world. STCRC has more than 300 tourism research reports available for free download at www.crctourism.com.au/bookshop

Contact:

Amber Brown
General Manager, Communications and Industry Extension
Sustainable Tourism CRC
Gold Coast Campus
Griffith University QLD 4222

Ph: (07) 5552 8116

Mob: (0434) 622 466
Fax: (07) 5552 8171

Email: amber.brown@crctourism.com.au
www.crctourism.com.au

South African Tourism Certification: Fundi

Travel agents are a resourceful lot. It's their job to be geographers, bargain-hunters, problem-solvers, diplomats -- and insatiably curious!

After posing the question to myself this morning about the accessibility of tourism in South Africa I began an online researching path that led me to the South African Fundi certification on the country.

The online training available for travel agents is well done and engaging. I certainly learned many things I had not known before.

They say that the sure way to knowledge is to ask the right questions. As a traveler with a mobility I impairment writing for others who have disabilities - and for those who supply them with travel options - the course leaves me with many new questions:

The safari Big Five consists of lion, elephant, leopard, rhino, and Cape Buffalo. Can people with disabilities ride domesticated elephants in South Africa as in Thailand?

Nelson Mandela was held for years in the prison on Robben Island. Are the ferries to the island wheelchair accessible?

One of South Africa's Blue Flag beaches is Camps Bay Beach. It is know for its accessibility to people with disabilities. Do they have beach wheelchairs for hire or loan?

Dullstrom on Highlands Meander is an excellent spot for fly fishing. Do the outfitters and hotels accommodate fly fishermen with disabilities?

The Victoria & Alfred Waterfront in Capetown is home to a marina, restaurants, and hotels that are highly popular tourist destinations. Are the yacht docks and marina accessible if someone using a power wheelchair sails in?

Corporate Scholarship for Wheelchair-Using Student -- AmeriGlide

John Keeter writes from AmeriGlide - a company
that sells mobility lifting aids:

My company offers a scholarship that I thought might be of interest to your and your readers. The scholarship is available to students who are enrolled full time at a 2 or 4 year university and use a wheelchair. Students can apply for the $500 scholarship completely online, or they can print up the application and mail it to us. In addition to completing the application, they must also write a short essay on the ADA.

I was hoping that you could help us spread the word about our
scholarship.

For more information, you can visit our site at:

http://www.ameriglide.com/scholarship/

More than happy to spread the word about such an important bit of philanthropy, john. Kudos to AmeriGlide!

The New Visitability Slide Show Available for Download

On the Visitability web site, Concrete Change, you will find this goal statement:

VISIT-ABILITY (Inclusive Home Design)

Our focus is new homes. Not government buildings, restaurants, etc. (important as they are). Our goal is to make ALL homes visitable, not just “special” homes — to be at the party, meeting, and family reunion . . . not isolated. We narrow the emphasis from a long list of access features to the most essential: entering a home and fitting through the interior doors. So that widespread construction change is more likely to happen quickly.

Steps at every entrance of a home shut out people who use wheelchairs or walkers, or have weakness, stiffness or balance problems. A narrow door stops wheelchair users from fitting through the bathroom door in a friend or relative’s home.

You will also find the slide show below.

Konrad Kaletsch on Who's "Normal"

The fundamental cognitive shift necessary to apply Universal Design is to overcome the mental barrier that attributes "normalcy" to some and results in "exclusion by design" for others. Konrad Kaletsch is tackling that problem in his post Universal Design: You Are The Expert:

You unknowingly became an expert by the very attributes that make you unique. What works for you doesn’t always work for someone else. Someone with great physical strength uses force; genius uses intelligence. What emerges is that the variety of human ability is infinite. It is variety that is normal, not some standard that there is a normal. Let’s start with 1000 people and sort out who is normal: If our first filter is average height, we quickly reduce the number of “normal” people in our survey down to a few hundred. Our next filter, average weight, reduces our “normal” people further. Let’s have one more filter, age. Now we have a handful of people that constitute normal based on just three filters! If we build for this “normal” person we are in fact building for a very few people leaving the other 900 to bend lower, reach higher, and in other ways force their bodies to work in ways that don’t feel normal (a few won’t be able function at all).

A normal person doesn’t really exist yet we design as if they do. Primary work stations such as kitchens still have a one size-fits-all approach. This leaves many unable to use parts because they are too high, too low, too dark, too heavy, etc. You adapt your kitchen as best as possible to work for you.

If we shift the focus from an expert over there to the expert in you, your contribution matters greatly, yet, there is no place for your experience to be recorded; there is no place where you and other experts can collectively design a better kitchen. Until that opportunity exists, some guy in front of a computer fishing for statistics will design for a “normal” person hoping to sell as many products as possible at the lowest cost.

Universal Design Resource is developing a new web experience where your collective knowledge is brought into forums, discussions and blogs where the best solutions can emerge and guide those that design and fabricate our products and environments. Our launch is in early 2009.

Konrad Kaletsch
November 19, 2008

Full article:
http://universaldesignresource.blogspot.com/2008/11/universal-design-you-are-expert.html

Mike Vowels on the Triple Bottom Line of Universal Design

Mike Vowels of Stewardship Remodeling has just published an article on sustainability's triple bottom line for the Eastside Business Journal - Sustainability and Remodeling your Home.. He observes that "Only in the past five years, however, has sustainability become a catchword capable of capturing the attention not only of environmental scientists and activists but also of (some) mainstream economists, other social scientists, and policymakers.'

He goes on to succinctly make the case. Note his approach. It's quotable:

Potentially, sustainability can have a three-prong effect on the remodeling plans for your home, as follows:

* Environmental Sustainability (e.g., Green Remodeling Practices). * Economic Sustainability (e.g., Return on Investment & future Marketability of your home). * Social Sustainability (e.g., your design changes enable you to live in the comfort and safety of your home much longer).

“Universal Design is also called Inclusive Design, Design-for-All and Lifespan Design. Universal Design focuses on Social Sustainability which relates to basic needs such as freedom, happiness, safety and dignity.”

Further reading:

http://eastsidebusinessjournal.com/Technology/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2536&Itemid=1

GAATES special Award of Recognition to Eduardo Alvarez

From GAATES:

It is with praise and thanks that the Global Alliance on Accessible Technologies and Environments (GAATES) presents Eduardo Alvarez with a special Award of Recognition in honour of his outstanding leadership in the creation of the first International Standard for Accessibility and Usability of the Built Environment (ISO TC59/SC16). Mr. Alvarez has demonstrated great leadership, perseverance, and determination in the development of the Accessibility Standard that will impact the lives of people with disabilities around the world.

This award will be presented on December 3rd, 2008 at the Diplomat Radisson SAS Hotel, Residence and Spa in the Kingdom of Bahrain, UAE, in celebration of the United Nations International Day of Persons with a Disability.

The Global Alliance on Accessible Technologies and Environments (GAATES) is the leading international not-for-profit organization that brings together experts in accessibility of the Built, Virtual and Social Environments. GAATES was incorporated by an international consortium of experts dedicated to promoting accessibility worldwide, and has an International presence in 6 regions: the Asia-Pacific, Arab, North America, South America, European and African Regions. GAATES members include technical experts, individuals, organizations of people with disabilities, companies involved in information and communication technologies, architects and interested supporters.

For more information on GAATES, please contact us at info@gaates.org, or visit us at www.gaates.org.

Universal Design in Home Design

J. W. Elphinstone does a very good job of arraying the research-based arguments for Universal Design in home remodeling. Quoting Wendy Jordan, author of a book I highly recommend "Universal Design for the Home: Great Looking, Great Living Design for All Ages, Abilities, and Circumstances" the piece notes:

"A lot of people think that making a house more accommodating will make the house less stylish, but there are many (universally designed) homes that are beautiful and still work well for people young or old, tall or short, or if they have any kind of limitations."

Who will be the author- and the organizational champion that AARP has been - to popularize Universal Design in hotel design?

Homeowners are starting to warm to the concept, especially Baby Boomers of which 10,000 are turning 60 every day. Last Year, an American Institute of Architects survey found that nearly three-quarters of 500 architecture firms said that homeowners were asking for greater accessibility within the home through wider hallways, fewer steps and single-floor design. That was up from 66 percent the year before.

The National Association of Home Builders also reported that 63 percent of upscale builders and 56 percent of average home builders believe they'll see a growing trend toward universal design over the next decade as Baby Boomers advance in age and decline in health.

While many homeowners start taking universal design elements into consideration as retirement nears, AARP suggests making these changes as soon as possible.

"There's no time like the present," said Elinor Ginzler, senior vice president for livable communities at AARP. "All of these changes will make your life easier starting immediately."

Source:
http://www.wtop.com/?nid=773&sid=1514664

Advising President Obama on Tourism: An Initiative by the National Tourism Association

eTurboNews reports that the National Tour Association is extending its campaign to advise the US government on issues of tourism:

Leaders of the travel and tourism sector of the national economy will convene to share ideas and prepare recommendations to assist President-elect Barack Obama in accelerating the economy through travel and tourism. The outcomes will be presented to President-elect Obama, his transition team, and key members of Congress following a meeting in Washington, DC on December 16.

A broad cross-section of travel and tourism leaders has been invited to be a part of creating workable solutions for the struggling economy. The participation of more than 20 organizations has been confirmed including leaders representing packaged travel, lodging, travel agents, cruise lines, ground transportation, air transportation, and special interest travel, according to the National Tour Association, which is managing the effort.

Source:
http://www.eturbonews.com/6047/travel-and-tourism-sector-convenes-draft-recommendations-presiden

At the time of this post staff at the National Tourism Association are researching my inquiry on how the organization intends to position Inclusive Tourism as well as the market of senior and disabled travelers in their policy recommendations.

Obama
Tourism Policy

NARI Launches Universal Remodeling Education Webinar Program

From a press release:

The National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) has launched the Universal Remodeling--Creating Comfortable and Accessible Homes Education Program.

According to AARP's "Fixing to Stay" study, 60% of respondents who have already modified their home did so to increase the ability to live independently and 55% did so to provide flexibility to adapt to the changing needs of family members. NARI recognizes how important a person's home is to them and that interest is growing in modifying a home to fit the changing families' needs. This Universal Remodeling education program is designed to teach remodelers how to interview clients with an understanding and consideration of their special needs, how to build these projects and the seven principles of Universal Remodeling, according to North Carolina University's The Center for Universal Design. These principles include:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"No matter what the age of the family members, remodelers should discuss these issues when performing any remodeling or renovation work," says Renee Rewiski, president of NARI. "Teenagers playing sports potentially will have temporary injuries; visitors may have varying levels of eyesight, or physical abilities; elderly loved ones may require special needs. All these should be considered during any remodel, and our members will have a standard to use when discussing these issues during a consultation."

A remodeler who has taken NARI's Universal Remodeling course will have gained an in-depth, thorough knowledge of all aspects of Universal Remodeling. It gives the contractor a competitive edge in this increasingly-popular segment of remodeling.

"The Universal Remodeling program is so important because it will provide remodelers with the expertise for remodeling with today, tomorrow, and well into the future in mind for their customer," says Bryce Jacob, chair of the Universal Remodeling Education Sub-Committee. "Our members will learn how to dig deeper into the dynamics of their clients' lives so their remodeling solutions will better serve their clients' entire family."

NARI's Universal Remodeling course will allow the remodeling contractor to bring to their clients specific expertise in allowing a family to stay in their home, regardless of the specific needs of various family members. The opportunities offered by NARI are easily accessible; the class will meet once a week for two hours via a teleconference/Webinar. The course will last for four weeks.

To learn more about the Universal Remodeling program, or to enroll, call NARI Headquarters toll-free at 800-611-6274 and ask for Jessica Noe or Dan Taddei.

The cost of this program will be $295 for NARI Members and $395 for Non-Members. For a limited time, NARI members will receive a discounted rate of $195. Space is limited so sign up now.

Why the Focus on Homes at a Site about Travel?

Occasionally the question arises, "What's with the interest in home design when the main topic here is travel?"

The answer is, "Because trends in home design are currently our best demonstration of future trends in hospitality design." Terms like "livability" are arising to measure the desirability of communities. The immediate post-WW II push to sell home appliances on the appeal of convenience has the following generations thinking bigger. They are evaluating the architecture of their entire domestic envelope -- home, neighborhood, and destinations of choice

The demographic bulge in aging is driving a boom in home design using Universal Design. That population contains the prime candidates for travel. Hotel, resort, and cruise ship businesses are responding by incorporating Universal Design to attract this demographic - although at a painfully slow pace in many cases.

Below is a speech by Chris Hansen, Group Executive Officer of State and National Initiatives at AARP from 2005 hitting all the key themes of this opportunity: Universal Design, Visitability, and Livabiity

No Place Like Home: AARP's View on Livable Communities

2011 is the Symbolic Beginning of Our "Changing Face of Aging"

* The year 2011 just six years from now, will mark the symbolic beginning of a "changing face" of aging in America. That's when the first wave of the 76 million-strong post-World War II "baby boom" generation begins turning 65. The "boomers," of course are those of us born in this country between 1946 and 1964.

* So, it's clearly time to break away from the status quo in our thinking and start focusing on how things should be and can be, given what we know today about the boomers and the aging of America.

* From now on, every planning decision made in every community must take into account the impact on older residents, who can no longer be an afterthought. The ability of our communities to adapt to an aging nation will paramount in the 21st century.

What AARP has Learned About the Boomers

* AARP has done extensive research on the boomers with surveys, studies, and focus groups. So what have we found out about these boomers?

Boomers are More Ethnically Diverse than Prior Generations

* Less than three-quarters of the boomers are white, while nearly 90 percent of Americans born before 1946 are white. Hispanics are now the fastest growing ethnic group and have surpassed African-Americans as our largest minority group.

And More Highly Educated than Their Predecessors

* Twenty-seven percent have college degrees, compared with 12 percent for today's older Americans. More than 60 percent of the boomers have a high school diploma, while only 44 percent of the older groups made it that far.

Boomers Do Not Plan to "Retire" in the Traditional Sense

* They view their "old age" or "retirement years" as a time of lifestyle transition rather than a termination of employment. Many of them fully intend to keep working, although not necessarily in their primary occupations.
* Fully 8 out of 10 of the boomers we surveyed said they will continue to work during their "retirement years." Only 16 percent expect not to work at all, after they retire from their career employment.

Most Boomers Living in the Same "State"

* Something else we've discovered about the boomers: When it comes to aging, most boomers are living in the same state ? the state of denial!

Vast Majority of Boomers Want to Remain in Their Own Homes

* But, for our purposes today, the most important fact about the boomers is that, when asked where they want to live as they age, full 90 percent say, "In my home." They do not want to live with relatives, in a nursing home, or at an assisted care facility. They want to live at home.

No Place Like Home

* The word "home" is one of the most emotionally charged words we ever use. Our homes are central to our identities. They hold our possessions; they hold our memories; they give us a sense of place and belonging, comfort and security.
* Our homes offer us both independence and engagement in community life. We open the doors to our homes to socialize with family, friends and neighbors; and we walk out those doors to work and play in the community.

But Can Boomers Expectations be Realized?

* We may be on a collision course in some key areas with the boomers expectations for their retirement years. The aging of the boomers is merely the beginning of a tidal wave.

America—Like the World—is Aging

* To understand how urgent the challenge of really is, our policymakers must understand our rapidly changing demographics. We are experiencing nothing short of a fundamental change of the age distribution in the United States — and throughout the world.

Worldwide

* By the year 2050, there will be 2 billion older persons in the world-compared with 600 million today. For the first time in world history, older people will outnumber children.
* Every month, approximately 1 million persons reach 60 years of age, and 80 percent of them are in developing countries.
* Nearly two-thirds of all human beings who have ever lived to age 65 are alive today!

United States

* From the birth of Christ to 1900, the beginning of the 20th century, life expectancy in the United States increased each year by an average of three days. Since 1900, life expectancy has increased each year by an average of 110 days, or by 3 2/3 months.
* In 1900, only 13 percent of the U.S. population was 50 or over. By 2000, the percentage had doubled, to over 27 percent. And, by 2020, over 35 percent of our population will be 50 or over.
* One member of the 76 million-strong baby boom generation turns 50 ? and becomes eligible for AARP membership ? every 7.5 seconds. Each coming year, over 4 million men and women will join the ranks of 50+ America.
* A child born in the U.S. in 2000 could expect to live 77 years - fully 30 years longer than a child born in 1900, when life expectancy was only 47years.
* A person reaching 65 today can expect to live an additional 18.6 years, and 2 out of every 5 will reach age 90.
* The size of our 65 and over population has grown from just over 3 million in 1900 to 35 million today ? and is expected to double over the next 30 years, to over 70 million.
* Our fastest growing population segment is people 85 years of age and over. And the second fastest growing population is those who have celebrated their 100th birthday.

AARP

* Many organizations would be happy to have 35,000 members. We have 35,000 members who are over 100 years old!

Aging Demographic will Affect ALL Regions

* Some places, like Sun Belt retirement communities, will be affected more than others, but the aging demographic is a nationwide phenomenon. In fact, there's less migration to places like Florida and Arizona than is commonly assumed.
* Since 1990, roughly 90 percent of older Americans have stayed in the county they've been living in, if not the very same home!
* In the 90s, all but 11 of our 318 metropolitan areas saw an increase in their 65+ population. And looking ahead, the 65+ population will grow faster than the population at-large in all 50 states, with 10 states finding themselves in the unique situation of having more Medicare-eligible seniors than school-age children!

We Face Three Major Challenges

* Essentially, we face three major challenges as we approach the boomers' retirement years. Actually, I prefer to call them "opportunities."

1. An opportunity to transform the nation's health-care system;
2. An opportunity to strengthen our retirement income system; and
3. An opportunity to create more livable communities;

* Today, I will devote my time to opportunity number 3 — Livable Communities

Significant Barriers to Spending Aging Years at Home

* Often people don't think about this until they're suddenly confronted with too many steps, hard-to-handle doorknobs, or slippery bathroom floors that can become treacherous overnight.
* Too late, many people discover that they're trapped in towns with poor public transportation. Medical centers and simple services, like grocery or drug stores, can become too hard to reach without the help of a neighbor or friend. Even walking, if there are no sidewalks, can become problematic.

What are Livable Communities?

* It might be helpful if I discuss what we mean by "livability" at this point. While all of us here have at least some familiarity with the concept, it can mean different things to different people.
* In AARP's recently released study, A Report to the Nation on Livable Communities: Creating Environments for Successful Aging, we define livable communities as having "affordable and appropriate housing, supportive community features and services, and adequate mobility options, which together facilitate personal independence and the engagement of residents in civic and social life."
* To put it in simpler terms, we're talking about day-in day-out tasks and activities that are the stuff of life. Livability means visible traffic signs, handrails, one-story living and no-step entry, sidewalks you can actually walk on, bus stops with benches, libraries and parks that are easily accessible and much more.

Most Communities Now Playing Catch-Up

* When it comes to livability, most of our communities are now playing a frantic game of catch-up…and many others don't even realize what's about to hit them. This could be like the clogged artery that goes undetected until it's too late.

Elements of Livability-Housing

* First, and possibly most important, is the problem of affordability. This is of particular interest when so many real estate markets are soaring. For many people, their homes have become their nest eggs, growing almost daily, providing greater financial independence. But these same markets are also making it harder for many other people to find affordable housing.
* After affordability, next in importance is what's called "accessibility". Making a house accessible means figuring out how existing homes can be modified and how new homes should be built so that residents can operate freely and comfortably throughout their lives.

Universal Design

* There is an exciting trend in architecture today known as Universal Design. Some of the features of Universal Design include: No-step entryways, wider doorways, floors and bathtubs with non-slip surfaces, lever door handles, and easy to reach light switches and electrical outlets.
* Another important trend in making housing more accessible is called "visitability." The term means making a home accessible for visitors who might have special needs. It's about creating a home where the welcome mat truly welcomes everyone.

What Some Are Already Doing

* In Vermont, there is a Home Accessibility Program that helps pay for home modifications for disabled persons. But beyond that, Vermont has a Visitability Law, making it the first state to mandate accessibility requirements for new 1-to-3 bedroom housing.
* The state of Georgia has an EasyLiving Home Program, which AARP had a hand in developing. It is a certification program that encourages builders to design single-family homes and town homes with "easy living" features - for example, one stepless entrance into the house; wide doorways; at least one accessible toilet on the main floor.

Elements of Livability - Transportation

* Transportation is another livability challenge that is getting less attention than it should. The 1991 passage of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act - or ISTEA, as it's known-was a positive step. For the first time, citizens were empowered to make decisions about local transportation funding participation, with environmental impact and other community concerns finally given due consideration.
* And hopefully, we'll soon get a new transportation bill out of Congress that acknowledges the livability challenge and takes some steps to address the mobility needs of older Americans.
* Still, transportation policy remains focused overwhelmingly on the construction and maintenance of roads to accommodate the automobile. And once again, that policy is a response to social behavior. But if we don't start expanding our transportation vision to include buses, rail, walkability, bicycles and more…what's going to happen when millions of baby boomers begin outliving their ability to drive by a decade or more?
* We need huge investments in our mass transit infrastructure. In the Beyond 50 livable communities report AARP released recently, 60 percent of seniors reported that there was no public transportation within a 10-minute walk from their homes. Suburbs and rural areas are especially underserved.
* Public transportation shouldn't just be a last resort for older people who can no longer get behind the wheel safely. Public transportation should be so prevalent and accessible in the community people of all ages use it throughout their lives.

What Some are Already Doing

* In Missouri, the Older Adults Transportation Service (or OATS) provides door-to-door car service at no cost to the elderly and disadvantaged. OATS is an ambitious program, with hundreds of employees and a strong volunteer network serving 87 counties across more than 50,000 square miles. Its fleet of more than 600 vehicles made 1.6 million one-way trips last year.
* In the Washington,DC area, there's Friendship Heights, Maryland, a small village where half the residents are over 50. They have a bus that takes residents to and from stores and the medical building.

Elements of Livability - Mobility

* Mobility is essential to independent living. It gives people the feeling that they have control over their lives. A truly livable community must provide as much mobility to older persons as possible, and it must offer real options that meet individual needs.
* Nearly three quarters of people between the ages of 50 and 74 rely mostly on driving. But that figure drops significantly after the age of 75. And many of those non-drivers say they face severe restrictions on their daily activities. In fact, they were six times as likely to miss doing something they would have liked to do because they did not have the transportation.
* Livable Communities should make life more comfortable and convenient for the active and able as well as those with disabilities. They should offer adequate, smooth, wide sidewalks and well-marked crosswalks. They should make bike riders feel welcome with bike lanes and bike paths. And livable communities should make it easy for those in wheelchairs to navigate curbs and give them adequate time to get across the street.

What Some are Already Doing

* In Los Angeles and in Portland, Oregon, microwave technology is being used to detect when a pedestrian is moving more slowly across an intersection; the detector automatically extends the "Walk" signal for several more seconds to allow for safe crossing.
* Downtown Holland, Michigan, not only has heated sidewalks to make walking safer during the icy winter months; it is also the first community in the nation to propose wiring most churches, public facilities, businesses and homes to deliver broadcast signals to individuals with certain kinds of hearing aids.
* The Friendship Heights, Maryland community has been recognized for its disability access and its park renovations to upgrade lighting and eliminate tripping hazards. There's also a partnership with nearby Suburban Hospital that includes free weekly blood pressure checks and periodic health screenings.

What AARP is Doing

* Right now AARP is engaged in a national dialogue about how to plan for successful aging. We're talking to city planners and community developers. We're talking to home builders and legislators, decision makers and service providers. We're encouraging people to transform their present communities into livable communities.
* We're talking about transforming communities so people can age in place, so they can continue to lead active lives, so they can continue to have independence and freedom, so they can continue to feel connected and be of service to others.

To Succeed - We Need to Change Our Thinking

* Perhaps the greatest challenge we face to creating livable communities is not a simple one to overcome. It's not just a matter of a little more innovation here and a little more money there. What's required is a wholesale overhaul in the way we think about our homes and our environment.
* We can afford our aging baby boomers, and we'll all benefit from a society in which the wisdom, time, and efforts of our older citizens continue to be a vital part of our lives.
* Policymakers and the decisions they make are largely a reflection of prevailing social attitudes. We're all responsible for thinking about these issues and adapting our lifestyles accordingly. We all need to be thinking in terms of how things should be and can be if we act now.
* Livability is not just "a seniors issue." We can and must celebrate the benefits that livable communities offer to all of their residents. After all, a curb-cut designed for a wheelchair user also benefits a parent pushing a baby stroller.
* At its core, livability is about preserving those values that have always been central to the American way of life - independence, self-determination, dignity and choice.
* Building livable communities to accommodate an aging population is a practical goal, but it's also a moral imperative for a society committed to empowering its people and safeguarding their freedom.

Let me close by quoting Fred Astaire. As he put it: "Old age is like everything else. To make a success of it, you've got to start young." So, let's get started!

Source:
http://www.aarp.org/aarp/presscenter/speech/articles/livable_communities.html

Ready to Make a Film? - The Diverse Voices Project

The Diverse Voices Project III, with up to $100,000 in co-production funding available to emerging filmmakers, is P.O.V.'s initiative to support stories about diverse communities. This co-production initiative is dedicated to supporting emerging filmmakers. Filmmakers with a prior national broadcast credit are not eligible for the Diverse Voices Project. Filmmakers who submit a film for DVP funding will be notified of the status of their submission in early spring 2009. The submission ARRIVAL deadline is October 31, 2008.

Have-a project you'd like to submit? http://cfe.pov.org
Have questions about DVP? Please e-mail dvp3@pov.org or call 1-800-756-3300 x380

Films supported in prior rounds of DVP include:

a.. "Made in L.A." by Almudena Carracedo and Robert Bahar
b.. Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars by Zach Niles and Banker White
c.. Nerakhoun by Ellen Kuras and Thavisouk Prasavath
d.. "Flag Wars" by Linda Goode Bryant and Laura Poitras
e.. "American Aloha: Hula Beyond Hawai'i" by Lisette Marie Flanary and
Evann Siebens
f.. "90 Miles" by Juan Carlos Zaldívar
g.. "Soldados: Chicanos in Viet Nam" by Charley Trujillo and Sonya Rhee
h.. "The Sixth Section" by Alex Rivera and Bernardo Ruiz

Calling Travel Writers: Contribute to Rough Guide's Accessible Britain

This travel writing competition is open to UK residents age 16 and over. Click here to register. Here's the offer:

Have you recently been on a fabulous day out? Have you discovered a hidden gem? Or do you simply feel the Rough Guide to Accessible Britain has overlooked one of your favourite trips?

If so, tell us about one of your own favourite days out and you could see your review in print. The best five entries will be featured in the next edition of the Rough Guide to Accessible Britain, due for publication in spring 2009. But please hurry as the competition ends Friday 7 November 2008!

Source: http://www.accessibleguide.co.uk/write_review

Rough Guides and Motability have joined forces to produce an inspiring new Rough Guide to Accessible Britain. Packed full of ideas on days out across the UK, this pocket-sized guide lists 100 wonderful places, tested and recommended by our researchers. Read what people who have bought the Guide say about it here.

Badge User friendly, with colour coded sections of different days out in Britain, it highlights the accessible facilities at each location as well as containing handy maps to help plan your day.

The Guide is FREE to Blue Badge holders (£1.99 for postage and packing) and just £6.99 (inc p&p) to others.

Please click to read our Terms and Conditions

Source: http://www.accessibleguide.co.uk/

Design for Human-Centered Living

The goal of our work is "inclusion."

It's the perfect work. The goal is universally appealing. By the time you have succeeded nobody can understand why the world would have ever been otherwise.

That is why these reviews of universally designed homes are so illustrative. They document the cultural shift towards the "new common sense" approach to the built environment.

One by one people all over the world are making a lifestyle change. As homes are redesigned for owners to live in them for much longer periods (aging-in-place) they also naturally become available as places of hospitality for those with disabilities who are currently excluded by design (Visitability.) As domestic standards of comfort and socializing turn toward environments that accept social inclusion as fundamental commercial environments such as hotels, resorts, and vacation vehicles feel the market pressure to do the same.

This review of a universally designed home in Virginia tells the story of one more step toward the human-centered approach to hospitality.

"One of the goals with universal design is to make all these features invisible so you don't notice them," Thomas said. "The house in Mountain Run doesn't look any different from any home but it's fully functional and accessible."

The idea behind universal design is to make a home accessible to all people, regardless of disabilities or age, he said.

"If builders would start to look at new ideas instead of continuous patterns, they could be doing a better job of making buildings more user-friendly for everyone," said Michael Chenail, senior consultant at Compliance Alliance, an Americans with Disabilities consulting company that has worked with Thomas.

As a baby boomer, Thomas realizes the growing need to build homes that will accommodate people as they age.

Having wider doorways and stepless entryways, for instance, enables anyone, regardless of age or impairment, to visit or maneuver through a house, said Thomas, who also has a Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist designation from the National Association of Home Builders

Notice this from the NAHB web site:

Certified Aging-In-Place Specialist (CAPS)

The Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS) designation program teaches the technical, business management, and customer service skills essential to competing in the fastest growing segment of the residential remodeling industry: home modifications for the aging-in-place.

Full home review article:

http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/news/business/realestate.apx.-content-articles-RTD-2008-10-05-0049.html

More on Visitability:

http://www.npr.org/news/specials/housingfirst/whoneeds/visitability.html

Inclusion Through Good Online Design

Danishkadah is offering a free course on inclusion through web design:

Greetings from DANISHKADAH (an organization for empowerment of Persons with Disabilities)!

We are working for promotion of web / information accessibility since many years. In past we just tried to raise awareness for the importance of web / information accessibility. Now we are taking a step forward and offering accessible web development course for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) and for those working for/with Disabled People Organizations.

Objectives of this course are

1. Raising the awareness about web accessibility and equipping more people with knowledge of how to develope accessible website.
2. Capacity development of Human resources of DPOs and individual PWDs in web base networking and accessible Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
3. Enhancing the web base networking of DPOs, by enabling them to build their own accessible websites.
4. Offering a new IT skill to PWDs that may help in income generating.
5. To promote distance education, training course for outreach marginalized communities.

Course Outline:

* 1. HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language)
* 2. CSS (Cascading Style Sheet)
* 3. Accessibility issue when developing the websites
* 4. Validation your HTML and CSS
* 5. Localization and related accessibility issue

For more on the course see:

http://www.danishkadah.org.pk/Projects/training_AWeb/index.html

"Good design enables, whilst bad design disables"

With English used in so many geographically distinct regions differences arise in usage. Here Jim Sandhu's classic paper on "design for all" creates the path to the current global dialogue on Universal Design as applied to services not simply to built environments.

The design for all approach covers a range of meanings which are synonymous with - barrier-free, inclusive, transgenerational, universal design, etc. Another often quoted phrase associated with design for all is "designing for the broader average." This far the approach has focused mainly on the built environment and products. However, in the last few years there has been an increasing awareness that the approach is fundamental to the provision of public services through telematics and to a barrier-free Information Society. That is the main focus of this paper.

The approach recognises that accessible systems, products, reliable information sources and environments can maximise choice and enhance the ability of the individual to live independently and to exercise citizenship proactively. Underlying this is the fact that although not everyone needs assistive technology or specialised products like wheelchairs, everyone but everyone needs good design whatever the context. Good design enables, whilst bad design disables, irrespective of the user's abilities. That in essence is what design for all is about in the context of public services.

For the full article see:

What is Design for All?
http://www.dinf.ne.jp/doc/english/Us_Eu/conf/tide98/72/sandhu_jim.html

The Graz Declaration on Disability and Ageing (2006)

The Graz Declaration on Disability and Ageing resulted from the June 8-9, 2006 conference on Ageing and Disability in Graz, Austria.

The GRAZ DECLARATION on DISABILITY and AGEING

Preamble

Throughout this declaration we use the term “ageing people with disabilities”. People with disabilities are a diverse group including people with physical, sensory, intellectual disabilities[1], developmental disabilities, people with mental health problems as well as with complex and multiple disabilities as outlined in the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) (WHO, 2001). These disabilities may be life-long, or acquired during the ageing process. It is broadly recognised that many of the disabling conditions for people as described here are caused by society.

In constructing a European area of rights, participation and inclusion, special attention should be given to elderly citizens with disabilities in order that they may be enabled to enjoy a life of opportunities that are equal to those of other citizens.

The topic of ageing has been recognised as a top theme on the European agenda. European societies are characterised by a rising proportion of old and very old citizens. A continuing increase in life-expectancy is predicted for the decades to come along with a continuing reduction in birth rates in most of the European countries (described in the European Commission’s Green Paper “Confronting demographic change: a new solidarity between the generations”, (March 2005). We are in a society that is increasingly getting older but one that is unprepared to meet the needs and interests of this group of people, particularly those with disabilities.

Fundamentally, we believe that ageing is associated with the development and acquisition of experience, wisdom, competence and respect. These developments and values apply equally to ageing people with disabilities. Ageing can often, however, be associated with negative connotations, such as declining physical health and cognitive abilities, inactivity, poverty, social isolation and social dependency. Moreover, with respect to ageing, greater prominence should be given to concepts of healthy and active ageing. Promoting positive perspectives through active ageing strategies may result in an added value to the individual as well as to society. We also recognise that ageing people with disabilities are progressing towards the ends of their lives and that this may bring particular challenges in ensuring that they achieve this with dignity and respect.

Issues for consideration by governments are the financial costs of providing for old age: the increasing needs for social and health care, as well as the growing need for assistance and care for older ageing people with disabilities (compare the special report 1/2006 of the European Commission, Economic an Financial Affairs: “The impact of ageing on public expenditure (2004-2050)”). Thus ageing and disability will be the test for inclusiveness of European societies for the decades to come, with community living and independent living being key elements on that journey. Overall, it will be about the quality of people’s lives in the community and about appropriate support services required. The greater challenge is to be able to recognise and address the general and shared needs of all ageing people and those with disabilities at the same time as being able to emphasise and meet the very specific and varied needs of the individuals in these groups.

Within the group of older citizens in general, two groups can be identified that need special attention in terms of policy planning, systems of supports and rights - groups specifically addressed in the Graz Declaration.

Firstly, people with intellectual disabilities who now enjoy a similar life expectancy to the general population, are not considered in most of the programmes, strategies and statistics either on European or on national levels. Systems of support for citizens with intellectual disabilities are often poorly or not developed when dealing with the issue of ageing. There are consistently gaps in the legislations in the various member states with respect to emerging groups of disabled older citizens, such as people with intellectual disabilities.

Secondly, a significant proportion of older people experience dependency for the first time during the later stages of their life, often as a consequence of age-related loss in functional capacity. A substantial proportion of older people with functional dependency may need long-term nursing-type care during the final years of their lives.

Recognition must also be given for both these groups to the increasing number of ageing people with disabilities who are living in mutual dependency with elderly family members.

There may be differences between these two groups in terms of their needs and supports, as well as differences between them and the general elderly population, a background often neglected and now addressed in the Graz Declaration.

Furthermore, policies tend to be focused only on the issue of care, disregarding necessary policy reforms for developing mechanisms for participation and independence. Without legislation that will allow the removal of barriers in goods and services, a more inclusive labour market, with measures for accommodating the work environment and facilitating job retention, society will be unable to meet current challenges.

Finally, little is being done to support the emergence of a “silver economy”, reflecting both the economic pressure of old age related expenses and the potential economic contribution of older citizens.

As a society Europe is only at the beginning of a learning process about old age. The fundamental challenge is to make the shift from the “welfare state” to the “welfare society” through developing structures and regulations that allow people at all ages, whether they have a life-long disability or age-related dependency, to have equal opportunities for participation through inclusive policies and adequate support which are the main ingredients for a good life for older citizens with disabilities.

The delegates of the European conference on “Disability and Ageing – Ageing and Disability”, held in Graz, Austria, including various stakeholders from both the disability and ageing field:

· People with physical, sensory and intellectual disabilities,

· Older people,

· Family and professional carers,

· Service providers,

· Authorities,

· Politicians and policy makers,

· Academics and researchers

· Health professionals

a) promote a positive ageing concept in which ageing is seen as a performance and achievement on the individual as well as a societal level;

b) affirm that ageing people with disabilities are entitled to basic human rights and fundamental freedoms as proclaimed in the “Charter of the United Nations” (1948), and as embedded in many other international declarations and conventions;

c) recognise the importance of the principles and policy guidelines contained in the “United Nations Standard Rules on Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities” (1993) as well as recognising the “UN Principles for Older Persons” (1991) promoting the principles of independence, participation, care, self-fulfilment and dignity “in order to add life to the years that have been added to life” (UN, 1992);

d) recognise further the diversity of persons with disability as well the diversity of older disabled persons;

e) refer to the “Treaty of Amsterdam” (1997), developing the concept of citizenship in the European Union and reinforcing the guarantee of non-discrimination (Article 13);

f) are mindful that according to the “EU Charter on Fundamental Rights” (2000) discrimination both on the grounds of age and disability is prohibited by Article 21 and thus is a violation of the inherent dignity of the human person, and are mindful of the right of elderly people and people with disabilities to benefit from measures designed to ensure their independence and to participate in the life of the community (Article 25 and 26);

g) re-affirm the principle of “nothing about us without us”; striving to ensure that policies and measures affecting disabled persons cannot be decided without their involvement and consultation.

1) Declare

a) that all ageing persons with disabilities are full citizens, entitled to exercise their rights on the basis of respect of their individual choices and their differences;

b) that a culture of autonomy, dignity, choice and respect should be promoted towards ageing people with disabilities;

c) that all ageing persons with disabilities have the same right as others to make decisions about their own lives;

d) that there should be a presumption of capacity to make decisions and choices;

e) that support may be required for those with limited capacity to express choices and decisions, to enable the individual to do so. It is essential that such support respects the will and preferences of the person and is free from undue influence;

f) that it is unacceptable that ageing persons with disabilities continue to face significant barriers in terms of activities and full participation in society;

g) that it is unacceptable that a significant number of ageing persons with disabilities live without dignity in inappropriate, restrictive, secluded, non person-centred accommodation settings, regardless of their will, preferences, requirements and rights;

h) that there are strong concerns about the high risk of multiple, aggravated forms of discrimination, such as social exclusion, marginalisation, poverty, neglect, violation and abuse for ageing people with disabilities;

i) that ageing people with disabilities have as equal a right as the general population to health promotion / disease prevention programmes and health care as well as to appropriate support systems, enabling better quality of life and thus facilitating active ageing and full participation in society;

j) that it is essential to respect human and civil rights in the day-to-day lives of ageing people with disabilities;

k) that home care and independent living measures should be promoted and segregating residential arrangements (e.g. institutions with no respect for options and choices) be replaced by community living in small groups, fostering social participation and citizenship, through adequate incentives and reform of social protection systems;

l) that elderly people, disabled people, and families should be involved in the definition of policies;

m) that professional as well as family carers should be consulted about their needs in the care of ageing people with disabilities;

n) that dialogue among all stakeholders (people with disabilities, families, providers, policy makers, researchers) be promoted by governments at all levels;

2) Agree

a) to promote a positive approach to, and empowerment of, ageing people with disabilities;

b) to defend human and civil rights of highly vulnerable ageing people with disabilities;

c) to strengthen social inclusion, integration and participation by promoting self-help and by respecting as well as supporting existing social, community and family networks;

d) to promote the needs of ageing people with disabilities within mainstream policy and strategy development, at the same time to promote the specific needs of this population within special parts of policy and strategy documents (twin-track approach);

e) to support a human rights and person-centred approach, recognising the individual needs, requirements, and preferences in the planning, development, funding and evaluation of national service provision;

f) to request the availability and affordability of community-based services and community living be developed in order to replace all kinds of segregating settings;

3. Recommend to

3.1. The European Commission

a) to produce, within a green paper, a framework for the development of standards of support and living conditions for ageing people with disabilities. The green paper should address topics such as living in the community, access to health and social care, the barriers to employment, design for all, e-inclusion, as well as ageing and dying with dignity;

b) to address this issue within the open method of coordination on social protection;

c) to develop comprehensive non-discrimination legislation in all areas of EU policy on the ground of disability and of age;

d) to address barriers in access to goods and services in the development of legislation in the internal market and transport;

3.2. The Member States

a) to develop supports for ageing people with disabilities that will ensure equal participation in the community, and to address affordability, accessibility, availability and adaptability of services, including health services (EU Charter on Fundamental Rights, Article 21, 25,26 and 35);

b) to take a human rights and person-centred approach to enabling ageing people with disabilities to live and participate in their community;

c) to gradually replace all kinds of segregating settings by community-based individual and small group living arrangements, and support for ageing people with disabilities living with their families;

d) to develop specific programs of health promotion / disease prevention for ageing people with disabilities;

e) to actively involve ageing people with disabilities and their families, in an outcome-based quality-management system of service provisions;

f) to develop existing and new, independent systems of advocacy, free of undue influence, to specifically address the individual needs of ageing people with disabilities who cannot advocate for themselves or have no natural informal social support network (e.g. family);

g) to be proactive in anticipating and developing specific support for ageing people with disabilities who live with ageing family carers;

h) to ensure that national legislation promotes and recognises supported information and decision making for ageing people with disabilities and to replace single- person substituted decision making and removal of legal capacity;

i) to adopt a stakeholder approach to involving people with disabilities, families, social service providers, policy planners and researchers in the definition of policies, and frameworks of provisions, services and supports;

j) to develop formal educational programs, training and information provision on ageing and disability issues (knowledge, attitudes and values), including a human rights and citizenship perspective for staff and other carers;

k) to recognise, encourage and reward informal social support arrangements through attractive frameworks;

l) to encourage and invest in both fundamental and applied research (holistic approach), including assistive technologies and new technologies on issues of age-related disabilities, as well as the ageing effects on people with disabilities, through public and private funding strategies;

3.3. Various social and civil actors

a) to develop existing or new social/civic structures to monitor and uphold the human rights and fundamental freedoms of ageing people with disabilities;

b) to promote collaboration between stakeholders both in the fields of disability and of ageing;

3.4. National and international organizations

a) to disseminate the principles of the Graz Declaration and to communicate their support of the present declaration to national and regional governments and bodies;

b) to communicate their support of the present declaration to the President of the Commission of the European Union.

______________________________________________________________

The GRAZ Declaration coalition:

European NGOs (in alphabetical order):

AGE: European older people’s platform www.age-platform.org

ARFIE: Association on research and training in Europe www.arfie.info

EASPD: European association of service providers for people with disabilities

www.easpd.org

EDF: European Disability Forum www.edf-feph.org

EURAG: European Federation of Older Persons www.eurag-europe.org

Inclusion Europe: The European association for persons with intellectual disability and their families www.inclusion-europe.org

Austrian NGOs (in alphabetical order):

Lebenshilfe Österreich www.lebenshilfe.at

Die Steirische Behindertenhilfe www.behindertenhilfe.or.at

Supportive correspondence will be transmitted through the GRAZ Declaration consortium via EASPD to the President of the Commission of the European Union.

Address:

EASPD

Av. d’Auderghem / Ouderghemlaan 63, B-1040 Brussels

Tel: +32/2/282 46 10, Fax: +32/2/230 72 33, e-mail: info@easpd.be

[1] Terminology: in the UK people with intellectual disabilities are commonly referred to as people with learning disabilities.

Siource:
http://www.ageing-and-disability.com/aad/index.php?seitenId=4

Emotional Design and Universal Design

Straight from a press release doe Smart Design we begin to see Emotional Design and Universal Design start to interact in the marketplace:

*Workshops focus on three stages of consumer experience: awareness, decision-making and usage * Positive feedback from launch at Frost & Sullivan's Fourth Annual Innovations in New Product Development and Marketing 2008

29 September, 2008 - Smart Design, one of the world's leading consumer product design firms, now offers Customer Experience Lifecycle workshops as part of the design service framework for translating customers' emotional responses into commercially successful products. The Workshops are the brainchild of Smart Design President Tom Dair, and enable more inclusive discussions and evaluations of new ideas between a wider variety of business divisions - from marketing teams and engineers to upper management and board executives. The non-technical workshops aim to understand the different stages of consumer experience of new products or services over time from a customer rather than a competitor point of view.

Customer Experience Lifecycle Workshops (cont'd):

Smart Design's Customer Experience Lifecycle workshops focus on the three essential stages a consumer has with a given product/service: awareness, decision-making and usage. The awareness stage is a pre-purchase ‘read’ that encapsulates an individual's first reaction to a product/service and their initial emotional response - i.e. curiosity, intrigue, confidence, etc. The second stage is the decision-making that entails a closer inspection of the given product/service, with the final 'read' being a post-purchase usage experience. This is drilled down into two sections, a consumer's first time use and an ongoing usage experience.

"Focusing on a consumer's experience over time encourages repeat customers and promotes brand loyalty," commented Tom Dair, Co-Founder and President of Smart Design. "Businesses can only compete on price and technology for so long before parity is reached. The next level centres on design. Companies are under immense pressure nowadays to come up with new ideas and developments for innovative designs to compete for market share. However, they don't always realise the importance of a customer’s emotional responses that greatly influence an individual's decision to buy, use and keep a product."

Smart Design launched its Customer Experience Lifecycle workshop at Frost & Sullivan's Fourth Annual Innovations in New Product Development and Marketing 2008 to executives from a variety of sectors, including the aircraft, consumer, telecoms and medical industries. All responded very positively to the new approach to product design. "Designers tend to think about products 'frozen in time' at the moment the design is finished. They tend not to think about people’s interactions with a given product/service - and even less about the different types of interactions a consumer might have over time," continued Tom Dair. "Our evaluation tool forces designers and innovators, as well as anyone involved in the design process from any division within a company, to think about consumers' personal experiences with a product/service during the first, second and third stages."

Participants of Smart Design's first Customer Experience Lifecycle workshop were surprised by the experience and how their perceptions of a product/service changed as they spent more time with it. Feedback provided during the workshop highlighted how participants focused more on the amount of items sold, without realising the potential a person’s positive experience with a product can have on a company's bottom line: a significant increase in sales.

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 humanising 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:

Thomas Isaacson
Marketing
Tel: +1 212 784 4052
Email: thomas.isaacson@smartdesignworldwide.com

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

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

A Rocket Scientist Witnesses a Blind Man Being "Launched" from a Dragonair Flight

I was finishing up my presentation for the 2008 Universal Design in Airports Conference that will start next Tuesday in Chicago. I speak on a panel led by my colleague and Greek-Brazilian-American friend Gus Zografopoules. The topic is "Where do people with disabilities go to get information on flying?" I thought I had nailed down the content. I was looking forward to exploring one of the wheelchair accessible trails shown to me last weekend by folks from the San Francisco Bay Greenbelt Alliance. Then I saw Jim's blog.

Jim Fruchterman's blog at Benetech.org will now be front and center in my talk.

The Rolling Rains blog chronicles a small percentage of the stories on air travel and disability that are sent here (see below) but Jim's tale helps us illustrate what is sometimes overlooked.

Some violations are so egregious that reflection on their deeper meaning requires a cooling down period. The shock value of some stories evoke outrage. Jim's story documents classic nonviolent praxis in the face of injustice. He tells the story in a way that allows for some critical thinking even while the story itself is fresh.

Simon Darcy made an observation about the market dynamics of travelers with disabilities in his game-changing research entitled "From Anxiety to Access." He alerted the world that that we are very well networked and leverage a disproportionately large referral market.

That point didn't need to be made explicit when we reported on billionaire Sminu Jindahl's mistreatment by Jet Air. It seems rather obvious that a billionaire might have more socially beneficial things to do than argue about her competence to sit in an airline seat - and probably had an influential social network.

Jim's Benetech.org is one of the San Francisco Bay Area's premiere social entrepreneurial enterprises. It builds technological solutions for entrenched social problems with such products as a database for documenting (and prosecuting) human rights violations called Martus and their rapidly-expanding service for those who need audio books known as Bookshare. He speaks regularly to industry leaders at events including the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Perhaps it is true that "all publicity is good publicity" but If Dragonair had contracted me to produce a "short list" of people who they would definitely not want to witness abusive practices on their part Jim's name would be on it.

It was unfortunate that Rami Rabby, the first blind foreign service officer working for the US State Department, was thrown off their Dragonair flight from from Hong Kong to Fuzhou. Like Jim I applaud Rami for the courage of his convictions.

But Jim is being overly humble so I also want to recognize his everyday heroism of solidarity and citizen journalism. He could easily have argued that he had more pressing things to do (yes he is literally a rocket scientist by training) yet he stood by witnessing and documenting this act of all-too-common injustice. Thank you Jim from our entire global community

A select list of similar incidents endured by air travelers with disabilities:

Katrina Segundo-Casino on Cebu Airlines

Lori Mango on American Airlines

Michelle Daley on Air France

Chrsitine Wolf on Qantas

Deaf discrimination by Tiger Airways

Rajeev Rajan on SpiceJet, AirSahara, and JetLite

Adele price on Air France

Qantas Issues a 'Non Servium" to a 72 year old

Deaf culture's response to airline discrimination

"Sometimes your just seen as a piece of luggage."

What was my presentation topic again - "Where do people with disabilities go to get information on flying?"

Same answer/new meaning: We go to our friends.

Read more on Benetech's contributions to the world at:

http://benetech.blogspot.com/

Universal Design

Leslie Carothers has published another insightful article, What does Target know that we don't know?

Rex Pace on Universal Design

The principles of Universal Design often take center stage in kitchen design and redesign. Here expert Rex Pace walks viewers through the kitchen in the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority CRDA Universal Design Demo home

What's a "NORC"?

SeniorResource.com features a page with definitions and tips on Aging-in-Place. Among the resources is this definition of a "NORC":

A NORC is a community or neighborhood where residents remain for years, and age as neighbors, until a Naturally Occurring Retirement Community develops. A NORC may refer to a specific apartment building, or a street of old single family homes. Residents would just have stayed and just aged.

It is possible to band together and develop, or seek help to develop, access to services to aid those needing assistance, thereby retaining the highest quality of life for all residents as they age. Some 27% of seniors live in a NORC.

http://www.seniorresource.com/ageinpl.htm#remodserv

New Supplier in Brazil: Brazil 10

Carlos Sprei at Brazil 10 is in the process of growing his product line. Look for inclusive travel packages into Brazil starting withe Parque dos Sonhos in Socorro.

See:

http://www.brasil10.com/novidades5en.php

Adrenaline Influx: The Spirit That Drives the Paralympics

It is also the spirit that brings disabled adventure travel experts to the podium at Adventure Travel World Summit, the Adventure Travel World Fair, and the Brazilian Adventure Society in São Paulo, Brazil right now and to the 2009 national conference of SATH and the Adventure Tour Operators' Association of India 2009 national conference in India this coming January.

Eve of the Paralympics: Update on China

(New York, September 5, 2008) – Despite recent positive steps, discrimination against persons with disabilities continues in China and organizations for the disabled face government pressure and harassment, Human Rights Watch said today on the eve of the September 6 Paralympic Games in Beijing.

“The Chinese government deserves praise for enacting laws and ratifying the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities,” said Sophie Richardson, Asia advocacy director at Human Rights Watch. “But so far these protections have meant little to persons with disabilities and their advocates in China who struggle to promote their rights and, in particular, to fairly compete for employment.”

The Chinese government has in recent years enacted a variety of new laws including the Law on the Protection of Disabled Persons, Regulations on the Education of Persons with Disabilities, and the Regulations on Employment of Persons with Disabilities, which on paper provide impressive protections of the rights of China’s estimated 82.7 million persons with disabilities. Human Rights Watch applauded the Chinese government’s August 1, 2008, ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Human Rights Watch said that the new laws have not ended discriminatory employment practices.

In June 2007, shocking images of workers who had been held in slave-like conditions in Shanxi brick kilns were published; many of the workers proved to have mental disabilities. Over the next two months, authorities endeavored to free 1,340 people from similar working conditions in kilns, mines, and other forced labor situations. In August 2007, the State Council, China’s cabinet, announced that 367 of those freed had mental disabilities, underscoring that this population remains highly vulnerable to such exploitation.

A 2007 survey by the China University of Political Science and Law of 3,454 people in 10 cities, including Beijing, Guangzhou and Nanjing, among others, revealed that 22 percent of the respondents said their physical disabilities had prompted employers in both the public and private sectors to reject them for jobs. Those attitudes may have contributed to unemployment of the disabled. Official statistics show that more than 8.58 million employable people with disabilities did not have jobs in 2007 and that this number rises by 300,000 per year. Although the government has imposed a mandatory quota requiring that people with disabilities comprise a minimum of 1.5 percent of all employees of government departments, enterprises, and institutions, there is little evidence of official efforts to enforce that quota.

Human Rights Watch called for the Chinese government to ratify the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Optional Protocol, and to loosen restrictions on grassroots civil society organizations dedicated to assisting people with disabilities. Citizens of states which join the Optional Protocol can seek redress at the UN’s Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities after they exhaust domestic legal remedies for convention violations.

The Chinese government has only in the past two decades begun to tolerate grassroots civil society organizations, which operate outside official bureaucracy and control of the Chinese Communist Party. However, such organizations, particularly those devoted to addressing the needs of China’s HIV/AIDS and chronic hepatitis B sufferers, continue to be targets for repression by Chinese security forces suspicious of such groups.

Meng Weina, founder of China’s Huiling Community Services, a nongovernmental organization which assists disabled people in eight major Chinese cities, complained of harassment by Shanghai police in a letter to the International Olympic and Paralympic Committees. A group of Meng’s mentally disabled students were harassed en route to the Special Olympics in Shanghai on October 11, 2007; Meng described the incident as evidence that Chinese police “believe that events initiated by civil society must be ‘dangerous’ and ‘destructive.’”

“Until the Chinese government tolerates a civil society which operates without threat of official repression and improves ordinary citizens’ access to justice, its commitments on paper to people with disabilities will remain limited,” Richardson said.

Human Rights Watch said that the Beijing Paralympics also offer the Chinese government an opportunity to fulfill its Olympics-related commitments to media freedom and internet access. During the August 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, the Chinese government continued to obstruct media freedom and to restrict foreign journalists’ access to the internet.

“The Paralympics are the Chinese government’s last chance to live up to the Olympics-related human rights commitments made to the international community, but which were repeatedly violated during the Beijing Games,” Richardson said.

Source:
http://hrw.org/english/docs/2008/09/04/china19751.htm

1º Congresso Nacional de Turismo Muito Especial de Pernambuco (Portuguese)

Esperamos tantos anos para um evento igual em Recife. E com orgulho nas colegas Pernambucanos que anuncio:

O 1º Congresso Nacional de Turismo Muito Especial de Pernambuco é um evento que visa difundir o turismo para pessoas com deficiência no Brasil, sensibilizando e mostrando cases de sucesso para o trade turístico, empresários, gestores públicos, organizações não governamentais, profissionais da área, acadêmicos e demais interessados.

O congresso será realizado de 10 a 12 de setembro de 2008 no Recife Palace Hotel, Av. Boa Viagem, 4070 - Boa Viagem - Recife - PE.

O Congresso »

Objetivo Geral

Realização de um Congresso na cidade de Recife, capital do Estado de Pernambuco, sobre Turismo Especial e a inclusão das pessoas com deficiência, no intuito de promover e divulgar o Turismo para pessoas com deficiência e/ou mobilidade reduzida.

Objetivos Específicos

· Desenvolvimento do turismo para as pessoas com deficiência no Brasil;

· Difundir no Mercado Turístico a necessidade de investir no atendimento as pessoas com deficiência para atender a demanda crescente deste público;

· Difundir o conceito de Turismo Especial;

· Difundir o conceito de inclusão social das pessoas com deficiência;

· Difundir o conceito de quebra de barreiras arquitetônicas e atitudinais;

· Contribuir para atualizar o conhecimento técnico dos profissionais da área;

· Contribuir para um melhor atendimento às pessoas com deficiência e/ou mobilidade no turismo.

Programa do Congresso »

10 de Setembro de 2008 – Quarta - feira:
08:00 – Abertura da secretaria para credenciamento
18:30 – Cerimonial de abertura
19:00 – Apresentação do Instituto Muito Especial e do Congresso
19:45 – Show de abertura - Apresentação de Música e Dança
20:30 – Coquetel de Boas - vindas

11 de Setembro de 2008 – Quinta - feira:
( Mediadora: Maria Beatriz Würth Lagranha, com assessoria de Patricia Würth Medina )

08:00 – Abertura da secretaria para credenciamento
08:30 – Welcome Coffee

09:00 – Mesa - TURISMO ESPECIAL

Marcus Scarpa
Vera Sanches
Adriana Braun
José Otávio de Meira Lins
Jorge Sales
Ricardo Shimosakai
Sílvio Costa Filho
Helcio Eustaquio Rizzi
Debate

12:00 – Almoço
14:00 – Mesa - COMO LIDAR COM AS PESSOAS COM DEFICIÊNCIA NO TURISMO

Ethel Rosenfeld
Jefferson Maia
Sarita Araújo Pereira
Antonio José de Athayde Junior
Debate

15:50 – Coffee Break
16:10 – Mesa - RESPONSABILIDADE SOCIAL E INCLUSÃO

Rebecca Monte Nunes Bezerra
Rosangela Cavalcante Lopes
Adilson Ventura
Edgar Werblowsky
Nerivaldo Lira Alves
Debate

18:30 – Encerramento

12 de Setembro de 2008 – Sexta - feira:
08:00 – Abertura da secretaria para credenciamento
08:00 – Mesa - ROTEIROS TURÍSTICOS – CASE

Adriana Braun
Maria Cristina Dal Pozzo Arzolla
Roger José Baqui
José Rogério Arruda
Gustavo Mauricio Estevão de Azevedo
Debate

09:40 – Coffee Break
10:00 – Mesa - ACESSIBILIDADE NO TURISMO

José Antonio Lanchoti
Maria Paula Teperino
Ângela Carneiro da Cunha
Artur Mendonça
Debate

12:00 – Almoço
14:00 – Mesa - MERCADO DE TRABALHO NO TURISMO E O SISTEMA DE COTAS

Romeu Kazumi Sassaki
Dadá Moreira
Leda Azevedo
Debate

15:50 – Coffee Break
16:20 – Mesa - A MIDIA E O TURISMO ESPECIAL

Cristina Lira
Cláudia Jacob
Janaína Lima
Alexandre Galvão
Rhaldney Santos
Antonio Roberto Rocha
Debate

18:00 – Avaliação dos Trabalhos
18:30 – Encerramento

Durante o evento ocorrerão debates e exposições sobre a temática do Turismo Acessível.

A programação está sujeita a alterações.

Local do evento »

O Congresso será realizado no Recife Palace Hotel.

O hotel fica na praia de Boa viagem, um cenário deslumbrante, e um dos pontos turísticos mais visitados da cidade de Recife. Av. Boa Viagem, 4070 - Boa Viagem Recife - Pernambuco - Brasil

Resolving Wrap Rage with Universal Design

Research and Markets may be a bit ignorant of the history of Universal Design but it does get the motivator right for its ubiquitous adoption in Japan -- the demographic age inversion that will sequentially impact all countries in the world:

DEMOGRAPHICS TRENDS & A NEW DESIGN MOVEMENT

Changing demographics in Japanese society mean that the population is ageing rapidly, resulting in dramatic changes in lifestyles and consumer expectation.

UNIVERSAL DESIGN (UD) is a new revolutionary movement to promote a different way of thinking about the functionality of the package builds accessibility and user-convenience into the initial concept: easy opening for the elderly yet child proof, clearly labeled instructions for eyesight impaired yet hold shelf appeal, pre-cooked meals in retortable or mircrowavable pouches are self-venting to release steam and prevent scalding.
This new UD movement has been adopted by ALL of the major packaging producers and brand owners in Japan collaborating to develop new active intelligent packaging materials, substrates and closures.
This report analyses the impact of UD and includes practical examples of new packaging formats which have found success in the market as a result of UD.

Press release:
Top-Level Data and a Strategic Analysis of the Key Drivers of Japan's US$54.8 Billion Package Production Industry

Corey Fairbanks: Universal Design Jock Levels the Field for the Disability Community

Anyone following the Paralympics, the impact of Article 30 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, or who just wants inclusion and accessibility to really mean something should spend a few minutes reading Corey Fairbanks' article in Athletic Business "Obstacle Course."

His piece begins like any good travelogue by someone with a disability -- with the recognition that all travel is adventure travel for a person with a disability - and proceeds to extend the principles of Universal Design into the locker room (yes, complete with photos and illustrations):

To be part of Nebraska's elite football program, I had spent countless hours in weight rooms and recreation facilities preparing my body for competition. Now, wheelchair tennis matches notwithstanding, I find myself challenged by wet and cluttered locker rooms that lack proper shower accessories, as well as inaccessible weight and cardio rooms, gymnasiums and swimming pools. I, like so many others, also face the negative stigma attached to people with disabilities, despite the fact that we form a demographic that has begun to understand in greater numbers the benefits of good health and fitness. Unfortunately, our best efforts to maintain a healthy lifestyle are too often met by unaccommodating recreation centers. Accessing facilities by way of stairs, restricted paths and narrow doorways can be a workout in itself. One is left to imagine the obstacles that wait inside.

According to the most recent U.S. Census Bureau figures, more than 14 million Americans live with some form of physical disability. Whether these individuals are accommodated or excluded depends greatly on the way architects choose to conduct their business and design buildings.

His closing call for an "attitude adjustment" is widely shared by Rolling Rains Report readers around the world:

It is hard to believe, but even today I encounter basic discrimination based on my disability. Some recreation facility operators still have the attitude that their facility is only for healthy, able-bodied individuals and that they are not responsible for accommodating those with disabilities. Nothing could be further from the truth. These facilities must be designed for the health and well-being of all people.

More common, still, are the curious stares I get from other facility users. Human beings are methodical by nature and tend to get upset when they encounter anything that throws them off their routine; or is it just that they are afraid of what they don't understand? Fear of the unknown can be discomforting. I argue that it is therefore more important than ever to integrate members of the disabled community with their able-bodied neighbors. The more these two groups interact, the more comfortable all people will be.

I share these thoughts as a plea to recreation center designers and operators. The concepts discussed here should be integrated into the design of the facility from the beginning, when it is much more cost-effective, rather than renovating at a later date. Whether preparing for a new facility or the renovation of an existing one, facility operators should consult with members of the disabled community to learn firsthand their needs and desires, and they shouldn't be afraid to go above and beyond the norm.

Whether they lack enlightenment on the challenges faced by individuals with disabilities or empowerment to make changes to their facilities, too many operators do only what is required by law. More need to look at the issue from a different perspective and create something truly functional — for everyone.

IssueLab on the Paralympics

IssueLab is a free online archive of social research by nonprofits

Stacy at IssueLabs reports:
Changing Lives through Sport -- A Report Card on the Impact of Special Olympics

This report is a nice, though brief, testament to the virtues and benefits of the Special Olympics. Though it sometimes reads like a mission statement, this ends up being less troubling than you would think since the mission is admirable and, as evidence shows, effective. More than 75% of Special Olympics athletes participate for longer than 5 years, and athletes, family, and coaches report impressive social, health, skills, and personal improvement. The Special Olympics clearly affect many people in many ways, but lest we forget they are at heart a sports competition the report offers the fact that, "During the 2003 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Dublin, Ireland, 38 individual athletes' performances would have bettered performances by athletes in the 2004 International Summer Olympics in Athens." It's not hard for me to imagine how the Special Olympics are doing great things for people with Intellectual Disabilities (ID) and "to impact the perspectives of society at large toward this population." Now, after reading the report, I don't have to imagine.

IssueLab's recently launched collection of research on the Olympics.

The following titles in the collection might be of particular interest to you:

"Oscar Pistorius and the Future Nature of Olympic, Paralympic, and Other Sports"

"Changing Lives through Sport -- A Report Card on the Impact of Special Olympics"

IssueLab is a free online archive of social research by nonprofits. We have non-corporate-sponsored research on a wide variety of subjects that might be of use to you in your blogging. I hope you get a chance to check out the Olympics CloseUp and IssueLab's archive in general. If you like what you see, perhaps you could mention us in a post!

Thanks so much!

Vanessa Beck
IssueLab
3940 N. Ravenswood Ave., Suite 2E
Chicago, IL 60613
773.649.1790
vanessa@issuelab.org

http://www.issuelab.org
IssueLab: bringing nonprofit research into focus

http://www.issuelab.org/subscribe/public/index.php

Ideas for Planning an Accessible Vacation: From the Daily Herald

Candy Harrington's work is featured at the Daily Herald today in Ideas for planning an accessible vacation by Jane Oppermann.

Funding for an Inclusive Tourism Project?

An International Institute for Social Entrepreneurs (IISE) in Trivandrum, created by the Founders of the Braille Without Borders Sabriye Tenberken, who herself is blind and Paul Kronenberg, is all set to train about 40 young visually impaired persons from different parts of the world with skills to set up their own social or environmental projects in their countries.

Send applications BrailleWB@gmx.net or www.Braillewithoutborders.org

A Home Designed for Life

One measure of the penetration of Universal Design thinking into the mainstream is the rhetoric of articles on the topic.

This piece by Melissa Birdsong enhances the appeal of UD with good writing.

Adding the Human Element to Your New Home

RISMEDIA, August 4, 2008-Thoughtful design can create a home that’s more usable by people of all ages and abilities-a home truly designed for life.

Have you ever struggled to open a door with arms full of groceries, tried to take a stroller up the front steps or maneuver a wheelchair into a too-narrow bathroom? If so, you’ve experienced the challenges of dealing with less-than-thoughtful home design. Universal design is a philosophy borne out of the need to make homes and other buildings more accessible and more usable for most people, regardless of age or ability. Creating a home that makes life easier, safer and more comfortable for the people who live there, and the people who visit, is at the heart of this idea.

Universal design is a guiding principle that, when applied, makes every home family-friendly for all. Fortunately, better functionality and good aesthetics are not mutually exclusive. The best home design incorporates both, and home buyers are demanding that their homes support healthier living without sacrificing style. With better planning, a home becomes more useful-and more marketable-to a broader audience of potential buyers.

Savvy home buyers are looking for cues that communicate livability and maneuverability: wide, no-step, zero-threshold entryways; a main floor master suite and seamless transitions from room to room. Little things make a big difference. Lever handles instead of knobs are easier to grasp when opening doors or turning on faucets, whether you’re dealing with arthritis or just slippery hands. Integrating “layered” lighting-general, task and accent-supports better vision for both young and old eyes. And those stylish rocker switches are much easier to turn on and off with a free elbow than the standard toggle.

A kitchen designed for versatile activities and family members opens up possibilities: varying counter heights, open-base cabinetry to allow stools, and easy-access side-by-side refrigerators reduce fatigue. In the bath, low- or no-threshold showers with integrated seating and adjustable handheld showerheads, taller toilets and grab bars-always grab bars-help prevent falls whether you’re young or young at heart.

So the question is not why build accessibility into a home, but rather why not? Issues in existing homes can be addressed with modifications and upgrades. For new construction, making simple adjustments to the plan before building begins can often cost just a few hundred dollars extra. Many consumers are putting greater emphasis on health and well-being, and having a home that supports a safer, more comfortable life while still delivering charm and curb appeal add up to a winning proposition.

Melissa Birdsong is vice president for Trend, Design & Brand, Lowe’s Companies, Inc.

For more information, please visit [1] www.lowes.com.

RISMedia welcomes your questions and comments. Send your e-mail to: [2] realestatemagazinefeedback@rismedia.com.

More Home Trends by Melissa Birdsong:

*
[3] Utilizing Consumer Resources - Time, Energy, Money
[4] Go Beyond Beige - Color vs. Neutral Schemes
[5] Home Trends - Outdoor Living

[?] [6] Share This With a Friend

Article printed from RISMedia: http://rismedia.com

URL to article: http://rismedia.com/wp/2008-08-01/adding-the-human-element-to-your-new-home/

URLs in this post:
[1] www.lowes.com: http://www.lowes.com
[2] realestatemagazinefeedback@rismedia.com: mailto:realestatemagazinefeedback@rismedia.com
[3] Utilizing Consumer Resources - Time, Energy, Money: http://rismedia.com/wp/2008-06-09/utilizing-consumer-resources-time-energy-money/
[4] Go Beyond Beige - Color vs. Neutral Schemes: http://rismedia.com/wp/2008-05-16/go-beyond-beige-color-vs-neutral-schemes/
[5] Home Trends - Outdoor Living: http://rismedia.com/wp/2008-04-07/home-trends-outdoor-living/
[6] Share This With a Friend: http://rismedia.com/?p=29369&akst_action=share-this

Turismo que Incluye a Todos

Los gobeirnos de las naciones de America Central han prodizido un curso ejectutivo sobre turismo para todos.

EN EL CASO DEL TRATO CON PERSONAS CON DISCAPACIDAD

* La falta de INFORMACION para el libre desplazamiento en un destino

Las personas afectadas por alguna forma de minusvalía (concepto que involucra entre otros segmentos de la demanda al grupo de la tercera edad, grupo familiar con niños pequeños, niños, discapacitados temporales -mujeres embarazadas, enyesadas, etc.- y permanentes -motrices, sensoriales y mentales-, etc.), en el uso de su tiempo libre destinado a actividades turísticas y/o recreativas generalmente encuentran distintas situaciones de conflicto en el espacio turístico, que podemos agrupar en :

* Los ESPACIOS VERDES (Plazas y parques), en la ESTRUCTURA URBANA (Obras de saneamiento, cruces peatonales y vehiculares, etc.), en el MOBILIARIO URBANO (laminarías, bebederos, bancos, etc.)

* Los EDIFICIOS, en los que podemos destacar los destinados a ALOJAMIENTO hotelero y extrahotelero, las instalaciones para GASTRONOMIA (Bares, confiterías y restaurantes), y las instalaciones para el desarrollo de ACTIVIDADES CULTURALES como museos y salas de espectáculos.

* Las instalaciones para ACTIVIDADES CIENTIFICAS (Congresos y convenciones) se suman a las instalaciones para el desarrollo de ACTIVIDADES RECREATIVAS- DEPORTIVAS como estadios y sus espacios complementarios (Vestuarios, gimnasios, etc.). Estos son los ejemplos mas significativos de este segmento.

* El desarrollo de ACTIVIDADES LUDICAS en áreas naturales (Montañas, playas y ríos) y en áreas urbanas (zoológicos, casinos y discotecas) impiden por su conformación el acceso a estos atractivos.
*El variable TRANSPORTE también presenta situaciones de conflicto en el caso de terminales, accesos y áreas de estacionamiento, junto con los medios específicos de transporte aéreo, marítimo, terrestre y fluvial.

Las personas con discapacidad particularmente requieren índices mayores de seguridad durante su desplazamiento durante su tiempo productivo y durante el tiempo libre, principalmente en la faz informativa de servicios al usuario. Es conveniente considerar las siguientes recomendaciones de la Comisión Nacional Asesora para la Integración de Personas con Discapacidad:

"...Una persona con discapacidad podrá integrarse más o menos adecuadamente, de acuerdo al ambiente en el que le toque vivir: empezando por la familia y continuando con el medio educativo, recreativo, laboral, cultural, etc.: dentro de un enfoque físico e histórico concreto.

Por ello es necesario combatir la ignorancia, el desconocimiento, el mito, el prejuicio, etc., en que suele enfrentarse en torno de estas personas.
En este sentido se surgieron algunas propuestas con el objetivo de contribuir a la concientización y motivación de la comunidad en relación a la integración de las personas con discapacidad.

La integración es un proceso mutuo en el que intervenimos todos y se basa en el respaldo por el otro. Estar discapacitado no es estar enfermo; evite referirse a estas personas como enfermas o tratarlos como tales.

Fuente: http://www.paph-oea-cct.com/publicaciones/st01/libro/indice.htm

Para un turismo accesible a los minusválidos en los años 90 (Spanish)

La Oraganizacion Mundial de Turismo en su documento "Para un turismo accesible a los minusválidos en los años 90" considera con relación a este tema ciertas pautas de diseño:

"...A. Terminales, estaciones e instalaciones afines
1- Los pasajeros con deficiencias de movilidad en especial los que utilizan sillas de ruedas, deberían tener fácil acceso a servicios de transporte de ida y vuelta hacia y desde todas las terminales de los c/ Los prestadores de servicios deben contar con personal capacitado en la atención de PMR. medios de transporte.

2- Siempre que sea posible, las terminales deberían estar situadas a un mismo nivel o equipadas con rampas donde exista un cambio de altura.

3- Cuando sea necesario, deberían preverse rampas especiales o ascensores no utilizados para carga y otros fines, con destino a las personas con deficiencias de movilidad y a las que utilizan sillas de ruedas.

4- Los cruces de las vías de acceso deberían estar provistos de señales especiales y semáforos para las personas con deficiencias visuales o auditivas para que puedan atravesarlas con seguridad.

5- El acceso a los medios de transporte debería ser lo más sencillo posible y disponer de asistencia cuando sea requerida.

6- Las personas en silla de ruedas que tengan que trasladarse a sillas especiales de embarque, deberían poder hacerlo lo más cerca posible del medio de transporte, y las sillas de ruedas deberían ser almacenadas de modo que se les pueda devolver intactas inmediatamente a la llegada al destino o punto de tránsito

Fuente:

http://www.turismoparatodos.org.ar/tu

UK: Experiences and Expectations of Disabled People

A new research report commissioned by the Government shows that while progress is being made, disabled people in Britain are still more likely than non-disabled people to experience disadvantage in a variety of areas.

Experiences and Expectations of Disabled People, the first comprehensive study of disability issues in six years, looked at key policy areas including employment, education, transport, health and discrimination across Great Britain in 2007.

The research, which was commissioned by the Office for Disability Issues (ODI), provides a unique snapshot of the lives of nearly 2,000 disabled people. The study was ground-breaking in that it actively involved disabled people throughout the research process.

For downloading full report please visit: http://www.officefordisability.gov.uk/research/eedp.asp

To Our Students in India: "Extra Credit Homework"

One of the joys of opening up the real world of people with disabilities to others is sharing the moment when a light goes on and the seemingly vast distance between disabled and non-disabled disappears.

Sometimes we do that with a role-playing exercise, a discussion, an article or just in casual conversation.

For those who will attend the New Delhi, Mumbai, Kochi, or Chennai workshops sponsored by ASTA - India I offer the following online videos to trigger that moment. Welcome to the art and images of disability culture from around the world.

From USA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hc1YdL_w1Hg

From Portugal:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFUacatn0IM

From Germany:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDnNrBPh1KU

From England:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZfOVNwjFU0

In ASL:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBWaXGNUubA

From Brazil:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAknXbxPJg4

From USA:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYPQ5UbrK1I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFUacatn0IM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTxWoiefu3I&feature=related

Samarthya: A World-Class Example of Inclusive Tourism Promotion

One organization in India has distinguished itself on the national and international stage for innovation and expertise in Inclusive Tourism - Samarthya. It follows the path of "Promotion of a Barrier Free, Rights-Based Inclusive Society."

At the center of this remarkable organization are Ms. Anjlee Agarwal and Mr. Sanjeev Sachdeva. They have been trained in the Promotion of Accessible Tourism at Bali (Indonesia), 2000; Non-Handicapping Environment for Disabled People by United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), 2002 & Asia Pacific Development Centre on Disability (APCD), Bangkok (Thailand) 2004. They have in turn taken this training and put it to continuous use for the benefit of their nation and the region.

* Sanjeev and Anjlee have represented India at various International forums such as: International Conference on Transport & Mobility for Elderly and the Disabled (TRANSED), Hamamatsu (Japan), 2004;
* Panelist at the 2nd International Conference for Universal Design, Kyoto;
* Guest Lecturer at Osaka Municipal Lifelong Learning Centre, Osaka, (Japan) October 2006
* Resource Persons at International Workshop on Implementing Accessibility Regulations in Sri Lanka, Colombo (Sri Lanka) December 2006

So far Samarthya has conducted Access Audits (facilities checks) of more than 80 public utility buildings in various States, most of them with implementation results.

In addition, Samarthya has organized more than 60 Awareness & Capacity Building Excursion Tours for persons with severe disabilities to Indian places of historical, cultural, religious and tourist interests’ promoting the concept of Barrier-Free Tourism. Some of the places visited include Agra, Mathura, Bharatpur, Jaipur, Udaipur, Mt. Abu, Ahmedabad, Vadodra, Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine, Dalhousie, Chamba, Amritsar, Shimla, Kurushetra, Rishikesh, Mussoorie, Nainital, Lucknow, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mysore, Chennai, Tirupati, Goa, Port Blair, Bangalore, Gauhauti and Shillong.

Publications include:

* Access for All- Technical Brochure on Internal & External Design Considerations prepared in consonance with internationally accepted standards and building bylaws fourth edition in English, Hindi and Braille for Professionals, Administrators and Planners.

* Authored first Training Manual to promote Barrier Free Environment- Guidelines for Training of Trainers, 2005 published by Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI). The contents as far as practicable, developed in Indian perspective with simple line illustrations, easy to understand format and result oriented case studies with photographs. Second Edition of the Manual is underway.

* Authored chapter in Handbook of Inclusive Education for Educators, Administrators and Planners, 2005 published by SAGE Publications; New Delhi/Thousand Oaks/London

* Authored chapters in Work Book for In-service Teachers, 2006 on Barrier Free Environment in Inclusive School published by Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU)

* Currently reviewing of first edition of Guidelines and Space Standards for Barrier Free Environment for Disabled and Elderly Persons, 1998 by Central Public Works Department (CPWD), Ministry of Urban Affairs and Employment, Government of India, is underway.

Other reports on Samarthya at RollingRains.com dating back to 2004 are available here.

European Blind Union on Air Travel in the EU

As I prepare to fly to India to deliver a series of workshops on disability to the travel industry the following bulletin came in from the European Blind Union. With such common sense affirmations of the right to travel by people of all abilities it become all the more important that all tourist destination nations abandon discriminatory practices if they wish to participate in the profits of the growing seniors and disabled traveler market:

Over the past ten years the European Blind Union has been working to improve travel by air for blind and partially sighted, deaf blind and blind people with additional disabilities. As a result of our work, we are pleased to inform you that from 26 July 2008, the new Air Regulations come into operation at all airports throughout Europe.

To ensure these regulations work, we need your help in monitoring them at your local airport, to find out if they have in place, their staff with disability awareness training.

This must include the special requirements of training staff in the needs of blind and partially sighted people, which should include guiding a blind person, making sure that a wheelchair is not offered as an automatic help but only offered if the blind person has difficulty in walking.

Following are the parts of the regulations that you need to be aware of, and which we would like you to monitor for us. If you require a full set of the regulations they will be available from the Federation's office, address as above.

This summary is based on Regulation (EC) No 1107/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 July 2006 concerning the rights of disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility when travelling by air.

Disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility have the same right as all other citizens to free movement, freedom of choice and non-discrimination. This applies to air travel as to other areas of life.

Disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility should therefore be accepted for carriage and not refused transport on the grounds of their disability or lack of mobility, except for reasons which are justified on the grounds of safety and prescribed by law. Before accepting reservations from disabled persons or persons with reduced mobility, air carriers, their agents and tour operators should make all reasonable efforts to verify whether there is a reason which is justified on the grounds of safety and which would prevent such persons being accommodated on the flights concerned.

In order to give disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility opportunities for air travel comparable to those of other citizens, assistance to meet their particular needs should be provided at the airport as well as on board aircraft, by employing the necessary staff and equipment. In the interests of social inclusion, the persons concerned should receive this assistance without additional charge.

Assistance given at airports situated in the territory of a Member State to which the Treaty applies should, among other things, enable disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility to proceed from a designated point of arrival at an airport to an aircraft and from the aircraft to a designated point of departure from the airport, including embarking and disembarking. These points should be designated at least at the main entrances to terminal buildings, in areas with check-in counters, in train, light rail, metro and bus stations, at taxi ranks and other drop-off points, and in airport car parks. The assistance should be organised so as to avoid interruption and delay, while ensuring high and equivalent standards throughout the Community and making best use of resources, whatever airport or air carrier is involved.

To achieve these aims, ensuring high quality assistance at airports should be the responsibility of a central body. As managing bodies of airports play a central role in providing services throughout their airports, they should be given this overall responsibility.

Managing bodies of airports may provide the assistance to disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility themselves. Alternatively, in view of the positive role played in the past by certain operators and air carriers, managing bodies may contract with third parties for the supply of this assistance.

In deciding on the design of new airports and terminals, and as part of major refurbishments, managing bodies of airports should, where possible, take into account the needs of disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility. Similarly, air carriers should, where possible, take such needs into account when deciding on the design of new and newly refurbished aircraft.

All essential information provided to air passengers should be provided in alternative formats accessible to disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility, and should be in at least the same languages as the information made available to other passengers.

Where wheelchairs or other mobility equipment or assistive devices are lost or damaged during handling at the airport or during transport on board aircraft, the passenger to whom the equipment belongs should be compensated, in accordance with rules of International, Community and National Law.

Complaints concerning assistance given at an airport should be addressed to the body or bodies designated for the enforcement of this Regulation.

Member States should lay down penalties applicable to infringements of this Regulation and ensure that those penalties are applied. The penalties, which could include ordering the payment of compensation to the person concerned, should be effective, proportionate and dissuasive.

An air carrier or its agent or a tour operator shall not refuse, on the grounds of disability or of reduced mobility, to accept a reservation for a flight departing from or arriving at an airport to which this Regulation applies.

An air carrier or its agent shall make publicly available, in accessible formats and in at least the same languages as the information made available to other passengers, the safety rules that it applies to the carriage of disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility, as well as any restrictions on their carriage or on that of mobility equipment due to the size of aircraft.

A tour operator shall make such safety rules and restrictions available for flights included in package travel, package holidays and package tours which it organises, sells or offers for sale.

The managing body of an airport shall, taking account of local conditions, designate points of arrival and departure within the airport boundary or at a point under the direct control of the managing body, both inside and outside terminal buildings, at which disabled persons or persons with reduced mobility can, with ease, announce their arrival at the airport and request assistance.

The points of arrival and departure shall be clearly signed and shall offer basic information about the airport, in accessible formats.

Air carriers, their agents and tour operators shall take all measures necessary for the receipt, at all their points of sale in the territory of the Member States to which the Treaty applies, including sale by telephone and via the Internet, of notifications of the need for assistance made by disabled persons or persons with reduced mobility.

When an air carrier or its agent or a tour operator receives a notification of the need for assistance at least 48 hours before the published departure time for the flight, it shall transmit the information concerned at least 36 hours before the published departure time for the flight: (a) to the managing bodies of the airports of departure, arrival and transit, and (b) to the operating air carrier, if a reservation was not made with that carrier, unless the identity of the operating air carrier is not known at the time of notification, in which case the information shall be transmitted as soon as practicable.

As soon as possible after the departure of the flight, an operating air carrier shall inform the managing body of the airport of destination, if situated in the territory of a Member State to which the Treaty applies, of the number of disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility on that flight requiring assistance and of the nature of that assistance.

When a disabled person or person with reduced mobility arrives at an airport for travel by air, the managing body of the airport shall be responsible for ensuring the provision of the assistance in such a way that the person is able to take the flight for which he or she holds a reservation, provided that the notification of the person's particular needs for such assistance has been made to the air carrier or its agent or the tour operator concerned at least 48 hours before the published time of departure of the flight. This notification shall also cover a return flight, if the outward flight and the return flight have been contracted with the same air carrier.

Where use of a recognised assistance dog is required, this shall be accommodated provided that notification of the same is made to the air carrier or its agent or the tour operator in accordance with applicable national rules covering the carriage of assistance dogs on board aircraft, where such rules exist.

If no notification is made, the managing body shall make all reasonable efforts to provide the assistance in such a way that the person concerned is able to take the flight for which he or she holds a reservation.

The assistance provided shall, as far as possible, be appropriate to the particular needs of the individual passenger.

Air carriers and airport managing bodies shall ensure that all their personnel, including those employed by any sub-contractor, providing direct assistance to disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility have knowledge of how to meet the needs of persons having various disabilities or mobility impairments. They should also provide disability-equality and disability-awareness training to all their personnel working at the airport who deal directly with the travelling public, including that upon recruitment, all new employees attend disability-related training and that personnel receive refresher training courses when appropriate.

National Federation of the Blind of the UK
http://www.nfbuk.org

Why Disability Affects Everyone

Steve Kuusisto will speak Thursday July 24 at Diversity Focus' Brown Bag Lunch Series, from noon to 1 p.m. at the Iowa City Chamber of Commerce, 325 E. Washington St. No. 100, Iowa City, Iowa.

The event is free and open to the public. Kuusisto will present "Universal Design and the Town Square: Why Disability Affects Everyone." He will discuss disability history and the development of new models of accessibility.

Kuusisto is an author and holds a dual appointment at the University of Iowa, where he teaches courses in creative nonfiction and serves as a public humanities scholar in the University of Iowa College of Medicine. He speaks widely on diversity, disability, education and public policy. For more information, call 363-3707.

Inscrição aberta para curso de atendimento a turista com deficiência (Portguese)

As inscrições para o Curso de Atendimento a Turista com Deficiência, com disponibilidade de 30 vagas, a iniciar-se no dia 11, estão abertas até o dia 7 de agosto. Os interessados podem fazê-la pelo site www.rio.rj.gov.br/pessoascomdeficiencia

A iniciativa é das secretarias municipais da Pessoa com deficiência e Especial de Turismo. O objetivo é beneficiar profissionais dos setores público e privado que trabalham no atendimento a turistas.

Conforme comunicado no Diário Oficial desta sexta-feira, as aulas-gratuitas, com total de 50 horas, serão ministradas às segundas-feiras, entre 9h e 12h, no Ciad - Centro Integrado de Ateção à Pessoa com Deficiência - Mestre Candeira, que fica na Avenida Presidente Vargas, 1.997.

Fonte:
http://jbonline.terra.com.br/extra/2008/07/18/e180717430.html

Manual de Convivência (Portuguese)

Está disponível para download em PDF o Manual de Convivência, um guia prático de como se relacionar com as pessoas com deficiência.

Manual de Convivência: Pessoas com deficiência e mobilidade reduzida
http://www.vereadoramaragabrilli.com.br/manualc/manual_web.pdf

Hacer accesible el turismo beneficiaría al 35% de los ciudadanos europeos (Spanish)

Desde El Cisne:

El coordinador de Investigación y Desarrollo de la Oficina de Accesibilidad de Bélgica, Steven Vos, afirmó durante su intervención en el 'II Congreso de Turismo para Todos ENAT' que, teniendo en cuenta a las personas con discapacidad, a los mayores, a las mujeres embarazadas, a las familias con niños pequeños y a quienes tienen otras limitaciones, 'alrededor del 35% de todos los europeos pueden beneficiarse de las mejoras de la accesibilidad en el turismo', como las instalaciones y los servicios accesibles.

"No obstante, sólo un porcentaje muy pequeño del mercado se ocupa de las necesidades en materia de turismo accesible", agregó Vos. Este experto belga comentó que hay una gran cantidad de hoteles, servicios de transporte y lugares turísticos que "no son físicamente accesibles" para muchas personas con discapacidad y personas mayores. "Falta información precisa y accesible, los empleados no están capacitados para proporcionar servicios adaptados a las personas con discapacidad, y el personal de los servicios de turismo a menudo carece de formación sobre los medios para satisfacer las necesidades de accesibilidad de los turistas con discapacidad", agregó Vos.

Por su parte, la directora de Ocio y Bienestar del Reino Unido, Susan Thomas, hizo un llamado a los estados miembros de la UE para que compartan "las buenas prácticas", armonicen los criterios de accesibilidad y fomenten y permitan que todos los servicios relacionados con el turismo "elaboren y apliquen planes de acción sobre accesibilidad para mejorar la experiencia de los viajes y el turismo del cliente".

Por su parte, Ercan Tutal, representante de la Asociación Turca de Agencias de Viajes, habló sobre el turismo accesible en Turquía y comentó que en los últimos años se han producido muchos avances con el objetivo de convertir a Turquía en un lugar más accesible, con "más habitaciones para personas con discapacidad en los servicios de alojamiento, nuevos hoteles sin barreras y nuevos reglamentos en la accesibilidad del transporte". Asimismo, recordó que la normativa de la UE en materia de accesibilidad turística se basa no sólo en la "rehabilitación" de las personas con discapacidad, sino también en la "integración" de este colectivo en la sociedad, lo que se considera "una cuestión de derechos humanos". Tutal explicó que la asociación a la que pertenece creó una "Comisión de turismo sin barreras para todos", que, entre otras iniciativas, ayuda en la creación de una guía turística titulada "Estambul sin barreras para todos", dirigida a personas mayores y personas con discapacidad.

En representación de Noruega, Aina Olsen, consultora de la Dirección de Sanidad y Asuntos Sociales, destacó el hecho de que en el 2004 se estableciera una comisión en su país con el objetivo de crear un "sistema de etiquetado" para los destinos turísticos accesibles. Ello supone, en su opinión, un gran reto para "ver cómo un sistema nacional de etiquetado puede abarcar las necesidades de todos los grupos de discapacitados". En cuanto a las medidas que se pueden tomar para convencer al sector turístico de la necesidad de adoptar el sistema de etiqueado, Olsen destacó que hay que "apelar a la conciencia social", porque el bienestar de las personas con discapacidad "no es sólo responsabilidad del sector sanitario, sino también del turístico", sin obviar que "la gran proporción de personas con discapacidad y mayores suponen un área de mercado muy importante".

En este sentido, la secretaria delegada de la Asociación de Turismo y Discapacidad de Francia, Emmanuelle Tulliez, comentó que desde su institución se ha creado la etiqueta "Turismo y Discapacidad", que comprende los cuatro tipos de discapacidad (motora, visual, auditiva y mental) y todos los alojamientos turísticos, hostelería, sitios turísticos, lugares de ocio, etc. Dicho sello distintivo, explicó, "sirve para potenciar los esfuerzos de las personas que trabajan en la industria del turismo y hace una invitación a todos los que quieran abrir sus lugares a la mayor variedad de clientes".

Transforming / Re-Forming Tourism. Perspectives on Justice and Humanity in Tourism’: Perspectives from 25 years of civil society

The Ecumenical Council on Tourism has published, "Transforming / Re-Forming Tourism. Perspectives on Justice and Humanity in Tourism," edited by Ceasar D'Mello

A review by Dr. T T Sreekumar entitled, "Practicing the Rage: Perspectives from 25 years of civil society engagement in Tourism", begins:

Tourism has eclipsed traditional industries and livelihood options in many parts of the world and has emerged as the single most important industry in several countries. However, studies that seek to understand its impacts on economy, environment, and culture are constrained by methodological and theoretical limitations. One of the reasons for the ambiguities and inadequacies in the area of tourism research has been its inability to properly appreciate the importance of the ethical dimensions of human development.

The review continues:

Review of TRANSFORMING, RE-FORMING TOURISM: PERSPECTIVES ON JUSTICE
AND HUMANITY IN TOURISM-A Publication marking the twenty fifth
anniversary of the Ecumenical Coalition on Tourism. Editor: Ceasar
D’Mello by Dr. T T Sreekumar

A focus on the distributional and socio-cultural effects of tourism within the framework of ecological approaches to development would help understand the complex and diverse impacts of tourism on nations, regions and local communities. Tourism certainly engenders a framework for redistribution as it opens avenues for consumption and production. Nonetheless, redistribution that disregards the political and ethical imperatives that would mould its shape and directions would reinforce structures of unequal exchange.

Regarded as a third world phenomenon, tourism is indeed a post
colonial challenge. Its discourses encompass some of the major debates
in justice, development, deprivation and freedom in the era of
decolonization. Institutional critique of tourism began to take shape
in the post colonial period responding to the growing concerns about
combating poverty and other development maladies in the poor
countries. Janus-faced character of tourism in contemporary
discourses, (as a universally replicable model of development and as
an instrument of oppression, dispossession and cultural
disintegration), emanates from the contestations that generated the
new debates on the impacts of post colonial tourism.

The book under review, “Transforming, Re-Forming Tourism”, published
on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of The Ecumenical Coalition of
Tourism (ECOT) is subtitled “perspectives on justice and humanity in
Tourism”. It is a bold attempt to address this challenge reexamining
facts and perceptions, rhetoric and reality, ironies and paradoxes
while exploring spaces for initiating changes in the unequal economic
and social power equations that tourism has engendered. It is now
clearly known that one of the most important international agendas of
global tourism industry is to silence the civil society.
Contextualized in the dilemmas of contemporary civil society
interventions for claiming its rightful place in current debates, a
book that looks at the processes and patterns in global tourism from
perspectives that provide models and paradigms for alternatives is
deeply political and challenging.

Enriched by a reflexive reassessment of the role of ECOT in shaping
the current debates the introduction by Ceasar D’Mello sets the
underlying tone and tenor of the book with his reflections, inter
alia, on how post colonial tourism has disadvantaged local
communities. He says that “from the very beginning, ECOT’s
‘preferential option’ has been with the communities marginalized and
made vulnerable by tourism” (P.12). The substantial work that ECOT has
carried out in defining, positioning, sustaining and redefining
alternative policies and practices in Tourism in the last two and a
half decades forms the subject matter of Peter Holden’s informative
essay “Maintaining the Rage: Roots of ECOT”. Transforming a post
colonial rage against global iniquities of modern tourism into
concrete action has been a particularly challenging task given the
multitude of institutional and organizational barriers in mobilizing
resources for developing an alternative platform. Holden brings to our
attention the fact that a post colonial dimension has been deeply
built into the programme of alternative tourism from the very
beginning. Holden makes several insightful observations in his essay.
Reciting ECOT’s history, he says “tourism in the context of Third
World people have had effects which are qualitatively different from
the impacts which it has outside Third World. Consequently it is third
worldness and not simply tourism where the rage needs to be
maintained” (P. 26). This is a broader view that must help shape
future civil society interventions and guard activists from cynical
retrogressions.

The book is usefully divided into several sections of uniting themes
and concerns. The first substantive thematic section explores the
contestations of Tourism as a tool for building a world community. The
articles by Tricia Barnett, Rosemary Viswanath, Annette Groth and
Judith Almeida look at the ethical, economic, environmental and gender
dimensions of global tourism. Barnett’s article reassesses the
possibilities of transcending cultural and economic barriers through a
transformed tourism informed by ethical guidelines. Recognizing the
place of tourism within formidable economic project of neo-liberal
policies thrust upon third world by global financial institutions,
Viswanath provides an illuminating narrative of the processes that
keeps the quest for justice and humanity in tourism disappointingly
elusive. Taking the argument a step further, Groth discusses the
intensifying corporatization of tourism industry and its disempowering
effect on local communities. She concludes that increased
concentration in the tourism industry in the recent decades is a cause
for serious concern. Quite insightfully, she also argues that the
tweezers-grip of corporatization will affect the nature and quality of
critical research and action in tourism. Nothing could be closer to
truth than her observation that “it is increasingly difficult to find
political analysts and academics, generally, and in the field of
tourism who have the background as well as financial means to conduct
neutral and objective research. Academics and scholars are
increasingly dependent on consultancies paid by multinational
organizations and/or companies and therefore ot independent” (P.60).
Irrespective of one’s reservations on the notion of what constitutes
“neutral and objective research" her argument on the constraints of
freedom of research remains valid. Almeida’s paper focuses on the Goan
(India) experience of gender representation and women’s participation
in tourism industry. The essay seeks to challenge the economic
conservatism of the UNWTO that tourism offers “enormous opportunities”
for women’s advancement.

The section on Tourism and Development consists of three
contributions. The essay by Jeff Wild argues for the necessity of
engaging the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by religious and
civil society organizations. This, for him would be a more strategic
approach than either ignoring or too heavily criticizing the project.
Heinz Fuchs’s note reflects on the joint journey by ECOT and Church
Development Service, Germany. The essay by Julia Schornhall and
Shirley Susan explores in some detail the nexus between tourism,
poverty and AIDS. They argue that tourism industry must discard its
inhibition to recognize the relationship between tourism and AIDS and
join the campaigns that fearlessly address the issue.

The section on “Tourism and Faith Perspectives” addresses the
spiritual dimensions of tourism and approaches of world religions to
the question of just tourism. Archbishop Agostino Marchetto and
Anthony Rogers in separate notes provide different aspects of pastoral
approaches to the awareness and critiquing of tourism. Buddhism’s
perspectives on tourism are sketched in the contribution by Sukthawee
Suwannachairop. Muhammad Abdus Sabur provides a brief introduction to
the contours of Islamic approach to the question of accountability in
tourism. The need for including tourism and human rights perspectives
in theological education is convincingly brought out in the paper by
Margit Leuthold and Christian Baumgartner.

In the section on Tourism and Environment, two short essays and an
interview with Oliver Hillel are included. The essay by Marco Vinicio
Garcia critically reviews the concept of eco tourism while ECOT’s
interview with Hillel brings out some dilemmas faced by international
organizations like UNEP in addressing ecological questions related to
mass tourism practices. Rungrot Tangsurakit and Sabine Minninger
shares some experiences from the post Tsunami field work and draws
lessons for future policy making and disaster prevention interventions
in Coastal tourism destinations. The two subsequent sections on
“Regional perspectives” and “Case studies” provide glimpses and
snapshots of the diverse impacts of modern tourism on Nations and
local communities. The insights and caveats in the essays by Rami
Kassis and Regula Kauffman, Peter Rezel, Nic Maclellan, Ernest Canada
and Jordi Gascon help readers to appreciate better the similarities
and dissimilarities in the effects of tourism in different regions.
The illuminative case studies by Alison Johnston, Maureen Seneviratne,
Frederick Noronha and Nicole Haeusler adds immensely to the to value
of the book and its authenticity as a volume that seeks to balance
theory and practice. Ron O’Grady’s post script “The end and the
beginning” consolidates the book’s message for readers and for ECOT.

The most surprising aspect of the book, perhaps, is the poetry of
Cecil Rajendra appended below each section. He narrates a deepening
sense of alienation and an intensified experience of loss in the hyper-
real consumerist world. The drastic scaling down of expectations and
aspirations of fishers, farmers and folks at large caused by the
disempowering imperatives of global tourism is innovatively captured
in the deep and dark poetic imageries of emerging realities:

“The bulldozers, tractors
And tourists have moved
in with a vengeance;
hotels duty-free
shops, cafes and chalets
have sprung like fungi.

As the bewildered villagers
are pushed off their land
to make way for another
billion-dollar condominium
they begin to question
which was the greater burden:
Mashuri’s or our Century’s
Curse of dust and development?”

(Cecil Rajendra, “Lankawi, Mashuri and the 21st Century”)

Peace through Tourism Course Launched

While I have not reviewed the final curriculum I did contribute in the research phase of this promising new course:

At the 4th IIPT African Conference, May 20th – 25th 2007, Kampala, Uganda, a course on Peace through Tourism was launched, discussed and enthusiastically received by the international community. WICE – World Leisure International Centre of Excellence at Wageningen University, The Netherlands – developed this course; course director is Drs Jan te Kloeze.

The course is an initiative aiming to consolidate the concept of Peace through Tourism. It is open to external participants, members of institutions interested in the subject, and tourism and peace policy makers.

The course – duration 4 weeks – is divided in four thematic units:

1. Sustainable tourism and the world today;
2. Theory of peace making and peace keeping in a national and international context;
3. The role of tourism in promoting international understanding; and
4. Tourism and community development: tourism as an agent for poverty reduction.

Peace through Tourism Course Launched

A trans-interdisciplinary approach is used to outline the potential of tourism as a peace tool. Lecturers from WICE together with international academics, carefully selected from the WICE world wide network of renowned experts are giving the lectures.

The classes will take place at Wageningen University in the Netherlands. When certain conditions are met, the course can be given in other guest countries too.

Costs and fees: € 3,770.—[including living costs, travel costs, and fee; fee only: € 1,750.–].

About World Leisure International Centres of Excellence (WICE)
In 1988 the Association began exploring the concept of a truly international post-graduate programme in leisure studies. Ultimately this led to the creation of a framework for the World Leisure International Centres of Excellence (WICE). The purpose was to provide an unique opportunity whereby postgraduate students from countries around the world and international leisure specialists come together in one location for a two-year program leading to a graduate degree.

The first such program was established in The Netherlands in 1992, with substantial support from the Dutch government. Today, through a contract with Wageningen University, a leading international institution in Holland, the WICE program gives students access to the resources of the University and at the same time provides instruction and consultation through a visiting faculty of 40 professors in any given year. Up to 25 students are admitted each year. Students completing the program receive a M.Sc. degree in Leisure and Environments. Many of the graduates have gone on to occupy senior leadership positions in their home countries.

A WICE Advisory Panel, responsible to the World Leisure Board, reviews and advises on existing programmes and new initiatives. For more information, visit www.worldleisure.org.

Wild Iris Course: Traveling with Disabilities

Wild Iris Medical Education offers a useful course entitled, Traveling with Disabilities and authored by Anne M. Becker, MS, RN, CNS and Miriam R. Breslauer, BS, MS.

The course is free through June 30, 2008

Here a description of the learning objectives:

Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

* Discuss the special needs of disabled travelers using various modes of transportation.
* Describe the role and duties of a healthcare professional who assists a disabled traveler.
* Identify three groups of disabilities that may affect a person's ability to travel alone.
* List examples of advance preparation for the trip of a disabled traveler.
* Summarize the elements of a medical documentation travel file.
* Identify the disability-related challenges to traveling on a commercial vehicle.
* Identify potential hazards at vacation destinations that may affect a disabled person's ability to function in a crisis.

For the course see:

http://www.nursingceu.com/courses/219/index_nceu.html

TIA Campaign: Media Reports On Benefits of Travel

To the extent that the Travel Industry Association takes seriously the disability community as a travel market the following letter from Roger Dow, TIA President and CEO, is a hopeful sign:

As you may know, TIA has been sharing information in recent months on the personal benefits of travel and taking a trip. I am happy to note that the media is beginning to report on the contributions travel makes to individuals, as illustrated in articles in The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times.

I was also introduced recently to a blog called Sure To Meet, which provides tips and information on business and social networking. It highlighted how face-to-face meetings are still best for building relationships. I want encourage you to help us get the word out by passing along the articles and the information we’ve compiled.

Through the Benefits of Travel, TIA provides a one-stop shop for survey results and facts that demonstrate how travel benefits everyone personally in the areas of:

* relationship building,
* career success and productivity, and
* health and wellness.

In addition, there is an interesting "Other Important Facts" section. All of this information is also available online at www.tia.org/Benefits.

Let’s work together to help everyone better understand that when we travel, the benefits are everywhere.

Best regards,
Roger Dow, TIA President and CEO
Travel Industry Association

Revolução no turismo -- O Poder do Consumidor (Portuguese)

Para diretor do Ministério do Turismo, Diogo Demarco é preciso que grandes empresas, governos, entidades e consumidor final exijam empresas certificadas no setor.

O consumidor irá impulsionar uma verdadeira revolução no setor de turismo quando começar a exigir a certificação das empresas das empresas do setor, acredita Diogo Demarco, diretor do Departamento de Qualificação e Certificação e Produção Associada ao Turismo, do Ministério do Turismo.

Revolução no turismo passa por consumidor exigente

Segundo ele, a certificação dos estabelecimentos e das empresas que trabalham com turismo só acontecerá de fato à medida em que grandes empresas, governos, entidades e o consumidor final exijam que empresas sejam certificadas para a aquisição de produtos.

“Quando uma Petrobras exigir que seus funcionários só se hospedem em hotéis certificados, será uma correria pela certificação”, diz. Demarco lembra que o Rio de Janeiro está vivendo uma situação parecida provocada por uma exigência do Comitê Olímpico Internacional. “Eles querem uma lista de hotéis por classificação. Todo mundo começou a correr atrás para conseguir uma classificação”. Atualmente no Brasil há apenas 18 hotéis classificados por classe no País, segundo o representante do Ministério do Turismo.

De acordo com o diretor, a proximidade com a Copa do Mundo de 2014 já está fazendo com que algumas empresas estejam procurando as certificações necessárias. “Não é fácil certificar o setor de serviços. Quando falamos de produto é fácil conseguir uma padronização por tamanho, tipo, etc. Mas o serviço prestado é subjetivo”.

Dival Schmidt, consultor do Sebrae Nacional, lembra as dificuldades nos anos 80 para implementação da ISO. “A Europa restringiu a compra de produtos que não tivessem a ISO. Foi uma correria e tanto no Brasil”. Segundo ele, a certificação no turismo exige campanhas de esclarecimento à população, nos moldes das campanhas sobre epidemias, como Aids e Paralisia Infantil.

Os dois especialistas participaram no último sábado (21) da palestra 'Certificação no Turismo: Desafios e Perspectivas', durante a terceira edição Salão do Turismo, realizado entre 18 e 22 de junho no Parque de Exposições do Anhembi, em São Paulo.

Normas no turismo

Atualmente existem 67 normas técnicas em vigor no setor de turismo, sendo que apenas 10 não foram publicadas. Desse total, 28 foram elaboradas a partir do apoio direto do MTur a projetos de formulação dessas regras.

A consulta às normas pode ser feita pelo endereço http://www.abntnet.com.br, pelos sites do MTur e da ABNT (Associação Brasileira de Normas Técnicas). Para realizar a consulta, o usuário terá que fazer um cadastramento, prestando informações como nome completo, CPF e RG e motivo de interesse.

Desde 2003, o Ministério do Turismo aposta em programas de capacitação e certificação para pessoas, produtos e empreendimentos nos segmentos do turismo, mais especificamente em turismo sustentável, turismo de aventura e competências profissionais. Vale lembrar também que o Brasil conta com 40 mil profissionais certificados nos diferentes ramos do turismo. A maioria deles é de garçons e cozinheiros.

Projetos

Um acordo de cooperação técnica assinado no ano passado entre Sebrae, Ministério do Turismo (MTur) e Instituto Brasileiro de Turismo (Embratur) prevê investimentos de cerca de R$ 21,5 milhões para o turismo nacional, com foco no desenvolvimento das micro e pequenas empresas. As ações têm prazo de dois anos, com a possibilidade de renovação pelo mesmo período.

O convênio se baseia no Plano Nacional de Turismo 2007/2010 e pretende utilizar a capacidade do setor para promover inclusão social. Pela parceria, serão realizadas ações como capacitação dos profissionais, incentivo para adoção das melhores práticas de gestão e fortalecimento do trabalho desenvolvido pelos órgãos estaduais de turismo e pelas empresas do setor.

O acordo também terá investimentos para a criação de um banco de dados do setor turístico e para a produção do Guia do Empreendedor do Turismo, entre várias outras iniciativas.

O trabalho conjunto do Sebrae e do MTur ainda aborda a questão ambiental, com o objetivo de promover a sustentabilidade no entorno das áreas de preservação e dos parques nacionais. Os especialistas em turismo hoje chamam a atenção para a necessidade de conciliar o potencial turístico com o respeito à ecologia e à preservação ambiental.

Fonte: Portugal Digital

Disabled Gamers” Comprise 20% of Casual Video Games Audience

I am reproducing this press release from PopCap Games in its entirety below. It reports on a study on video game-playing by PwD. It would be interesting to relate these fact about computer use to strategies for improving services in travel & hospitality for customers with disabilities

Seattle, Washington – June 11, 2008 – Tens of millions of disabled consumers have gravitated to "casual” video games as a source of relief or distraction from their infirmities, as well as a sense of accomplishment or belonging, according to a new survey conducted by Information Solutions Group on behalf of PopCap Games. According to the survey, more than one in five (20.5%) players of casual video games have a physical, mental or developmental disability; this compares to 15.1% of the American population overall who are disabled, according to the latest U.S. Census data. Over three quarters of the more than 2,700 disabled consumers who participated in the study described their disabilities as "moderate” or "severe,” and the benefits to, and methods of play by, disabled gamers vary considerably from those of non-disabled casual gamers.

Compared to the casual gamer population as a whole (which industry estimates peg at 300 million to 400 million players worldwide), those with disabilities play more frequently, for more hours per week, and for longer periods of time per gaming session. They also report that they experience more significant benefits from playing and view their game-playing activity as a more important factor in their lives than do non-disabled consumers.

Profile of Respondents
A total of 13,296 casual game players responded to the survey, with 2,728 respondents (20.5%) identifying themselves as "mildly” (22%), "moderately” (54%) or "severely” (24%) disabled. Of those, 46% indicated that their primary disability was physical, 29% said it was mental, and 25% stated they had a developmental or learning disability. Over two thirds (69%) of disabled respondents were female, and a third (35%) of all respondents had another person — parent, adult offspring, spouse, guardian or caregiver — assist them in taking the survey.

The most common types of disabilities and medical conditions cited by respondents, by category, were:
• Physical: Rheumatoid Arthritis/Osteoarthritis (14%); Fibromyalgia (11%); Multiple Sclerosis (7%).
• Mental: Moderate/Severe Depression (41%); Bipolar Disorder (16%); Anxiety Disorder (15%).
• Developmental/Learning: ADD/ADHD (46%); Autism (15%); Dyslexia (11%).
The majority (61%) of those survey respondents with a physical disability are age 50 or older, while slightly more than half (52%) of those with a developmental/learning disability are under 18 years of age.

Perceived Benefits of Play
Fully 94% of disabled players of casual games said they believe playing casual games "provides physical or mental benefits” — compared to 80% of casual game players overall. The most common benefits cited by disabled gamers (when asked to choose as many as applied) were stress relief (81%), mood lifting (69%), distraction from issues related to disability (66%), improved concentration (59%) and mental workouts (58%). Interestingly, the top benefits varied significantly based on the type of disability; the top three benefits by disability type were:
• Physical: Stress relief (84%) and distraction from issues related to disability (73%)
• Mental: Stress relief (87%) and mood-lifting (78%)
• Developmental/Learning: Improved concentration (79%) and improved coordination/manual dexterity (73%)
Those with developmental/learning disabilities cited learning (pattern recognition, spelling, typing skills) far more often (61%) than those with disabilities that were mental (26%) or physical (23%).

Furthermore, 77% of disabled players said playing casual games provides them with "additional benefits over and above what a typical non-disabled player might experience.”

Of the "additional benefits,” responses were numerous and varied, often citing deeper sensations of achievement and "belonging,” or distraction from loneliness and/or chronic pain. As one respondent put it, "Our son with Attention Deficit Disorder does not really remember he has a disability when he is playing.” Dr. Carl Arinoldo, a Stony Brook, New York-based psychologist of 25 years' experience who has treated patients with a range of physical and mental disabilities, agrees: "With some forms of depression, a person may be very focused on something that clearly amounts to a misperception of reality. So the chance to distance themselves from the perceived negative situation and relax may allow them to think more clearly and consider the situation later in a more realistic manner.”

Gary Robinson, a 58-year-old North Carolina resident with severe physical disabilities, states "Games like Bejeweled and Peggle, with simple controls that are also mentally challenging and engaging are ideal for me, because my mind moves as quickly as the next guy's but I type with a mouth-stick. In some ways, games like these are the greatest thing that's appeared on the computer scene for people like me.”

Playing Habits
Among all disabled gamers, nearly two thirds (64%) said they play casual games every day, and an additional 28% play several times per week. By comparison, 57% of casual game players overall say they play daily. In terms of time spent playing, disabled gamers are more "avid consumers” than the average casual game player:
• 60% of disabled gamers play casual games for five or more hours per week, (vs. 52% of casual gamers overall)
• 40% of disabled gamers play for 10 or more hours per week (vs. 29% of overall casual gamers)
• 24% of disabled gamers play for 16 or more hours per week (vs. 13% of overall casual gamers)

Gary Robinson estimates he spends four or more hours each day playing casual games. "Let's just say that playing the games helps my whole well-being; sometimes they give me a direct and immediate purpose in life, and that's an important sensation to have every so often.”

When asked to choose the single most frequent time for playing casual games, 26% of survey respondents with physical disabilities, and 29% of those with mental disabilities, indicated "late at night, before bed,” compared to just 11% of those with developmental/learning disabilities. The latter group indicated weekends (30%) was the time they played most often. This is presumed to be due to the large number of children in the category.

Playing Preferences
Almost half (44%) of all disabled gamers indicated that they had recommended playing casual games to others with significant disabilities, and more than a tenth of respondents (11%) said that a "physician, psychiatrist, physical therapist or other medical professional had prescribed or recommended playing casual games as part of the treatment” for their disability.

As for solitary versus companion game play, 44% of disabled gamers said they played casual games with other people at least part of the time. Of those, more than one in four (28%) said they played casual games with other disabled individuals. Among respondents with developmental/learning disabilities specifically, 60% said they played casual games with other people.

When asked to pick their favorite categories of casual games, disabled gamers' choices closely mirrored those of non-disabled players, with "puzzle” (84%), "word and trivia” (61%) and "arcade” (59%) being the three most-cited genres. "Card” (54%) and "hidden object” (51%) games rounded out the top five categories among disabled gamers.

Casual Vs. Hardcore
Only 26% of disabled casual gamers said they also play traditional, "hardcore” video games; among those respondents with physical disabilities specifically, that figure dropped to 18%. Among all disabled gamers who also play hardcore games, 25% said they played hardcore games on a daily basis — compared to 64% who play casual games daily.

Survey Methodology
This international research was conducted by Information Solutions Group (ISG; www.infosolutionsgroup.com) for PopCap Games. These results are based on online surveys completed by 2,728 respondents randomly selected between April 2 and April 17, 2008. In theory, in 19 cases out of 20, the results will differ by no more than 1.9 percentage points from what would have been obtained by seeking out and polling all PopCap.com users. Survey subjects were presented with exhaustive lists of various types of disabilities by category in order to assist in accurately categorizing themselves. For the purpose of this survey, a disabled person is defined as one who has a significant medical condition or a physical, mental, developmental or learning impairment/disability. This includes, but is not limited to, medical conditions that affect mobility, vision, hearing and learning. It also includes chronic diseases, such as multiple sclerosis and chronic fatigue syndrome; mental disorders, such as depression or anxiety; and developmental disabilities, such as ADD/ADHD (recently re-diagnosed as AD/HD – Predominantly Inattentive Type), dyslexia and autism.

About PopCap
PopCap Games (www.popcap.com) is the leading multi-platform provider of "casual games” — fun, easy-to-learn, captivating computer games that appeal to everyone from age 6 to 106. Based in Seattle, Washington, PopCap was founded in 2000 and has a worldwide staff of over 200 people in Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago, Vancouver, B.C. and Dublin. Its games have been downloaded more than 1 billion times by consumers worldwide, and its flagship title, Bejeweled®, has sold more than 10 million units across all platforms. Constantly acclaimed by consumers and critics, PopCap's games are played on the Web, desktop computers, myriad mobile devices (cell phones, smartphones, PDAs, Pocket PCs, iPod and more), popular game consoles (such as Xbox), and in-flight entertainment systems. PopCap is the only casual games developer with leading market share across all major sales channels, including Web portals, retail stores, mobile operators and developers, and game device manufacturers.
# # #
The PopCap logo and all other trademarks used herein that are listed at www.popcap.com/ trademarks are owned by PopCap Games, Inc. or its licensors and may be registered in some countries. Other company and product names used herein may be trademarks of their respective owners and are used for the benefit of those owners.

PR Contacts:
North America:
Garth Chouteau
garth@popcap.com
415-602-8147

International:
Cathy Orr
corr@popcap.com
+353 1 480 6286

Summary: Alaskan Travelogue

"There is nothing -- absolutely nothing -- half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats." ~ Kenneth Grahame

Except maybe reflecting on it afterwards!

Below are links to each Rolling Rains post on exploring Glacier Bay, Alaska. Starting with:

Cruising in Alaska
http://www.rollingrains.com/archives/002267.html

It Would be Easier if…
http://www.rollingrains.com/archives/002269.html

Meet Annie Mae
http://www.rollingrains.com/archives/002270.html

Reporting from a Different Perspective
http://www.rollingrains.com/archives/002271.html

Journaling and Natural Beauty
http://www.rollingrains.com/archives/002272.html

Food – the Key to Nautical Tranquility!
http://www.rollingrains.com/archives/002273.html

Photos from Glacier Bay
http://www.rollingrains.com/archives/002274.html

My First Kayak Trip ( or Ode to the McKinnon Hugger and Crew of the Sea Wolf!)
http://www.rollingrains.com/archives/002283.html

Return from Kayaking Glacier Bay, Glacier Bay, Alaska
http://www.rollingrains.com/archives/002282.html

Sound Sketch – Multisensory Travel to a Glacier
http://www.rollingrains.com/archives/002287.html

Transfers – Aboard and Abroad
http://www.rollingrains.com/archives/002289.html

Resources on Glacier Bay, Alaska
http://www.rollingrains.com/archives/002288.html

Why Go?
http://www.rollingrains.com/archives/002231.html

After Tourism Alaska – Ripples of Inclusive Destination Development
http://www.rollingrains.com/archives/002276.html

“This I Believe” by Colin Bates ( A Man Who has Discovered the Core value of Disability Culture – Interdependency )
http://www.rollingrains.com/archives/002276.html

Co-Dependent Arising: Retrospective on Wheelchair-Accessible Cruising
http://www.rollingrains.com/archives/002290.html

Clientes y Capacitación de Recursos Humanos (Spanish)

Por Nélida Barbeito, Lic. en Turismo y Asesora en viajes y accesibilidad desde el Clarin.com:

"Soy un cliente. ¡Pago por su servicio, y lo quiero acorde a mis necesidades!"

Esto deberíamos vociferar quienes tenemos alguna discapacidad antes de iniciar un viaje. El viaje es un proceso: lo imaginamos, lo planeamos y lo realizamos. Para ello hay que considerar los aspectos que deben ser accesibles: traslado al aeropuerto, al hospedaje y a los atractivos. Si falla un eslabón, el viaje no se concreta. Es como alquilar un auto sin volante.

¿La gran falencia en Argentina? El transporte terrestre de enlace (para llegar al hotel, al atractivo), y los autos de alquiler. ¿Un gran avance? La cantidad de hoteles que construyen habitaciones accesibles y los parques nacionales, en especial las concesiones, que ofrecen dispositivos especiales.

¿El desafío? Capacitación de recursos humanos. De nada sirve la mejor rampa si el anfitrión no sabe cómo atender las necesidades de sus huéspedes.

Fuente:

Desafíos para un turismo accesible
http://www.clarin.com/suplementos/viajes/2008/06/08/v-01689293.htm

Discrimination in Travel Insurance?

The following news comes from Only Finance.com:

Travel insurers have been accused of contravening the Disability Discrimination Act by unfairly treating 9 million sufferers of medical conditions like diabetes, epilepsy, asthma, and Parkinson’s disease etc in the UK.

Managing Director of karmainsurance.com, Brian Wright who made the allegation, said they flout the law which requires insurers to justify their action if they wished to differently treat people with medical conditions from others.

Reminding that premiums ought to be based on actuarial statistics and thorough knowledge of a condition, he said the opposite is usually what happens.

“As soon as people with pre-existing medical conditions ask for a travel quote, discriminatory assumptions are made and they’re faced with higher insurance premiums or no quote at all,” he explained.

In a recent survey by Parkinson’s Disease Society, in a sample of 10,000 respondents, it was found that 27 per cent of people had either been quoted increased premiums for travel insurance or refused cover.

This was in spite of the fact that Parkinson’s does not affect longevity.

Also, another study revealed that diabetics had been given quotes four times more expensive than the normal price.

For the full story see:

http://www.onlyfinance.com/Travel-Insurance-News/12749064-Travel-Insurers-Accused-of-Breaching-Disability-Act.aspx

<--!

Mr Brian said a situation whereby insurers stigmatise those with pre-existing conditions should be challenged. “They take a one size fits all approach, believing specific conditions present the same symptoms and are at the same stages.”

But their argument or judgement often crumbles under scrutiny as they have no statistical proof to justify their assumption, he said.

Although most people heading off on holidays and wanting to purchase cover do not see their condition as medical but a normal way of life, the expert said insurers often refuse to accept this position.

He thus called on the industry to reconsider its risk assessment, pricing strategies and intrusive medical screening processes so as to make insurance policy accessible and affordable to everyone.

--!>

Candy Harrington on the Air Carriers Access Act

Candy's work in this field is legendary. Her multiple books, magazine Emerging Horizons, and behind-the-scenes support of the travelers with disabilities market keeps our work in focus. Read here her analysis of amendments to the US Air Carriers Access Act.

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

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.

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.

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

Video on Disability

A Tool for designers to Simulate Disability

Reuters has done a story on the suit car designers use to to experience disability. See the full article but note this attention to market realities justifying Universal Design:

Launched in a rapidly graying nation where over 40 percent of the population is expected to be over 65 age by mid-century...

Over 40 percent of Nissan's Japanese and U.S. sales are to customers over 50 years old, according to the company.

Announcing the Global Universal Design Commission (GUDC)

I take his development to be a positive sign. This announcement was in my Inbox when I got home today:

The Global Universal Design Commission (GUDC) is a new non-profit organization that has been established to promote the adoption of universal design. It is modeled after the Green Building Council which has played an important role in increasing adoption of sustainable design practices in the building industry. Our intent is to address the need for greater usability in buildings in response to many social trends, e.g. the aging of society, globalization and social diversity.

Our first activity will be to develop voluntary guidance standards for applying universal design to commercial buildings. These standards will complement existing accessibility standards and regulations. In fact, we expect that no building will receive an accreditation from the GUDC if it does not meet accessibility regulations as a basic requirement and thus, our work will improve compliance with access laws. Like the GBC's LEED standards, the UD Standards will provide a rating system to accredit buildings that address higher levels of usability than accessibility codes and include issues beyond their scope.

The UD Standards will be flexible and allow each project to achieve accreditation in different ways in response to different conditions. Points will be awarded in different categories and there will be a graduated level of achievement based on a percentage of total points received. Neither the rating system nor the accreditation levels have been established, but work is underway on a preliminary draft that will be presented to the public at a kick-off meeting at the end of May. Attached is an announcement for that meeting. An open process will be used to develop the UD Standards, including the conceptual framework for the rating system and levels. The preliminary draft will simply be a point of departure.

We welcome your involvement in this process and the new Commission and hope that you will be able to attend the kick-off meeting for the standards development project.

*This activity is partially supported by the RERC on Universal Design and the Built Environment through funding from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research.

(Source: RERCUD-ENEWSLETTER-LIST@LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU )

Note that this is something that we called for at ICAT 2007 in Bangkok and, although I was unaware of this initiative, the move toward standardization by industry was the pivotal "sign of the times" that my address to the gathering revolved around.

Invitation

Organizational Meeting:
Voluntary Standards Development Process for Universal Design (UD) in Commercial Development

Hosted by:

• Global Universal Design Commission, Inc.
• Burton Blatt Institute, Syracuse University
• Center for Inclusive Design and Environmental Access (IDEA)
• National Council for Independent Living (NCIL)

As a member of the design, development, disability and/or aging communities, you are invited to attend the inaugural meeting of the Global Universal Design Commission, Inc., and join with other hosts to organize a consensus voluntary standard development process that accelerates the consistent, knowledge-driven translation and use of UD across commercial development and the built environment.

Sincerely,

Peter Blanck, Chairman, Global Universal Design Commission, Inc.
Ed Steinfeld, Center for Inclusive Design and Environmental Access
Graham Hill, Global Universal Design Forum, Inc. - Chair of Standards Development Committee

Date: May 30, 2008
10am – 1pm

Location: Carousel Mall
Sky Deck, 6th Floor
Syracuse, New York

Purpose: To organize and initiate the process to develop a consensus guidance standard for Universal Design (UD) in commercial development. UD is the design of the built environment and products to be useable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design.

Philippines: Access 2010 - First National Conference on Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities

The First National Conference on Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities March 27-28, 2008 at the Great Eastern Hotel, Quezon City, Philippines. The objectives of the conference were "to promote transport accessibility as an entry point to building a non-handicapping environment for persons with disabilities."

At the end of the Conference the participants shall have:

• Developed common inter-sectoral understanding and dialogue on public transport and accessibility issues.
• Linked the call for accessible transportation to efforts on creating non-handicapping public transport facilities and physical environments.
• Identified the consideration needed for drawing an intervention plan for increasing inter-sectoral partnership for transport and accessibility issues.
• Recommended measures to address the identified gaps and issues in the public transportation system that limits the mobility of persons with disabilities resulted from the regional transport summits held in 2007.
• Drawn and formulated a National Plan of Action for an accessible public transportation system for persons with disabilities in the country.

“ACCESS 2010”:

DECLARATION OF SUPPORT AND COMMITMENT

We, the participants of the Access 2010: First National Conference on Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities belonging to the government and the private sectors, declare to commit ourselves to work together in a common platform and uphold the principles of :

Respect for the dignity and rights of all persons with disabilities; and,

Empowering them to live independently and participate fully and equally in all aspects of community life especially the women with disabilities whose involvement in community activities have been undermined because of gender
biases and discriminations.

We pledge to participate actively and unfailingly in the implementation of the National Plan of Action for an Accessible Land, Rail, Air and Sea Public Transportation System for Persons with Disabilities in the country.

Further, we resolve in particular to achieve the following five-point action agenda in line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, BIWAKO Millennium Framework for Action Towards an Inclusive, Barrier-Free and Rights-Based Society for Persons with Disabilities and the Accessibility Law:

1. Formulate strategies that will improve attitudes and behavior towards persons
with disabilities particularly in the public transport sector;

2. Undertake comprehensive review of accessibility standards for planning of
public transport systems, as well as universal vehicular standards for
indigenous public transport;

3. Provide opportunities for the development of a strong multi-sectoral
partnership for public transport accessibility;

4. Improve existing public transport systems and ensure new and renovated public
transport systems are accessible; and,

5. Provide education and training for public transportation stakeholders on
accessibility issues facing persons with disabilities.

To achieve this five-point agenda, the participants commit to undertake the following:

Assist in the development of an effective mechanism for the implementation and monitoring of laws and policies pertaining to the accessibility of transportation services provided to the public;

Review and amend existing policies, guidelines and standards on public transport systems as well as universal vehicular standards for indigenous public transport that restricts mobility resulting in the discrimination of persons with disabilities in the transport industry;

Actively support the development of a strong multi-sectoral partnership for public transport accessibility among government organizations, non-government organizations and the sector of persons with disabilities that will result in a pro-active public transportation industry responsive to the enjoyment of persons with disabilities of their rights as Filipino citizens;

Support the development of existing transport systems to include standards in the designs of vehicles and other transportation facilities as well as ensure that new and renovated public transport systems are accessible; and,

Provide continuing capability-building activities for public transportation stakeholders on accessibility for the effective implementation of guidelines/policies/standards as well as ensure that persons with disabilities have the same access and are treated in a dignified and non-discriminatory manner.

Finally, in support of the above five-point agenda, we urge all persons with disabilities to organize themselves in all levels of the political subdivisions of our country so that with one voice they can call for government’s affirmative action in pursuit of the attainment of the objectives of this Declaration.

Signed this 28th day of March 2008 at Great Eastern Hotel, Quezon City.

Undersecretary Anneli R. Lontoc –DOTC
Asst. Secretary Elmer A. Soneja – DOTC
Director Ildefonso T. Patdu, Jr. - DOTC
Undersecretary Rosie Lovely Romulo –NCDA
Asst. Secretary Nora Salazar – NCDA
Michael P. Davies – CBM-Seapro
ies

Comment: Inclusive Access for Greek Citizens and Tourists

By Ivor Ambrose, European Network for Accessible Tourism

Mrs. Waterman, who wrote to Athens News (Letters to the Editor, 14 March 2008) is, of course, absolutely right. Her husband has a medical condition preventing him from climbing stairs. But when travelling on a Greek ferry they were initially refused access to the lift to take them from the car deck to the passenger decks, as Mr. Waterman does not have a disability permit nor does he use a wheelchair, both of which, they were told, are required by “The Regulations”. Only after a hefty argument were they allowed to take the lift, and then only with the unsettling message that this was an exception, not to be repeated.

The regulations for carrying passengers in lifts may have made sense to the team of bureaucrats who penned them but in applying the rule in practice, common sense is thrown overboard, the ship’s captain becomes a sea monster and the fare-paying passengers have the prospect of experiencing what should be a delightful Mediterranean sea journey from the confines of the ship’s bilges.

Continued -

This sad episode has probably been replicated many times all over Greece. I have a similar lift-regulation-experience from the Acropolis of Athens, a World Heritage Site, which was made accessible for “People with Special Needs” in 2004 by means of a remarkable stair lift and a near-vertical lift which scales the western wall of the edifice. In 2005 I visited the Acropolis with a group of international experts in Accessible Tourism, three of whom use wheelchairs. The walkers in our group took the main path while the wheelchair users were directed to the lift entrance. As our party included a Greek mother with two small children, one sitting in a pushchair, she followed the wheelchair group towards the lift entrance. However, she was refused access to the lift as the guards (- it is hard to call them assistants) told her she was not considered a “Person with Special Needs”, and was therefore not allowed to use the lift. She was left waiting outside, unable to enter the Acropolis at all. At the top we also met an elderly American lady who had struggled to make the long climb with a recently sprained ankle, (twisted, unfortunately, on an Athenian pavement). She had not been informed of the lift access at the main gate, she told us, but had noticed the elevator at the top and asked if she could use it to descend. ‘The lift is only for wheelchair users’, said the two lift attendants. Do you have a disability permit? No, of course she did not! On their refusal, with her painful ankle and her feelings also hurt, she turned and took the long walk down. Certainly, this was an unforgettable tourist experience of Greece!

The lessons of these examples go far beyond the immediate issue of inconvenience and degrading treatment inflicted on the unfortunate passengers and tourists who find themselves on the wrong side of the ‘exclusive’ Greek lift regulations.

The well-known Greek term “Ατομα με Ειδικές Ανάγκες” (A.M.E.A.) – Persons with Special Needs – was defined ten years ago in the Accessibility Guidelines of the Hellenic Ministry of Environment to include: persons with permanent or temporary functional impairments… as well as persons who may be frail, such as those of the third or fourth age, and people of large or small physical stature and also those who, for example carry heavy luggage. [1]

The Greek Accessibility Guidelines take the needs of disabled people as the yardstick for inclusive design, which aims to make environments accessible and usable for all, meaning both disabled and non-disabled persons. It was these guidelines which, along with the national building regulations and transport regulations, so successfully produced the accessibility provisions for visitors and spectators at the Athens 2004 Olympic and Paralympic Games. This makes it all the more puzzling that the present lift regulation goes against the official policy of an inclusive approach to the design and use of lifts. This deserves to be investigated, clarified, and possibly corrected. Is it the regulation itself which is at fault or the lack of awareness and training among those who should apply it? Or perhaps a bit of both?

A well-designed, accessible environment, when managed correctly, is good for all people, and it makes full participation in travel and social life possible for those with disabilities. Lifts, ramps and spoken announcements of train stations on the Metro are all examples of features that make mobility easier for everyone. But if the regulatory authorities and those in charge of transport or visitor attractions lack awareness of customers’ access needs, then the best designed facilities in the world will not give full benefit to all users.

Spreading greater awareness about accessibility and the best means of achieving it for everyone is the primary aim of the ‘European Network for Accessible Tourism’ (ENAT), a non-profit association registered in Brussels with its Secretariat in Halandri, Athens. ENAT was formed with European Union support in 2006 by a group of nine organisations, including the Hellenic Ministry of Tourism, VisitBritain and disability NGOs from six EU Member States, including the Greek ΝGΟ ‘Disability Now’ (ΑΝΑΠΗΡΙΑ ΤΩΡΑ). ENAT now has over 440 members in 52 countries. The members include tourism and travel enterprises, policy makers, national authorities, tourism education and training bodies, user organisations, professionals and some individuals. The network is actively sharing information about good accessibility practices in every area of tourism though the website www.accessibletourism.org and by means of international events and publications.

For those in the tourism industry the most compelling reasons to take note of the accessibility issue are to do with the demographic ageing of the populations of Europe and other western economies, which is reflected in rising numbers of older tourists around the world. The 55+ age group is the fastest growing inbound market segment in the UK. They spend more, stay longer and travel throughout the year, as opposed to younger age groups. These tourists, who may have small impairments or health problems as they get older, might not call themselves ‘disabled’ but they certainly want to continue travelling. And they have expectations about good accessibility at airports, in hotels, restaurants, tourist attractions, and of course in planes, ferries, buses and taxis.

The University of Surrey School of Tourism Management estimated in 2005 that the ‘accessible tourism market’ of older and disabled people and their families, (as these customers don’t usually travel alone), amounts to around 130 million people in Europe alone, with a potential revenue of some 80 million Euro per year.

ENAT wants these customers to enjoy travel in Europe and we want to help tourism providers meet this challenge, competently and with confidence. The task requires networking and greater use of standards for accessible infrastructure and staff training, as well as partnerships between tourism enterprises, the public sector and user organisations, to build the right frameworks and leverage this growing market.

Here in Greece, tackling lack of awareness about customers’ access needs and rights, and removing access barriers should be an ongoing and urgent priority of all actors – the public regulators, enterprises, Chambers of Commerce, trade associations, passenger transport businesses and others – both for the good of citizens living in Greece and the millions of visitors who come here to experience the best that Greece has to offer. The job of making Greece accessible wasn’t finished in 2004. There is much more to be done!

Of course, customers’ needs are one thing, their rights are another. Those who manage public places and provide services for payment, such as archaeological sites and ferry transport, must actively avoid discriminating against any groups of citizens who have the same right to access. Paying customers should be given the same level of service, wherever possible. In practical terms it does not make sense to distinguish between the access rights of local citizens and the rights of visitors from other countries, who have paid to enjoy the same services, nor between ‘able-bodied’ and disabled visitors. Such discrepancies run contrary to UN human rights policies, and it is worth noting that consumer protection legislation is moving inexorably against such unequal treatment both in European Union countries and the rest of the world.

Perhaps the most important lesson from Mr. and Mrs. Waterman’s ferry boat experience is that all of those who are engaged in the tourism and travel industry, from the policy makers to the deck-hand, must pay attention to the demands of all those customers who need good access, otherwise the market will either simply go elsewhere or, taking the other tack, we might expect a burgeoning growth of legal proceedings against providers – or the State - on the grounds of discriminatory practices. Far better then, to meet access demands with improved information, better awareness and infrastructure that is designed for and usable by all citizens.

Ivor Ambrose is Managing Director of the European Network for Accessible Tourism

[1] Greek Accessibility Guidelines, Ministry of Environment (1998) in Greek only. http://www.minenv.gr/1/16/162/16203/g1620300.html

From Tourism-Review.com

A special issue of the magazine Ethical has been published on Barrier-Free Tourism. The 13 page pdf download is available here.

Articles include:

Tourism Accessible for All in Europe
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For those who associate tourism only with holiday and leisure and luxury it should be mentioned that tourism is a sector of remarkable economic importance. The European tourism economy contributes to about 5 % (depending on its definition up to 11 %) to the GDP of the European Union and provides between 8 and 24 million jobs (depending on the definition of the sector). Furthermore, it should be taken into account that tourism is indispensably linked with travel...

Case Study: Economic Advantages of Accessible Tourism in Germany
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In November 2002 Germany's Federal Ministry of Economics and Labour commissioned a project group, comprising the University of Münster and the consulting firms NEUMANNCONSULT and Reppel + Lorenz, to conduct a study on the economic impulses of accessible Tourism for All. For the first time reliable data and statements were brought together, which represent the customer’s potential and manner regarding accessible Tourism in Germany...

Merging Architecture and Accessibility
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In the Nordic countries, improving disabled people's access to museums, art galleries and other cultural institutions has been an important consideration for a number of years. It is evident that museum buildings and the way displayed objects are presented should embrace all visitors; one of the challenges confronting museums at the turn of the twenty-first century is to ensure the greatest possible accessibility for all without compromising the architectural expression...

Providing Services in an Accessible Manner
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Access is about the absence of barriers to the use of facilities. Although this is usually seen in terms of physical access or access to informa¬tion and communication, poorly trained staff can represent a serious barrier for disabled people if they are unable to provide services in an appropriate, non-discriminatory way...
Barrier-Free Asia?

Donald Hawkins on Geotourism as Eco-Sensitive, Pro-Poor, Gender Fair, Peacemaking -- and Someday Inclusive

Dr. Donald Hawkins is interviewed at the Ashoka Geotourism Challenge. He gives a good overview of how ecotourism is morphing into geotourism and cites some of the necessary alliances -- pro-poor tourism and gender equity. Apparently we need to do more public education about the economic realities of disability and Article 30 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) for the disability community to regularly be cited in the litany of the ecosystem of geotourism allies:

While ecotourism is still associated with the natural environment, there is now a sensitivity to the cultural dimension as well, and strong emphasis on engaging and involving the communities that surround very valued, high-quality cultural and natural resources. This is one of the challenges we have in the years ahead: we have more work to do in finding ways of tapping into tourism—which is really the largest ever transfer of wealth from rich to the poorer countries. ... is there potential for creating more business-related activities—such as tours, interpretation, facilities, or ecolodges—where consumers pay for services rendered and the money then sticks within the local communities in gateways near the protected areas?

He goes on to answer Lou D'Amore's question and the one we addressed in the Ecumenical Council on Tourism's anniversary issue of the Contours journal:

Can tourism be used to address the causes of conflict and war?

What we really need is the freedom to travel anywhere we want in the world, and to be safe and secure. Freedom to travel, and safety and security, are probably the main concerns that people who live in these places are concerned about too.

Then there’s the whole education side of travel. It is such an intensive opportunity to learn and gain practical exposure to the world. We certainly need more of that people-to-people contact in this day and age where there is so much conflict.

Now we are bringing together Lou D’Amore’s International Institute For Peace Through Tourism and the Institute for Corporate Responsibility (ICR), a new institute that has been created at the GW School of Business, to collaborating. They will be offering a symposium in May titled “Peace Through Commerce, Tapping the Potential of the Global Travel Industry.”

For the full interview:

http://www.changemakers.net/node/7069

"Sorry Mate, Wheelchairs Only"

Freedom By Design

Architectural Record notes the Freedom by Design project to bring Universal Desgn experience to a new generation of architects:

Michael Graves, FAIA, has channeled many avatars during his career, from one of the academically minded New York Five in the 1970s, to a populist product designer for the retailer Target. After a bacterial infection paralyzed him from the waist down in 2003, the now wheelchair-bound (sic) architect works to be a champion of universal design, a movement that advocates creating spaces and products that any person, regardless of physical ability, can use.

The American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) recently appointed Graves as the honorary chair of its “Beyond Architecture” campaign, which seeks to establish a $2 million endowment to support its Freedom By Design program (FBD), among other initiatives. FBD enlists architecture students to renovate houses for low-income and disabled people. The AIAS had already raised half of its goal as of January, when Graves joined, and it hopes that his affiliation will be a driving force in raising the remaining amount.

Source:
http://archrecord.construction.com/news/daily/archives/080317graves.asp

Indicorps

Tourism and accessibility awareness are on the rise throughout India. Could a Rolling Rains reader become a 2008-2009 Indicorps Fellow and in the process gain the competencies needed to eventually develop a truly sustainable Inclusive Tourism project in India? Why not?

Indicorps is a non-profit organization that offers opportunities for aspiring young leaders of Indian-origin to engage in intense grassroots development projects through one or two-year public service fellowships. We are currently recruiting soon-to-be college graduates and professionals of Indian origin for our August 2008-2009 Fellowship.

Indicorps seeks to engage the most talented young Indians from around the world on the frontlines of India's most pressing challenges; in the process, we aim to nurture a new brand of socially conscious leaders with the character, knowledge, commitment, and vision to transform India and the world.

From Indicorps

Why Now?

We are currently recruiting soon-to-be college graduates and professionals of Indian origin for our August 2008-2009 Fellowship. There are over 50 exciting community-based projects ranging from educating tribal youth in Maharashtra to increasing production of natural dye based products in Karnataka.

Why Indicorps?

• The structured program encourages young professionals from the Indian diaspora to challenge their comfort zones, place others' interests before their own, push their own potential to affect change, explore their relationship with India, and understand what it means to lead by committing themselves to innovative grassroots projects.

• Indicorps believes that giving one's time and energy, without any attachment to the outcome, regardless of the circumstances, is an unparalleled personal experience in service. At the same time, the fellowship is a chance for fellows to address their own identity, recognize their personal boundaries, and understand how to produce change in their environment(s). The fellowship is deeply rewarding, a transformational and challenging personal journey, and part of Indicorps’ collective experiment for change.

• Indicorps firmly believes that contributing to the development of India at a grassroots level will help Indians around the world better understand their heritage, explore ways to strengthen the global Indian community, and encourage civic responsibility at home in their respective countries. Indicorps focuses on the Diaspora in order to foster a sense of responsibility within the Indian community.

Deadline: Applications are due March 31st, 2008.

Contact: If you have any questions or need any more information, please contact Shilpa Shah (outreach@indicorps.org) or visit (http://www.indicorps.org)

Modern Language Association Call for Papers: "Disability and Human Rights"

Call for Papers: Session Sponsored by the Modern Language Association (MLA) Committee on Disability Issues in the Profession, MLA Annual Convention, San Francisco, Calif. -- December 27-30, 2008

"Disability and Human Rights"

In recent years, disability scholars and activists have increasingly
turned to the language of human rights as a framework for advocating
and understanding the ethical claims of the disability rights movement
and the aims of politicizing disability as a social justice project.
For many, the appeal of such an approach lies in large part with its
explicitly inclusive reach; for to speak of "disability rights" as
"human rights" insists that disability matters are universal concerns
rather than "special needs."

Correlatively, this holistic and integrative approach to disability has also been promoted by the international human rights community. For their political project, incorporating disability under the rubric of human rights consolidates a more robust and expansive framework for the politics of "rights", as it reflects the postulate that, in the words of a 2002 report sponsored by the United Nations, "civil and political rights, on the one hand, and economic, social and cultural rights, on the other, are interdependent and interrelated."

This special session, sponsored by the MLA?s standing committee on
Disability Issues in the Professions, invites papers that explore the
intersections of disability rights and analysis in terms of the
political language of human rights. We seek papers that historicize,
theorize, or chronicle this development in any national or global
contexts. We are especially interested in papers that consider the
linkage of disability and human rights as it implicates or is
implicated in the contemporary critique of the human rights
political project as implicitly individualistic, universalizing,
Western, and colonial. Papers may address cultural histories, legal
discourse, critical theory, literature, visual culture, public policy,
and/or the academic profession. We are especially interested in
considerations that engage global concerns and would additionally
welcome responses to from feminist, queer, or postcolonial theoretical
perspectives.

Possible topics include:
-- the language of "disability", the language of "human rights"
-- disability-based response to the challenge of cultural relativism
and other critiques of international human rights project
-- representations of "disability rights" as "human rights" in
literature, art,
performance, or film
-- disability rights in academic contexts
-- legal texts, such as treaties, constitutions, cases, etc.
-- disability and the construction of the human
-- conceptualizations of the post-human or non-human
-- issues of political and cultural praxis
-- transnational contexts and comparative approaches
-- cultural historical and critical legal approaches
-- discourses of "dignity" and "inclusion"
-- the critical/political limits of "rights" discourse (i.e., how
"rights" function as "norms")
-- human rights, civil rights, and citizenship

Please send abstracts of 250-300 words and a short (2 page) CV with
updated contact information by March 28 to:

Dr. Eden Osucha (English, Bates College) by email at eosucha@bates.edu

Note: Panelists must become members of the MLA by April 7

Why Wireless is an Inclusive Travel Issue

Wireless technology and its impact on people with disabilities is the focus of study for the Wireless Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (RERC). Below is a press release explaining results from a new survey they have done. For the purposes of the Rolling Rains' central topic -- travel, disability, & Universal Design -- this finding seemed key:

* Explaining why wireless devices are important to them, survey participants cited convenience and a sense of security - much like the general population. But they also noted that wireless devices often serve as assistive technologies. For example, one respondent noted, “The camera helps me remember things.” Another participant reported that with the texting feature, “I can communicate with hearing people, like hearing people use cell phones.”

Mirroring a trend among the general public, an increasing number of people with disabilities regularly use wireless technologies, including cell phones - and find them easier to use.

But a number of people with disabilities cite a need for improved functionality of wireless devices, such as a feature to enable service dogs to call for help in an emergency, according to the initial results of a survey funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR).

Wireless device ownership increased 13 percent - from 72 to 85 percent - among people with disabilities from the first generation of the survey of user needs - conducted from 2001 to 2007 - and the current survey, which began in April 2007. Also, more than three-fourths of respondents last year reported that their wireless devices are easy or very easy to use, compared to only half of those who responded to the earlier survey. Still, 73 percent said they likely would change wireless service providers, if necessary, to get additional features that enhance accessibility.

“The data these consumers share through our research helps our wireless industry partners meet customers’ needs and also helps identify applications useful to people without disabilities,” said survey project director Jim Mueller of the Wireless Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (RERC), a collaboration between Atlanta-based Shepherd Center and the Georgia Institute of Technology. “We are not encouraging the wireless companies to make special products. We want products that will work for everyone.”

The RERC, which received its second, multi-year grant from NIDRR in 2007, promotes equitable access to wireless technologies and encourages adoption of universal design -design that benefits users of all ages and abilities - in future generations of wireless devices and applications.

The 1,208 people who completed the RERC survey in 2007 are representative of a large portion of the estimated 40 million Americans with disabilities, researchers noted. They compared the demographics of survey respondents to the U.S. Census and noted that 77 percent of respondents are 25-61 years of age; 5 percent are younger; 18 percent are older.

Researchers are comparing and contrasting the initial results from the current survey to the RERC’s previous user-needs survey of 1,200 people. Also, they are tracking trends among 165 people who have participated in both studies. In addition, researchers are comparing their results to findings reported by other wireless industry groups in 2007.

Here are some highlights from the analysis:

* Comparing the earlier survey results to the current responses, researchers found that respondents who use their wireless devices every day increased from 40 to 65 percent. Those who consider their wireless devices “very important” increased from 60 to 77 percent.
* Explaining why wireless devices are important to them, survey participants cited convenience and a sense of security - much like the general population. But they also noted that wireless devices often serve as assistive technologies. For example, one respondent noted, “The camera helps me remember things.” Another participant reported that with the texting feature, “I can communicate with hearing people, like hearing people use cell phones.”
* Among respondents to the survey last year, 77 percent said they are satisfied, very satisfied or extremely satisfied with their current wireless provider.
* About 68 percent of 2007 survey respondents said they are satisfied, very satisfied or extremely satisfied with their present wireless devices.
* The most important wireless functions cited by survey participants are: voice communication, 78 percent; Enhanced 911, 45 percent; text messaging, 43 percent; e-mail, 41 percent; and Internet access, 35 percent.
* The most important handset features to these users are: long battery life, 63 percent; durability and toughness, 61 percent; low cost, 57 percent; and simple operation, 56 percent.
* Survey respondents suggested some additional features they would like to have in a wireless device: “feature to enable service dog to call for help in emergency”; “ability to switch to voice carry-over during call (in case voice becomes unintelligible or environmental noise is too great)”; and “[ability to] scan and speak medication labels.”
* Survey respondents also commented on ways to make wireless devices easier to use. Their comments related to: incompatibility with assistive technologies, especially hearing aids or cochlear implants, design of the handset, including their difficulties holding it, seeing the display, and manipulating the controls.

People with disabilities may participate through 2011 in the RERC survey, which is available online at http://www.wirelessrerc.org. The survey is also available by phone and in print. For more information, call 800-582-6360, send email to rerc@wirelessrerc.org or send correspondence via regular mail to:

Wireless RERC Research Coordinator
Crawford Research Institute
Shepherd Center
2020 Peachtree Road NW
Atlanta, GA 30309.

About Shepherd Center
Shepherd Center is a private, not-for-profit hospital devoted to the medical care and rehabilitation of people with spinal cord injury and disease, acquired brain injury, multiple sclerosis and other neuromuscular problems. Each year Shepherd Center admits more than 750 patients and conducts thousands of outpatient clinic visits. For more information, visit Shepherd Center online at http://www.shepherd.org.

http://www.shepherd.org

Changemaker's Geotourism Competition

Changemakers, a project of Ashoka, launched their Geotourism Challenge on January 31, 2008. There are many Rolling Rains Report readers who will know of and may even run projects that would be excellent nominees for this project.

Head over to their nomination form and let them know about Inclusive Tourism by adding your nomination:

http://www.changemakers.net/en-us/geotourismchallenge/nominate/2104

"Nominate your favorite example of geotourism -- defined by National Geographic as tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place: its environment, heritage, culture, aesthetics, and the well-being of its residents."

In the Changemaker Library you will find such helpful documents as, "The Tourism Industry and Poverty Reduction:
A Business Primer" a Pro-poor tourism briefing

Trends: UD, Housing, and Gerontechnology

One of the theses of this site is that as Universal Design moves into the mainstream it will have wider social impact than ever imagined when it was invented as part of the civil rights era in the US.

As a philosophy of liberation at its core that should not be surprising but the actual interplay of historical factors shaping the development and spread of his approach to building for humans-as-they-are is fascinating. I have written an article, Culture and the Future of Universal Design, for Design for All India on the need to study how various cultures accept, reject, or transform Universal Design. The following entry from the AGIS site entitled Housing and Technology illustrates one example of Universal Design become situated in broader historical trends. Here UD is placed in a discussion of aging, smart homes, and gerontechnology:

Each generation or cohort of aging individuals reaching older adulthood will also bring their experience, education, lifestyle, human associations and connections, and their needs and desires with them as they age. Computerphobia, and technophobia in general, will eventually evaporate, even if it remains in the post–World War II generation. Indeed, discretionary income among older adults is generally high, and housing purchases of single-family dwellings at the upper end of the price spectrum is, and will remain, a purchase made mainly by older adults. With those housing purchases come all of the opportunities for technology; both that which is part of the original purchase and that acquired after purchase. Technology and affluence go hand-in-hand. The acquisition of goods and services, however, is made by older adults only if they meet certain lifestyle requirements.

Have the product development professions, technology innovators, and the homebuilders begun to anticipate new markets for houses, consumer products, and technologies? Those who generate technology have begun, albeit late in the game, to see the demographic changes that are coming, and they have established a variety of approaches to make their product development efforts inclusive. Universal design is an approach that recognizes the diversity of the world population. This philosophy of designing encompasses the diversity brought about by recognizing aging, the expansion of the racial and ethnic base, and the increasing prevalence of individuals with both moderate and severe disabilities, in the population (Covington and Hannah). Another philosophy of design is referred to as transgenerational design (Pirkl). Transgenerational design extends the human factors associated with product development to include characteristics of normal age related change. Theoretically, inclusiveness of this kind offsets disability. In both philosophic approaches, disability can be measured as the difference between a person's ability to cope with his or her environment with and without the support of technology. For many older adults, technology can be the difference between continuous participation in all forms of activity or exclusion from the spectrum of activities that give meaning and enhance and invigorate all people throughout life.

Further reading:

http://www.agis.com/Document/211/housing-and-technology.aspx

Cursos de Formación sobre Turismo Accesible (Spanish)

La Cátedra Ocio y Discapacidad, del Instituto de Estudios de Ocio de la Universidad de Deusto, organiza e imparte 28 Cursos de Formación sobre Turismo Accesible para profesionales, en 25 ciudades. Patrocinados por la Secretaría General de Turismo y el Fondo Social Europeo, los cursos son de carácter gratuito para los profesionales del sector turístico.

Desde Turismo Polibea:

El Instituto de Estudios de Ocio de la Universidad de Deusto nace como proyecto en 1988. Su objetivo es estudiar la incidencia y creciente relevancia que adquiere el ocio en la sociedad actual. Desde el inicio se caracteriza por su naturaleza interdisciplinar, conectado a los planteamientos académicos internacionales, así como por la defensa de un ocio humanista, es decir, un ocio impulsor de desarrollo personal y social. Su cometido es la investigación, documentación y formación en los temas relacionados con los múltiples contextos en los que se realiza el ocio: Cultura, Turismo, Deporte, y Recreación.

El proyecto Cátedra Ocio y Discapacidad es la expresión de uno de los objetivos del Instituto, la defensa del Derecho al ocio de todo ciudadano. Su realización fue posible gracias al convenio de colaboración firmado por primera vez en 1994 y renovado trienalmente hasta el 2004, entre la Organización Nacional de Ciegos de España (O.N.C.E.), la Fundación ONCE y la Universidad de Deusto. La Cátedra es un foro de encuentro desde el que se pretende dar a conocer nuevas propuestas relacionadas con el libre ejercicio y disfrute del ocio de las personas con discapacidad. Su finalidad es el impulso de actividades docentes, investigadoras, documentales y de difusión de los estudios relacionados con su área de interés. Para ello, la Cátedra colabora con los agentes sociales implicados en estos temas, apoyando la labor que realizan y generando nuevas iniciativas. En octubre de 2000 el Proyecto se denomina Cátedra ONCE Ocio y Discapacidad (antes Cátedra Ocio y Minusvalías). En el año 2004 el proyecto pasa a llamarse Cátedra Ocio y Discapacidad, del Instituto de Estudios de Ocio de la Universidad de Deusto . La línea de trabajo Ocio y Discapacidad está consolidada y reconocida en el ámbito universitario, el equipo de la Cátedra continua desarrollando su labor centrada fundamentalmente en la Investigación, Formación y Consultoría. Centra todos sus esfuerzos en el conocimiento exhaustivo y el desarrollo de herramientas que garanticen el ejercicio del derecho al ocio en todas las personas con discapacidad.

Logo Ministerio Industria Comercio. Pulsar para ampliar imagenPatrocinado por el Ministerio de Industria, Turismo y Comercio( Secretaría General de Turismo) y por el Fondo Social Europeo, el Programa Formativo para el fomento de la accesibilidad en los destinos y empresas turísticas consta de 28 cursos impartidos en 25 ciudades del estado español y está dirigido a profesionales y empresarios/as del sector turístico que quieran mejorar la calidad de los servicios, establecimientos y destinos turísticos y ahondar en la accesibilidad como factor de calidad de la oferta turística.

Cada sesión contará con un máximo de 20 participantes, y los/las alumnos/as tendrán acceso, además de a las sesiones presenciales, a la herramienta del Campus Virtual a través de la cual podrán profundizar en los materiales propuestos, realizar tutorías personalizadas con el equipo docente y acceder en los foros de discusión habilitados para los participantes.

La inscripción deberá realizarse a través de la página www.turismoaccesible.deusto.es en el apartado de inscripción (columna izquierda). Esta página web será el sitio de referencia actualizado para el alumno e incluirá cualquier cambio o información relevante sobre el programa y sus cursos. Asimismo se puede solicitar información en ocio@ocio.deusto.es

Cursos previstos en el mes de Febrero.

Oviedo
Tarde y mañana, días 12 y 13

Tarragona
Tarde y mañana, días 27 y 28

Girona
Tarde y mañana, días 27 y 28

Barcelona 1
Día entero, 29-02-2008

Barcelona 2
Día entero 29-02-2008

Universidad de Deusto
Avenida de las Universidades, 24
48007 Bilbao
Tel. 94 413 90 00
e-mail ocio@ocio.deusto.es

Instituto de Estudios de Ocio
ocio@ocio.deusto.es
Tel: 94 413 90 75 (Xabier Landabidea)
www.ocio.deusto.es

Rolling Rains Report on SlideShare.net

SlideShare.net began as an archive for posting and sharing digital slide shows. It quickly expanded into a social network with the capability to add sound to slide shows as SlideCasts. SlideShare is a valuable tool for virtualizing participation in conferences before, during, and after the event.

For example, I upload a slide show that I will use in a conference presentation so that I can either play it from the server or download it at the other end. I also extend the discussion from an event by forming a group such as the one to the right entitled "Universal Design."

| View | Upload your own

Rolling Rains Report readers with slide shows invited to share them and join the group.

Anthropometry - Humans in Space/Humans in the Divesity of Their Functinal Abilities

Anthropometry and biomechanics lie behind the advances that Universal Design has offered society in general and that Inclusive Tourism has offered travelers in particular. For a handbook overview of the two fields this NASA site is helpful: http://msis.jsc.nasa.gov/sections/section03.htm

Survey on Media and People With Disabilities

We received the following request for participants in a research project conducted by Anna Pakman entitled, Media Consumption & People with Disabilities.

My name is Anna Pakman and I am a first year MBA student at Columbia Business School. I am conducting a survey as primary research for my paper on Media Consumption & People with Disabilities for my Consumer Behavior class. I would appreciate it if you could take a few minutes of your time to answer some questions about your consumption of television, film, Internet, and radio programming. As you probably know, the Nielsen ratings track media consumption for just about every population EXCEPT our community so the only way I can get this data is through your assistance. All individual survey responses are anonymous and will be kept strictly confidential.

You may access the survey at:

http://withtv.typepad.com/weblog/2008/02/survey-media-co.html

The deadline for filling this out is March 31, 2008. Please feel free to forward this on to any and all individuals and organizations that may have an interest in completing the survey or getting their constituents to do so.

Should you have any further questions please feel free to contact me at apakman09@gsb.columbia.edu If the survey presents any problems for those using screen reading software please let me know and I can figure out another way to get it to you. Unfortunately, I need to use Qualtrics as it is the only surveying software provided by Columbia University and I have no control as to how accessible/unaccessible it is. If you have a lot of trouble, please record your problems and e-mail them to me so I can forward it on to our IT people who can then relay this feedback to the vendor.

Thanks in advance for your time.

Regards,

Anna Pakman
MBA Class of 2009

Go Abroad with Mobility International USA: June 27 - July 12, 2008

One of the most important experiences of my teen years was as an exchange student in Guatemala. Later, in college in Brazil, I returned home leaving unused more than a year's scholarship at the University of Sao Paulo due to inaccessibility of the campus.

If you know anyone who is eligible for this wonderful opportunity to study in Central America pass it along:

Go Abroad with Mobility International USA June 27 to July 12, 2008

Application Deadline: Friday, March 28, 2008

Generous Scholarships Available!

Applications available online now

First time travelers with disabilities who are between 18-24 years old, from cultural minority and low-income backgrounds are encouraged to apply

For more information:
apply@miusa.org
or
541-343-1284 (tel/tty)

Bangladesh: Assistive Technology for the PWDs

The article below was forwarded to me by Disabled People's International. It provides a useful introduction to the basics of Adaptive or "Assistive" Technology.

Disablement, needless to say, significantly reduces the life quality of a person as it substantially diminishes their work ability. Assistive or adaptive technology, however, can bring back the individual's employability at an acceptable level.

Unfortunately, most people, even the disabled themselves, in the third world countries are not aware that assistive technology may become their real friend in assisting them in everyday life. I would like to highlight in this article some assistive technologies for different types of disabilities; before that it is worth mentioning what an assistive technology means.

There is no specific definition of Assistive Technology (AT). It simply denotes any item, piece of equipment, or system that is used to increase, maintain or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities.

The definition does not necessarily imply that AT must include computers, or that it must be expensive, or that certain medical professionals can only prescribe it. This definition permits AT to be restricted by your own creativity and imagination.

The followings represent samples of the many types of AT, grouped by the nature of a user's disability, that are available.

AT for visual impairments
Visually impaired users face a great challenge when interacting with graphical user interfaces. Typically, they use software applications known as screen readers that turn the texts, events, and elements in applications and websites into synthesised speech. For example, when a user opens a new window in Microsoft Internet Explorer, a screen reader such as JAWS (Job Access with Speech) or Home Page Reader might say "new browser window".

A physically challenged person, I took part in a specialised training program last year, where 19 other physically challenged people also participated. Of them, 12 were visually challenged. I observed with sheer astonishment how my visually impaired friends worked smoothly on computer using screen reader software like JAWS or FSB reader. They used special key combinations to move around screen in order to direct the screen what to read. By listening to this speech, they were able to understand a screen's content.

Another AT for the visually challenged is refreshable Braille display, which may be used as an alternative to screen reader. These devices convert screen text into Braille and display the Braille on a number of cells comprised of independently controlled pins. When editing and reviewing text, refreshable Braille displays can be much better to work with because a vision-impaired user can easily reread characters on the same line and check spelling. Screen readers are capable of reading words character by character, but the process of moving backwards in text to review and then moving forwards can be cumbersome. Despite their potential advantage, refreshable Braille displays are less common due to their higher cost.

In addition, a Braille embosser converts computer-generated text into embossed Braille output. Braille translation programs convert text scanned in or generated via standard word processing programs into Braille, which can be printed on the embosser. The results on thick paper are the individual dots that constitute Braille characters.

However, choice of appropriate hardware and software will depend on the user's level of functional vision. Put another way, it relies on the intensity of impairment. For example, low-vision users can use hardware such as large monitors, adjustable task lamp, Copyholder, closed circuit television, modified cassette recorder, and scanner to improve visibility. Moreover, this can be helpful to people who have difficulty reading or seeing self-voicing applications such as talking web browsers.

AT for the hearing challenged
Although hearing impaired individuals encounter less accessibility than the visually challenged do, they face tremendous difficulty in terms of learning, job access and social inclusion. These are due to the traditional way of learning.

However, computer technology has emerged as blessing to the hearing impaired. As computer prompts such as spoken messages and beeps can be misunderstood or go unnoticed by hearing impaired individuals, this problem is solved through the use of tools that produce visual warning when the system plays a sound and/or display captions in place of a spoken message. Light signaller alerts the computer with light signals. This is useful when a computer user cannot hear computer sounds. As an example, a light can flash alerting the user when a new e-mail message has arrived or a computer command has completed.

In addition, hearing impaired person can use TTY/TDD (Telecommunication Device for the Deaf), which is an electronic device for text communication via a telephone line, telecare, closed captioning, teletext and multimedia projector to address accessibility problem. Moreover, newer text-based communication methods such as short message service (SMS), internet relay chat (IRC) and instant messaging have also been accepted by the deaf as an alternative or adjunct to TDD.

AT for mobility impairments
Mobility impairment refers to any condition that limits an individual's ability to navigate through their environment. Mobility assistive technology products and services for the physically challenged are used to ensure freedom of movement around the home or office. For example, persons with mobility impairment can use wheelchair or electric wheelchair to overcome challenges to daily activities. A permanent or portable ramp can also help in this regard.

In addition, alternative pointing devices allow mobility-impaired individuals to control the mouse pointer via a mechanism other than the mouse. These are typically used when someone lacks dexterity to manipulate a standard mouse. Again, some software exists that converts the keyboard arrow keys into directional movements for the pointer. Other keys are used to signal a left and right mouse click. Besides, for individuals with severe impairments who are entirely unable to manipulate the mouse and/or use a standard keyboard can use HeadMouse wireless pointing device that converts the movements of a user's head into corresponding movements of the mouse pointer by tracking the motion of a single point on the user's head. A standard keyboard may be completely replaced by using this system in conjunction with software that produces an on-screen keyboard.

Mobility-impaired individuals may utilise speech recognition applications. This software can be used to both control applications via speech commands and as a means to dedicate text, with speech converted into text in real time.

Disability is not inability; rather, it is a blessing in disguise. If the disabled get some opportunity, they can also prove their potential in the real field. As evidenced by the above descriptions, assistive technology services address a variety of disabilities in numerous ways. Regretfully, technology, created without regard to people with disabilities, often creates undesired hindrances to hundreds of millions of people. We should know that assistive technology, or more specifically universally acceptable technology, equally yields great rewards for the typical users. One example is the kerb cuts in the sidewalk at street crossing. While these kerb cuts enable pedestrians with mobility impairments to cross the street, these also aid parents with carriages and strollers, shoppers with carts, and travellers and workers with pull-type bags.

And here in Bangladesh, though the availability of disabled friendly or assistive technology is alarmingly low, YPSA -- a specialised non-profit social development organisation -- is doing some exciting work in this respect. As a result, the organisation has been selected by DAISY (Digital Accessible Information System) Consortium, to ensure information in accessible format for people with disabilities (PWDs), especially for the print disabled. We sincerely hope that other organisations would follow YPSA's effort in this regard to make the PWDs lives somewhat easy and enjoyable.

The author, a physically challenged person, is a trainee at Thakral Information Systems Pvt Ltd, Dhaka.

http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=2062

Human-Centered Design Metaphors?

I appreciate what James David is writing on design over at The Groundswell Blog. Today he looks at the post The Revolution Will Not Be Designed by Alix Rule in his post Designing the Revolution.

Social justice inherently seeks systemic change to redress oppression. Rule’s objection to design thinking is that it serves as a”post-ideology” ideology, one which is stripped of considerations for “the long process by which consensus is built—a.k.a. politics.” Her case is that:

In particular, design metaphors obscure the ideological—and political—decisions involved in tackling societal issues. Depending on your perspective, “drunk driving” can be a symptom of some broader systemic failure (from un-walkable suburbs to deficient public education), a lapse of individual responsibility, or a right to be defended. The solution to the problem is inseparable from its conception. Conceiving of global ills as design challenges may sometimes be in order, but only when a consensus exists on goals, budgets and relevant values. Such is rarely the case.

Reading Jame's thought-provoking analysis reminded of a a distinction that Rudiger Leidner of NATKO made in a 2006 presentation "Tourism Accessible for All in Europe."

The distinction was between US conceptualizations of Universal Design and a European reformulation known as Design for All:

"...the main difference between the D[esign]F[or]A[all] idea and similar approaches such as “Universal Design” is that the targeted users should be involved in the process of product development."

Sandy Dhuyvetter's Travel Talk Radio

Ii was just on Sandy Dhuyvetter's Travel Talk Radio. It's always great to talk to Sandy.

As a wrap-up question she asked about positive trends in the industry. Let me highlight five suppliers who represent what is up-and-coming in Inclusive Travel -- accessible yacht rentals and critical mass in Mexico and in the deaf travel market:

Rent Yachts and Take Small Ship Tours:

Sherri Backstrom
Waypoint Charter Services
http://waypointcharter.com/accessible_travel.htm
1 888 491-2949

Visit Mexico as a Traveler with a Disability or on Fam as a Travel Agent:

Judith Cardenas
Cancun Accesible
Cancun Accesible (notice only one "s)
Teléfono +52 (998) 883 1978
info@cancunaccesible.com
Skype: Cancún.accesible

Adriana Ramirez
Mexico Accesible
http://www.accesiblemexico.com/ (notice only one "s")
1-866-519-6165

Meet the Deaf Travel Market:

Maria Gilda L. Quintua
M.G.L.Q. Deaf Tour Assistance, Philippines
http://www.mglq-dtap.com-a.googlepages.com/home
gilda_tourguide@yahoo.com
Text: +639108392799

Tabitha and MacPartlow
Passages Deaf Travel
Office: (757) 599-9181 Voice / TDD
passagestravel@aol.com
http://www.passagesdeaftravel.com/index.htm

Deficientes serão treinados para turismo: Treinamento para capacitar 200 deficientes (Portuguese)

A prefeitura do Rio pretende contratar empresa especializada em formação profissional para treinar 200 pessoas com deficiência física para atuar na área de turismo. O edital da licitação foi publicado no Diário Oficial nesta segunda-feira (14), segundo a Secretaria especial de Turismo.

O subsecretário de Turismo, Paulo Barros, explicou que, em muitas oportunidades, uma empresa pretende contratar um profissional com deficiência, mas não encontra candidatos com o treinamento necessário. Ele acredita que a demanda é grande nas empresas turísticas e em hotéis da cidade, seja para melhor atender aos clientes deficientes ou mesmo para cumprir a legislação que determina a obrigatoriedade de 2 a 5% de funcionários com deficiência em firmas com mais de 100 empregados.

"Essa medida ajuda a criar uma cultura favorável ao atendimento às pessoas com deficiência. Um profissional com formação adequada que seja deficiente atende melhor ao cliente que está na mesma situação. No 1º semestre, a intenção é que o curso treine 200 pessoas. Mas o número pode aumentar no 2º semestre de 2008", declarou Barros.

Pontos turísticos devem ser adaptados

Outra medida voltada ao turista com deficiência física foi a assinatura de um convênio entre a prefeitura do Rio e a instituição francesa Tourisme et Handcap, organização não governamental especializada em turismo inclusivo. A parceria foi firmada nesta segunda, pelas secretarias especial de Turismo e da Pessoa com Deficiência, depois da visita da diretora da instituição francesa ao Rio.

Segundo o subsecretário de Turismo, Paulo Barros, um tour informal por hotéis, restaurantes e pontos como o Corcovado e o Pão de Açúcar no fim de semana do dia 14 e 15 de janeiro forneceu dados iniciais à instituição, que deve elaborar até meados de 2008 um manual com as adaptações necessárias nos pontos turísticos do município.

"Nessa visita já foi possível constatar que a situação é melhor do que se imaginava. O Cristo e o Pão de Açúcar, por exemplo, precisam de pequenas adaptações para ficarem totalmente acessíveis. A instituição deixou conosco as normas da União Européia, que vão guiar o trabalho, que está apenas começando", disse o subsecretário, que apontou o Hotel Sofitel, em Copacabana, como o ideal em termos de acessibilidade aos deficientes físicos.

O secretário especial de Turismo, Rubem Medina, informou que já está sendo feito o levantamento do que precisa ser adaptado.


Banheiros feminino e masculino separados

Segundo a deputada Sheila Gama (PDT), presidente da comissão de Defesa da Pessoa Portadora de Deficiência da Assembléia Legislativa do Rio, existem especificações de acessibilidade definidas pela Associação Brasileira de Normas Técnicas (ABNT).

A deputada informou que o local é considerado acessível quanto tem rampas, piso tátil e sinal sonoro para os deficientes visuais, indicações em braile nos elevadores, banheiros adaptados e portas com largura adequada à passagem de cadeiras de rodas.

"É importante verificar se será respeitada a lei que garante banheiros adaptados separados; um feminino, outro masculino. A lei é clara. Algumas obras recentes, como o estádio do Engenhão e o novo estacionamento subterrâneo na Avenida Presidente Antônio Carlos, no Centro, só tem um banheiro para deficientes", denunciou a deputada.

http://g1.globo.com/Noticias/Rio/0,,MUL259301-5606,00.html

Kango.com, VibeAgent.com - It Looks Like We are Making Progress!

Kango.com is a travel site that is still in private beta but offers some well thought out features. Some of the initial reviews are positive:

Tim from Business of Online Travel talks about how Kango is the natural evolution of meta-search to solve the problem of too much information – Kayak aggregates price, Travelzoo aggregates deal and Kango aggregates content, reviews and travel information,”(Kango) takes all of the unstructured data out there from web based sources (TripAdvisor, Travelpost, Expedia, Orbitz, Travelocity, etc) and combines it into a structured data result…into a contextual summary”.

Source:
http://blog.kango.com/kango_news/analyst_and_blog_feedback_on_kangos_private_beta_152.html

But what tells me that they really understand industry trends and consumer needs is when I see them bring in experienced Inclusive Travel advocates like Craig Grimes of Accessible Barcelona and Accessible Nicaragua. See his piece at Disability Travel, Part I: Plan Accessible Trips

Remarks on Inclusion in Tourism from the January 7, 2008 ADA Business Connection Leadership Meeting

Grace Becker, Acting Assistant Attorney General impressed us with her grasp of the current state and future needs of Inclusive Tourism with her opening remarks at the ADA Business
Connection Leadership meeting.

Prepared Remarks of Grace Chung Becker
Acting Assistant Attorney General
ADA Business Connection Leadership Meeting
Contemporary Resort, Disney World
Lake Buena Vista, Florida

January 7, 2008

Thank you, Loretta, for the kind introduction. My thanks to Stuart Vidockler, of Society
for Accessible Travel and Hospitality (SATH), and Jeannie Amendola of Disney World,
for co-hosting this meeting and helping us bring together this extraordinary group of
people. I also want to thank our speakers Nadine Vogel, President, Springboard
Consulting, and Ms. Amendola, for talking to us today about the power of accessible
customer service to improve business accessibility and welcome the market of people
with disabilities. And, thanks to Jani Nayar of SATH, Jack Humburg, of the Boley
Centers, Elizabeth Howe of the Center for Independent Living of Central Florida, and
Shelley Kaplan, of the Southeast DBTAC, for the great help they gave us in putting this
meeting together.

Most notably, thank you all for making time in your busy schedules. We appreciate your
willingness to participate in this important discussion that we call the ADA Business
Connection Leadership meeting. As I was named Acting Assistant Attorney General
fairly recently, this is my first ADA Business Connection meeting. I am looking forward
to learning from our co-hosts and speakers and to developing a discussion that will
result in ongoing relationships within the greater Orlando area as well as in the national
disability rights and business communities.

Today’s presentations and discussion will focus on the mutual benefits of accessible
customer service in the travel and hospitality industry. In business management books
and articles, we find repeated references to the need for today’s companies to become
“customer-centric” and to offer customers as many choices as possible in products and
services in order to remain competitive. Experts talk about “re-inventing the customer
experience’” and “turning ordinary into extraordinary “ because customers expect more
and base their loyalty to businesses on whether they get what they want and get it in
ways that make them feel valued by the company.

All too often, however, customers with disabilities are not part of the equation when
providing these new and over-the-top experiences. Yet some of what business experts
are touting now as providing exemplary customer service is exactly what the ADA
requires. For example, Jonathan Tisch, CEO of Loews Hotels and author of Chocolates
on the Pillow Aren’t Enough, writes about how a company can individualize its services
by giving staff permission to adjust standard procedures as needed to best serve a
customer. The ADA calls that modification of policies, practices, and procedures.
Tisch also argues that attracting diverse customer groups – and he includes people with
disabilities in this group – will be key to success for businesses in the coming years.
But he cautions that “respecting diversity doesn’t happen automatically; it requires
thought, training, and commitment.” I am sure we will talk often this afternoon about the
value of these three elements when creating a welcoming environment for customers
with disabilities.

Organizations large and small can win over this market with good service. In his book,
The Starbucks Experience, Joseph A. Michelli relates numerous success stories about
Starbucks employees and their efforts to provide exemplary customer service. One
story took place in a California Starbucks where the baristas observed that many of their
customers were deaf. Wanting to improve the customer experience, the baristas
independently took the initiative to enroll in sign language classes to improve their
communication with these patrons. With such a warm welcome, the deaf customers not
only continued to patronize that Starbucks, but also created a website called Deaf Chat
Coffee at www.deafcoffee.com to encourage deaf individuals throughout the U.S. and
Canada to set up coffee groups in their own neighborhoods. Even the site's logo is a
salute to the ubiquitous Starbucks insignia. There are three Deaf Chat Coffee groups in
the Orlando area, two of which are held in Starbucks stores. I guess that’s what
Howard Schultz, Chairman and CEO of Starbucks, meant when he said, “We are not in
the coffee business serving people, but in the people business serving coffee.”
Reinventing the customer experience for people with disabilities can boost a company’s
accessibility and its compliance with the ADA, draw in a new market, and improve
service for all of its customers. In an IBM executive brief, Dr. Paul Horn, senior vice
president of IBM research, is quoted as saying “Out of our work making computing
easier to use for people with disabilities we will think of radically new approaches. Out
of these approaches we will find not just ways of helping people with . . . disabilities but
ways of making computing far more natural and intuitive.” If accessibility can make
computing more intuitive, just think of what it can do for the service-oriented hospitality
industry.

The market is there, it is growing, and it is expecting accessible customer service. The
proof of this market's importance is in the statistics:

• The U.S. Census Bureau's 2002 Survey of Income and Program
Participation (SIPP) found that there are 51.2 million people with
disabilities in the United States. To put that number into perspective, the
2002 SIPP indicates that the U.S. population's percentage of people with
disabilities is 18.1 percent. That is larger than the percentage of
Hispanics in the U.S. population (13.3%), the country's largest ethnic,
racial, or cultural minority group.
• Almost 21 million American families have at least one member with a
disability.
• According to the Department of Labor, individuals with disabilities have
$175 billion in annual discretionary income to spend.
• A 2005 study by the Open Doors Organization (ODO), a Chicago nonprofit
organization, found that more than 21 million adults with disabilities
traveled at least once in the preceding two years. More than 50% of
adults with disabilities stayed in hotels while traveling within this two-year
period. In a 2002 study, the ODO found that spending by travelers with
disabilities exceeded $13.6 billion annually.
• According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2002, more than 42 percent of
those 65 and older had disabilities. In 2000, in the U.S. alone, there were
35 million people in this age group. Doing the math, we can estimate that
approximately 14.7 million of these older adults have disabilities. Globally,
the story is even larger: a recent UN study reported that between 2005
and 2050, the worldwide population of people 60 and older is expected to
almost triple.

• In addition, those 76 million Baby Boomers -- the oldest of whom turned
60 last year -- experience biological and psychological changes before
age 65 that might not be identified as disabilities but can be
accommodated by accessibility in businesses. A Deloitte Research Study,
"Tracking Travel: Exploring the Latest Trends in Business and Leisure
Travel," adds that while customer ratings for preferred lodging amenities
were similar among age groups, the 51-65 year old group had two
additional choices: comfortable beds and easy-to-use electronics. Those
accessible features do make a difference.

• Older adults also have money. A Deloitte's research study states that
consumers over age 50 control almost half of all consumer spending in the
United States; and that consumers 65 and older are the most affluent of
any U.S. age group.

• And, they like to spend it. Reports from Deloitte, Canada Statistics, and
Abacus International indicate that the older adult demographic segment in
the U.S., Canada, Asia, and Europe dominate all other age groups in
travel: traveling more and spending more on their travel.
Businesses are focusing on this audience not for altruistic reasons but for the bottom
line: millions of customers with billions of dollars in disposable income.
And finally, a recent study by Weber Shandwick found that Baby Boomers regularly look
to their peers for product recommendations and consider them to be trusted sources of
information. Anecdotally, persons with disabilities across the country maintain informal
but very strong information-sharing networks about accessible venues. In these days of
blogs, online reviews, and omnipresent, immediate communication, this is an audience
to cultivate and keep satisfied.

I would like to conclude with a quote from IBM Global Business Services: "To stand out
in a crowded marketplace, retailers need customer advocates, not just shoppers . . .
Becoming more customer focused is a multiyear journey that will require executive
sponsorship in order to orchestrate the changes required in culture, organization,
processes and technology. It is a vital strategy for all retailers and the means for turning
shoppers into advocates and creating a sustainable, differentiated advantage." I hope
that after today's meeting, the people in this room will embrace the cultivation of
customer advocates among people with disabilities, Baby Boomers, family, and friends
through providing accessible customer service that “turns ordinary into extraordinary.”
Thank you all for coming.

The Adversity of Knowledge

Several colleagues have recently commented about the uncritical adoption of an ethos of competitiveness in the travel industry - which is by its nature a people-centered enterprise. Excesses in the airlines industry reported here as violating the civil rights of travelers with disabilities are only one manifestation of an imbalance. Below is one reflection on the limits to competition as paradigm. Let me start with its conclusion:

Knowledge itself often does better in a collaborative environment than in a competitive one. Debates with a winner and loser are usually not very productive or conducive to genuine learning. Collaborative environments that embrace many points of view, especially where those views are in perpetual conversation with one another, overall are richer in what they know and what they understand. Within them, knowledge can be what it is and not what the dominant side would like it to be. Knowledge finds its integrity in the perpetual conversation where it is in play.

I’m years late getting to Jack Welch’s Jack: Straight from the Gut. I had to read it for a project I was working on recently, and I’m glad I did, but not so much for what he says. His story of his tenure as General Electric’s CEO is interesting, but the subtext is positively fascinating.

There’s no arguing with Welch’s success, except perhaps by arguing with his definition of success. GE was a big, profitable business when Welch got there. When he left, it was much bigger and much more profitable because Welch redefined success as winning. It was not enough to be profitable. Instead, the company had to shed every area of business where it could not be #1 or #2. Where global competitors were arising that would drive GE out of the business, that was a shrewd,
preemptive move. But as a strategy applied across the board, it seems from Welch’s book to have had another motive as well.

Self-created strife

Welch’s story is that of overcoming adversity. His family was comfortably working class. They did not have it easy, but they got by. That’s not the adversity I’m referring to. And while Welch obviously had to struggle and compete to make it all the way to the top, the story, as he tells it (of course), is of an honest process that rewarded his skills, drive and personal qualities.

The most important adversity in his story is that which Welch created. On the one hand, he is exceptionally modest throughout his book. He takes every opportunity to tell us of his mistakes, and to remind us that he didn’t know as much about any of the areas of the business as those who were running them. He claims to have been a poor—or at least nervous—public speaker. So, how does he account for his rise and subsequent success? In part, it was his
passion and hard work. But lots of people work hard. More important, he says, was his integrity, by which he means his insistence on being who he is and not pretending to be something else.

Rare commodity

Integrity is so important to Welch that he stressed it as GE’s #1 value. But, by insisting on his integrity, Welch implicitly defined his circumstances as corrupt: Welch succeeded because his integrity was a rare virtue at GE. Welch doesn’t state it this baldly or generally, but that is how his story reads. Time and again, Welch stands out because he’s the one willing to speak the hard truths, face "reality" and rise above the "butt-kissers," all because he was the one with the integrity to stay true to who he is.

Constant struggle

Welch, in fact, realigned GE so that it was in perpetual struggle. The requirement to be #1 or #2 in the market meant that everyone at GE—after Welch’s mass layoffs—was in constant struggle to gain or maintain marketshare. And Welch instituted an internal system of "differentiation"—ranking—that required managers not only to rate their employees as As, Bs or Cs but to always assign 10 percent to the Cs. Then the Cs had to be improved or fired. That ensured that GE internally became a system of constant struggle and adversity. Or, so it seems from Welch’s book.

Untrammeled passion

A system of adversity enables strong leaders to emerge. In fact, adverse times demand strong leaders. One’s left wondering if that is in fact what drove Welch to build adversity into the fabric of GE, creating an environment that needed a strong leader like Welch—one with the "integrity" to be who he is.

There are obvious advantages to having a tightly controlled and well-led enterprise. But as we look at the Internet and some of the most remarkable achievements on it—Linux, Wikipedia, the blogosphere, the Internet itself—we now have proof that there are also advantages to collaborative networks that spurn leadership. In fact, those networks are where you’ll find the true, untrammeled passion that is Welch’s other main value.

Perpetual conversation

Knowledge itself often does better in a collaborative environment than in a competitive one. Debates with a winner and loser are usually not very productive or conducive to genuine learning. Collaborative environments that embrace many points of view, especially where those views are in perpetual conversation with one another, overall are richer in what they know and what they understand. Within them, knowledge can be what it is and not what the dominant side would like it to be. Knowledge finds its integrity in the perpetual conversation where it is in play. That play is not Welch’s idea of adversity because in it, there are winners but no losers.

Source:

http://www.kmworld.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=37313

Reviewing Our Legacy

As any idea or invention becomes disseminated through a society it changes. Similarly as ideas move from their cultural contexts and take root in another changes occur.

Here Shoji Nakanishi of Disabled People International (DPI) Japan re-clarifies the founding concepts and principles of the Independent Living Movement as it undergoes the two-fold process of mainstreaming in its host context and internationalization to new cultural contexts. The question arises, "Is the new faithful to the intentions of the original?"

See the Independent Living Movement in Developing Countries

Universal Design & Blindness: Creating A Barrier Free Society

As Inclusive Tourism and Inclusive Destination Development emerge further into mainstream thinking it is important the its implementation be truly "universal."

With the age inversion of populations in an increasing number of countries, the prevalence of older travelers, and the frequency of blindness as a consequence of aging the observations and guidance of those who have had long experience with blindness is a social asset of increasing value. Below is the document, Creating A Barrier Free Society, from the World Blind Union on the proposer implementation of the seven principles of Universal Design.

Creating A Barrier Free Society

Creating a barrier free society for persons who are blind and partially sighted is a goal of the World Blind Union. Over the years a great deal of attention has been given to the accessibility requirements of persons with ambulatory disabilities however the need to create a barrier free society for persons who are blind and partially sighted is equally important and not to be forgotten.

In more recent years a movement known as "Universal Design" has evolved. Universal design is based on the principle that, the built environment, communication and products should be accessible to the widest range of people possible. Universal design is different from accessible design in that accessible design creates products and environments for people with disabilities, which often tend to segregate people creating separate systems. Universal design is considered to be usable and inclusive to all, including people with disabilities.

Although the concept of universal design is well documented, the unique design needs of persons who are blind and partially sighted have not always been fully considered or incorporated into the built environment.

One very important component to consider in advocating for a barrier free society is the development of a consumer group that represents different consumer groups, organisations and individual advocates. The group is an invaluable asset to obtain ideas, and consensus and endorsement on areas of importance to person's who are blind and partially sighted. It is important to note that many countries have developed excellent laws, standards, guidelines and recommendations governing the accessibility requirements. (Please see websites and material noted at the end of this document)

The information that follows provides guidelines and recommendations on key areas related to the built environment for people who are blind and partially sighted. These areas are key in creating a built environment that is barrier free and inclusive for persons who are blind and partially sighted. You may wish to consider them in your advocacy efforts of person's who are blind and partially sighted.

Lighting

Adequate lighting is the single most important aid to vision. The lighting needs of persons who are blind or visually impaired vary according to the individual and their particular eye condition. One level of light might work well for a person with glaucoma and be to low for someone with macular degeneration.

The three principle light sources are natural light; incandescent and florescent each has their own attributes and weakness when considering lighting situations for persons who are blind or partially sighted. The key is to utilize these light sources optimally and considering the following:

* Avoid glare and reflection, which are often caused by shinny or glossy surfaces.
* Place light sources in locations to avoid creating shadows. Shadows created by natural or artificial light can create optical illusions.
* Distribute light levels evenly throughout working and walking areas as many people have difficulty adjusting to fluctuations in light levels.

* Include task and spot lighting to augment the overall lighting system.
* Use of dimmer switches allows light levels to be adjusted to suit the unique needs of users.

Colour Contrast

Colour contrast is another key component in designing spaces for persons who are partially sighted; its importance cannot be overemphasized enough. A building can be logically laid out, include proper use of signage, provide good lighting but the building can cause disorientation if there is very little use of colour contrast within the building. Colour can be used effectively for many purposes such as:

• To draw attention to signage.
• To define a route of travel.
• To define areas.

Colour contrasting items, is also a very effective means in defining spaces. A colour contrast of 70% is generally accepted in many countries as the preferred amount to define items such as:

* A dark door frames, against a light door and a light wall.

* A light floor colour with a dark perimeter against a light coloured wall.
* Hand rails that colour contrast with the surrounding wall colour.
* Stair nosing is best seen when a colour-contrasted edge is provided.

Furniture that is colour contrasted with the floor and walls assists in locating furniture. Considerations when using colour: * Colours to avoid using together include red/ black, yellow/ grey, yellow /white, red/green, black /violet and blue /green.

• Be consistent in use of colour to convey messages.

• Limit use of colour and keep colour schemes simple and avoid large-scale patterns. Keeping in mind that too many Colours used in design can create confusion.
Acoustics

Sounds can assist in providing orientation clues about a space. A person can use reflected sound to determine a room size, the presence of corridors and proximity of walls or other structural barriers.

Inappropriate use of sound can create problems such as high levels of ambient sound or high levels of reflective sound. Some things to consider when planning space are:

* Well-defined, acoustically alive spaces are easier for people who are visually impaired to negotiate safely. Position items such as escalators, fountains, and elevators to create useful sounds.
•* Carpets, acoustic tiles and furniture reduce sound reflectance. Consideration should be given to providing some reverberation so that people can obtain a feel of the space.
* Noise sources may mask sounds intended to provide directional cues, such as ventilation ducts or air-conditioning units. These sounds may be useful, however they should not obscure the sound of an elevator.
* Sound reflections are frequently a good source of auditory cues.

• Consideration should be given to the structure and texture of planned circulation routes and how they would interact with the sound created by the tapping of a cane.

Signage: Tactile Signs

Information on signs should be available for persons who are blind and visually impaired. It is commonly considered adequate for tactile signs to consist of raised characters only. However, Braille can be read so much faster and easier than raised print for those who read it. A best practice in some countries is to include raised print and Braille in signage that identify rooms or spaces such as auditoriums, cafeterias, washrooms and elevator floor numbers.

Signage should be consistently located at a height and distance from the door to which it defines. The raised tactile lettering should be colour contrasted with the background. The sign should be colour contrasted with the surrounding wall surface.

Protruding Objects

Objects that protrude into paths of travel can be hazardous to persons who are visually impaired. In many cases protruding objects consist of:
• Signs
• Canopies
• Underside of stairs
• Drinking fountains
• Items protruding from walls
• Over hanging branches
• Telephone booths

Consideration should be given to eliminating these hazards such as:

* Placing a railing or planters below the underside of stairs.

* Ensuing all overhangs are removed within a certain height range.

* Telephone booths and drinking fountains are cane detectable. This can be achieved by placing an object at floor level.

Detectable Warning Surfaces

Detectable warning surfaces have a texture that can be felt under foot or detected by a person using a long cane. The texture is usually built in or applied. The texture alerts a person who is visually impaired to a hazard.

Detectable warning surfaces should be used on unprotected platforms, around reflecting pools, top of stairs, and curb ramps.

Detectable warnings should be consistently used to identify features in the built environment.

Audible Pedestrian signals (APS)

Accessible Pedestrian Signals are common in many countries and can assist people in knowing when it is legal to cross an intersection.

Fundamentally APS's should have the following:

* Two distinct tones one to indicate a north crossing and one to indicate a south crossing.•

* APS should be standard throughout a country or region.

* APS should provide both audible and verbal tactile information so that they are usable by person's who are deafblind.

* All light controlled intersections should have APS's, so that travelers who are visually impaired will always know they are available.

* APS's should not require a user to have special equipment to use them.

* APS's should be audible to users only and should not interfere with the area.

* APS's should be pedestrian activated.

* APS' s should emit a sound during the wait phase to help people to locate the button to actuate the sound.

Bank Machines

A movement is underway to develop bank machines that are accessible to people who are blind and partially sighted. In considering the bank in machine requirements of those who are blind and partially blind. Consideration should be given to the following when designing bank machines for the blind and partially sighted:

* All banking machines in a country or region should be consistent.
* All banking machines should have an access card that identifies the orientation of the card i.e. a notch.
* All portals should have a tactile graphics that are colour contrasted with the background symbol to identify them.
* Characters and symbols on the keys should be visually contrasted with the background and as large as the area on the key permits and have a sans serif font

* Each key press should be acknowledged visually audibly and by tactile registration
* The keypad should be telephone style, have the number five with a raised dot. The function keys should be separated by at least three times the distance from the numeric keys, and the surface should be such that it minimizes glare and is placed on an angle.
* The function keys should be placed to the right of the numeric keys and be arranged vertically, top to bottom, in the following order Cancel, correction OK/Enter
* Raised tactile symbols should be used to identify the function keys, either to the right or on the key itself. Using the following symbols: cancel X- correction- raised arrow<, and OK/ enter-raised circle O. Each function key if colored should be Cancel red correction, yellow and OK/enter- green.
* The functional display keys should correspond with in screen instructions, have a surface that is minimizes glare and leader lines that contrast with their background. * There should be an audio interface that is provided. The audio interface should have a socket with a raised ridge or a telephone hand set. The audio display should provide an orientation of the bank machine. The audio communication should be in the lower frequency range.
* Information printed by the ABM should be a minimum of 14 point.
•* Screen and printed material should contrast with the background. The text should use sans serif font and be mix an upper and lower text. Decimals and commas should be larger than normally used. Known advertising should be displayed with in the instructional area.

Further information
Following is a list of Recommended Websites and Material Websites: www.access-board.gov/adaag/html/adaag.html www.ap.buffal.edu/idea/publications/udnypdf.htm www.tiresais.org/terminal.htm
www.tiresais.org/tdiff.htm
www.design.ncsu.edu:8120/cud/univ_design/princ_overview.htm
www.design.ncsu.edu/cud/
www.inclusive-enviroments.com
www.jmuaccess.org.uk
www.csa.ca

Publications

Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB), Clearing our Path ISBN 0-921122-28-4 August 1998 contact CNIB 416 413 -9480

Transportation Development Centre, Going Places ISBN 0-921122-
22-5 August 1997 contact CNIB 416 413-9480.

U.S. Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board. Building a True Community Final Report Public- Rights- of Way. Access Advisory Committee.

The Canadian Institute on Barrier free Design and Betty Doing Enterprises LTD, International Best Practices In Universal Design: A comparative Study, March 2000

Canadian Standards Association, B651.1-01 Barrier Free Design for Automated Banking Machines February 2001

Products:

Armor Tile Tactile Systems

ENGINEERED PLASTICS INC.
300 International Drive Suite 100
Williamsville, NY 14221
Phone: 1-800-682-2525
http://www.armor-tile.com/detectable-warnings_info.html

The Year Ahead - Clearer Skies?

The end of 2007 saw the ENAT and ICAT conferences on Inclusive Tourism. Early January 2008 will be the SAT conference and may 2008 will see the IIDI Turismo para Todos conference. At the same time ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities continues at a rapid pace.

With so much progress on the stabilization of human rights for persons with disabilities the actions of the Federation of Indian Airlines to subvert the ' Carriage by Air of Disabled Persons or Persons with Reduced Mobility' proposed by India's Office of The Director General of Civil Aviation is especially out of step with the global consensus on the value of travelers with disabilities as a market. One would think that no one in the industry is doing their diligence on market forecasting.

Dear Kiki and Friends,

I would like to thank you for your responses...and I will go through the attachment you have sent.

In the meanwhile there has been a new development in India on the 30th Dec 2007 - this time by the FIA - Federation of Indian Airlines.

The FIA are not ready to accept the new guideline on ' Carriage by Air of Disabled Persons or Persons with Reduced Mobility' proposed by DCGA (Office of The Director General of Civil Aviation). The same was to come into force from 1st Jan 2008. I have attached the draft guideline with this mail for your reference. And in the last few months we had strongly lobbied for many changes before this final draft.

FIA says "Free help to disabled can't be enforced" - kindly read on for the article that was published in yesterday's news paper for your reference.

Kind Regards

Mahesh

'Free help to disabled can't be enforced', Times of India, 30th Dec 2007

NEW DELHI: The government's first attempt to regulate pricing policy of airlines could come to naught and add to the costs of physically challenged passengers.

Following several complaints from disabled rights groups, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had about a month back issued a draft civil aviation requirement (CAR) on the subject. Among other things, it asked airlines to mandatorily provide free assistance to such passengers. The rule was to go into effect from January 1.

While most airlines currently provide wheelchairs, stretchers and ambulifts free, they have strongly opposed making the free service compulsory. The Federation of Indian Airlines — a joint body of Air India, Jet, Kingfisher, Deccan, GoAir, IndiGo, Paramount and SpiceJet — has said that the industry must be free to recover any extra cost that's incurred in the process of providing assistance to handicapped passengers.

Saying airlines are aware of their responsibilities towards physically challenged passengers, FIA has submitted its reply to the CAR to the ministry and DGCA.

"FIA believes that the issue of costs and cost-recovery for such special facilities cannot be mandated through the CAR. In our consultation with members, all carriers have expressed their strong opposition to airlines being denied the right to charge and recover costs for service provided," it said.

It goes on to add: "No other passengers are provided services free of charge. Any additional service should necessarily come at a charge to the passenger using the service, else the increased costs will need to be borne by the other airline passengers which is unfair. Airlines should be allowed to independently decide the charges, which certainly should be communicated clearly to passengers."

It has pointed out that the earlier CAR of July, 2005, allows airlines to charge for any additional service provided to passengers with special needs.

The new CAR stipulated that no airline would refuse to carry persons on a stretcher if they are accompanied by an escort who would look after them in flight. While FIA agrees to this, it says: "However, the carriage must be paid for. For example, a stretcher requires displacing nine seats that would otherwise be sold as revenue. It must be clear that these seats must be reserved in advance and paid for."

Similarly, the new rules say that all airlines must provide assistance to persons with disabilities/reduced mobility from the departing airport terminal to the destination airport terminal without any additional charge. "The Airlines strongly disagree with this statement. It is one thing to provide service, another to do it for free. No other passengers are provided free-of-charge services," the FIA has said.

Asked about this stand, a member airline of FIA said that most carriers provide these services free of charge and may even continue to do so. "But the decision to charge or provide assistance free must be the commercial decision of airlines. It can't be legally mandated," he said. This is not the first time airlines are spurning government's moves on influencing their charges. While the aviation ministry strongly opposed the term "congestion surcharge", airlines continue to levy it.

saurabh.sinha@timesgroup.com http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Free_help_to_disabled_cant_be_enforced/articleshow/2661352.cms

****************************** Response to the Article **********************

31.12.07

Dear Mr. Saurabh,

Greetings and thank you very much for publishing the article titled "Free help to Disabled Can't be enforced"

This is a significant development and a new hurdle posed by The Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) towards the new Civil Aviation guidelines by DGCA for "Carriage by Air of Disabled Persons or Persons with Reduced Mobility".

In the last few months, we as a group of disabled persons have been lobbying with the DGCA in drafting these guidelines and finally when it was to come into effect from 1 Jan 2008 - the FIA has sprung a surprise.

We as persons with disabilities are not asking for free service, we want to use the services like any other passengers. However the limitations posed by the procedures adopted by the different airlines further reduces our mobility and prevents us from using the airline just like any other.

Some examples that prevent us are highlighted below:

1. From the point of check-in - the airline asks us to use the wheelchair provided by them - these wheechairs cannot be self-propelled and therefore we need a ground staff.

2. The airline do not handle our personal wheelchair safely and many times they have broken my wheelchair because of their careless attitude.

3. Where ever there is an aerobridge facility passengers using wheelchair are not given access to use them and they are not alloted the first row of seats - because of which we physically lifted by 3-4 persons with our wheelchair up and down the stairs to the aircraft.

4. We cannot use the buses/ transport facilities provided by the airline on the tramac as there are steps and no ramps to get into the coach. Therefore we need assistance to be lifted up and down from the bus or wheeled on the tarmac till the aircraft.

5. There are no wheelchair accessible toilets in many of the airport, the ones that are built are not according to standard specifications therefore one needs assistance to access the toilets.

Who is to be blamed for creating such obstacles? Why should the passenger using wheelchair or a person with limited mobility bear the cost towards these procedural and architectural barriers created by the airlines and at the airports.

Closing with warm regards

Mahesh

****************** A Prior Violation of Rights ******************************

Dear Friends,

Greetings,

Through this mail I would like to highlight the practice adopted by some of the airlines where passengers using wheelchairs have to sign in the "APPLICATION FOR THE CARRIAGE OF MEDICAL PASSENGER".

The most offending paragaraph in the 'APPLICATION' that we as passengers using wheelchair are forced to sign reads as follows -

"I the undersigned .....hereby indemnify and hold harmless, DECCAN from any and against any liability arising out of any bodily injury, and / or death. damage or loss that I may suffer/ experience and also from any damages, payments, expenses, face and cost which DECCAN may incur directly or indirectly as a result of accepting me on its Flight No. .........from ....... to ...... on date.....

I hereby further indemnify DECCAN from any payments that DECCAN makes to meet any of my expenses towards damages, loss etc for the said purpose."

This I feel is both humiliating and discriminating towards persons with limited mobility.

Do passengers with limited mobility have to sign similar forms in other countries too before boarding the flight?

Please find below my letters written to both the Commissioner (Disabilities) and DGCA (Director General Civil Avaiation) highlighting this practice and with suggested changes.

Closing with best wishes for Christmas and New Year...

Kind regards

Mahesh

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

24.12.2007
To
The Commissioner (Disabilities)
Office of the Commissioner Disabilities
Govt. of Karnataka
40, Thambuchetty Road, Cox Town
Bangalore. Email: discom@vsnl.net

Copy
Mr. R. P. Sahi
Jt. Director General
Office of the
Director General of Civil Aviation
Opp. Safdarjung Airport
New Dehli – 110 003
Tel: 011-24611504. Email: rpsahi@dgca.nic.in

Respected Sir,

Greetings,

This letter is to bring to your kind notice the prevailing discriminatory practice adopted by some of the airlines who force passengers who use wheelchairs to sign the "APPLICATION FOR THE CARRIAGE OF MEDICAL PASSENGER" before boarding the flight.

Although, I, as a passenger who uses wheelchair did clarify that I am not a medical passenger, the ground staff are in no mood to listen and we are left with no choice but to fill and submit the form if not we should be prepared to miss our flight.

In this connection, I would like to quote my recent experience:

During my recent return journey from Kolkata to Bangalore by AIR DECCAN on 18th Nov 2007, I was asked to fill the "APPLICATION FOR THE CARRIAGE OF MEDICAL PASSENGER" as I use a wheelchair. I did argue that I am not a "MEDICAL PASSENGER" but the ground staff were in no mood to listen. Therefore I filled in the form during check-in but deliberately did not submit the same while boarding the aircraft.

The most offending paragaraph in the 'APPLICATION' that we are forced to sign reads as follows -

"I the undersigned .....hereby indemnify and hold harmless, DECCAN from any and against any liability arising out of any bodily injury, and / or death. damage or loss that I may suffer/ experience and also from any damages, payments, expenses, face and cost which DECCAN may incur directly or indirectly as a result of accepting me on its Flight No. .........from ....... to ...... on date.....

I hereby further indemnify DECCAN from any payments that DECCAN makes to meet any of my expenses towards damages, loss etc for the said purpose."

Firstly, I personally feel that it is the duty of all the airlines to protect the safety of all passengers. But by signing the above form - the airline is not taking the responsibility to ensure the safety of passenger like me who use the wheelchair.

Secondly, the airline should make appropriate changes in the systems and built environment so that we can use our personal wheelchair (as much as possible) till we transfer to the seat of the aircraft. This procedure will assist us to be comfortably seated in our own wheelchair instead of sitting on the very small and uncomfortable chairs provided by the airlines for more than an hour.

Thirdly, passenger using wheelchairs should be give permission to use the aerobridge facility where available. These change will prevent the ground staff of the airline ground from physically lifting us up and down the flight of stairs to the aircraft. The practice that is both humiliating and extremely dangerous especially for the person who is being lifted.

Fourthly, in recent times DGCA has issued a new Guidelines on "Carriage by Air of Disabled Persons or Persons with Reduced Mobility" that is going to come into effect from 1st Jan 2008 and has taken into account some of the issues mentioned by me in my letter. However, I am not aware if any strategy for dissemenation/ training has been planned for all the ground staff of the different airlines at the airports on the need to "Respect the Rights and Dignity of Passengers with Disabilities".

Therefore, it my sincere appeal to your esteemed office to initiate appropriate steps to prevent this discriminatory and humiliating practice adopted by the airlines towards passengers with limited mobility.

Looking forward for your kind reply.

With kind regards

C. Mahesh

--
C. Mahesh
Advocacy Coordinator
CBR Forum
14, CK Garden
Wheeler Road Extension
Bangalore - 560 084
Tel - 080- 2549 7387 or 2549 7388
advocacy.cbrforum@gmail.com
cbrforum@blr.vsnl.net.in
cbrforum@gmail.com
www.cbrforum.in

Design for All Institute India

Design For All Institute of India and EIDD-Design For All Europe are jointly publishing December2007 Vol-2, No-12 issue of the Design for All Newsletter. From the editor, Dr. Sunil Bhatia:

Different eminent designers from different countries and those are the members of EIDD under the guidance of Mr. Pete Kercher have contributed the articles and our current issue is in front of your computer screen. Our December issue is very special and historic, reason is, we are celebrating completion of our two years of publication of newsletter. We have started a new section of CASE study for benefits of our readers. We have loaded a movie and those who wish to see the movie they can click the below given link
Kindly visit our web site www.designforall.in for our current as well as past publication of our monthly newsletter or click this link

http://www.designforall.in/newsletter_dec_2007.pdf (For Newsletter)

The download link for mechanical elevator

http://www.designforall.in/mechanicalelevator.zip
First unzip it by using winzip

UK Department for Transport Study: Travel needs and patterns of older people

The Department for Transport (DfT) has published a report that examines the travel needs, behaviour and aspirations of people as they approach retirement age. The report, entitled Understanding the travel needs, behaviour and aspirations of people in later life, was based on qualitative interviews carried out with 68 people recruited from four age groups over 50.

The objectives of the research were to:
• describe older people’s current transport needs and behaviour
• discuss older people’s experiences of using transport
• explore the transition into retirement and the attitudes that inform older people’s transport behaviour now and in the past
• examine the transport aspirations of older people

The report analyses the findings in depth, and goes on to suggest a number of implications for policies directed towards transport provision for older people. The entire report can be downloaded from the DfT website www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/scienceresearch/social/olderaspirations

Source:

Access Newsletter, December 2007, Centre for Accessible Environments

Thanks to Antika Sawadsri for submitting this item.

Practicing Aging

"Practice makes perfect!"

If you want to master the skills you need to be good at singing, or cricket, or NASCAR racing there is one thing you must do. Practice!

In the Disability Rights Movement we say we have been "practicing for getting old." The skills and knowledge we have generated in the process is collected in what is called Universal Design. Now, with 78 million Americans getting old - but without having spent all those years practicing - some are developing workout routines that involve caring for an older parent. Predictably, they are adopting one of the key inventions of the disability community, Universal Design.

n estimated half million people in Arizona are informal caregivers for a family member or friend, and a majority of those are caring for aging parents.

Whether those parents are staying in their own home or have moved in with you, it can be confounding dealing with their diminished physical and mental capabilities and their often heightened determination to stay independent.
advertisement

This month, the non-profit Foundation for Senior Living opened the FSL Caregiver House to give adult children and their aging parents a hands-on place to see how to adapt their own homes to make life easier and safer or determine what to include in a future home.

Part model home and part resource center, the FSL Caregiver House demonstrates practical solutions to everyday issues confronted by aging adults and the family and friends caring for them.

One side of the home is a typical Valley ranch house - doorways, hallways, kitchens and bathrooms that can be hard to navigate for older people. This side features the latest in adaptive equipment designed to make life easier and safer for the elderly and those caring for them.

On the other side of this home are a kitchen, bathroom and bedroom created with universal design elements that the aging 78 million baby boomers may want to add to a new home to prepare for their future.

"Over our lifetime, all of us will have a caregiver role that we didn't plan and now find we need support and service," says Steve Hastings, director of real estate for the FSL.

Outfitting a home for a parent who has lost the spring in his step but wants to remain independent in his own home, or yours, requires more than grab bars and ramps, Hastings says.

In fact, most grab bars are placed in the wrong location, says Jodi Stanley, with the FSL's Community Connections program.

Shown in the Caregiver House bathrooms, for instance, are various adaptive aids, including a floor-to-ceiling "grab-bar pole" that can be moved from room to room; a sliding bathtub-transfer chair; and a Roman-tile walk-in shower that eliminates stepping up and over the side of a bathtub. (But if that's required, there's a tub side handle to assist moving in and out.)

"Most people don't even know what they need," Stanley says.

In the kitchen you'll find a raised dishwasher that eliminates bending over and a microwave that's in a drawer under the stovetop to ensure easy access. The island is wheelchair height, and a variety of floor surfaces illustrates the availability of floor coverings.

When visitors to the Caregiver House see features such as the waist-high microwave drawer or lever-type door handles, as opposed to knobs, ideas are triggered for possible solutions in their home or their parents', Stanley says.

Moreover, universal design elements, such as wider hallways and doorways, seamless thresholds and smooth walking surfaces, are as practical for young families as for aging boomers and their parents.

"What is good for a stroller is also good for a walker," Hastings says.

Quality of life often is overlooked when it comes to trying to make a home safe and adaptable for aging people.

The Caregiver House has put as much thought into the outdoors as the indoors and in providing for the caregiver as for the aging person.

Walkways are extended and widened to accommodate walkers and wheelchairs. Different surfaces are used to give people an idea of which works best before they invest in one for their own home. Areas are widened with rows of bricks to allow for turning around a wheelchair. Flower beds are raised to let gardeners care for plants without having to bend over or crouch down. And there are seating areas to just relax and enjoy the outdoors.

The Caregiver House demonstrates that homes don't have to look institutional because they contain a hospital bed, grab bars and portable toilets in a bedroom. Caregiver House also features touch-screen computer terminals to access information, and experts who can help solve individual problems and steer people to resources or adaptive equipment.

"A lot of people don't identify with the term 'caregiver,' " Hastings says. "They say, 'It's just taking care of my dad. I'm not a caregiver.' "

It's for them that this one-stop resource center was created.

O Ensino da Hotelaria no Brasil (Portuguese)

O Ensino da Hotelaria no Brasil
Coluna de Bayard Boiteux

Um dos maiores desafios da educação superior brasileira é preparar quadros,para os meios de hospedagem,hospitais ,colônias de férias e clubes de serviços.Trata-se de uma prioridade,sobretudo ,quando se vislumbra a possibilidade do país ganhar nos próximos 5 anos,600 novos meios de hospedagem,sendo que 40% deverá se concentrar nas regiões sul e sudeste,que representam a maior fatia do turismo brasileiro,notadamente o receptivo.

A administração e operação de novos equipamentos hoteleiros e a tendência ,cada vez maior, da hotelaria hospitalar demandam a capacitação de recursos humanos voltados para nossa realidade.Trazer para o Brasil,a Escola de Glion não é seguramente a resposta para nossos problemas,sobretudo porque a realidade européia é totalmente diferente da nossa.Caímos no ridículo,quando alunos são obrigados a comparecerem as faculdades em tailleur ou terno,uniformes criados para outras relações de ensino-aprendizagem.

Em nenhum momento, queremos desprezar o estudo de casos de sucesso internacionais, mas os mesmos devem apenas figurar nas grades, como uma forma de se entender melhor a globalização e sobretudo a busca de intercâmbio de experiências mas a formação é no Brasil e não na Suíça ou na Espanha.

A qualificação dos novos empreendedores tem como objetivo, num primeiro momento fortalecer a flexibilidade cultural e administrativa, que norteia tal segmento. O consumidor hoje precisa ser entendido como alguém que nos ajuda a desvendar as necessidades de um novo mundo,que muda diariamente e que de certa forma produz efeitos perceptíveis nas relações de consumo.

O mercado vai buscar pessoas que gostem das outras, ou seja, alguém que resolveu que a prestação de serviço deve superar as expectativas do consumidor mas sobretudo dotado de uma forte cultura geral,ancorada na história,na geografia,na sociologia e recheado de curiosidades contínuas.

A hotelaria envolve todos os colaboradores na gestão e eles devem usufruir de todos os serviços de suas empresas, como pernoitar nas suítes, comer nos restaurantes ou usufruir das áreas de lazer, para que se tornem embaixadores de seus produtos. O funcionário tem que estar ciente de todas as novas tendências do mercado e ser constantemente reciclado.Ele precisa ser olhado,como alguém que pode,através de uma idéia ou sugestão,melhorar o modus operandi gerencial.

O Brasil deverá ultrapassar a marca de 1% dos turistas que viajam pelo mundo nos próximos 4 anos. A Hotelaria tem se profissionalizado mas nascem inúmeras pousadas administradas por estrangeiros no interior do país,que não sofrem nenhuma supervisão de qualidade e que podem ser um empecilho para uma verdadeira profissionalização.

Avançamos, devagar, no sentido de buscar um novo profissional brasileiro, calcado no pacto de qualidade, que nosso país exala e que precisa ser a mola mestre de nossa hotelaria: a brasilidade, na verdadeira aceitação da palavra e na oferta diferencial do produto Brasil.

Bayard Do Custo Boiteux é diretor da Escola de Turismo e Hotelaria da UniverCidade e palestrante. (www.bayardboiteux.pro.br)

Tourism Websites Fall Short On Accessibility

Almost all UK tourism websites are failing to meet basic acceptable
standards of accessibility, according to a new report from technology
access charity AbilityNet.

The report, the latest in a series of 'State of the eNation' surveys by the
charity, assessed ten websites at random from a list of the most popular
UK visitor attractions. The sites were rated using a five star scale from
'very inaccessible' (one star) to 'very accessible' (five stars), with
three stars representing an 'adequate' level of accessibility.

Only one of the ten sites examined - the Glasgow Science Centre - met
or exceeded this 'adequate' threshold. The centre's site
(http://www.glasgowsciencecentre.org ) has been improved in the past
year with accessibility in mind and as a result achieved four stars.

Of the other sites assessed, four achieved two stars (the Eden Project,
The Giant's Causeway, National Waterfront Museum and Portmeirion)
and five were deemed very inaccessible, receiving only one star
(Belfast Zoo, The Burns Heritage Museum, Edinburgh Castle, Kew
Gardens and the London Eye).

Sites which fail to meet the three-star level may be falling short of
service access requirements set out in the UK's Disability
Discrimination Act, AbilityNet says.

The report took into account sites' compliance with the international
World Wide Web Consortium's Web Content Accessibility
Guidelines, as well as the practical difficulties that visitors with a range
of disabilities may experience. Among the features that cause problems
are small text that cannot be resized; unnecessary complexity; closely
clustered buttons; unlabeled images and over-reliance on visual clues.
Since the audit was taken at least three of the single-star-rated
attractions have expressed a commitment to improving the accessibility
of their websites.

Source:

E-access Bulletin, Headstar, Issue 96

Copyright 2007 Headstar Ltd http://www.headstar.com .
The Bulletin may be reproduced as long as all parts including this
copyright notice are included, and as long as people are always
encouraged to subscribe with us individually by email. Please also
inform the editor when you are reproducing our content. Sections of
the bulletin may be quoted as long as they are clearly sourced as 'taken
from e-access bulletin, a free monthly email newsletter', and our web
site address:
http://www.headstar.com/eab
is also cited.

+Personnel:
Editor - Dan Jellinek
Reporter: Majeed Saleh
Editorial advisor - Kevin Carey
Marketing Executive - Claire Clinton
Sales and Marketing - Jo Knell, Will Knox.

ISSN 1476-6337

Preliminary Standards: Inclusion and Visitability for the Hospitality Industry

Gordon Rattray of Able Travel is first out of the gate in publishing a new type of resource for hoteliers. The document, Making Your Property More Inclusive: Basic Guidelines for African Safaris, is only one example of a new generation of results-oriented advice flowing from the kind of thinking evident at the Second International Conference on Accessible Tourism held at the UN campus in Bangkok, Thailand.

The core concepts are "Social Inclusion" and "Visitability."

While mere accessibility addresses usability of basic infrastructure by all, social inclusion (or simply "inclusion") refers to the availability of the activities and social interaction taking place in any space. Inclusion is the more powerful and adaptive concept. In terms of the tourism industry "accessibility" is equivalent to a building having indoor plumbing and running water -- so basic as to be a non-issue -- unless it is absent!

Visitability is a specific application of the seven principles of Universal Design to the minimum requirements for usability of the built environment by persons with mobility impairments. The concept of Visitability has been developed by Eleanor Smith and, until now, exclusively applied to private residences.

However, we know that concepts of "home" and "hominess" migrate into the hospitality industry at a rapid pace. Visitability as a hotel design trend is arising simultaneously in Europe, South America, Africa, and Asia. It will be a topic of hallway discussions at the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF-2008) in Bankok next month.

Gordon is writing a safari guide for Pw. If you would like to contribute, he is looking for anybody with experience of Africa or adventure travel in general for this market. See his site: http://www.able-travel.com/contact.php

European Disability Forum Training Program

The secretariat of the European Disability Forum is launching its new traineeship scheme for a young disabled activist for a 5 month period. Please disseminate this call as widely as possible to any interested person and among your contacts.

The aims of the traineeship are three-fold:

- to provide a unique training opportunity for disabled persons within the EDF Secretariat and to provide the trainee with practical experience in the development and operation of EU disability policy and EU decision-making.

- to provide the Trainee with hands-on experience of working at EU level with the EU institutions, in particular the European Parliament, and with European NGOs and stakeholders.

- to provide EDF secretariat with invaluable support and added value that a young disabled person can bring

Essential skills and requirements:

- The applicant must be a disabled person

- The applicant must be undertaking a college or university education

- Commitment to disability rights and interest in working for a European NGO

- Good level of computer knowledge

- Good written and spoken English language skills, the knowledge of French will be an asset

Deadline for the submission of applications : 15 January 2008

Start of traineeship : 15 February 2008

How to apply : CV and cover letter to be sent to Ms Janina Arsenjeva at the EDF secretariat, Email: janina.arsenjeva@edf-feph.org, Tel+ 322 282 46 02

The job description, the person’s specification and application procedures are available on EDF website : http://www.edf-feph.org/Page_Generale.asp?DocID=13854&thebloc=15893

From Travel Weekly (UK): Travel agencies warned over needs of disabled travellers

On Thursday, December 06, 2007 Chloe Berman wrote, "Travel agencies warned over needs of disabled travellers":

Travel agencies could face a fine of up to £5,000 if they fail to communicate the needs of disabled passengers to air carriers, following the introduction of new EU laws in July next year.

Agents must take "all necessary measures" to notify the airline, for example
making a phone call, emailing, or filling in a box on the tour operator's
website at least 48 hours before the flight. Travel agents may waive this
responsibility if they book a package holiday with a tour operator. However,
if they book a flight-only or dynamic package, they must fulfil the
requirement.

Speaking at a Travel and Tourism Lawyers Association seminar, 1 Chancery
Lane lawyer Jack Harding said: "This is a complete change of the legal
landscape. Tour operators and travel agents will have to examine what
they're doing very carefully.

"It will no longer be appropriate to take a passive stance and wait for the disabled passenger to inform the operator of his special requests."

If agents fail to provide information, they are potentially guilty of a
criminal offence and could face a fine of up to £5,000.

Greece and Cyprus Travel Centre director Anna Mavroulakis said she was
unaware of the new regulation. "If the client tells us they're disabled we
will make a request on Galileo or advise the tour operator. The new law
should not make too much difference to us but it's something agents should
definitely read up on."

Meanwhile, the first part of the new laws, which came into force in July
this year, prohibits agents, tour operators and airlines from refusing a
booking because of a disability. The only exception to this is on the
grounds of health and safety requirements or if it is physically impossible.

ABTA legal advisor Paula Macfarlane said: "These laws could have a big
impact on agents." At the moment, ABTA provides a checklist for agents
booking disabled passengers but no legislation governs the process.

Make travel websites usable to all

Travel agents and tour operators must ensure their websites are suitable for
the visually impaired.

Partner at legal firm Wragge and Co David Lowe warned agents that websites
had the potential to be discriminatory.

About 81% of websites do not meet the requirements of Disability
Discrimination Act's lowest accessibility standard and levels of adjustments
required by law could be more significant than anticipated, said Lowe.

"Damages are available for injury to feeling and economic loss if website
owners fail to make reasonable adjustments to their websites. It's
worthwhile, as disabled adults in the UK have spending power of £80
billion," said Lowe.

Companies are at more risk if people can only book online or receive a
special online discount, he added.

Source:

http://www.travelweekly.co.uk/Articles/2007/12/06/26101/travel-agencies-warn
ed-over-needs-of-disabled-travellers.html

Collusion: Airlines Warned Not to Bar Disabled

Steve Creedy, Aviation writer for the Australian reports [Editor's note, Article 9 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities establishes access to transportation as a right. And Graeme Innes rocks!]:

LOW-COST carriers have been warned not to attempt to cut costs by discriminating against the disabled after two airlines recently sought exemptions from laws designed to grant handicapped travellers equal access to transport.

Singapore-backed Tiger Airways has applied to the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission for an exemption to the Disability Act so it can temporarily refuse to carry some passengers with limited mobility.

It says it needs to do this because it does not have the equipment to get wheelchair-bound [sic] people safely on to its Airbus A320 jets.

Disability groups are also fighting a move by Australia's biggest independent regional carrier, Regional Express (Rex), to introduce restrictions they say will make flying harder for disabled people in the bush.

The Public Interest Advocacy Centre is pursuing court action against Virgin Blue to head off moves to require some people with disabilities to buy a second ticket for a carer if they want to travel.

"It's fine for low-cost or budget airlines to reduce services," human rights commissioner Graeme Innes said yesterday. "But not carrying passengers with disabilities can't be part of those reductions and to do so is against the law.

"As commissioner, I intend to ensure wherever I can that airlines meet their obligations to all passengers, not just passengers without disabilities."

Tiger is offering affected passengers a full refund and says the problem stems from the inability of its third-party ground handler to obtain special hydraulic devices capable of lifting wheelchairs on to planes. It did not expect the lifters to be available at all destinations until the end of February.

Tiger's application comes as a report, due to be released this week by the PIAC, says an analysis of the experiences of 110 airline passengers demonstrates a systemic failure of legislation introduced in 2002 to set standards for disabled access to public transport.

The report finds recent development and application of airline policy, and changes to baggage handling, have made disabled access more difficult, particularly for people with motorised or bigger wheelchairs.

"Some passengers who travelled independently for many years now find themselves barred from travel or facing the imposition of unreasonable conditions," it says.

Source:

The Australian
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22903033-23349,00.html

Bahia: Turismo Discute a Acessibilidade a Pessoas com Deficiências

A Secretaria de Turismo da Bahia (Setur) e a Bahiatursa querem mostrar que o turismo só tem a ganhar com a aplicabilidade de normas relativas à acessibilidade dos espaços, equipamentos, serviços e informações turísticas. Neste sentido, realizam o Seminário sobre Turismo e Acessibilidade, na próxima quinta-feira (13/12), das 08 às 18 horas, no Salão Xangô do Centro de Convenções da Bahia.

O evento pretende sensibilizar e conscientizar os profissionais do turismo e a sociedade sobre a importância de ações voltadas a pessoas com deficiências, principalmente porque este é um diferencial que pode transformar a Bahia num destino turístico preparado para receber visitantes com os variados tipos e graus de deficiência física.

O seminário é direcionado a profissionais do poder público, do trade turístico e a estudantes das áreas de turismo, educação, comunicação e serviço social, interessados em discutir e compartilhar experiências em turismo inclusivo. Irá trazer ao conhecimento dos participantes práticas de turismo inclusivo que buscam a democratização de acesso aos indivíduos, respeitando suas limitações e dificuldades, integrando-os de forma agradável e sadia em equipamentos e localidades turísticas.

O programa vai abranger a legislação e as ações que devem ser implementadas para a melhoria do atendimento a esse público, focando os problemas que condicionam os cidadãos portadores de deficiência na utilização dos serviços turísticos. Também irá discutir a criação de roteiros turísticos especiais, e a qualificação dos profissionais envolvidos no turismo receptivo, capacitando-os para oferecer um tratamento diferenciado a esta clientela.

Fonte: Cely Barbosa - Decom Redação

CRPD Toolkits

Michael Guy, Disability Information Manager, Handicap International informed us about a "teaching kit" on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

For more details...

http://www.handicap-international.fr/kit-pedagogique/indexen.html

ENAT Moves Europe to Positive Action on Inclusive Tourism!

Following hot on the heels of the European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT)
conference, the European Parliament is registering some action on behalf of travelers with disabilities. Note in particular the emergence of an EC "Tourism for All" label at the same time we are writing the ASEAN standards in Thailand following ICAT 2007.

I was unaware how quickly the Inclusive Tourism scene would mature s I closed my presentation at UNESCAP last week with the following:

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

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

For immediate release:

European Parliament Puts Accessible Tourism on EU Agenda

On 29 November 2007, European Members of Parliament passed a resolution on
a renewed EU Tourism Policy: "Towards a stronger partnership for European
Tourism", calling for Member States to make a united effort to support
Accessible Tourism.

MEPs gave their backing to Italian MEP Paola Costa, who provided a
wide-ranging report on the challenges faced by the European Tourism
sector, and a set of 22 concrete proposals for renewed action.

The keyword which runs throughout the report is "partnership" - for only
by working together, says Paolo Costa, can EU Member States tackle the
fragmented policies and practices which currently frustrate efforts in
the tourism sector.

Accessible Tourism

Actions for the future of accessible tourism in Europe are called for in
six specific paragraphs, declaring that the European Parliament:

"...Welcomes initiatives to coordinate at European level the information
on accessible tourism that would allow tourists with reduced mobility and
their families to find information about the accessibility of tourist
destinations; calls on all Member States, tourism providers and national
and local tourist organisations to join and/or to support this kind of
initiative;

- At the same time, calls on the Commission and the Member States to
consider the feasibility of drawing up a charter of the rights and
obligations of European tourists, in view of the riotous and violent
incidents caused by European tourists in European tourist destinations ,
and also a European code of conduct for tourist businesses;

- Calls on the Commission and the Member States to initialise an "Access
for all " EC label that would guarantee core accessibility facilities for
tourists with reduced mobility and would cover offers such as
accommodation, restaurants, leisure and natural sites, auditoriums,
monuments, museums, etc.;

- Stresses, furthermore, the need to protect, conserve and restore the
European cultural heritage; and calls for more stringent management of
such sites and of the conditions under which they are visited, and for
greater efforts to improve access for people with disabilities, growing
numbers of whom now travel for leisure purposes;

- Calls on the Commission to draft a Communication with an action plan on
the enhancement of such a label based on the work it has already carried
out , on experiences and best practices at national and local level and
taking stock of what has been achieved at EU level in the transport field;

- Notes that the accessibility of tourist destinations is a matter that
also has to do with the transport services provided or available; calls,
therefore, on the Commission, for the purposes of the new European tourism
policy and of developing European transport policy, to take due account of
the accessibility handicap affecting regions with specific natural or
geographical characteristics, such as the outermost regions, island and
mountain regions, and the sparsely populated northernmost regions..."

Moreover, the Parliamentary Report presents no less than twenty-two
suggestions for actions by the Members States, Regional and Local
authorities, including the need to:

"... protect, preserve and restore European cultural heritage assets and
[calls for] more rigorous management of cultural sites and their visiting
arrangements, as well as for greater efforts to improve access for
disabled people, an increasing number of whom are travelling for tourist
purposes..."

Responding to the Tourism Report on the European Day of People with
Disabilities, ENAT Coordinator Ivor Ambrose stated: "We welcome this firm
and forward-looking resolution by the Members of the European Parliament,
as it gives a timely and much-needed message for public authorities and
the tourism industry.

"All parties must work together across national and regional borders to
make accessible tourism a reality, both for European consumers and
international visitors. ENAT's members are ready to play their part in
fulfilling the ambitions that are contained in this resolution."

--

Ivor Ambrose, Coordinator
European Network for Accessible Tourism
c/o EWORX S.A.,
Rodou St., 22
GR-15122 Marousi, Athens
Greece.
Tel. 0030 210 614 8380
Fax. 0030 210 614 8381
E-mail: enat@accessibletourism.org
Web: http://www.accessibletourism.org
SKYPE name: ambroiv

ENAT: The European Network for Accessible Tourism is
a voluntary association of organisations and individuals
from the private, public and NGO sectors. Our mission is
to make European tourism destinations, products and
services accessible to all visitors.
>From December 2007 ENAT will be established as an
international NGO with its head office in Brussels.

"Does It Makes Sense?" - Dr. Jeanne Beckman's Metric for UD

As Universal Design moves from the Disability Rights Movement to home design and fashion shoes we find ourselves confronted with a delightful dilemma -- competing UD solutions for the same problem. Who would have imagined UD would create such a new "problem?"

Dr. Jeanne Beckman has a common-sense solution that she applies to adaptive equipment in learning environment with. Literally she asks, "Does it make sense?"

You will find her book at Virtual Bookworm and her blog at Dr. Beckman's Family-Friendly DIMS Approach

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

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

Dedication

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

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

Models of Disability

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

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

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

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

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

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

Trend 1: Creation of a Market

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

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

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

Now let’s think together.

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

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

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

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

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

Trend Three: Standardization in the Years Ahead

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Three Cases

Example 1: South America

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

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

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

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

Take the example of the United States.

Example 2: North America

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Example 3: Africa

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

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

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

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

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

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

Review

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

Government

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

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

Business

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

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

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

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

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

People with Disabilities

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The full article is available at:

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