Rolling Rains Report

Shaka Surf Camp: Costa Rica

2010-03-18T17:29:55Z

It was just brought to my attention that I never actually published a post about the wonderful work of Shaka Surf Camp in Costa Rica:

PACKAGES: Each cabin is equiped with a private bathroom, AC, hotwater, private safe, ceiling fan, high quality linens, kitchen counter and sink, closet, spacious terrace and bench, and a hammock... Surf Resort Packages

ACTIVITIES: Although beach activities are the main theme of the camp, there are many other activities to enjoy while vacationing in this amazing area. Here are some of the activities our staff can help arrange if you decide to take a break from surfing... Surf Retreat Activities

ADAPTIVE SURF SCHOOL: Shaka Surf Retreat has also taken the time to construct according to ADA guidelines for handicap accessibility. Shaka also participates in non-profit work with children with autism, cancer, and disabilities for week long camps through out the year. Interested in organizing your own surf camp, yoga camp, or adventure camp contact us...

Shakacr@gmail.com

Shaka Surf Camp supports & endorses: Oceans Healing Group

Adaptive Surfing Foundation

2010-03-18T00:06:33Z

Just contacted by Robbie Nelson & Rosanna Messick at the Adaptive Surfing Foundation. We need to get them down to Floripa in Brazil!

ESTC 2010: Will People with Disabilities be on Agenda?

2010-03-17T22:07:54Z

Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference 2010
September 8-10, 2010, Portland, Oregon, USA

In today's ever-smaller world with endless means of communication tools, how can I select the right online and social marketing approaches? Where do I start?
How can I secure funding for my conservation and sustainability initiatives and my tourism social enterprise ideas? What do I need to know?
What's the best way to go about finding the right partners that can help maximize the potentials of my projects? What works and what doesn't?

These are some of the questions that will be addressed at the Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference 2010 (ESTC 2010) - Portland, Oregon, USA, September 8-10, 2010. Through innovative sessions on approaches to sustainability in travel and tourism, the ESTC 2010 will present the latest on sustainability tools, solutions and best practice ideas.

The largest and only annual conference in North America focusing on sustainable tourism, the ESTC is the meeting place for tourism professionals where 500+ sustainability experts, business leaders and policy makers from across the industry gather to shape the roles of tourism in building a sustainable future.

Looking for effective networking and partnership building opportunities? Have innovative new ideas and solutions to share? Want to stay on top of the latest trends and opportunities? Mark your calendar now to participate in the ESTC 2010 and be part of the largest sustainable tourism who's-who event of the year.

Registration will open in April. You can visit the ESTC 2010 website, sign up for the ESTC eNews, and join ESTC groups on Facebook and LinkedIn to stay up-to-date on conference news and to connect with key industry players.

The ESTC 2010 is organized by The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) with the support of the ESTC sponsors and partners. Contact TIES conference team for more information at estc@ecotourism.org.

Balancing the Scorecard: Sensory Access

2010-03-17T16:35:59Z

Too often talk related to disability emphasizes mobility impairments and wheelchair users when sensory impairments are numerically more common. This is true when speaking of travel and disability also. Given the lack of material on sensory imairments in Inclusive Travel literature it becomes necessary to draw inferences from other fields. In tnis case a study in higher education provides some insights:

Sensory access in higher education: guidance report 2009
Making sure the campus environment doesn't disadvantage sensory impaired staff or students
Research into the experiences of disabled students suggests that students who are blind or partially sighted, deaf or hard of hearing, or within the autistic spectrum can be disadvantaged by their campus environment.
This guidance was developed following an investigation to explore and understand some of the barriers to inclusion currently experienced by sensory impaired staff and students in higher education. The investigation revealed recommendations for estates managers, but also for a range of departments across institutions, including recommendations for management, support service providers and learning managers.
Areas covered include:
Management issues
Support service providers
Learning managers
Estate managers
Technical glossary
Sources of further information
Download:
DOC: Sensory access in higher education: guidance report 2009 (243.5 kB)
PDF: Sensory access in higher education: guidance report 2009 (701.2 kB)

Source:

http://www.ecu.ac.uk/publications/sensory-access-in-higher-education-guidance-report-2009

Inclusive Tourism at ITB 2010

2010-03-17T14:00:47Z

On Friday the 12th March, Tourism for All UK participated in a two hour workshop at the largest tourism trade exhibition of its kind - ITB Berlin.

In front of an audience of visitors to the trade show, the session investigated the experience of the panellists as to how Europe was meeting the needs of disabled visitors, which was followed by an in-depth Q&A session hosted by SAT 1 TV presenter Bettina Cramer.

Principally this session was about good practice and how the requirements of disabled people are being met in Europe, the barriers to tourism for disabled people and how these might be overcome.

Participants included:

Dirk Janczewski, Founder of Barrier-Free-Tourism.eu (www.barrierfree-tourism.com/);

Lillian Muller, President of ENAT - the European Network for Accessible Tourism (www.accessibletourism.org/);

Mohammed Al-Tarawneh Vice-Chairperson of the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (www.ohchr.org/);

Dr Rudiger Leidner - President of the Coordination Board on Tourism of the German Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (http://natko.de/);

Angel David Herrera González - Counsellor of Tourism for Arona in Tenerife (www.arona.org/)

Brian Seaman of TFA.

Source:

http://www.tourismforall.org.uk/ITB-Berlin-Accessible-Tourism-Market-Potential-and-Best-Practices-BusinessNews.htm

Springboard Consulting's 4th Annual Disability Matters Awards

2010-03-17T05:42:24Z

Honorees Announced

Springboard's 4th Annual Disability Matters Awards

Co-hosted by KPMG LLP and Adecco Group North America, two 2009 Disability Matters Honorees

March 8, 2010, New York, NY -- Springboard Consulting LLC is pleased to announce the honorees of its fourth annual Disabilities Matters Awards Banquet and Conference which will take place on April 8, 2010 in New York City.

The honorees are...

In the Marketing category:

Prudential

Toys "R" Us Inc.

Verizon Communications, Inc.

In the Diversity category:

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida

Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG)

Northrop Grumman Corporation

In the Work-Life category:

Cisco

PepsiCo, Inc.

The Dow Chemical Company

Springboard is also pleased to announce the event's inaugural Small Business awards.

These honorees are:

Carolina Fine Snacks

J. Lodge, LLC

Max's Positive Vibe Café

Parrott's Trophies

As the mother of two children with special needs and the Founder and President of Springboard Consulting LLC, Nadine Vogel says, it is so personally gratifying to see the incredible commitment to our awardees in supporting the disability community in so many aspects of their businesses. It illustrates their recognition and commitment to the inclusion of a community that represents the largest minority market in the world and to Springboard's mission to mainstream disability.

Considered one of the nation's leading authorities in the field of media and public advocacy and the prior administration's head of the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), Neil Romano will serve as this year's keynote speaker.

The four panel discussions will focus on a variety of work/life, diversity and marketing initiatives relative to people with disabilities and their families in the workforce, workplace and marketplace. They will include disability issue experts from Corporate America, Academia, the Federal Government and the Non-Profit sector. In addition to the event's Platinum level host-sponsors, KPMG LLP and Adecco Group North America, Springboard is pleased to announce the Gold-level sponsors: Colgate Palmolive, EMC, and Prudential and the Silver-level sponsors, AOL, Cisco, CVS Caremark, L'Oreal, McDonalds, Northrop Grumman Corporation and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Those interested in purchasing tickets or obtaining additional information should contact, Ivette Lopez at 973-813-7260 x102, or at ivette@consultspringboard.com.

www.consultspringboard.com

Australia: Disabled 'apartheid' to end

2010-03-16T22:13:44Z

by YUKO NARUSHIMA AND BELLINDA KONTOMINAS

March 15, 2010

SHOPS, hotels and offices will soon be forced to widen corridors, install ramps and renovate toilets under new rules to improve access for the elderly, families with prams and people with disabilities.

The federal government will announce minimum access requirements today for public buildings built or renovated from May 1 next year. For the first time, there will be uniform building rules across Australia to end the isolation felt by as many as 4 million people who cannot properly use public facilities. The rules go beyond buildings to swimming pools, cinemas and common areas of blocks of flats available for short-term rent.

The parliamentary secretary for disabilities, Bill Shorten, said the laws would help end years of ''practical apartheid'' that excluded people with disabilities.

''If you couldn't enter a building because of your skin colour or gender, there'd be a human outcry,'' he said. ''Yet every day, people with disabilities have that sort of embarrassment.''

Mr Shorten gave examples of ''unthinking barriers'' such as a step that stopped people entering a shop, or the narrow restaurant door that forced diners to the back entrance, or escalators that moved too fast.

''What does that tell you about yourself?'' he asked. ''When we talk about disability and access it also includes young mums with kids, lots of older people with mobility not as good as it once was.'' The costs on businesses would be minimal and could be recouped in increased trade, Mr Shorten said. ''We're really opening doors. This opens up a lot more buildings to a lot more customers.''

The executive director of the NSW Property Council, Ken Morrison, said there would be extra costs for building owners but the council had opposed some of the more costly and ''unreasonable'' standards before they were removed from draft legislation.

''In early drafts there was a requirement for a total upgrade for disability standards across a whole building, even when one or two floors were being refurbished,'' he said. ''We thought that was too expensive.''

Another ''crazy'' element of the legislation, since removed, required the height of many shopping car parks to be increased, Mr Morrison said.

''Yes, it will cost building owners more money when they do these refurbishments but we believe it is better to have some certainty for builders and building owners.''

Graham Wolfe, executive director of the Housing Industry Association of NSW, said the standards would not be much different from the existing code.

Aude : L'accueil des Visiteurs Handicapés (French)

2010-03-16T16:13:38Z

Aude : l'accueil des visiteurs handicapés
Publié le : 02/03/2010
Auteur(s) : Emmanuelle Dal'Secco
Résumé : Quelles sont les actions menées par le département pour favoriser l'accueil et le confort des visiteurs handicapés ? Dans ce domaine, l'Aude se montre plutôt performante et innovante.

• Onglet « Tourisme et handicap » sur la page d'accueil du site internetwww.audetourisme.com.

• Un nouveau site en juin. A cette même adresse, la nouvelle version du site internet du CDT de l'Aude-Pays cathare sera en ligne en juin 2010. Elle intègre un mini site dédié exclusivement au handicap, particulièrement complet, plus ergonomique et plus lisible. Répondant à la norme « Accessiweb V1.1 », il permet, entre autres :

- Une présentation vocale du département en MP3, téléchargeable.
- Une vidéo détaillée de tous les secteurs en langue des signes.
- Une rubrique pour préparer son séjour (accès en avion, services Accès plus de la SNCF dans trois gares du département, contacts utiles sur les agglomérations de Narbonne et Carcassonne...).
- La liste des offices du tourisme labélisés.
- L'annuaire des services spécialisés et d'aide à la personne.
- La liste des zones de baignades accessibles (plages et piscines).
- Une rubrique « Actus » recensant tous les infos spécifiques et les actions des prestataires labélisés.

• Brochure Tourisme & Handicap de l'Aude Pays Cathare (version papier ou téléchargeable sur le site), éditée depuis 2003. La grande nouveauté de la cette édition est la mise en valeur des structures labélisées situées à proximité du Canal du Midi. Leur diversité et leur complémentarité permettent à une clientèle en situation de handicap physique de composer un séjour en toute confiance. Elle recense tous les sites labélisés, avec un descriptif et une carte du département. La brochure 2010 est disponible le 12 mars.

• Mémento de l'accueil touristique en LSF (Langue des signes française), disponible depuis 2007, en version papier ou téléchargeable sur le site. Une première en France ! Destiné aux professionnels du tourisme et agents des offices du tourisme, initiés à cette langue lors de formations, ce manuel pratique permet de répondre à des situations concrètes face à des personnes sourdes et malentendantes. Il propose un florilège de photos présentant les expressions les plus courantes : bonjour, merci, bonnes vacances, restaurant ou feu d'artifice...

• Présentation du département avec vidéo en LSF sur le site. L'Aude fut l'un des premiers à proposer un tel service d'information ! Dans de courtes vidéos, une interprète en langue des signes présente les différents pays qui composent le département, les sites majeurs et l'histoire de la région.
www.audetourisme.com/FR/tourisme_et_handicap/lsf/le_pays_carcassonnais.aspx

• Sensibilisation des professionnels à l'accueil des visiteurs handicapés à l'occasion de courtes formations à l'initiative des offices du tourisme et du CDT. Elles abordent le cadre légal, les obligations imposées par la loi handicap de 2005 et un accompagnement technique pour mettre leurs sites en conformité. Sur le nouveau site du CDT, une rubrique « Espace pro » proposera dès juin 2010 une multitude d'informations et de documents (certains disponibles en version papier) pour les aider dans leurs démarches : photos, schémas et plans des adaptations, liste des fournisseurs spécialisés sur toute la France, guide pour l'accueil des visiteurs handicapés...

• Participation active à des salons spécialisés.
Prochains rendez-vous :
- Salon Autonomies à Liège (Belgique), les 25, 26 et 27 mars 2010 où le CDT de l'Aude présentera sa brochure 2010 sur la plate-forme « Tourisme & Loisirs adaptés ».
- Salon Autonomic à Paris, Porte de Versailles les 9, 10 et 11 juin 2010.

• Trophées « Autonomic, Innov 2008 » et « Les étoiles de l'accueil, trophée de la Maison de la France (Rn2d) » en 2006 qui ont récompensé la présentation filmée du département en langue des signes.

En savoir plus sur notre dossier « Tourisme et handicap » dans l'Aude :

Aude : « Un tourisme pour tous ! » et contacts
http://tourisme.handicap.fr/art-tourisme-culture-15.0.0.0-3166.php

Aude : Editorial d'Alain Coste, directeur du CDT + projets
http://tourisme.handicap.fr/art-tourisme-culture-15.0.0.0-3167.php

Aude : le tourisme adapté en chiffres
http://tourisme.handicap.fr/art-tourisme-culture-15.0.0.0-3168.php

Aude : les sites incontournables et leur accessibilité
http://tourisme.handicap.fr/art-tourisme-culture-15.0.0.0-3170.php

Aude : Carcassonne, notre ville coup de cœur
http://tourisme.handicap.fr/art-tourisme-culture-15.0.0.0-3171.php

Aude : Narbonne, des actions positives
http://tourisme.handicap.fr/art-tourisme-culture-15.0.0.0-3172.php

Aude : calendrier des grandes manifestations
http://tourisme.handicap.fr/art-tourisme-culture-15.0.0.0-3173.php

Aude : bastion gastronomique
http://tourisme.handicap.fr/art-tourisme-culture-15.0.0.0-3174.php

Aude : sports et loisirs adaptés
http://tourisme.handicap.fr/art-tourisme-culture-15.0.0.0-3175.php

Siource:

http://informations.handicap.fr/art-tourisme-culture-15.0.0.0-3169.php

Sustaining Tourism: Incorporating Inclusion and the CRPD?

2010-03-15T17:01:47Z

The World Centre of Excellence for Destinations (CED) and PATA are joining forces in the drive towards 'real sustainability' in destinations across the Asia Pacific region. A Memorandum of Understanding signed at ITB Berlin thius week by Greg Duffell, Chief Executive Officer of PATA and André Vallerand, President of CED was witnessed by UNWTO Secretary General Taleb Rifai.
Greg Duffell considers the partnership, as exemplified by this agreement, to be extremely significant in the development of destinations across the Asia Pacific region. "Not only will we be able to develop and provide practical tools for use by our industry as it grows but we will also be able to do so at a level that recognises and works towards real sustainability whilst maintaining a sharp competitive edge" he said.
Andre Vallerand believes the partnership 'registers perfectly with the development plan of the CED mission to contribute to bring destinations of the entire world towards excellence'. "SMED offers the assessed destinations concrete and feasible recommendations that will allow them to reach their targets of sustainable development, to develop their competitiveness, to improve the quality of the experience given to tourists and to reinforce their geographical character," he said.
The CED, based in Montreal, is a non-profit organisation dedicated to the research and creation of tools to support the development of sustainable tourism for destinations around the world. The CED was created with the support of the UNWTO and National Geographic.
Further information: www.ced.travel

Source:

http://www.pata.org/news/pata-reaches-new-understanding-with-ced

System of Measures for Excellence in Destinations

View more documents from Scott Rains.

African Tourism: Infrastructure for Promoting Access?

2010-03-14T16:10:27Z

African delegates at the FITUR Exhibitions in Madrid, Spain have chosen Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, director general of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), to head a newly formed continental body known as the African Tourism Promotion Initiative, which was formed the participants at the event.

The body was formed after a meeting held at the Nigeria stand, which came in the heels of the INVESTOUR Forum held at Feria de Madrid, venue of the global tourism event.

INVESTOUR, which debuted for the first time this year, was initiated by the Spanish Outboard Tourism Authorities, the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and Casa Africa.

The forum was formed as a result of the increasing interest on African destinations by Spanish investors and tourists and is expected to afford African destinations the opportunity to present their various destinations and business opportunities to the investors, and its focus was on the Economic Community of West Africa States (Ecowas).

The objectives of the new tourism body are to market and promote tourism; build and develop contacts and relationships among the various destinations in the continent. This is in addition to carrying out joint promotions and marketing of tourism products and services of member nations; and to support each member at exhibitions platforms across the globe.

The body also resolved that it would henceforth engage in the understudy of member nations' destinations with the aim of helping to grow, develop and promote the continent as one destination.

The need to jumpstart the process of having a formidable voice in the global tourism through the new body was emphasised with members pledging to do everything possible to ensure the success of the new initiative.
Also to jumpstart this, Zimbabwe formally announced the hosting of Miss Zimbabwe beauty pageant by the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) with formal invitation extended to all the members and countries of Africa by Karikoa Kaseke, chief executive of ZTA, who is also the vice president of the new body.

The Gambia Tourism also announced the hosting of the Africa Travel Association (ATA) Congress by May with formal invitation to all the members while countries such as Burkina Faso announced the hosting of a tourism expo later in the year with all the members invited to exhibit ex-gratis.

It was also agreed at the forum that English and French languages would be the official languages for the conduct of business.
The secretary of the body is Stella Christiane Drabo from Burkina Faso while Mr. Ida Jang Njie from Gambia Tourism is the public relations officer.
FITUR is an annual exhibition platform which is dedicated to the development and promotion of global tourism destinations, products and services.

News from the IDeA Center

2010-03-14T03:20:00Z

The IDeA Center is happy to announce that two new publications available in 2010.

Inclusive Housing: A Pattern Book (W.W. Norton & Co.) will be released in April 2010 and is a resource for designing communities to accommodate social diversity and provide equitable opportunities for all residents, or, inclusive design. It focuses on design of housing to provide accessibility to people with disabilities and, at the same time, provide benefits to all residents. The book emerged out of a lengthy discussion within the Congress for the New Urbanism about accessible housing design in the urban context. This discussion identified the need for information that would help incorporate accessibility for people with disabilities into neighborhood and housing design practices without compromising other important design goals. For ordering information, please go here:

Direct from Publisher, W.W. Norton and Co.
Borders
Barnes and Noble
Amazon
Google listings

The State of the Science: Emerging Research and Developments in Universal Design (Bentham Sciences Publishers, Ltd.) will contain the latest research related to universal design that was presented at the RERC-UD's State of the Science events. The publication has over twenty contributing authors from around the world and emphasizes the growing need for evidence based practice in the field.

Continue to other upcoming publications >>

Research Updates: RERC-UD

The RERC-UD's R2 team has begun a 1-year study that will evaluate the usability of 18 household products for four user groups: wheelchair users, persons with vision impairment, older adults, and healthy young adults. Photo of full scale bus simulation at IDEA Center For R2 researchers, the principal aim of this project is to establish the discriminant validity of the Rapid Assessment of Product Usability and Universal Design (RAPUUD). The RAPUUD is a 13-item tool based on the Principles of UD. The team began developing the RAPUUD in 2007 as part of its long-term goal to encourage product developers to integrate inclusive design principles into their product designs.

Continue to complete article on RERC-UD>>

Research Updates: RERC-APT

Data Collection Underway in CMU Lab on Modality Preference for Rider Report on Transit Accessibility Problems

A was built at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) to studyrider documentation of bus shelter accessibility barriers. The first round of publications from this team was presented at a poster session at this year's Transportation Research Board (TRB) Annual Meeting in January.

For more information about the RERC-APT go to http://www.rercapt.org

Construction of New Full-Scale Bus Simulation Complete--Research Underway

A full scale model of a simulated bus and platform were recently constructed at the IDeA Center at The University at Buffalo. The apparatus will allow us to test the impact of various ramp slopes and lifts on the usability of transit systems.

Continue to complete article on RERC-APT >>

RERC-APT Partners with Easter Seals Project ACTION

The RERC-APT recently developed a collaborative relationship with Easter Seals Project ACTION. Easter Seals Project ACTION promotes cooperation between the transportation industry and the disability community to increase mobility for people with disabilities under the ADA and beyond. Recognizing our common goals, we worked together to develop, "Universal Design & Accessible Transit Systems: Facts to Consider When Updating or Expanding Your Transit System." The guide is targeted towards those involved with transportation infrastructure and capital investment purchases of equipment. It provides useful information on accessibility and the benefits of universal design, and contains recommendations and guidelines for transit agencies to consider when updating or expanding their systems. It is available online and as a print publication. Since fall 2009, over 10,000 fact sheets were mailed out and over 1000 copies were distributed at various conferences. In addition, Mary Leary, Senior Director of Project ACTION & Transportation Initiatives, joined the RERC-APT Advisory Board.

Persons with Disabilities in the Historic Patrimony of São Luís, Maranhão

2010-03-12T21:54:05Z

Principles for Upgrading Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities
in the Historic Patrimony of
São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil

Disability is defined as an interaction between what levels of functionality a person may have and the environment.

The lack of vision, for example, may not constitute a disability in any meaningful sense to a blind person in a well-designed or familiar environment.

Not all functional abilities involved in disability are the same.

Typical medically-oriented categories used to group people who may share broadly similar accessibility and inclusion requirements include:

1.    Visual
2.    Auditory
3.    Cognitive/emotional
4.    Mobility

A complimentary approach avoids the implicit paternalism of a medical model and looks at the lifecycle of individuals to guide design solutions by the demographics of infant-child-youth-adult-senior. This segmentation also accounts for more temporary changes in a persons' functionality through things such as pregnancy, a broken limb, pushing a stroller, illiteracy in the local language, or intoxication.

Not all disabilities require the same design solution.

In fact, an ideal solution for one group (items lowered to be reached easily from a wheelchair, sidewalk ramps with a smooth texture and no lip) can be a danger to another group with a disability (collision danger with low objects for blind users or lack of tactile clues on ramps for canes.)

Good design requires a team of experts working directly with users.

As a result, all design solutions seeking access and inclusion require experts in Universal Design. Universal Design is user-centered design process that involves persons with disabilities in the design, construction, and ongoing maintenance monitoring process.
Universal design is defined as:

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.

Permanent esthetically-integrated design solutions are preferred

While permanent esthetically-integrated design solutions are preferred and temporary aesthetically incongruous are to be avoided change is sometimes necessary. Best practices include designing for ease of maintenance, building with modularity that allows for upgrades, and constructing with hidden structural reinforcement permitting future expansion.
In fact, although observation demonstrates that most non-disabled users intentionally use accessibility features such as ramps, many individuals with significant sensory or mobility limitations through aging do not consider themselves disabled and avoid "ugly" stereotyping accessibility features.
In other words, esthetically-integrated design solutions are preferred both by persons with disabilities and those whose primary concern is the preservation of the integrity of a historic patrimony site.

If a user can't find it, it doesn't exist

Navigation through proper signage and environmental design is an essential element of the fully inclusive tourism destination.

Also essential is the existence of material describing the destination in modes that are accessible to visitors with disabilities: captioned photos and video, audio-described graphics, text in Braille. Studies exist on what constitutes the destination features that must be described for travelers with disabilities and how they are best published for use by this demographic. Experts in Inclusive Design are familiar with these emerging standards and best-practices and can provide guidance.

All this material must be available in accessible format online in the language of the desired client group before any Inclusive Destination project or itinerary can be considered complete.

Marketing should include persons with disabilities.

There is a "bonus" market hidden here.

Of all traveler niches persons with disabilities rely more heavily on word-of-mouth recommendation than any other group.

People with disabilities travel with an average of 1.5 people accompanying them. Consider, for example, that an entire family with a member who has a disability will avoid an inaccessible hotel or destination causing those businesses to lose multiple times the income to be gained by not accommodating one person with a disability. Consider further that word-of-mouth dis-recommendation by the disability community guarantees that those economic losses will continue to multiply over time until accessible environments and inclusive practices are implemented.

In addition travelers with disabilities are more loyal return customers, spend an average of one day longer at a destination than other groups.

Inclusive Design in areas marked for historic preservation is an example of Geotourism.

Geotourism is defined as:

National Geographic defines geotourism as tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place -its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage, and the well-being of its residents. Geotourism incorporates the concept of sustainable tourism -that destinations should remain unspoiled for future generations- while allowing for enhancement that protects the character of the locale. Geotourism also adopts a principle from its cousin, ecotourism -that tourism revenue can promote conservation- and extends that principle beyond nature travel to encompass culture and history as well: all distinctive assets of a place.

Scott Rains On Geotourism & Disability

View more documents from Scott Rains.

Making History Accesssible: Aveiro, Portugal to Sao Luis, Maranhao in Brazil

2010-03-11T21:14:07Z

Among the many talented experts this work introduces to me around the world is the unassuming Katia Espindolla (es-PIN-do-la) of São Luís, in the Brazilian state of Maranhão.

Trained in tourism she specialized in the Geography of Tourism. Her work has been almost completely devoted to Inclusive Tourism.

She recently lectured in Cuba, in Spain, and will present some of her research this week in Portugal.

Before graduation she proposed a project to revitalize the UNESCO-designated historic patrimony site of the old central São Luís, Maranhão as a destination for travelers with disabilities. This proposal has now become a reality which Katia will begin to tackle once she returns home in a few days. I invite readers to take an active part in contributing their knowledge to its success.

Design opportunities include creating wheelchair access without changing the facades of separate buildings that share three exterior walls. In some places these run as a unit for an entire block. Many of the buildings have no capacity to accommodate a normal-sized elevator. There are no internal doorways between buildings that would allow sharing of a single elevator between these 2-3 story structures.

In addition, the entire historic center is cobblestone pedestrian mall. As happens in many places around the world, the sidewalks become blocked to wheelchair passage by merchants' tables, chairs, and kiosks making what sidewalk ramps exist useless because the sidewalk itself is.

Currently researching and speaking at INVTUR 2010 in Aveiro, Portugal Katia is looking for exemplary best practices from around the world involving vertical and pedestrian circulation in historic settings. She also seeks design alternatives to physical access such as virtual tours or centralized interpretive centers with representative historical materials accessible to people with both physical and sensory disabilities.

If you wish to contribute to this project contact me at srains@oco.net or Katia Espindola (in Portuguese or Spanish) at katiaespindolla@hotmail.com .

A slide show of photos from the area by Tony Galvez:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tonygalvez/sets/72157603258211664/show/

A custom Google map of São Luís do Maranhão by Serafín Fernández M. Layola:

http://www.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&gl=us&ie=UTF8&oe=UTF8&msa=0&msid=106247914136727024359.00044d95009929dff950c

Taking Accessibility for Tetraplegia Mainstream in Hotels (Norwegian)

2010-03-10T17:45:16Z

Design makes all the difference! For those who don't understand the Norwegian just watch the images of the Integra lifter. It looks just like a furniture removing the stigma of "hospital appliance" from a necessary assistive device.

When will we see this in hotels? Let me venture some guesses.

Is Magnus already looking at the Integra lister for Scandica?
Roy for Microtel?
Niranjan for Welcome/ITC?

Hotel Accessibility in Maputo, Mozambique: Hotel Afrin Excels in Both Design and Service

2010-03-09T20:18:25Z

By far the most flexible and accommodating venue we found in Maputo as we planned the Inclusive Tourism Seminar was Residencial Kaya Kwanga. "Kaya Kwanga" means (in Soto, I believe) "Your Home."

The homey feel was evident in the rapidly-executed modifications undertaken to accommodate 15 wheelchair-using guest from 17 countries. We left the infrastructure upgraded for accessibility in the process. For those wanting an affordable, if slightly challenging, family-oriented base to work from in Maputo Kaya Kwanga might be an option.

Other wheelchair-users stayed at Cardoso, Southern Sun, Avenida, Hotel Turismo, and the Holiday Inn with varying degress of satisfaction with their limited accessibility.

Now let me change glossaries and pull out the superlatives to describe a new hotel that we discovered while driving past - it is not even in this year's Maputo telephone directory!

Within minutes of moving into my room at Hotel Afrin there was a housekeeping team at the door to welcome me. That was followed by the head of housekeeping doing a total furniture makeover adding a lower table to the kitchen and innumerable small touches to enhance the accessibility of the environment.

And it didn't need much!

The room was huge. No carpets. Easy to open wall-sized curtains to a (inaccessible) balcony.

My home won the 2006 Universal Design Award for Silicon Valley based on a remodel of our master bathroom. I am glad I did not have to compete with this hotel's design. I would have lost!

The photos show a superbly designed wet room. The unfortunate flaw was using a Portuguese standard for door widths (70 cm) and then losing an addition 1.5 cm through moulding. Once again hoteliers, build for the clientelle who you want to attract and exceed their expectations. Never be satisfied wth mere compliance with minimum standards.

Now, as important as architecture is, as appealing as the hotels excellent art and fair food was, the coup de grace of staying at Hotel Afrin were my daily visits from the two owners Iboo and Fortunato.

It did not slip past my attention that my first encounter with Iboo was as an empty pair of black loafers outside the door to the mini-mosque across the hall from my room. When Fortunato sought me out one night to inform me that he planned to support our work he was palming his prayer beads. Successful, exceedingly sharp businessmen, these two gentle Sufis were the highlight of my perfectly comfortable stay at Hotel Afrin.

Five stars plus for design and service!