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 >>

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.

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.

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!

Nilesh Singit Consultancy Services [NSCS], was started by Nilesh Singit and is supoorted by a group of professionals who understand the needs of persons with disabilities and activists with disabilities who provide their expertise on project and assignment basis.

About Nilesh Singit He has a Masters degree in English from University of Bombay, and has completed a PG course in Human Rights and is a Novell Certified Internet Professional [NCIP] He has worked for over 12 years in the field of disability with a special focus on access audits, accessibility and inclusive design, disability diversity/equality/rights training and research into disability issues.

He is

• A Founder Member of the ADAPT Rights Group.
• member of National Committee on the Rights of People with Disabilities - India (NRCPD India) a committee setup by National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP)
• a Zonal Technical Resource Trainer [ZTRT] conducting trainings for National Trust, India
• Ex co-ordinator of Disability Rights Initiative (Bombay) at the India Centre for Human Rights and Law
• Founder Member of Disability Research and Design Foundation.

He maintains a blog on disability issues.

http://nileshsingit.com/default.aspx

From The Hindu:

KOCHI: A national policy on electronic accessibility, aimed at removing barriers and ensuring that the differently abled have equal access to products and services in the realm of Information and Communications Technology and Electronics (ICTE), is on the anvil.

The draft of the National Policy on Electronic Accessibility has been under the consideration of a committee, which has representatives from the Department of Information Technology, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, NGOs, and industry organisations such as the Confederation of Indian Industry and Assocham.

Broadly, the policy is expected to cover ICTE products and services of all government institutions, both at the Centre and in the States, and also public sector undertakings, the private sector, research and development agencies, public-funded organisations and the academic community, in the areas of universal design, assistive technology and independent living aids.

Promoting universal design and accessibility standards and guidelines will be an important part of its mandate. Besides awareness creation and capacity- building, it is expected to deal with education, research and development, funding and implementation and monitoring. It is also expected to ensure that the content in print and electronic formats and educational materials, including textbooks, are produced in accessible formats.

Significantly, the private sector was involved in the process, and industry bodies such as the National Association of Software and Service Companies (Nasscom) and the Manufacturers' Association for Information Technology (MAIT) have responded "very positively" to the draft, says Javed Abidi, honorary director, National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People. He hopes it should not take too long for the policy to see the light of day.

The differently-abled may find it difficult to use even devices and gadgets that play an important part in everyday life, such as mobile phones and ATMs, if accessibility issues are not addressed. All the big international manufacturers are making electronic products that cater to the needs of the disabled users but such products are not readily available in India. Such a policy should go a long way towards making them available in the country, and in a manner that is not discriminatory in pricing, Mr. Abidi explains.

"The gap today is that assistive technology is available in India, but persons with disabilities need to have schemes that will provide these to them," says Shilpi Kapoor, managing director, BarrierBreak Technologies, who is also involved in the draft policy discussions. Incentives need to be provided to get more companies to take up research and development of technologies and products for persons with disabilities, and the policy should help to provide the required framework.

As far as the Internet and web sites are concerned, change is "slow," though the National Informatics Centre released accessibility guidelines for all government web sites a year ago, she says. Websites of companies and private sector institutions have a lot of ground to cover when it comes to accessibility, with the global standards-setting organisation, the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), having released version 2 of its web content accessibility guidelines in 2008. The policy might give a much-needed push on this front too.

Tammy and Bill Pickering sent Global Access News word of their new wheelchair accessible cottages on Canada's Prince Edward Island (PEI). View photos and learn more about their facilities at http://www.globalaccessnews.com/PEI%20a_view_to_sea_cottages.htm

A View To Sea Cottages
3515 Route 20, Se- View, Kensington RR#2 PEI C0B 1M0
1-877-412-8822 toll-free
http://peivacations.ca/

From YouTube March 4, 2010:

The Future Will Be Captioned: Improving Accessibility on YouTube

Tens of millions of people in the U.S. experience some kind of hearing impairment and recent studies have predicted that over 700 million people worldwide will suffer from hearing impairment by 2015. To address a clear need, the broadcast industry began running captions on regular video programming in the early 1970s. Today, closed captions on video are more prevalent than ever. But generating captions today can be a time-consuming and complicated process.

Making video easily accessible is something we're working hard to address at YouTube. One of the first steps we took was the development of a caption feature in 2008. In November of last year we released auto-captioning for a small, select group of partners. Auto-captioning combines some of the speech-to-text algorithms found in Google's Voice Search to automatically generate video captions when requested by a viewer. The video owner can also download the auto-generated captions, improve them, and upload the new version. Viewers can even choose an option to translate those captions into any one of 50 different languages -- all in just a couple of clicks.

Today, we are opening up auto-captions to all YouTube users. There will even be a "request processing" button for un-captioned videos that any video owner can click on if they want to speed up the availability of auto-captions. It will take some time to process all the available video, so here are some things to keep in mind:

Continued here: http://youtube-global.blogspot.com/2010/03/future-will-be-captioned-improving.html

El turismo constituye una de las formas principales de movilidad, tanto a nivel regional como internacional, promoviendo contactos sociales, culturales y étnicos en una escala antes desconocida.

¿Por qué negar entonces este derecho a una parte significativa de la población?.

Recadinho aos nossos Governantes Pessoas Com Deficiência o descaso continua por falta de conhecimento e estrutura. Nós Cidadãos brasileiros ligados diretamente as "pessoas com deficiência e crianças com deficiência" Classificamos essa decisão do MEC de irresponsável "ou decisão SEM RESPONSABILIDADE" Alunos Especiais sofrem dentro das Escolas com o descaso por parte do poder Público, as Escolas da rede regular de Ensino não oferecem condições adequadas aos Alunos com deficiência e deixam Mães, Pais e familiares desesperados. Para o Ministério da Educação as Adaptações e as adequações devem ser feitas com os Alunos Especiais já dentro das Escolas, OU SEJA, EXEMPLO: Vejam Bem, Primeiro Jogam as crianças em auto Mar sem coletes Salva Vidas, "exemplo as Escolas sem estrutura". Depois abrem Licitação para comprarem os coletes Salva Vidas para serem colocados nas crianças já lançadas ao Mar, Depois abrem um concurso Público para contratarem Professores de Natação e profissionais Salva Vidas. Infelizmente é isto que vem acontecendo com as nossas crianças com essa decisão, (Chamada pelos Técnicos da Educação de "INCLUSÃO") Nós Cidadãos brasileiros em Geral Perguntamos, ISTO Que estão fazendo com as nossas crianças com deficiência é Correto? O Correto não seria preparar uma estrutura nas Escolas e depois receberem esses Alunos? Visto que, É de conhecimento de todos que essas crianças necessitam de cuidados especiais, perguntamos O porquê estão lançando essa responsabilidade aos professores sem lhes oferecer o mínimo de respaldo? Estão lançando uma grande responsabilidade em cima dos professores, professores que muito lutam e fazem um trabalho duro para ensinar as crianças "NORMAIS". Como os senhores Governantes podem colocar mais essa grande responsabilidade nesses valorosos profissionais, sem lhes dar o mínimo de estrutura? União, Estados e Municípios estão cometendo crime contra a vida e o bem estar dessas crianças, e estão cometendo uma grande injustiça com nossos valorosos professores. A Falta de Profissionais treinados e qualificados para o atendimento ao ensino das pessoas com deficiência junto à falta de estrutura e a falta de Adaptações nas Escolas da rede Regular de Ensino tornam-se um crime contra a vida e o bem estar dessas crianças Alunos com deficiência, PERGUNTAMOS, O QUE ESTÃO FAZENDO COM ESSAS CRIANÇAS É CORRETO??? No caso em questão, deixamos aqui uma Sugestão, 1º-Criar um plano de carreira aos Professores da rede regular de ensino. Criar uma nova Classe de Pedagogos com especialização em deficiências múltiplas e técnicas básicas em enfermagem, a fim de, darem suporte adequado a cada aluno com suas diferentes deficiências. A União, Estados e Municípios terão a obrigatoriedade de custearem os cursos ou faculdades para a formação e qualificação desses novos profissionais, garantindo-lhes uma remuneração maior assim que formados e estiverem em atividade. Sendo justa a maior remuneração a esses profissionais por buscarem e terem melhor qualificação do que professores sem essas qualificações. Assim estaremos estimulando os professores a buscarem uma melhor qualificação, melhores salários e estaremos a caminho da solução do problema principal que é ter profissionais especializados e aptos a desempenharem um ensino com segurança e qualidade as nossas crianças com deficiência. Aguardamos esclarecimentos do poder Público. Atenciosamente Valdir Timóteo

Pauline and Arthur Frommer, daughter and father in that well-known travel family, had a lively disagreement on Sunday, August 23, about Afar's approach to travel. Pauline likes it; Arthur not so much. Here's what happened: Pauline taped an interview and talked about Afar's mission to help experiential travelers get beneath the surface and connect more deeply with a place and its people.


The Afar Blog:

http://www.afar.com/blog/page/2/

Frommer vs. Frommer:

http://www.afar.com/blog/2009/08/frommer-vs-frommer-first-family-of-travel-disagrees-about-afar/

Afar

http://adage.com/video/article?article_id=134705

"Jan" Budsakayt INTARAPASAN is a Dean at the School of Architecture and Design, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi Bangkok, Thailand.

Her ongoing doctoral work is on Universal Design and its application in historic sites of the Greater Mekong Region. Jan's research - and abundant photography - provide a valuable benchmark for quality of service and Inclusive Tourism best practices in SE Asia. Jan is quite generous with her expertise contributing the following photo essay and this invitation to collaborate on project:

I will be happy to discuss how my education and match my experience to your needs. If you have further questions, I would be more than wiling to talk with you. I may be reached at deaignoflife@gmail.com

Interest areas:

• Interior Design
• Ergonomics Safety and Human Disabilities
• Public-Universal Design
• Architectural Heritage Management and Tourism

Find more photos like this on Tour Watch

Turismo adaptado pode ganhar mais destinos

Sem a visão assistencialista, empresas de turismo e destinos de viagens estão cada vez mais preparados para receber deficientes

Ricardo Shimosakai, 41, sempre gostou de viajar com família.

Mas, aos 33 anos, a vida dele mudou completamente. Vítima de um sequestro relâmpago, levou um tiro e ficou paraplégico. Durante a fisioterapia, Ricardo teve de escolher um esporte como parte do tratamento, e acabou se interessando por tênis de mesa.

O esporte logo se tornou uma paixão que o levou a viajar pela primeira vez, depois de ficar paraplégico, a disputar os campeonatos, em diversas partes do País. Com o tempo, ele percebeu que poderia fazer turismo como antes tanto pelo Brasil quanto para outros países.

Para atender à necessidade de pessoas com deficiência como Ricardo, empresas oferecem roteiros de turismo adaptado cujos destinos dão total acessibilidade. A agência de viagens Freeway Brasil é uma empresa pioneira em oferecer roteiros de turismo adaptado. Segundo a operadora, as cidades indicadas para deficientes são Foz do Iguaçu (PR), Pantanal (MT), Itacaré (BA) e Bonito (MS) porque possuem infraestrutura como rampas de acesso, calçadas adaptadas, transporte inclusivo e outras facilidades que permitem ao visitante total acessibilidade aos passeios. Mas se o turista quiser outras opções de destinos acessíveis, a empresa faz indicações de locais e roteiros com tudo o que o viajante precisa para aproveitar ao máximo a viagem. O governo federal também vem fazendo a parte dele para promover o turismo adaptado.

No Plano Nacional de Turismo que compreende os anos de 2007 a 2010, a inclusão social é uma das principais metas. Além disso, também foi lançado o projeto "10 Destinos-Referência".

A ideia é dar aos destinos estruturas com padrão de qualidade internacional para que sirvam de modelos indutores para o desenvolvimento turístico regional. O destino adaptado entre os "10 Destinos –Referências", já em pleno funcionamento, é a cidade Socorro, a 138 km de São Paulo, que é muito procurada para a prática de turismo de aventura.

Por conta disso, foi implantado na cidade o "Aventureiros Especiais". Coordenado pela ONG Aventura Especial, ela adequou os destinos que oferecem esportes radicais na região, possibilitando aos deficientes a prática de alguns deles. Para realizar as atividades nos locais adequados, a operadora de turismo Rios de Aventura organiza os roteiros das aventuras acessíveis em Socorro. Ela oferece aventuras para deficientes visuais e cadeirantes como rafting, trilha e tirolesa, que é praticada por meio de uma cadeira especial e com auxílio dos monitores.

Os destinos são o Hotel Fazenda Campo dos Sonhos, o Parque dos Sonhos e o Parque Ecológico Monjolinho. Até o final de 2010 serão oferecidos mais destinos a todos os turistas: Pesca, em Barcelos (AM); Cinema, em Brasília (DF); Cultura, em Parati (RJ); Intercâmbio, em São João Del Rei (MG); Negócios, em Ribeirão Preto (SP); Rural, em Anitapolis, Santa Rosa de Lima, Rancho Queimado e Urubici, todos em Santa Catarina. Além de ecoturismo, em Santarém (PA); Aventura, em Lençóis (BA); e a Praia de Jericoacoara (CE). Em Pernambuco, a cidade Garanhuns figura na lista de projetos do Ministério do Turismo para ser uma dos próximos destinos adaptados.

Reposting Expedia's PR:

Travelers in the U.S. can now visit Expedia.com to search for lodgings in the U.S. that offer accommodations including accessibility equipment for the deaf, accessible bathrooms, accessible paths of travel, Braille or raised signage, in-room accessibility, a roll-in shower and more.

Once a traveler finds suitable accommodations, they can request one or more of the specific accessibility features on Expedia.com's online Reservation Page. The Expedia.com Customer Service team will review the request and contact the hotel to ensure that the specific traveler requests are met, and will contact the traveler directly to confirm the reservation or to offer to locate a similar room at an equivalent rate at another hotel.

Expedia.com's call center has fielded approximately 500 requests per week utilizing this functionality since its initial rollout in August of 2009.  Expedia.com offers more than 15,000 hotels that publish accessibility options.

"We are thrilled to offer this new functionality to our travelers," said John Morrey, vice president, Expedia.com. "It was a much-needed part of the online travel booking process and we are proud to be able to meet the needs of disabled travelers who require accessible accommodations."

Source:

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/expediacom-launches-new-accessibility-search-tools-for-disabled-travelers-84479647.html