Recently in Inclusive Travel Category

Happy St Patrick's Day sailors!

At Access Tourism NZ read about new guidelines making maritime travel more accessible for people with disabilities published by Ireland's Department of Transportation and the National Disability Authority (NDA).

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

• 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

CHENNAI, 25 Jan: Southern Railway may have ramps and wheelchairs for disabled passengers at major stations, but it is not disabled-friendly when it comes to allotting berths for such passengers.

There have been complaints that in many instances lower berths were not allotted to disabled passengers even if reservation was done much in advance. Senior citizens too faced the problem.

"I had booked a ticket for a relative who is disabled people. But, they did not allot a lower berth even after I presented a medical certificate showing that the passenger was disabled and that she would not be able to climb up to any other berth," said Manoj Joy, a resident of Velachery.

"The staff at the counter told me to exchange the berth with some other passenger as it was difficult to allot a lower berth because all berths were occupied. I have often seen young people being allotted lower berths, while senior citizens are given upper or middle berths. Some people agree to exchange their berth, but not everyone is so compassionate," said S Ramachandran, a senior citizen and a frequent traveller by train.

Manoj Joy had to cancel his ticket and book again twice before he got a lower berth on a different date. K Gopinath, member, TN Welfare Board for Disabled feels the number of berths allotted for disabled people is inadequate. "The number of people travelling by train has increased, but the allocation for disabled people has not gone up proportionately," he said.

Activists and associations working for the rights of disabled people had protested when the railway converted a general compartment meant for disabled people into a reserved compartment recently. Shanthi, a Chennai resident who was accompanying Adhishwer Ram, a child with cerebral palsy from the city to Coimbatore by West Coast Express on confirmed reserved tickets recently had a tough time due to overcrowding in the coach meant exclusively for disabled people, in October. The compartment meant to accommodate two disabled persons and their escorts had over 60 people.

Southern Railway chief public relations officer VJ Accamma said that lower berths are allotted to disabled people and also senior citizens depending on availability. "Every train has four berths for disabled people in the portion near the guard's cabin. Apart from this, we have not allocated any particular number of lower berths for senior citizens or disabled in other coaches. Passengers can always make a last minute request for lower berth. We have given some of the lower berths meant for emergency quota for senior citizens in the last minute," she said.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

The full article will be online soon (and I am on my way back to the region.) In the meantime here's the cover photo of Forward the magazine of the Spinal Injuries Association.

CHENNAI, 25 Jan: Southern Railway may have ramps and wheelchairs for disabled passengers at major stations, but it is not disabled-friendly when it comes to allotting berths for such passengers.

There have been complaints that in many instances lower berths were not alloted to disabled passengers even if reservation was done much in advance. Senior citizens too faced the problem.

"I had booked a ticket for a relative who is disabled people. But, they did not allot a lower berth even after I presented a medical certificate showing that the passenger was disabled and that she would not be able to climb up to any other berth," said Manoj Joy, a resident of Velachery.

"The staff at the counter told me to exchange the berth with some other passenger as it was difficult to allot a lower berth because all berths were occupied. I have often seen young people being allotted lower berths, while senior citizens are given upper or middle berths. Some people agree to exchange their berth, but not everyone is so compassionate," said S Ramachandran, a senior citizen and a frequent traveller by train.

Manoj Joy had to cancel his ticket and book again twice before he got a lower berth on a different date. K Gopinath, member, TN Welfare Board for Disabled feels the number of berths allotted for disabled people is inadequate. "The number of people travelling by train has increased, but the allocation for disabled people has not gone up proportionately," he said.

Activists and associations working for the rights of disabled people had protested when the railway converted a general compartment meant for disabled people into a reserved compartment recently. Shanthi, a Chennai resident who was accompanying Adhishwer Ram, a child with cerebral palsy from the city to Coimbatore by West Coast Express on confirmed reserved tickets recently had a tough time due to overcrowding in the coach meant exclusively for disabled people, in October. The compartment meant to accommodate two disabled persons and their escorts had over 60 people.

Southern Railway chief public relations officer VJ Accamma said that lower berths are allotted to disabled people and also senior citizens depending on availability. "Every train has four berths for disabled people in the portion near the guard's cabin. Apart from this, we have not allocated any particular number of lower berths for senior citizens or disabled in other coaches. Passengers can always make a last minute request for lower berth. We have given some of the lower berths meant for emergency quota for senior citizens in the last minute," she said.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

As I look at the Concept Note describing our upcoming seminar on Inclusive Tourism in Mozambique and read comments on Haiti's tourism I see parallels -- and opportunities:

Haiti was getting ready to capitalise on its sunny weather and tropical scenery to attract tourist to that impoverished island nation when the magnitude-7.0 earthquake rocked the French-speaking country, killing an estimated 200,000 and leaving millions homeless.

New hotels, new attention from international investors and buzz among travellers who have visited in recent years seem to signal a renewed interest in Haiti as a destination. Just two hours away by plane from Miami, Florida, the country had one of the strongest tourist industries in the Caribbean in the 1950s and '60s, according to Americas, the magazine of the Organisation of American States.

However, things began to change with the deterioration of the political climate.

Meanwhile, the Dominican Republic, Haiti's neighbour on the island of Hispaniola, welcomed almost four million people in 2008, according to the Caribbean Tourism Organisation.

Source:
http://www.eturbonews.com/14258/tourism-could-play-critical-role-haitis-recovery

Talk of "re-inventing Haiti" has even gone at far as UNWTO. Carlos Vogeler, the United Nations World Tourism Organisation's (UNWTO's) regional representative for the Americas recently commented:

Tourism can be one of the vehicles which can help Haiti to not go back to where they were because they were not in very good shape, but to go to a much better condition than the one they had before.

Note this article on RollingRains.com from before the earthquake, "Can Haiti be Brought Back into The World Tourism Circuit?"

In light of the recent disaster and world mobilization to rebuild the country I would say that the answer is, "Yes, if Inclusive Destination development is practiced."

I recommend that Haitian delegates attend the March 1-3 World Bank funded conference in Maputo on tourism, development, and disability. There we can transfer some relevant knowledge to Haiti through these delegates and plan a more tailored event for the country and for relief and reconstruction entities there.

Listen to Haiti's Tourism Minister Patrick Delatour and get a picture of the situation at:  http://www.theworld.org/tag/patrick-delatour/

In 2011 a conference on Inclusive Tourism is planned for Brazil. Public announcement will not be until after the March 1-3, 2010 GPDD regional seminar on Inclusive Tourism in southern Africa. In the meantime awareness of Brazil's leadership in adapted adventure sports continues to trickle through the Portuguese/English language barrier.

While Eduardo Camara's excellent multi-author blog :Mao na Roda (Hand on the Wheel) is in Portuguese his recent post of videos on adventure sports breaks the language barrier and continues to open the eyes of traveler and travel supplier alike.

See the post SBT Repórter - Turismo de aventura

 

Patricia Ribeiro at her About.com site Brazil Travel breaks a wonderful Geotourism story in English:

The famous coral pools of Pajuçara, in Maceió, are about to become more accessible to travelers with disabilities. A wheelchair-accessible jangada - the typical sailboat of the Brazilian Northeast - is to be launched at the end of January.

Designer Jorge Luiz Silva and supporters hope to collect funds to build three more jangadas. I'll be posting the bank account as soon as I have it. Read more about the accessible jangada.

Photo courtesy of Prefeitura Municipal de Maceió

Follow the story at:

http://gobrazil.about.com/b/2010/01/24/accessible-jangada-in-pajucara.htm

Está em fase de produção mais uma peça gráfica do Programa Aventura Segura.

O conteúdo do Manual de Orientações para Acessibilidade em Turismo de Aventura está em fase de elaboração, sendo que um dos capítulos que o compõe trará dados sobre uma pesquisa básica do consumidor deficiente ou com mobilidade reduzida. As informações para esta parte do conteúdo do manual estão sendo coletadas com base em uma pesquisa disponível no link abaixo ...

http://www.encuestafacil.com/RespWeb/Qn.aspx?EID=639021.

Participe e conte sua experiência!

O Manual de Orientações para Acessibilidade no Turismo de Aventura trará informações sobre empresas e profissionais que oferecem serviços de Ecoturismo e Turismo de Aventura referentes ao atendimento de clientes com deficiência ou com mobilidade reduzida, estimulando a implementação de recursos para a acessibilidade dessas atividades no Brasil.

 O manual servirá também como ferramenta para orientar a adaptação dos recursos e serviços das atividades de aventura, com base na Norma Técnica "ABNT NBR 15331 - Turismo de aventura - Sistema de gestão da segurança - Requisitos".

O Manual será disponibilizado na íntegra para download no site Aventura Segura (www.aventurasegura.org.br) e a versão impressa será distribuída nos principais eventos do segmento a partir deste ano.

Rudy has a great resource going online at Disability Resource Exchange (DRE). Read about him at Accessible Portugal magazine:

Making difference on-line
By João Durão da Silva

Social networks are truly implanted among internet users' habits today. People use them to chat, share ideas and experiences or even for marketing purposes. Disability Resource Exchange however has something more

Disability Resource Exchange (DRE) is a social network created by Rudy Sims, a 31-year-old man from Teaneck, New Jersey, who was born with cerebral palsy. You can find it at www.disabilityresourceexchange.com and its name says it all. As one may find in its home page, "Disability resource exchange is a place to discuss disability issues and exchange resources ideas and support".

For that, Rudy intends "to bring together all those interested in disability issues, both people with and without disabilities", as well as "organizations within the disability community", making this network "a place with a supportive atmosphere, where we can all learn from each other". He explains his goal: "I want the community to be a very supportive and positive place. I am trying to foster an environment that encourages understanding and knowledge exchange, even from people with very differing opinions."

Full story:

http://www.apmagazine.net/2010/January/internet.htm

Project goal

The main goal of the ATHENA project is the creation of conditions and tools for human resources development and employment in the accessible tourism sector in the Czech Republic.

This will be achieved by transnational cooperation with ENAT and exchange of experience and good practice with European countries.

The knowledge gained on the transnational level will be further disseminated to promote and to enhance awareness about accessible tourism among target groups in Moravian Silesian, Southern Bohemian and Hradec Králové Region and the Capital City of Prague via project partners.

Project partners:

KAZUIST, spol. s r.o., Regional Consulting and Information Centre, Třinec (project coordinator)
www.kazuist.cz

OS TRIANON civil association (NGO) , Český Těšín
www.ostrianon.cz

TRIANON - ČECHY civil association (NGO) , Vimperk
www.trianoncechy.cz

• Regions, municipalities and their organizations
• Public service authorities and appropriate organizations involved in tourism and social integration
• Non-profit organizations and employers of disabled people
• Educational institutions
• Job centres and institutions providing employment services
• Disabled people
• General public

---

• Exchange and sharing of experience, tools and methods in the field of education (staff training), motivation of tourist service providers, engagement of local government, accessibility standards etc.
• Comparison of information systems/databases providing information about accessible offers, destinations, events etc. 
• Publication of a brochure promoting accessible tourism and its importance.
• Creation of methodology for development of the national information system about accessible tourism.
• Motivation of people with special needs to share their travel experience and validate information about destination accessibility.  
• Organization of workshops for NGOs and employers of disabled people focused on (social) entrepreneurial and employment opportunities in the accessible tourism service chain.    
• Dissemination of project results and experience within the conference, round tables, project presentation and publicity.

• Brochure about accessible tourism
• Methodology for development of information system in accessible tourism (accessibility information standard)
• E-library (collection of European towns and regions travel guides and information systems )
• Compendium of European good practices from the field of education, staff training, accessible tourism services etc. 
• Workshop methodology

---

Links / Contact

Project Office
KAZUIST, spol. s r.o.
Družstevní 294, 739 61, Třinec, Czech republic
Tel: +420 558 335 479
E-mail: kazuist@kazuist.cz

Contact person:
Ms. Ilona Ostruszková
E-mail: ostruszkova@kazuist.cz

From China Daily:

Every year, December 3 is the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Disabled people in Beijing, however, would have a hard time going out to celebrate it.

"As a country with a large disabled population, China should do more to improve social security and social service for its people with disabilities," Cheng Kai, vice president of the China Disabled Persons' Federation (CDPF), said on Tuesday.

The United Nations dedicated the International Disabled Day in 1982. So far, the world has about 650 million disabled people, or 10 per cent of the global population. Of those, 83 million are in China.

Although preparations for hosting the Beijing Olympics and the Paralympics made the ancient capital more accessible to the disabled, Beijinger Guan Yan still feels inconvenience when she leaves her home.

The 37-year-old Dongsi Shisantiao Hutong resident, who has been paralyzed from the waist down due to spinal cord compression for the past 23 years, has to sit in the wheelchair wherever she goes. But as an English teacher, Guan goes out a lot by taking different transport vehicles.

Subways and taxis are her most frequent means of transport, ever since Beijing's subway network was expanded and the country's first barrier-free taxi fleet hit the capital's roads last year.

Taking buses is much cheaper than taxis, but she seldom take buses because the city has few low-floor accessible buses and few bus stops indicating which bus is the accessible one.

To get a taxi, she has to book one several days in advance. The city only has 70 barrier-free taxis.

"Such a taxi has bigger interior space, and a ride in the barrier-free taxis costs 2 yuan ($0.3) per km, the same amount as an ordinary taxi... so, some people with no disabilities claimed they are disabled but use it to carry their large amount of baggage or cargo," Guan said, adding that a driver of a barrier-free cab told her such details.

To book an accessible taxi, one has to call the Beijing taxi dispatching center's hotline (961001) from 7 to 8 am at least one day in advance. The operator will contact the taxi companies and phone the caller back about whether a taxi is available or not, an operator with the center said.

Xie Zhanyuan, a 53-year-old retiree who has suffered polio since 11-month-old, said most wheelchair hoists installed at subway stations in the capital stopped operation after the Paralympics.

"It took almost an hour for my two friends in wheelchairs and me to take the wheelchair hoist, which is too long and inconvenient for the disabled," said Xie, who volunteered with another 61 citizens in Dongcheng district to check the city's barrier-free facilities.

At the Imperial Palace, barrier-free pathway and elevators were installed to allow wheelchairs-users to reach the top of main buildings. But Xie found the elevators were out of service due to equipment failure on this National Day holiday.

"Disabled people are encouraged to integrate into society, which is hard if we can not even walk out of our homes without barriers," Guan said.

Early last month, similar inconvenience for long-distance travel even prompted two disabled men from Liaoning province to sue the Ministry of Railways (MOR) for failing to provide reserved seats for the disabled.

Luan Qiping and Xie Wenqiang, who have to walk with crutches because of lower limb disabilities, tried to go by train from Beijing to Shandong on October 16. They were unable to secure seated tickets and had to travel standing up. They finally disembarked at Tianjin station, only two hours after boarding the train, because they weren't able to stand any longer.

They sued MOR after finding out many disabled had similar experiences. But they soon withdrew the lawsuit for unclear reasons, said Zhou Wei, a Sichuan University law professor who offers them free legal help.

"Despite the withdrawal, their action did increase citizens' awareness of the rights and interests of the disabled," Zhou told China Daily.

"Public places should install relevant barrier-free facilities to ease travel outside, which is a basic right for people with disabilities and has been stipulated in relevant laws and regulations. But of course it can't be achieved in a short time," he said.

Source:
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2009-12/03/content_9105142.htm

The UK has a website to orient businesses on their obligations regarding tourism and the travelers-with-disabilities market.

This ought to be common practice for all nations now that the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has been ratfied.

See:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople/TravelHolidaysAndBreaks/TravelAndHolidaysInTheUk/DG_4019030