Access Tourism NZ TOURISM FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, SENIORS, AND AGEING BOOMERS IN NEW ZEALAND AND WORLDWIDE

Auckland Art Gallery facade

Arts organisations and venues will become more accessible this year, thanks to eleven grants provided by Creative New Zealand for projects ranging from sign language interpretations and audio described performances to music workshops and concerts for disabled children and young adults, and improved physical access.   Totalling $30,000, the one-off grants are being administered by Arts Access Aotearoa through its Arts For All Programme, a partnership programme with Creative New Zealand. The aim of this programme is to work with representatives from the disability sector to support arts organisations, venues and producers to improve their access.

Stephen Wainwright, Chief Executive, Creative New Zealand said the one-off grants signal the organisation’s commitment to supporting improved access to arts events for all New Zealanders. They complement the publication Arts for All: opening doors to disabled people and the annual Big ‘A’ Creative New Zealand Arts for All Award.  “It’s great to see the range of projects and the organisations’ enthusiasm to build new audiences by making performances, facilities and information more accessible to disabled people,” he said. “I look forward to seeing the long-term impact of this investment and of Arts Access Aotearoa’s Arts for All Programme.”

Richard Benge, Executive Director, Arts Access Aotearoa said the one-off grants build on the work being done through the Arts For All Programme. They have also prompted valuable discussions with the organisations.  “I am very pleased to see the level of commitment and creative ideas coming from the arts community to improve access for everyone wanting to engage in the arts,” he said.

The eleven grant recipients will also contribute their own funding to their projects.

The grants will go to

• Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki to increase access to its programmes, provide disability awareness training for staff, and provide a series of signed talks about works in its collection in 2012

• Auckland Theatre Company to install ramps in its premises and make its website more accessible to people with a visual impairment

• Capital E National Theatre for Children to provide signed performances of three different works in its 2012 programme

• Chamber Music New Zealand to present a workshop and concert in the Wellington Town Hall for disabled children and young adults so they can experience live music up close, and interact with musicians and their instruments

• Fortune Theatre, Dunedin to establish best practice methodologies for audio-described performances and present six audio-described performances in 2012

• New Zealand Symphony Orchestra to increase the number of its performances to students in special needs schools in Auckland

• Pablos Art Studios, Wellington to provide staff training for its tutors, enhancing their engagement with those studio’s artists who have visual, hearing or communication impairments

• Q Theatre, Auckland to develop an accessibility policy and action plan, promote its access to a wide audience, and provide disability awareness training for staff, board and management

• Silo Theatre, Auckland to provide signed performances of Tribes by Nina Raine, an award-winning work about the politics of communication for hearing, hearing impaired and Deaf people

• Studio2, Dunedin to display artwork by disabled artists to professional standards in its exhibition space

• Theatre Royal Charitable Trust, Christchurch to contribute to the installation of an accessible lift, catering for disabled patrons, to the upper levels of the Isaac Theatre Royal.

Source: Arts Access Aotearoa

In 2011, the New Zealand National Foundation for the Deaf (NFD) commissioned the New Zealand Tourism Research Institute (NZTRI) to conduct research into the tourism, travel, and hospitality experiences and needs of people with hearing impairments.   Hearing impairment ranges from slight hearing loss to total loss. The research was led by Dr. Sandra Rhodda, Research Programme Leader in Access Tourism. The research included two surveys, one for residents of New Zealand (“NZ”) and one for residents of countries other than NZ (called Internationals, or “Int”) who are deaf or have hearing loss.   The aim of the research was to find out what it is like to travel with hearing loss, how the travel experiences of hearing impaired people can be improved, to establish what people with hearing loss want in terms of tourism products and services, and to offer a better understanding of Access Tourism as a legitimate tourism market.  It also evaluated the case for the development of a ‘Hearing Tick’ for tourism businesses that cater for people with hearing loss.

In summary, the survey found that

• The top four reasons why NZ and Int respondents travel in general are: for enjoyment (84%/91%), to connect with friends, family or partner (84%/59%), to have new experiences (65%/72%), and for relaxation (53%/57%).  In other words, for the same reasons as people without hearing loss travel.
• NZ respondents on average took 7.18 overnight domestic trips during 2010; this is more than the number of domestic overnight trips (4.2) taken by NZers in general. NZ respondents took either one (30%), two (11%), or three or more (10%) international trips during 2010. Forty-nine percent did not travel internationally.
• The primary reasons NZ respondents took their most recent domestic trip were to be with friends and family (31%), to holiday (25%), for business (11%), or to attend conferences (10%).
• The majority (82%) of NZ respondents travelled with at least one other person on their most recent domestic trip – mainly a spouse or partner (73%). Eighteen percent travelled alone.
• On their most recent domestic trip, NZ respondents stayed an average of 4.6 nights away from home, and spent on average $107 per person per day on transport, accommodation, activities and attractions, and food and beverage.
• Thirty-three percent of Int respondents took between three and five domestic overnight trips in their own country. The mean number of domestic overnight trips taken by Int respondents was 6.8.
• Forty percent of Int respondents did not take any international trips during 2010. Of those who did travel internationally, the majority (83%) took between one and three trips.
• Forty-three percent of Int respondents have previously visited NZ, 47% have never visited NZ but plan to do so one day; 10% have never visited and have no plans to do so.
• For those Int respondents who have been to NZ, the main reasons for their last visit were ‘holiday’ (42%), to be with friends and/or family (15%), and to attend a conference or similar event (13%).   The majority (83%) of Int respondents who visited NZ travelled with at least one other person on their  last visit – mainly their spouse or partner. Seventeen percent of Int respondents travelled by themselves to NZ.  On their last visit to NZ, Int respondents stayed an average of 13.2 days.
• Just under half (46%) of NZ respondents are somewhat dissatisfied with the number of domestic overnight trips they currently take. Factors that prevent these respondents from travelling more domestically are cost (74%), a concern that their hearing needs will not be met (37%), and difficulty finding information about access for visitors with hearing loss (24%).  Fifty-nine percent of NZ respondents ‘agree’ or ‘somewhat agree’ that they would take more domestic overnight trips if the level of service for people with hearing loss across the tourism industry in NZ was improved.
• Just under half (43%) of Int respondents are somewhat dissatisfied with the number of international trips they currently take. Factors preventing Int visitors from taking more international trips are cost (73%), time constraints (54%), concerns that their hearing needs will not be met (33%), and difficulty finding information about access for visitors with hearing loss (25%).
• Both NZ and Int respondents agree (mean 4.4-4.6 out of 5) that the most important access needs when travelling away from home include customer service staff who have a ‘can-do’ attitude and the provision of reliable information. This includes information about safety in clear print, emergency alarms in public areas that are visual as well as audible, public audio announcements also provided in text on TV screens, and customer service staff who are knowledgeable about serving guests with hearing loss.
• When asked what other things would make their travel more enjoyable and accessible, both NZ and Int respondents highlighted the importance of understanding, patient staff trained to know how to accommodate people with hearing loss, how to meet their needs, and what to do in an emergency.
• Over two-thirds (70%) of NZ and half (52%) of Int respondents indicated that it is difficult to find information about NZ tourism products that are accessible to people with hearing loss.
• Forty-two percent of NZ and 29% of Int respondents agreed with the statement that ‘information about services for the hearing impaired is often wrong or misleading’.
• The reasons most often stated by both NZ and Int respondents for not seeking information about NZ tourism products were: a lack of knowledge on how to seek information and a perception that it is too hard to find. Some also think the information does not exist, and that businesses do not cater for people with hearing loss.
• The majority of NZ (90%) and over half (55%) of Int respondents feel that the level of service in the NZ tourism industry for people with hearing loss needs to be improved.
• Nearly two thirds (60%) of NZ and three quarters of Int respondents indicate they would ‘often’ return to a tourism business that has good services for people with hearing loss; 64% and 76% would tell friends and family about such a business.
• The majority of both NZ (88%) and Int (89%) respondents think it is a good idea to have a hearing-rating symbol that NZ businesses could use to show they are accessible to people with hearing loss.
• The main reasons given by both domestic and Int respondents for saying the use of a ‘hearing tick’ is a good idea are: to show that people with hearing loss are accepted and provided for, to reduce anxiety and frustration, to make the business easily recognisable, to promote awareness by businesses of people with hearing loss, and to improve first time and repeat patronage by people with hearing loss.
• The majority of NZ (83%) and Int (91%) respondents indicate that they would visit a website that had reliable information on tourism businesses in NZ that cater for people with hearing loss.

The full report can be found on the NZTRI site and on the NFD site.

The New Zealand National Foundation for the Deaf (NFD) has set up a captioning working group with the aim of establishing equal access to TV and movies for deaf and hearing impaired people in this country.  A 2011 survey, “Captioning in New Zealand”, conducted by members of the group, showed the deaf and hearing impaired community felt a strong sense of injustice and frustration at the way poor TV, home video and cinema captioning denied them the simple pleasures of relaxation, entertainment and access to information and education.  Over the next 12 months the
NFD Captioning Working Group will push for legislation to make the captioning of TV programmes in New Zealand compulsory – a change favoured by 86% of the  Captioning New Zealand survey respondents.  New Zealand TV captioning is among the worst in the western world with even Uganda having a better service. While some captioning is funded by NZ On Air and a high quality captioning service is provided by TV1, TV2 and TV3 it amounts to less than 10% of total TV hours each week across all free to air and subscriber pay channels.  Captioning is about equal access for both hearing and non-hearing people. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Disabled Persons, ratified by New Zealand, states that all persons with disabilities should enjoy equal access to television programmes, films, theatre and cultural activities in accessible formats.  Many countries,  Australia and the USA included, have mandatory captioning legislation. We are seriously lagging behind the rest of the world and it’s time we caught up.

Members of the NFD Captioning Working Group come from t he NFD and Deaf Aotearoa.

Source: NFD press release.

Two new text books on accessible tourism are available through the European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT) from Channel View Publications. The first is “Concepts and Issues” (eds: Dimitrios Buhalis and Simon Darcy), which sets out to  explore and document the current theoretical approaches, foundations and issues  in the study of accessible tourism.  Professor Nigel Morgan, The Welsh Centre for Tourism Research states that this volume harnesses “the best conceptual  developments on the topic” and that it will “take accessible tourism and universal design debates into the mainstream of academic enquiryand industry practice“

The second volume is “Best Practice in Accessible Tourism” (eds: Buhalis, Darcy, and Ivor Ambrose).  It focuses on policy and best practice in accessible tourism, reflecting the ”state-of -the-art” as expressed in a selection of international chapters. It brings together global expertise in planning, design and management to inform and stimulate providers of travel, transport, accommodation, leisure and tourism services to serve guests with disabilities, seniors and the wider markets that require good accessibility. Chapter 8, written by Sandra Rhodda of Access Tourism New Zealand, describes the state of accessible tourism in this country.  Overall, the book gives ample evidence that accessible tourism organisations and destinations can expand their target markets as well as improve the quality of their service offering, leading to greater customer satisfaction, loyalty and expansion of business.  Accessible tourism is not only about providing access to people with disabilities but also it addresses the creation of universally designed environments that can support people that may have temporary disabilities, families with young children, the ever increasing ageing population as well as creating a safer environment for employees to work. Noel Scott, of the University of Queensland, Australia says that the volume “provides a ‘state-of-the-art” assessment of both theory and practice. This book establishes a new field of study and provides the benchmark against which other contributions will be judged. It integrates the work of all the key players and should be read by academics, managers and government policy makers.”

Next time you’re eating out, take note of the sound as well as the flavours.  The Acoustical Society of New Zealand is creating a rating system for the acoustic environment of cafes and restaurants in New Zealand.  The CRAI (Cafes and Restaurants Acoustic Index) rating system aims to provide people with the ability to match the type of eating experience they want with the acoustic environment.  Everyone can rate eateries they have been to.  Submitted data is analysed to give a 1–5 star rating, and there is a growing list of rated restaurants.  The CRAI rating sheet is available here and filled-in forms can be sent to the society or emailed using addresses on the form, or can be submitted online.  Feedback on the form itself is also sought.

The Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind (RNZFB) has produced a set of best practice guidelines on accessible signage with the aim of ensuring signs are readable by blind, partially sighted and deafblind people. The RNZFB is New Zealand’s main provider of essential sight-loss services, and has 11,500 members.   Every year approximately 1,200 New Zealanders become RNZFB members after experiencing serious sight loss.

The new Accessible Signage Guidelines are free to download through the RNZFB website at www.rnzfb.org.nz/signage    The guidelines provide advice and technical specifications to make sure that clear print and braille signage is accessible. RNZFB Braille Awareness Consultant, Lisette Wesseling, says an accessible sign is one that everybody can read and understand, whether they read using sight or touch. “At least 11,500 New Zealanders are blind or partially sighted and 125,000 people over 40 have significant sight loss that affects their ability to do everyday tasks like reading.

“The information conveyed by signage is important to all people, including those with sight loss. Accessible signage says ‘you are welcome!’ and ‘your safety matters’,” Lisette says.  Any sign relating to a specific function or location in a building should have an accessible sign, for example a Fire Exit, or a Lift. Signs containing a large amount of information such as menus, patient advice, and detailed operating instructions may be more effective if produced in a braille or large print booklet.

It is hoped that business and organisations take advantage of these guidelines to help improve the accessibility of their environments.

What is an accessible sign?

An accessible sign is one that everybody can read and understand, whether they read using sight or touch. An accessible sign should have:

• High colour-contrasted print which is raised on the surface of the sign plate.
• The equivalent text in braille.
• Raised pictures (pictograms) if appropriate. Pictograms alone are not enough, always use text as well.

For more information, continue reading……………

Continue Reading

In June, the World Report on Disability was launched by the World Health Organization and the World Bank.  A key recommendation of the World report is the need to strengthen research. Without evidence on issues such as need and unmet need, costs, impact of services, quality of life of people with disabilities, it is difficult to make recommendations for how countries can respond more effectively. Two forthcoming research symposia will contribute to addressing gaps in research on health and rehabilitation. London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and University of Sydney are each sponsoring a meeting where new and established researchers will present their research.

The best papers from these meetings will be published in the journal Disability and Rehabilitation, one year after publication of the World report, together with other contributions which focus on the contribution of rehabilitation to improving the lives of persons with disabilities. Papers are encouraged which relate to recommendations for research outlined in the report:

• The impact of environmental factors (policies, physical environment, attitudes) on disability and how to measure it; 
• Measures of the lived experience of people with disabilities, including measures on quality of life and well-being;
• What works in overcoming service barriers in different contexts;
• Effectiveness and outcomes of rehabilitation services and programmes; and 
• The cost–effectiveness of public spending on disability programmes.

Wherever possible, research should reflect the active participation of persons with disabilities themselves, and be grounded in the human rights approach. The deadline for submissions of papers is January 15 2012.  Given that journals such as Disability and Society, Alter and the Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research have also welcomed the publication of the World report, there is scope for publication of research relevant to other issues – support services, accessibility, education, employment – in other journals.

Recently, Tourism New Zealand launched its new-look New Zealand Travel website that is the official site for Tourism New Zealand (TNZ).  TNZ is the official organization responsible for marketing New Zealand to the world as a tourist destination.  However, the site is not very user-friendly for people with disabilities. Here Chris Lona, of CL Design, demonstrates how the site could look if access issues were taken into consideration.

While the existing official Tourism New Zealand site engages visitors with imagery and contains lots of “content”, it does not engage all of the senses for people, or accommodate people with disabilities the way it could.  On the NZ site, a visually disabled person would probably need to use their screen reader to access the text information. A baby boomer might need a magnifying glass to be able to read the text.   Most screen readers sound like a computer voice and are OK for accessing data but don’t provide the best experience. People don’t talk to people that way. Seems like a fabulous destination like NZ would be promoted in the most engaging and human way possible.

To show what could be achieved in making the website accessible to all, we created a demonstration New Zealand tourism multimedia presentation (demonstration only)to show how people with disabilities (and everyone else) can start their NZ experience when they go to our online presentation rather than when they arrive in NZ.   With our presentation they can hear the human voice describing a full screen scene with pleasant background music and see large type as another option.

On the NZ site a hearing impaired person would probably have no problem reading all of the information. If they go to the YouTube channel or watch videos on the site however there is no closed captioning of those videos.

With our presentation they can see the motion of the full screen presentation with access to large type with the click of a mouse, the press of the “T” key on their keyboard or the press of a large button on a mobile/touch screen device. Our presentation provides the interactivity and information of a website with the motion and audio of video.

The NZ site is geared, as most sites are, toward visitors using a mouse to navigate the site with standard buttons and links.   A physically disabled person may have difficulties using a mouse. Our presentations can be accessed with a mouse but also with the press of a key on a keyboard or one of our large buttons on a touch screen.

A person with ADD or Dyslexia has problems with focus. Too much copy and text can make it difficult for them to absorb information. Our human audio narrated presentations eliminate the need for a lot of copy and text that has to be read by people with these types of disabilities.

The NZ site is designed for browser viewing and is severely compromised on a mobile device. To remedy this, there would need to be a separate application developed or a site redesign with mobile in mind.  Our presentations function exactly the same on a mobile device as they do on a browser (device must be Flash enabled).   No need for a separate application.

While the NZ site is innovative in certain ways it is very typical, and even trendy, in others.   The larger images are the best feature; a place as beautiful as NZ should certainly be highlighted in this way.   However there is obvious pandering to the popularity of the social media trend. The option for people to write and edit articles is an obvious attempt to leverage this trend. Not surprisingly – as of July 2011 – there are seemingly few visitor articles and no “likes” or “tweets”. If a visitor does wish to write an article they are required to set up an account and/or login in order to do so. In doing this social media functionality they are contributing to the over- abundance and glut of data instead of focusing on making the visitor’s experience the best it can possibly be. It does not seem likely that someone considering a trip or move to NZ would come to this site, create an account and write an article. Time will tell…

Our presentations can include social media “gadgets” below the presentation so that people can leave comments and provide their input if desired.

The best of both worlds would be an augmentation of the NZ site with the types of presentations we create. Any of the existing presentations on the NZ site could be augmented with “click here for the access-enhanced, multimedia version of this presentation”. When clicked the visitor would be taken to one of our presentations for that topic. Able-bodied visitors would still be able to use all of the features of the existing NZ site and the disabled and baby boomers could access the benefits of a more experiential version of the page. It would also show a definitive commitment by NZ to accommodating people with disabilities and older visitors.

For information about Chris and how to contact him, and for other demonstrations, see here.

The Taranaki Daily News reports that New Plymouth art gallery The Govett-Brewster received the Arts Access Aotearoa Big ‘A’ Creative New Zealand Arts For All Award in recognition of its continuing work with disabled people to better understand their needs in relation to art appreciation. The gallery provides:

• audio and touch tours
• large-print exhibition guides for the blind and partially-sighted
• sound enhancer to make audio clearer for the hearing impaired
• sign-language tours with an interpreter for the deaf
• easy access for those who are physically disabled
• disabled-friendly website
• Staff trained in disability awareness
• discussion forums with the disabled community

Gallery Director Rhana Devenport was thrilled with the award but said it was only the beginning.  ”It’s good that they recognise we’re making a sincere and genuine effort, but we know we’ve got a long journey ahead and lots of learning to do, it’s a continuing conversation with the disabled community,” she said.

In awarding the Govett-Brewster, the judges said: ” The Govett-Brewster Art Gallery’s commitment to accessibility is underpinned by the New Plymouth District Council’s Disability Strategy – an example of best practice that gave the Govett-Brewster the edge. This nomination was a fine example of an arts organisation developing its audience by increasing access, and we look forward to seeing the next steps on its journey to accessibility.”  Presenting the award at a ceremony in Parliament, Creative New Zealand Chief Executive Stephen Wainwright said, “engaging New Zealanders in the arts and ensuring they have access to great art experiences is a priority for us. This award sits at the heart of what Creative New Zealand wants to achieve”.  Creative New Zealand id the national arts development agency.

A report on Australian Baby Boomers in the May issue of the Australian Financial Review found that:

• 31% expect to retire in the next five years
• About the same percent will retire in the five years after that
• The average age on retirement will be 64
• The average Boomer will retire with A$100,000 today; $250,000 at the tail end of the Boomer generation
• 5.5 million Boomers will eventually control almost A$1 trillion plus
• Having weathered the recent recession, Boomers plan to spend their money and not leave it to their children – only 10% said they would bequeath as much as possible
• The number one thing they want to spend on is travel, followed by family, home improvement, then entertainment and restaurants

Australia is New Zealand’s most important tourism market, so it would behove us to take note of these findings.  The ageing of the population is not of course confined to Australia but is happening in other markets important to New Zealand tourism in both developed nations such as the United Kingdom and developing markets, such as China and countries of South America.   It is also happening here in New Zealand.  And population ageing is beginning to show up in tourism statistics.  Figures show that the percentage of international visitors to New Zealand who are 45 years old or older has been steadily rising in the last ten years from 40% in 2001 to 42% in 2010. Domestically,  the percentage of Kiwis who are 45 years of age or older visiting regions in New Zealand has increased over the last several years .  A 2010 survey by the New Zealand Tourism Research Institute of Auckland University of Technology of visitors to the Puhoi to Pakiri region north of
Auckland city shows that 52% are 45 or older.    New Zealand currently focuses on attracting younger visitors.  However, we need to focus more on attracting the older market sector if tourism is to be sustainable in future.

An event held during New Zealand Sign Language Week (May 2-8) has highlighted the fact that more deaf people would more often attend sign language interpretation of art in galleries if it was on offer. So says NZ Sign Language interpreter Brydee Jenkins Strang.  The Dunedin Public Art Gallery (DPAG) held a tour of the Beloved collection last Sunday, with Strang translating guide Eryn van Dijk’s discussion. This tour was the only interpreted gallery tour in New Zealand for Sign Language (NZSL) Week, and was the second time it was run. The Beloved collection shows popular works in the DPAG collection such as pieces by New Zealanders  Colin McCahon and Reuben Paterson, and by Claude Monet.  Deaf Aotearoa New Zealand (DANZ) community relations officer Jenna Holland attended the tour, and said deaf attendees enjoyed the event and would like more translated events. “Deaf community members like visualising and describing things,” said Holland.  She would like to see an exhibition of work by deaf artists with a related workshop to introduce people to sign language and the deaf arts community.  DANZ focuses on promoting awareness of, access to, and advancement of NZSL and provides information and resources on D/deaf New Zealanders, and D/deaf culture.  DANZ held a workshop on sign language for
gallery staff during Sign Language Week. NZSL is NZ’a third official language –
the other two are English and Maori.

DPAG visitor host Rosemary Jackson-Hunter said the gallery would like to hold more events like the interpreted tour. “We are considering doing something for people with impaired sight,” said Jackson-Hunter .

A search of the DPAG website reveals that there is no information about access to the gallery for people with any type of disability, and no way to search for such information on the website.  While a few other galleries (and museums) in New Zealand do have such information, an extensive search for disabled access at other galleries and museums throughout New Zealand shows that their websites lack access information about their premises.

The newly released New Zealand Regional Visitor Monitor (NZRVM) shows that the percentage of  domestic visitors who are 45 years of age or older visiting regions in New Zealand has increased over the last several years.  To the year ended March 2011, that percentage was 44%.  The percentage of international visitors 45 or older has remained fairly stable at around 29-32%.  But this percentage is bound to increase as Baby Boomers retire and begin to travel more.  The NZRVM also shows that for both domestic and international visitors, to “Challenge and Test Myself” is not a high motivator to visit, but New Zealand still promotes itself as an adrenalin destination.  Nothing wrong with that, but we should balance that out by looking at who our visitors  actually are and who they will be in the future.  There are very few grey hairs in New Zealand tourism advertising.   Hopefully the New Zealand tourism sector will take note of actual trends and begin to include older people in planning and advertising, as advocated by Access Tourism New Zealand many times before (most recently, here).

Meanwhile, in the USA, mainstream USA marketers are  working to target people over 45 – territory they previously left untended.  Why? There are more Americans aged 51 today than any other age, the average Baby Boomer is now 54, and the largest group of Boomers is aged 50-55.

Last week, Karen M wrote to Access Tourism New Zealand seeking information about a hoped-for trip to New Zealand.  Karen lives in New South Wales, Australia, and experienced a stroke in May 2009, from which she is recovering.   She wants to visit our shores – particularly the south island, but maybe Rotorua in the north island too – with her husband, and – like several dozens of other people every year – sought advice about a possible trip from Access Tourism New Zealand.  Just over six months ago, we published a response to a similar request from one of the many people  seeking accessible tourism information.  Access Tourism New Zealand has again decided to post a public response as the situation in NZ remains almost the same as that of six months ago.

Dear Karen,

It would be so great to see you and your husband (who is willing to wheel you anywhere accessible) in New Zealand, and I really wish I could offer you advice about where to get information about accessible places that you could visit or stay at, but that information is essentially non-existent.  At least reliable information is virtually non-existent.  The most reliable is the newly set up website “Be. Accessible”, which has assessed some accommodations, eateries, attractions and so on for access but so far only in the Auckland City area, so not of much use to you I am afraid.   Another source of reliable information is the newly-released Taupo District Council brochure which has accommodations and attractions etc that have been assessed by a person with Barrier-Free training.  I say reliable because these are accommodations and so on that have actually been independently assessed for access for people with a disability, and their accessibility is described.  If you do visit Rotorua, you could then head south to Taupo with this brochure.  There are a couple of other websites which list accessible accommodations, attractions etc, but may I advise caution? The businesses  listed have been rated as accessible by the owner or operator, but my research has shown that operators do not often know what true access for people with disabilities is and so often claim their premises are accessible when they are not.

 As I don’t know the full extent of your access needs, I can’t advise you to “wing it” in New Zealand as you suggest.  I really have not myself checked out the accessibility of tourism products along the routes you describe and would hate to give you misleading advice.  And there is nowhere you can go to for such advice that I know of I am afraid.  I do not have the knowledge about accessible accommodations and walks that you so desperately need.   I see you have tried to download the brochures about “Easy Access Walks” put out by our Department of Conservation and could not do so.  I am not sure why.   I would in any case suggest caution using these guides as some of the walks that I have checked myself in the past were really not that accessible for a person in a chair, or with mobility disability, even though they are stated as wheelchair accessible.  I have to confess though that I have not checked them all.   In case you do want to depend on these, the north island walks can be found here, and the south island here.

There are a handful of operators in New Zealand who offer accessible tours (I will email you a list), but I have not checked these out personally and so can not speak with authority about them.  As we have no quality rating system for Access Tourism products, it is hard to tell.  One thing you could do is write to them and lay out your needs so you can be quite clear that those needs will be met.  Another thing you could do is to have a look at the Access Tourism NZ website for descriptions of trips others have taken in New Zealand (for example, Jim Llewellyn, Bruce Mumford, etc).  And then, if you do travel around New Zealand, it would be helpful to others if you were to let Access Tourism New Zealand know of your experiences so that we can pass on that information to others.

 I wish that information about Access Tourism in New Zealand was more easily available and relaible, but until more funding is forthcoming for research, quality rating, and description in this area, I am afraid all I can do is offer you my apologies for not being more helpful.  The Be. Accessible Foundation is to receive NZ$4 million from the government over the next four years to advance their access programme so I am hopeful that that will lead to more reliable information about Access Tourism products throughout New Zealand in the future.

Regards, Sandra.

Congratulations are due to Tauranga City Council for becoming probably the first Council in New Zealand to decide to adopt an Age-Friendly Vision and to integrate a strategy in the Council Long Term Plan 2012-2022.  For some years now various individuals and community agencies in Tauranga and the Western Bay of Plenty have promoted the relevance of the Age-Friendly Cities concepts for this high ageing region.  A Towards Tauranga Age-Friendly City Collaboration of 11 agencies submitted to the City Council Annual Plan seeking ‘A City For All Ages.’  Similar submissions were addressed to Western Bay of Plenty District Council and the Bay of Plenty Regional Council. It was proposed that each Council allocate staffing resource to develop a strategy this year for inclusion in Council Long Term Plans. Many people took part and attended in support of the submission hearings.  “It is very heartening that the community voice was respected by the City Council,” said Carole Gordon, Convener of the collaborative effort.

The Global Age-Friendly Cities framework is promoted by the World Health Organization as a guide for Local Governments to respond to planning for population ageing. It seeks to adapt systems and policies to meet the independence needs of increasing numbers of mature and older people as the baby-boomer generation ages. “What is really interesting is that when improvements are made to suit elders, the outcomes produce social and economic benefit for all generations,” says Carole.  “While this is often hard to understand, we have to look ahead with a generous and not limited perspective, after all, this group will be largest set of consumers the world has ever known! Here in Tauranga the number of people 65+ will increase by 50% within the next ten years and is projected to reach nearly 32,000 by 2026.”

As well as the WHO Global Age-Friendly Cities programme, there are a number of other international initiatives to improve access in cities.  Recently for example, Avila Spain won the first European Commission Access City Award, and Charlotte North Carolina and Brazos Valley Council of Governments Texas (U.S.A.) won the Environmental Protection Agency “Building healthy Communities for Active Ageing Award”.  Singapore has created a “City for All Ages Project Office”, London’s Mayor promises an access legacy from Olympics/Paralympics 2012 and access improvement has been part of the games planning since 2004, and many cities across both the developed and developing world have access guides for seniors, people who are not as agile as they once were, or people with disabilities.  The reason? Populations across the world are ageing and there is an economic benefit to becoming age-friendly and improving access.

NZ Senior Citizens Minister John Carter has recognized the growing importance of the older market to NZ tourism, but the message does not seem to have been heard by the NZ tourism industry.   Carter, in talking about a new SuperGold card reciprocal agreement with Australia, notes that the over 65s are a fast growing population who are travelling more, with over 100,000 Kiwi seniors heading to Australia each year. “70,000 Australian seniors head for our shores each year and spend over $131 million while they are here……With all the travel our citizens do between our two countries, I can see this as a great opportunity to grow seniors tourism and build on the ANZAC spirit.”

The seniors market seems to be largely neglected in New Zealand. Currently, Tourism New Zealand (TNZ), which is NZ’s official overseas marketer is running a global – including in Australia – youth campaign called There’s Too Much To Miss with the objective of driving as many 18-29 year olds to the TNZ site as possible (IT 827).  Another current marketing effort is the 100% PureYou campaign, which in the Australian market shows young women jetboating, a man of about 35 with his young children, and a young women horse riding.  Not a single grey hair in sight. The snapshot of this campaign in other markets also does not show anyone with grey hair – except for a guide.  In addition, there is only one older couple in the What do You Say UK campaign, the remaining dozens of interviewees/models all look younger than 45. 

According to Travel Today, TNZ has been forced recently to rethink its international marketing as the organisation had been “too carried away” with pushing an adrenalin theme.  Kevin Bowler told delegates at the Australian Tourism Exchange in early April that the organisation altered its marketing strategies midway through last year after research found interest in the destination was not converting as well as hoped.  “We probably got a little bit carried away with adrenalin and how exciting everything was.  As a result Tourism NZ has looked to promote more “relaxation and rejuvenation” product as it looks to secure more of what Bowler termed the “active considerers”.    This is a step in the right direction as a NZ Ministry of Tourism report released over a year ago finally recognized leading edge Baby Boomers as NZ’s largest domestic market segment.  The Domestic Market Segmentation report notes that this segment is asset rich, money is less of a barrier to travel than with other segments, and holidays are very important to them.   Also over a year ago – at the 2010 Australian Tourism Exchange – Michael Londregan, a California-based travel agent, who oversees Qantas’s holiday arm in the US and Canada, said at the Australian Tourism Exchange trade fair in Adelaide that Baby Boomers were the key market returning to international travel (ATNZ).  On top of that, NZ Ministry of Tourism data shows that the over 45s comprise around 45% of our international visitors.  There is nothing wrong with NZ appealing to a young market, but lets also go after those with grey hair and money.

Cruise ships and the companies that run them have become much more attuned to meeting the needs of their ageing and disabled passengers.  No longer is the stereotypical cruise passenger fit, healthy, and dancing – instead many are using walkers, canes, wheelchairs, and scooters  Some cruise passengers may have sight loss, be blind, have hearing loss or be deaf, and cruise lines are pursuing this market opportunity.  This has been prodded not only by considerations for the bottom line, but also by changes in laws. Under Maritime law, a ship’s flag determines what country has jurisdiction. Therefore, an American ship flying an American flag off the coast of Africa is still governed by American maritime law; similarly, Italian law would govern an Italian ship on the coast of California.  However, as of 2004, foreign cruise lines sailing in U.S. waters must comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, which requires access to passengers in wheelchairs. And last year, a new USA Department of Transportation rule was announced which ensures vessel operators policies do not discriminate against passengers with disabilities.   In Europe, cruiselines, tour operators and travel agents will need to work more closely to ensure they do not breach new European Union regulations on selling cruise holidays to disabled clients.  The EU Regulation 1177/2010, which gives new rights to cruise and ferry passengers, becomes law on December 18, 2012. Breaching the new rules- which apply where embarkation is in the EU – will result in a penalty.

Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) predicts that the 2011 cruise season will be better than ever before, with 16 million passengers (an increase of 6.6%).   Here in New Zealand, the number of Kiwis taking a cruise has reached a record high, increasing 62% over the last five years.  The important role played by older tourists in this growing sector was in February recognized by the NZ Tourism Industry Association when CEO Tim Cossar stated that “the cruise market is being driven by high spending Baby Boomers”.  In spite of that, our ports are ill prepared for an influx of older visitors.   Cruise passengers travelling to New Zealand tend to be in older age groups.  72% are aged between 55 – 74 years, while only 5% are under the age of 40 (2006/2007 Cruise Research, Tourism New Zealand).  Along with an increase in the age of our visitors will come an increase in visitors with disabilities because disability increases with age.  Given this, the rise in cruise numbers, and the increasing provision of access on ships resulting in more passengers that have disabilities using those ships, Access Tourism New Zealand will continue to advocate for an improvement in access at NZ ports. 

For information about cruise lines and access – including caveats against particular choices – and for cruise tips for people with disabilities, visit the Cruise Critic website.

At a time when New Zealand is focused on recreating the built environment of ita second-largest city (Christchurch), a new enterprise has launched with two significant and potentially contributory new initiatives: New Zealand’s first nationwide accessibility programme, Be. Accessible, and the first nationwide disability leadership programme of its kind, Be. Leadership.

At its launch event at the Auckland War Memorial Museum, Be. Institute formally presented the two programmes and outlined the vision for what the institute, through its initiatives and partnerships, can do to foster accessibility and enable a 100% accessible society for all New Zealanders.

The mission is social change: to improve the accessibility of the physical environment, enable better access to information, promote the inclusion and leadership of disabled people in employment and the community, and change social attitudes and behaviours.

In many respects, the timing of the launch is optimal. One Be. Institute project, the Be. Test Match, will be rolled out through the Be. Accreditation programme (part of Be. Accessible) to the 12 New Zealand cities hosting Rugby World Cup 2011.

In the first phase, the Be. Assessors will visit key locations in each of the 12 cities and assess stadia, fan zones, i-SITES and other relevant locations such as hotels.

However, the organization’s aims for its programmes reach beyond this sporting event. By the end of May 2011, Be. Accessible will have trained 40 Be. Assessors, who will be equipped with the tools and know-how to perform holistic assessments of the aforementioned sites, and thousands of others over time.

They will be able to cover the whole accessibility journey, asking questions like: how accessible is the organisation’s website,  what is the level of customer service, how accessible is the building entrance, interior and products, and are the business / organisation’s marketing materials accessible to all people?  Any business can book an accessibility assessment from a Be. Assessor and learn how they can change their practices or structure to make their organization more accessible.

The Be. Institute was founded through a partnership between the Auckland Council, the Auckland University of Technology (AUT) and the Auckland District Health Board.  Be. Institute is led by chief executive Minnie Baragwanath, who before founding Be. Institute worked for 10 years in the disability sector, advising to the former Auckland City Council.

 Members of the Pacific Disability Forum (PDF), including Governments of countries in the Pacific region, as well as development organizations, non-governmental and civil society organizations and human rights institutions in the region attended the Second Pacific Regional Conference on Disability. The Conference was held from 4 to 7 April in Auckland, New Zealand, under the theme “Promoting Actions on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in the Pacific Region”. The outcome document included a list of recommendations to all stakeholders to take significant and tangible steps to further implement the Convention and empower persons with disabilities and their organizations. Members of the Pacific Disability Forum called on all Pacific island Governments and development partners to recognize (amongst other things)  the rights of persons with disabilities in recreational, leisure and sporting activities as mandated in Article 30.5 of the CRPD.

Recently, PLATMA (Affiliate Members of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation) met with and interviewed Ivor Ambrose of the European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT).  Ambrose outlined to PLATMA the growing importance of accessible tourism for people with disabilities.  This is a constantly growing market, estimated to represent around 130 million people in Europe alone with annual potential spending of around 68 billion Euros. These figures cannot be ignored by the tourism industry, since the lack of adequate facilities for disabled travellers means that many people cannot travel and this can have a huge negative impact on businesses and communities.  Ambrose discussed how to meet the needs of the access market:

• Information for customers, (on-line, printed and at the venue) should be accessible, e.g. Web sites conforming to Accessibility Guidelines by W3C-WAI.
• Transport and transfers must be accessible for all travellers throughout the journey; this should include the provision of wheelchair accessible transport.
• Infrastructure – all buildings and outdoor environments should be designed and maintained in a way that makes them accessible and usable by all visitors.
• Services – including activities and excursions offered at destinations and venues, should be accessible; e.g. tourist guides, waiter service, cultural tours, festivals and events, also very important -emergency evacuation procedures.

Ambrose further pointed out that the ageing population demographic in developed economies has drawn attention to the growing market of older tourists. This market segment typically spends more than average and also includes a higher number of persons with impairments or health conditions, which need to be considered by tourism providers.   Major sporting events such as the Olympic and Paralympic Games have obliged host countries to improve accessibility for tourists. Social Tourism has also played a role in widening the availability of tourism to marginalized groups, and includes holidays for disabled people.

As well as that Accessible Tourism is a right under Article 30 of the UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The Convention was signed by 140 countries (including New Zealand), but there is still a considerable gap between access needs and the solutions offered by destinations.

Guest blog by Jim Llewellyn. In February, Ann and Jim Llewellyn of Hervey Bay, Queensland, Australia toured the south island of New Zealand for two weeks. Jim is a right-leg amputee and – depending on circumstances – alternates between a wheelchair, crutches, or a prosthesis to get around.  When booking accommodation for their trip, all providers were notified of Jims need for lodgings accessible to a wheelchair user, and all booked the couple into what they (the providers) considered wheelchair accessible rooms. On their return home, Jim sent Access Tourism New Zealand the following report on their accommodation experiences.

Ann and Jim Llewellyn

In summary, Jim found:

 • Although all 10 operators claimed their accommodation was accessible, none of the ten we stayed at were fully accessible, and accessibility ranged from non-existent to poor for most, to excellent for one (Amber Court Motor Lodge, Nelson).

• There seems to be no standard requirements

• In most hotels/motels disability features are at the whim of the installer as to location and design

• So-called accessible rooms for people with disabilities are often located well away from entrances to buildings, and I got the feeling that in some places it was “out of sight, out of mind”.

• Design features are such that microwaves, power outlets and switches are not suitably placed.

• Showers have no curtains so that the whole floor gets wet. To get from the shower I would have to place my crutches in the wet and walk in the wet. No squeegees were supplied.

• Taps generally are of the knob-type not the extended-arm type (i.e., easy to use by people with physical disabilities).

• Many consider only wheelchairs, not other disabilities. • There were no visual or vibratory emergency alarms for the hearing impaired.

 In addition, Jim reports that where wheelchair- accessible public toilets were used en route (when available) they were in general use, and were dirty, with very wet floors. Therefore, if a person had to remove a prosthesis, their clothes would get soiled.

Jim also writes that, in looking on the internet for accommodation for a return trip planned later this year to the north island of New Zealand, he has found discrimination in many instances where a disabled person is charged considerably more for accommodation.

You can read Jim’s assessment of the ten accommodations here:

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