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

Skier with a disability. Photo by Larry Pierce

The BBC reports that last month, New York City launched a new dispatch system for wheelchair-accessible taxis, making it easier for visitors with disabilities and locals to get around the city. Prospective passengers can book the taxis online, use a free smart phone app called Wheels on Wheels, send a text message to 646-400-0789 or call a cab the old fashioned way – dialling either 646-599-9999 (direct line) or 311 (citywide information line). Though there was a regular dispatch system for all taxis before, there was nothing specifically for wheelchair-accessible vehicles.  Philadelphia is working on a similar project, hoping to have 300 wheelchair-accessible taxis by the end of 2012 and to make all city cabs accessible by 2016. Likewise, on Dublin, the public bus system Dublin Bus is planning for a fully-accessible fleet by the end of this year, with more than 90% of the buses already remodelled.

Other places around the world that have recently made (or are in the process of making) improvements with visitors with disabilities in mind include:

Smooth sailing in Turkey
Turkey is updating its sea ports, harbours and sea transportation vehicles to catch up with the country’s already handicap-accessible airports, train stations and trains. The goal of the “unhindered seas project” is to make improvements such as increasing the number of accessible toilets and the number of available resting areas for the elderly and anyone with physical handicaps.

Better buildings in Dublin and France
In Dublin, all new or newly renovated commercial or non-residential buildings are required to pass a disability access certification process, and all government buildings are expected to be fully accessible by 2015. France has the same goal, but unlike Dublin it is not on track with its timeline. Today only about 15% of government buildings are accessible, a delay that is being blamed on the country’s economic austerity.

Updates in a winter wonderland
Just in time for ski season, Colorado’s Monarch Mountain Ski Resort is remodelling its base lodge to include a wheelchair-accessible elevator. For something a little different right outside the resort, the outfitter Monarch Dog Sled Rides offers scenic winter sled rides through the San Isabel National Forest that can accommodate people with disabilities.

Source: Travel Tips by Suemedha Sood, BBC Travel.

 The fifth Italian Accessible Tourism and Sports Show (Gitando.all) is an exhibition specifically for people with disabilities and their families, associations, and clubs. 

The Show presents places to go with accessible current offers, trips, sport, nature, and cultural products, hospitality and accommodation facilities, and leisure time and amusement activities. The Exhibition is also a place where the industry can meet and talk with the accessible tourism sector.  It is therefore of interest to tourism companies, tourism associations, accommodation providers, travel and tour guides and operators, transport and vehicle rental companies, public authorities and decision-makers, retailers and store managers, rehabilitation facilities, architects and planners, rehabilitation experts, and educators.  It is organised in collaboration with Village for All (V4A®), and will be held at the Fiera di Vicenza 21-24 March, 2013. Other events running at the same time will include an “Open Access”, organized by Confartigianato Vicenza, a European show of “Cities for All”, and two experiential areas curated by University of Venice Cà Foscari and from IUAV.

Beginning with the tourism sector, Fiera di Vicenza intends to group together top international companies dealing in all aspects of accessibility solutions.  Including Gitando.all, MITA and BIFA will be held.   The third MITA (International Meeting on Accessible Tourism) is a chance to examine and discuss accessible tourism and best international and national practice in accessible tourism with internationally important spokespeople such as Antonio Tajani, Vice President of the European Commission, Carlo Fidanza, Member of the European Parliament, Max Stich, Vice President of ADAC, Magnus Berglund, Scandic Hotels’ Quality Manager for customers with specific needs and the Governor of the Veneto Region, Luca Zaia. MITA 3 is run in collaboration with the European Commission and ENAT (European Network for Accessible Tourism).

The third BIFA – Buy Italy for all – is a workshop and a unique annual opportunity for accessible tourism operators (Italian sellers) to meet with tour operators, travel agencies and associations interested in purchasing Italian Accessible Tourism products (international and Italian buyers).

In 2010, 2011 and 2012, the President of the Italian Republic, Hon. Giorgio Napolitano, presented Gitando.all with an Award of National Merit. Such an award demonstrates the Head of State’s consent to particularly worthy initiatives.

Heathrow, the host airport of London 2012, has dramatically improved accessibility for passengers with disabilities due to the huge investments it made during the Paralympic Games.  So writes Tom Degun in Inside the Games.  The peak arrivals day for the Paralympics came on August 22 when around 2,100 athletes and officials came through Heathrow, with the airport handling over 2,800 wheelchairs during the Games.  During the Olympics and Paralympics, more than 75,000 journeys were made by Paralympians, Olympians and team officials. As well as the 2,800 wheelchairs, the airport handled 5,000 oversized bags including canoes, javelins, bikes and pole vault poles; 1,300 firearms plus ammunition; and 20,000 members of the media. The Paralympics naturally presented a different and greater operational  challenge than the Olympics given the complexity of handling increased numbers  of Passengers with Reduced Mobility (PRMs).   The challenge during the Paralympics was the complexity of passengers’ needs rather than the volume of passengers and bags, meaning it wasn’t necessary to use the temporary Games Terminal for departing Paralympians. However, 300 volunteers waved off each Paralympian with a Guard of Honour bidding them farewell.

“The Heathrow team has spent the last seven years preparing for this challenge,” explained Nick Cole, head of London 2012 planning at Heathrow Airport.  “We conducted rehearsals to test our processes and procedures, and have spent more than £20 million ($32 million/€25 million) in preparing for the Games.  “This includes installing new ramps and lifts to manage the number of passengers with mobility disabilities using Heathrow, and we have given extra training for our staff and volunteers on the safe way to handle specialist wheelchairs.”

In order to meet the challenge posed by the Paralympic Games, Heathrow partnered with mobility charity Whizz-Kidz. The charity offered first-hand, expert guidance on how to further improve the airport’s accessibility. It audited Heathrow’s terminal facilities and suggested a number of improvements, including increasing the number of specialist lifts, known as ambilifts, which are used to help PRMs embark and disembark aircraft. Heathrow now has 12 ambilifts – more than any other airport in Europe.

The charity also recommended obtaining 13 scissor lifts and installing 100 new ramps to help load and unload wheelchairs, upgrading and increasing its fleet of buggies for transporting PRMs through the airport to a total of 60 vehicles, installing four new lifts to help return wheelchairs to the aircraft door, increasing the number of lightweight aisle chairs and self-propelled wheelchairs to 38 and 20 respectively, an on-site wheelchair repair service and installing new accessible toilets. “These improvements provide a positive lasting legacy with an enhanced level of accessibility for PRMs,” added Cole.  “We are very passionate about this and this dedication is becoming infectious across the airport.”

1,000 volunteers were recruited from local communities to assist travellers and Cole added that they had a hugely positive impact, which he hopes will be continued after the Games.  “We would like to have permanent volunteers, local people, working with us to welcome passengers to London and provide the best possible passenger experience.”  The focus now is on the London 2012 legacy and many of the improvements at London-Heathrow will continue to benefit passengers for years to come.

The United Nations’ International Day of Persons with Disabilities will be held  3 December 2012.  Theme: Removing barriers to create an inclusive and accessible society for all.  Over one billion people, or approximately 15% of the world’s population, live with some form of disability.  Persons with disabilities, “the world’s largest minority”, often face barriers to participation in all aspects of society. Barriers can take a variety of forms, including those relating to the physical environment or to information and communications technology (ICT), or those resulting from legislation or policy, or from societal attitudes or discrimination. The result is that persons with disabilities do not have equal access to society or services, including education, employment, health care,  transportation, political participation or justice.  Evidence and experience shows that when barriers to their inclusion are removed and persons with disabilities are  empowered to participate fully in societal life, their entire community benefits. Barriers faced by persons with disabilities are, therefore, a detriment to society as a whole, and accessibility is necessary to achieve progress and development for all.

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) recognizes that the existence of barriers constitutes a central component of disability. Under the Convention, disability is an evolving concept that “results from the interaction between persons with impairments and attitudinal and environmental barriers that hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.”  Accessibility and inclusion of persons with disabilities are fundamental rights recognized by the CRPD and are not only objectives, but also pre-requisites for the enjoyment of other rights. The CRPD (Article 9, accessibility) seeks to enable persons with disabilities to live independently and participate fully in all aspects of life and development. It calls upon States Parties to take appropriate measures to ensure that persons with disabilities have access to all aspects of society, on an equal basis with others, as well as to identify and eliminate obstacles and barriers to accessibility.

In spite of this, in many parts of the world today, lack of awareness and understanding of accessibility as a cross-cutting development issue remains an obstacle to the achievement of progress and development through the Millennium Development Goals, as well as other internationally agreed outcomes for all. The commemoration of International Day of Persons with Disabilities in 2012 provides an opportunity to address this exclusion by focusing on promoting
accessibility and removing all types of barriers in society.  The UN Enable website lists how the day may be observed.

At a press conference during the Paralympics in London, James Berresford, CE of Visit England, pointed out how much the UK had done to improve access for people with disabilities leading up to the games.  In a 4km stretch of the South Bank walk alone, £4 million had been spent by Southwark and Lambeth Councils on improving  access.  The improvements include new pavement layouts, better lighting and signage, more seating, more access ramps and handrails.  Improvements across the  Uk make this one of the most accessible destinations in the world.  For example, in London alone, all 8,500 buses and all 22,000 black cabs are wheelchair accessible.

Inclusive London, a website developed by the London 2012 team at the Greater London Authority, went live in March 2011.  Since that time, it has had 12 million hits, says Berresford, and the International Paralympics Committee see the site as a model for use in future Paralympics.  The site allows people to post reviews and  give feedback about the accessibility facilities offered by a place they have visited. Businesses are being encouraged to log on and sign-up to the site so they can register their details and advertise the accessible facilities they offer. The plan is for the site to become a first port of call for people who will be planning a trip to the capital in 2012 and beyond.

Berresford pointed out that already half a million people with disabilities visit London every year, and spend £300 million per year in the UK, while 11 million disabled Brits and their travelling companions spend £2 billion/year.

The Global Disability Rights Library (GDRL) – on which Access Tourism New Zealand has a link – now provides more content than ever. There are now nine information portals which provide materials on topics relevant to the needs of Disabilities Organizations, government officials, professionals, grassroots advocates, and others working to improve the lives of people with disabilities. An on-line version of the library is available. An off-line version is also stored inside eGranary Digital Libraries for delivery to developing countries where Internet access is limited. The GDRL team is now no longer accepting applications to receive an off-line eGranary for 2012. However, organizations interested in receiving notification of future opportunities can submit their full contact information here. The GDRL project is a joint initiative of the U.S. international Council on Disabilities and the University of Iowa WiderNet Project supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development.

The years of work by a number of bodies in improving access in London in the lead up to the London Olympics and Paralympics (27 July-9 September) is now very evident. The Olympics and Paralympics will bring an extra 11 million visitors to London. Here are just some of the developments.

Transport for All in the UK (TfA), an NGO that has been working for two decades to further the cause of accessible transport in London today launched its new accessible transport information pages.   The Getting to the Games page is aimed at people who want to know how to access each of London’s transport services during Games time, including accessible parking and travelling into London from other areas of the UK. The Avoiding the disruption page contains information for disabled and older Londoners who want to get around as usual during the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Access and facilities at each train station can be found on the National Rail website (station tool), and the website also has an Accessible Rail Travel page.  There is a journey planner available on the London 2012 site, which includes estimated journey times, and a place to download a complete map of all London’s train and tube services, including accessible stations.

Inside all venues, there will be a Games Mobility Service. They will provide wheelchairs, powered wheelchairs and scooters. They can also assist visually impaired visitors to their seats.  Vehicles at all venues can be pre-booked until mid-April. After that, vehicles can be requested on arrival at a venue on the day, on a first come, first served basis.

Inclusive London  (The Greater London Authority and Direct Enquiries) also have produced and access guide to all of the Olympic venues with a key to the meaning of symbols used.  Direct Enquiries, The Nationwide Access Register, was developed in partnership with RADAR and the Employers’ Forum on Disability to provide people with information about disabled access in buildings and premises all across the UK. The register has expanded since its creation to include additional information for parents such as pushchair access.

Inclusive London also has on its website information about accessible hotels, restaurants, pubs, entertainment and attractions, healthcare, shopping, and public services. It also provides information about these facilities around Great Britain.  Another website with invaluable information about access in London and in the UK is Tourism For All.  Well worth a visit.

Travelling Chair is a social networking website where people with disabilities can rate, review and share information on public venues on accessibility.  The website is new but already carries accessibility information about everything from coffee shops to hotels, from clubs to shopping in Victoria Australia.  Grit Media developed the site after finding it difficult to get information about disabilities access at venues.  They found that online databases tended to be out of date with no more than a picture of a chair to indicate accessibility. Calling venues was problematic as staff would often not understand what was needed in terms of bathroom size, wide doorways, space between tables, etc.  Physically checking places out was just far too time consuming.  What was needed was a detailed, updatable database, easily searchable by types of accessibility and physical location; a place where people who understood accessibility could share information about their experiences and make it publically available.  Hence they developed Travelling Chair.  Everyone is invited to add reviews to the site.

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.”

London 2012 reports that all London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic venues will be accessible to people with disabilities and that they are committed to ensuring that there are good accessible transport options for all spectators travelling to the Games.  The London 2012 Games are delivered by two key organisations – the London 2012 Organising Committee and the Olympic Delivery Authority.

Many access improvements and service enhancements have been made for the Games to make public transport much easier for disabled people, older people and passengers travelling with children. National Rail, London Underground, London Overground and the Docklands Light Railway have all enhanced – and continue to enhance – the accessibility of their services.  Across the network, tactile warning surfaces have been, or are being, installed on platforms and staircases, and seats are available on most platforms.   Audio and visual information is available on
many trains and at many stations. A number of stations have wide-aisle, automatic ticket gates, so they can be used independently by travellers using wheelchairs or those travelling with assistance dogs or pushchairs.

London 2012 has created maps showing the accessible travel routes and stations within London and across the UK. The UK map and south-east map shows where stations are step-free with assistance available at the station and where there is assistance available at the station, but not necessarily step-free facilities. The London map shows levels of step-free facilities and staff assistance at stations across London.  At some venues, accessible shuttles capable of providing transport to multiple wheelchair users will be provided solely for spectators with accessibility
needs. All venues will have free, managed, secure cycle parking suitable for
all types of cycles, including hand bicycles, recumbent and children’s bicycles.

Information for people with accessibility needs is available on the London 2012 website, and – if you are travelling around London but not to the Games – on the Inclusive London website.

During the celebrations around the countdown of 1,000 days to go to the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, it was announced that Sochi is to become the first city in Russia to be put on the Russian Accessibility Map.  This map will provide information for people with disabilities about access at sport facilities.  Also launched during the 1000-day celebrations was the Accessible Volunteering Program aimed at making Sochi 2014 volunteering centers accessible for people with disabilities. Four such centres were established on 11 June – two centres in Moscow, one in Sochi and another one in Novorossiysk.   Dmitry Chernyshenko, President of the Organizing Committee said: “On 11 June, there were only 1,000 days left before the Paralympic Winter Games, and we started the countdown up to this historic event for Russia. This event is destined to bring about radical change in the attitude of Russian society towards people with an impairment. I am especially happy that our wonderful volunteers gave momentum to the celebration. They are the proof  that, thanks to the Games, we have been training people qualified to support and assist the disabled.  I am happy that on 11 June thousands of Russians joined the festivities, since the basic values of the Paralympic Movement, such as courage, equality, dedication and inspiration, are close to everyone’s heart!”

DisabledGo reports that a new website – My Access London -  has been created in anticipation of next years Olympics and Paralympics.  If you want to find out about the disabled access at venues or attractions across the capital this site has information to over 17,000 venues, including major tourist attractions like the London Eye, Westminster Abbey, London Zoo and the O2 Arena. All have been visited and assessed in person.   The site which officially launches at the beginning of June has been entirely funded and developed by DisabledGo, in response to feedback from disabled people and partner London boroughs who wanted to see an access guide totally dedicated to London.

The website offers an unprecedented choice of personally surveyed access guides.  Access Tourism New Zealand commends DisabledGo’s commitment to never publish self-assessed, non-verified information, that is, information provided by for example tourism venue owners such as accommodation providers or attractions unless it has been independently assessed.   As a research project in NZ has found (Rhodda, 2007), only about a third of tourism operators correctly self-assess their access for people with disabilities.

The number of venues featured on www.myaccesslondon.com will significantly increase during 2011 in the build up to next year’s Olympic Games. In July alone, 2,000 additional venues will be added thanks to new partnerships with London boroughs. If you would like more information about www.myaccesslondon.com please contact Rachel Felton, External Relations Manager. E: rachel.felton@disabledgo.com T: 01438 842710

This North American spring (2011), a company called Up & Away Ballooning will become the first hot air balloon operator in the United States to offer wheelchair using  adventurers the opportunity to soar above the California’s Sonoma County.  Up & Away Ballooning ordered specially-designed easy-access basket from London, designed to include everyone. The basket measures approximately 4 feet by 7 feet and can carry a wheelchair rider and up to three others.  Mike and Patti Kijak, owners of Up & Away Ballooning made the decision to purchase the wheelchair accessible basket in response to numerous inquiries from private individuals and travel agents with clients seeking to experience Northern California’s picturesque Wine Country from a balloon.   “It’s a dream three years in the making,” says Mike.  You can watch a YouTube presentation about ballooning  over Sonoma Valley in a wheelchair here, and listen to a Big Blend radio interview about the project here.  

 Contact: Mike Kijak, Email: flightinfor@up-away.com, Phone: 707-836-0171, Toll Free within the states: 1800-711-2998

The new Disability and Sports web page on the United Nations Enable website highlights the unique ability of sport to transcend linguistic and cultural barriers making it an excellent platform for strategies for advancing inclusion and empowerment of persons with disabilities in society and development. It also draws attention to the universal popularity of sport and its physical, social and economic development benefits that make it an ideal tool for fostering the inclusion and well-being of persons with disabilities. The web page also provides links to publications and other documents on the issue, as well as links to related websites. Along with Member States and civil society, DESA will organize a panel discussion on 27 June at UN Headquarters to discuss issues on how to tap the potential of sports to promote disability-inclusive development and raise public awareness about disability issues. More information: http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=1563.

In February, the USA  Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the winners of the fourth annual “Building Healthy Communities for Active Ageing Award”.  The principal goal of the Award program is to raise awareness across the US about healthy synergies that can be achieved when communities combine and implement the principles of smart growth with the concepts of active aging.  

What began as an initiative by the World Health Organization in 2007 has now trickled down to cities across the US, Canada, Europe, Latin America, and beyond. In its push for the continued creation of environments that foster social inclusion and social participation, WHO stresses that “Active ageing is a lifelong process, …[therefore] an age-friendly city is not just ‘elderly friendly.’

Smart growth principles include  communities designing places that increase mobility and improve quality of life. Neighborhoods that integrate homes with shops, services, and parks and recreational facilities allow residents—especially older adults—to pursue an interesting and active life without depending on a car.  Active aging takes place when elders regularly participate in structured and unstructured physical activities.  By 2030, the 65 and older population in the United States is expected to reach nearly 20 percent, or more than 70 million.  Communities can promote Active aging by implementing a diverse array of accessible physical activity programs or self-directed activities such as walking and biking to local parks and greenways.

The EPA Achievement Award winners are public sector entities or neighborhood or non-government organizations that demonstrate excellence in building healthy communities for active aging.  One of the 201 winners was the City of Charlotte, North Carolina.  In the last five years, Charlotte has built sixteen miles of greenways, 88 miles of bike facilities and 106 miles of sidewalks have been completed. By retrofitting dozens of streets and adding ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) ramps at intersections, the City has made improvements for pedestrians of all ages and abilities.  The other recipient was Brazos Valley Council of Governments, Texas. Brazos improved biking and walking facilities, developed a wheelchair accessible trail system at Wolf Penn Creek, and a LifeTrail™, a fitness circuit designed to meet the needs of persons of all abilities, amongst other things.

Meanwhile, Colin Milner, CEO of the International Council on Active Aging points out that those 50 and older represent a huge market.  ”While there’s bound to be some segmentation, certain values, principles, and social-economic forces are converging to the point where we can make some predictions for the market as a whole.”  These include growth of “green exercise” and green communities. “Hiking, trail walks, meditation gardens, labyrinths, cycling paths, gardening, and eco tourism will flourish going forward,” says Milner

 Sources: US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

 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.

The Annals of Leisure Research is seeking papers for a special issue that examines the inclusion and citizenship of people with disability in “cultural life” (recreation, leisure, the arts, sport, or tourism).  The purpose is to:

a)      clarify what the terms inclusion and citizenship mean in different cultures;

b)      to place inclusion and citizenship to ‘cultural life ‘(recreation, leisure, the arts, sport or tourism) across discourses relating to economic, social and environmental contexts that affect people with disabilities participation; and

c)       to discuss the terms inclusion and citizenship from the ideological frameworks of government, researchers, providers of service or disability advocacy groups.

Submissions are sought from the consumer (demand), providers (supply) and coordination/regulation (government) sector perspectives. The guest editors invite interested researchers to contribute theoretical, methodological or empirical papers related to the theme of this Special Issue. The topics of potential papers include but are not limited to:

• The role of inclusion and citizenship in the construction of ‘cultural life’(recreation, leisure, the arts, sport or tourism) environments and experiences;
• What is the impact of inclusion/exclusion on the person and their experiences?;
• The social and/or cultural construction of inclusion in ‘cultural life’(recreation, leisure, the arts, sport or tourism) activities and experiences;
• The role of inclusion in the construction of cultural, sub cultural and personal identities of different societies;
• The role of inclusion in the construction and/or deconstruction of the intersection with gendered, ethnic and sexual identities within the experience of ‘cultural life’(recreation, leisure, the arts, sport or tourism);
• How experiences of inclusion compare and contrast between different dimensions of disability (e.g. mobility, vision, hearing, cognitive, sensitivities etc.);
• The impact of inclusion and citizenship within space and place making

Important Dates:

• Abstract deadline: 30 June 2011 to Jerome(at)dal.ca
• Notification of acceptance of abstracts deadline: 1 August 2011
• Submission for double-blind reviewing process: 30 November2011
• Review Process Notification: 30 January  2012
• Special issue publication: June or December 2012

For submission guidelines and more, continue reading……………..

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Visitors to London with specific accessibility needs will soon find it easier to plan and make the most of their stay in the capital using information from a new website – Inclusive London – launched today.  People planning a trip to the city will be able to use InclusiveLondon.com to find out about the accessibility features of hotels, restaurants, pubs, shops, museums and tourist attractions, the 2012 Games venues and more.   The user-friendly site, which will continue to run after the Games, allows people to post reviews and give feedback about the accessibility facilities offered by a place they have visited. Businesses are being encouraged to log on and sign-up to the site so they can register their details and advertise the accessible facilities they offer. The plan is for the site to become a first port of call for people who will be planning a trip to the capital in 2012 and beyond.  The spending power of disabled people in the UK is estimated to be in the region of £80billion each year.

 “At the Beijing Games in 2008 the Mayor said that the next Games in London would be the most accessible ever. I also want everybody to have the same opportunities to experience the wonders of this great city whenever they come, whether it is experiencing a great event or touring its wonderful attractions from its museums and theatres to its shops and restaurants.  This is a first for a host city and I am confident that as users add information to the site it will become a valuable one stop shop to help visitors with specific access needs to get around the capital and make the most of their stay,” said Deputy Mayor of London Richard Barnes.

Chris Holmes, Director of Paralympic Integration at the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG), and a former Paralympian said: “InclusiveLondon.com is a fantastic tool that will help us to deliver the most accessible and inclusive Games ever. The site is an invaluable resource for anyone with additional access needs, whether you’re a sports fan planning a trip to the city or simply someone who wants to soak up the party atmosphere during the Games.”

Joyce Cook, Chair of Level Playing Field, said: “One of the biggest challenges faced by any travelling disabled sports fan is to find reliable information on accessible accommodation, tourist spots and travel around a city. We very much welcome this new website which will most definitely be of great help to disabled travellers visiting London 2012 for both the Olympic and Paralympic Games.”

Grant Kennedy, Chief Executive of Direct Enquiries (which operates a national guide to accessible businesses – Inclusive Britain – which receives millions of hits every week), said: “Direct Enquiries are delighted to work in partnership with the GLA on this exciting project. InclusiveLondon.com will provide valuable information to millions of people who require specific access and facilities. This site will lead to disabled and older people having greater choice and will assist companies to improve their service for a wider audience’.

Inclusivelondon.com can filter search results by various accessibility features, such as whether a location has wheelchair or pushchair access, if there are hearing loops available, if there are baby changing facilities, whether assistance dogs are welcome and details of parking and toilet facilities. It can also help people plan their trip to the capital by providing a direct link to the Transport for London Journey Planner.  It has been developed by the London 2012 team at City Hall working with Direct Enquiries.   InclusiveLondon.com can be accessed via VisitLondon.com, the capital’s official visitor organisation which receives around 1.5 million visits a month.   Currently more than 7,700 locations have accessibility information against them.  Business and individuals are being actively encouraged to visit the site and add information that is available. Over the course of the next year the information will be increased, and organisations involved in the hospitality industry will be contacted to ask them to add their details.  Individuals are also being urged to play their part and add information and review the places they have visited.

With the European Union  estimating the Access Tourism market in Europe to be worth €80B, it is foolish not to take the chance to look make the Vuokattin region of  Finland  a destination of choice for everybody to enjoy regardless of their physical capabilities.   So says Danny Silva, Project Manager of the ELMA project at Vuokatti For All.    The  ELMA Project is committed to serving the region and all those who select Vuokatti and Kainuu as their destination of choice whether it be for holiday, business or any other reason.  It aims to create a high level sport and leisure environment for people with disabilities (PwDs).   “In my personal opinion (although influenced by proven research) sport is a pleasurable and healthy activity for all and Vuokatti’s main potential is sport and leisure tourism and the fact that a barrier-free sport and leisure environment is a rare but very desired thing, we now have the tools to become unique and a sought out destination” says Silva.    ELMA want to support all individuals and inspired entrepreneurs who look to develop in the Accessibility markets.   Silva reminds people that being accessible is not just about ramps and elevators but also about hospitality, friendliness, security, support and lots of fun.

 ELMA is also working with Snowpolis – a unique technology park with 27 companies specialising in wellness and sport – to coordinate the “Able Access for All Exchange” program (AAAE).  The AAAE is a European Union Calypso Project  for low season tourism exchanges for PwDs and others to travel to Europe’s holiday spots.  The AAAE will involve 2 other member states: Portugal and Cyprus.  Snowpolis will coordinate the activities of this project and the participating countries. The activities aim at studying, testing and proposing the possibilities of creating tourism exchange programs between organizations of different member states whilst using specific target groups to experience unique programs of the visited countries and promote low seasonality as a key period for a holiday.

UK companies have been urged by the CEO of People 1^st  – the sector skills council for the hospitality, leisure, tourism and travel industries – to ensure their services are “disability-friendly” and accessible ahead of the London Olympics and Paralympics 2012.  Brian Wisdom said that businesses would be short-sighted if they do not make moves to improve accessibility, as more than 20% of Britons have a disability.  The estimated annual purchasing power of people with disabilities in the UK is £80 billion.  BBC commentator and Paralympic gold medallist Marc Woods notes that there are simple steps businesses can take to welcome people with disabilities.  These include being friendly and respectful, because 66% of disabled people choose businesses renowned for good customer service and 83%  percent have taken their business to a more accessible competitor.

According to the London Organising Committee of the Games, thousands of applications to become Games Maker volunteers have been received from disabled people.  A new campaign to train 200,000 hospitality and tourism staff ahead of the Games has been launched by People 1st with backing from VisitEngland.  The WorldHost training programme includes learning modules on serving customers with disabilities. It covers topics such as knowing the right language to use and being aware of feelings, misconceptions and biases