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

Lilian Müller, president of the European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT), told the 20th World Travel Monitor Forum in Pisa Italy that while millions of people around the world want to travel and have the time and money to do so, they are forced to stay at home because of insufficient facilities. However, with improved accessibility, the €100 billion travel and tourism market for people with disabilities or physical restrictions could develop strongly.  She added that given world population aging, this neglected market will inevitably grow in importance in coming years.  According to research in Europe alone, there are 80 million people with disabilities.  When travel companions are included, the potential size of the “accessible tourism” market is estimated at 133 million people, the Swedish expert said.  In the UK, disabled visitors (about 11% of all visitors) contributed almost £2 billion to the British domestic visitor economy in 2009, while in Australia, about 11% of visitors are disabled and contributing up to 16% of tourism GDP and sustaining up to 17% of jobs in the tourism sector.  In Germany, the direct turnover generated by disabled travellers is estimated at €2.5 billion, and rises to €4.8 billion when including indirect effects.  However, in that country, 37% of disabled people decided not to travel in the past due to a lack of accessible facilities, 48% would travel more frequently if these were available and 60% would be ready to pay higher travel costs for improved accessibility.  Worldwide, 10% of the population needs “barrier free” or “accessible” travel.

“People with disabilities or reduced mobility want to travel just like everyone else. They don’t want to stay at home,” Müller said. The travel and tourism industry should therefore recognise them as an important customer group both now and in future. “It’s a good idea to invest in tomorrow’s consumers,” she commented. Disabled people are also significant because they tend to be loyal to a destination, staying longer and spending more if their needs are met.  In addition, the sector is  facing new legal obligations in terms of access, Müller pointed out. More than 140 countries have signed the UN Declaration on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, while the European Commission is planning an EU Accessibility Act that would oblige member states to ensure equal access to goods and services, including travel and tourism, for all citizens.

The ENAT president stressed that accessible tourism has to cover all parts of the value chain, from better information and booking, transportation, through to facilities at the destination, including accommodation, catering and activities, as well as tourism services. This is not a niche market any longer; accessibility must be part of all offers and tourism products but there will also be a continuing need in the market for specialised suppliers who can provide services for customers with higher level access requirements, she emphasised. One important area in future will be to make travel and tourism information more accessible on the internet, for example for blind and deaf people.  But tourist board websites generally fail on this front, according to an ENAT survey. Only 10 out of 39 NTO websites complied with web accessibility criteria in a 2011.  More than half failed to provide accessibility information.

The first South-East Asian Conference on Accessible Travel (SEACAT2012) was held in Kuala Lumpur 23-25 November, 2012.  More than 200 participants from China, Hong Kong, India, the Philippines, Taiwan, Nepal, South Korea, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand attended.  Sandra Rhodda, of Access Tourism New Zealand (ATNZ) gave an invited plenary presentation and a workshop.  The conference was organized by the Beautiful Gate Foundation for the Disabled, the Malaysia Council of Rehabilitation, and 12 disability-related organizations in Malaysia.  The event was supported by the Malaysia Prime Minister Department with a grant of RM150,000, and Ministry of Women, Family, and Community Development.  Guest speakers and others were welcomed after the conference by the Mayor of Kuala Lumpur at a reception at the Botanical Gardens.  The conference received excellent coverage in local Chinese and English language newspapers (for example, 1, 2, 3), and on radio.

An interim committee was formed for an Asia Pacific Network on Accessible Travel, made up of members from various countries and organizations (including ATNZ).

The presentations made at the conference are now available in PDF format here:  http://seacat.beautifulgate.org.my/download/

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.

The European Commission (Directorate-General for Enterprise and Industry, Directorate F: Tourism, CSR, Consumer Goods and International Regulatory Agreements) is seeking tenders for a market research and public opinion poll on the economic impact and travel patterns of accessible tourism in Europe.

Travelling for pleasure (or for business) in Europe is equally relevant for persons with physical disabilities, but the barriers they have to face are far greater.  Tourism accessibility across Europe is still to some extent unchartered territory, with widespread misconceptions and lack of knowledge about the market of tourists with special access needs.  Visitors’ requirements are largely unknown, investment costs are often misunderstood or exaggerated and accessibility is generally perceived by business as a “burden”.  Travelling and having full access to tourist activities, services and facilities is a right enshrined in Article 9 of the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities, signed by the European Union and its 27 Member States.  Furthermore, making tourism facilities more accessible to people with disabilities, is also a golden opportunity for businesses.

Very few studies have been carried out on the economic impact or patterns of demand and travel of visitors with disabilities.  The most recent has been a research project that in 2011 looked at the tourism, travel, and hospitlaity patterns and needs of people with hearing loss conducted for the new Zealand National Foundation for the Deaf, by the NZ Tourism Research Institute at AUT University, and Access Toruism NZ.   The overall purpose of this EU contract is to collect comprehensive and EU-wide data on the economic impact — both actual and potential — of travellers with special access needs on the EU tourism sector, and to study the demand, travel behaviour, and patterns of travellers with special access needs in Europe.  The final date for tender submissions is 28/06/2012.

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 National Center on Accessibility is a center of Indiana University’s Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Studies within theSchool of Health, Physical Education and Recreation.  Since 1992, NCA has played a critical role in increasing awareness of inclusion of people with disabilities in parks, recreation and tourism while advancing the spirit and intent of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Rehabilitation Act and other disability legislation.  Through research, technical assistance and training, NCA builds a continuum of comprehensive services for park and recreation practitioners, focusing on universal design and practical solutions that create inclusive recreation opportunities for people of all abilities.  NCA is funded in part by theNational Park Service.

NCA conducts and facilitates research on issues critical to access in recreation environments. NCA has partnered with researchers from the universities of Minnesota, Utah, Georgia and Tennessee to discover the needs and preferences of people with disabilities. NCA Research provides professionals with practical solutions to enhance access for visitors with disabilities. NCA Research has shaped the development of policy and accessibility standards nationally and internationally. Electronic copies of all NCA research reports are available through the IU Scholar Works repository.

NCA Education programs are designed to engage practitioners in recreation access issues with instructors nationally recognized for their expertise and commitment to inclusive recreation environments for people with disabilities.  Thousands of park and recreation professionals, architects, landscape architects, planners, interpreters, accessibility coordinators, administrators, advocates and consumers have not only participated in NCA Education programs, but as a result have been able to create change within their organizations and communities leading to a society more inclusive of people with disabilities.

NCA professional staff give personalized technical assistance on a broad range of issues related to compliance with disability legislation and accessibility standards. Drawing on a national network, NCA can respond to requests for information with the latest trends, the most current information on accessibility standards, rulemaking, program modifications, equipment, vendors, best practices and innovative solutions.

Access Tourism New Zealand is celebrating celebrates 18 months  as a member of the eGranary Global Disability Rights Library.  The eGranary Digital Library — “The Internet in a Box” — is an off-line information store that provides instant access to over 30 million Internet resources to institutions lacking adequate Internet access. Through a process of copying web sites (with permission) and delivering them to partner institutions in developing countries, this digital library delivers instant access to a wide variety of educational resources including video, audio, books, journals, and web sites.

There are two major types of eGranaries: Web servers connected to wireless networks or local area networks (LANs) that can serve thousands of patrons; and stand-alone USB drives that connect to a single computer. Both have a built-in proxy and search engine that emulates the Internet experience. Both include built-in tools for subscribers to upload local materials as well as create and edit unlimited Web sites.

The eGranary Digital Library was founded in 2001 and is developed by the WiderNet Project, a service program based at the University of Iowa’s School of Library and Information Science. The eGranary is installed in more than 450 schools, clinics, and universities in Africa, India, Bangladesh, and Haiti. The project aims to expand its installations to thousands of schools, hospitals and universities in underserved areas around the globe.

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.”

The 2011 M-Enabling Summit and Showcase for Mobile Applications and Services for Seniors and Persons with Disabilities will bring together leaders in the global emerging mobile accessibility eco-system to foster discussion and decision-making among mobile technology, aging and disability experts, and policy professionals in the United States and abroad. The Summit’s Inaugural Briefing Session, hosted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will cover the latest legislative and regulatory steps taken by the United States and other countries on mobile accessibility. The event is presented by the Global Initiative for Inclusive Information and Communication Technologies (G3ict) and E.J. Krause & Associates (in cooperation with the  International Telecommunication Union and the FCC.  Participants will include representatives from AT&T, Verizon, W3C, Daisy Consortium, the AAPD, AFB, and UNCRPD, amongst others.

Key tracks will highlight new innovations addressing the specific needs of users living with different types of disability, as well as major emerging market opportunities, such as accessible and assistive applications and solutions for travel and tourism.

“More than 5.4 billion mobile phones are in service today while, according to the latest WHO-World Bank Report on Disability, 1 billion persons live with disabilities – 54 million in the United States alone – including a large proportion of seniors,” said conference co-organizer Axel Leblois, Executive Director of G3ict. “The M-Enabling Summit will be the first opportunity for all stakeholders involved to participate in a groundbreaking sharing of experience among mobile industry, private sector leaders, senior and disability organizations, IT professionals, operators, apps developers, government, and accessibility experts.”

The Summit will be held in Washington D.C. from December 5-6, 2011 at the Gaylord
National Resort and Convention Center at National Harbor.

The Italian Ministry of Tourism has created a Manifesto promoting Accessible Tourism (English and Italian versions).   It is part of its commitment to put into effect Article 30 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.  Article 30 – Participation in cultural life, recreation, leisure and sport – includes that States Parties recognize the right of persons with disabilities to take part on an equal basis with others in cultural life, including enjoying films, theatre and other cultural activities, in accessible formats;  access to places for cultural performances or services, such as theatres, museums, cinemas, libraries and tourism services, and, as far as possible, enjoy access to monuments and sites of national cultural importance; and access tourism venues.

Chairman of the Italian Agency for Tourism (ENIT), Matteo Marzotto said that accessibility means lack of architectural, cultural and sensory barriers.  “It relates to people with particular needs, not only regarding movement but also chronic health issues (people with food and environment allergies, the blind, the deaf or mentally disabled people, small children and the elderly, etc.). The involvement of all these visitors and their families in tourism has a great numerical as well as psychological, impact”.

Following the signing in Vicenza, in May 2011, the new Italian National Tourism Code (Decree 79 of 5/23/2011) was passed into law, to be in force from 21 June.  This marks a major step forward in the Italian legislation on Accessible Tourism.  The Minister of Tourism, Michela Vittoria Brambilla is Chair of the Executive Council Board of the UN World Tourism Organisation and in that role in Nairobi in July 2011 has proposed to 154 countries and 400 other WTO member organizations to sign up to the Manifesto. The first interested countries can sign the document already from the next UNWTO meeting which should take place in Cambodia in October.

The first international NGO to support the Manifesto is the European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT).  ENAT Board Member, Dr. Angelika Laburda signed the Manifesto on behalf of ENAT at the Gitando 2011 Feira da Vicenza trade fair on 25th March 2011, along with the Minister. Laburda said that the document raises awareness of the importance of providing accessibility for all tourists.

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.

The final conference-workshop of the central European project CrossCulTour addresses “CrossCulTour achievements, European cultural tourism and best practice in heritage management and cultural tourism management”.  Based on the Romanesque heritage – TRANSROMANICA The European Routes of Romanesque Heritage – CrossCulTour embraces further stylistic periods and cultural elements of the regions, establishes collaboration with marketing partners linked to cultural heritage and promotes cross-sector cooperation. The workshop – co-financed by the European Commission EU Regional Development Fund – will present achievements of the project “CrossCulTour – Cross Marketing Strategies for Culture and Tourism”, as well as European cultural tourism networks and best practice examples within heritage management and cultural tourism marketing.  It includes a session on “Access for All to Cultural Tourism” by Mieke Broeders, Executive Secretary, European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT).  Mieke is the Director of Toegankelijkheidsbureau, which is the major accessibility advisory and consultancy organization in Flanders, Belgium. She is also director of the Flemish Expert Centre on Accessibility. The workshop takes place in Brussels, Belgium on 7 September 2011.

The National Geographic Travel Magazine next issue will feature an article on Access Travel.  The magazine interviewed American accessible tourism guru and author of the Rolling Rains Report Scott Rains for the piece. Rains has noticed something interesting lately. Other folks his age—the 76 million Americans born between 1946 and 1964 and referred to as the baby boom generation—have begun to understand the need for accessible tourism.  Boomers are joining forces with disability and senior groups to add muscle to the cause of increased accessibility in travel. “They don’t intend to let hip replacements and insulin shots stop them from traveling,” says Rains. “Nor will they be pandered to, stigmatized, or written off.”  Rains and his generation are part of a growing movement. Retiring 60-somethings have more time to travel, which has increased demand for accessible accommodations. The nonprofit Society for Accessible Travel and Hospitality (SATH), made up mostly of travel agencies catering to those with mobility issues, saw members’ hotel bookings more than double last year, a remarkable feat in a recession.

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The 13th International Conference on Mobility and Transport for Elderly and Disabled Persons (TRANSED 2012) scheduled to be held in New Delhi, India September 17-21, 2012 will have as one of its themes “Accessible Tourism: Conservation, Access to the Historic and Natural Heritage”. Hosted by Svayam in partnership with the Ministry of Transport, Government of Delhi and Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, the conference is co-sponsored by Transportation Research Board (USA). Held every three years, TRANSED conferences are milestone events in the field of accessible transportation, attracting researchers, policy-makers, transport operators, consumers and other specialists from around the world to share innovations and best practices in order to make transportation and mobility accessible to everyone.  The theme of the Conference is “Seamless Access for All: Universal design for transport systems and infrastructure as a key element in the creation of liveable cities”. Other sub-themes are:

• Role of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) •  Best practices and innovations • Environmental impact, sustainability, and accessibility of integrated multimodal systems • Accessible Public Transport (Bus Rapid Transit, Metro, Para-transit systems etc.) • Highway design and safety • G. Pedestrian mobility & safety for livable communities • Rural access and mobility • Implementation, monitoring and enforcement • Potential of Technology in Accessibility for all (Information Technology, Accessibility aids, etc.)

Deadline for abstracts is July 31, 2011. For more information, visit the conference website or contact secretariat@transed2012.in

A National Dialogue of key stakeholders in inclusive and accessible tourism was opened in Australia on Monday by Senator the Hon Jan McLucas, Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Carers at Parliament House, Canberra. In her opening address, McLucas said that the Australian government wants to see improved access to airlines, resorts, hotels, tour operations, restaurants and cafes.  People with disability should be able to enjoy their holidays without barriers. The National Dialogue brings together peak providers of tourism focused information and referral services for people with disabilities to share evidence and research on tourism and disability and to identify ways to raise awareness of the value and need among the industry as well as government and the general community of improved accessibility for people with disability (McLucas).

The Dialogue, hosted by NICAN and chaired by Annette Ellis, National Patron and former Shadow Minister for Disability and Carers, has agreed on a call to action for the tourism industry, government and the Australian community.  A joint communiqué notes amongst other things that:

• Accessible tourism for people who have a disability or who are ageing is seen as an opportunity for Australian Tourism to seize the competitive advantage in a tight market.  The time is right for action as Australia’s baby boomers retire.
• Key stakeholders including researchers, tourism operators and referral providers have joined forces, with the support of the Australian Government, to build awareness about the opportunities and to address barriers to tourism by these groups.  
• There is growing understanding of the potential of accessible tourism to boost visitor numbers and strengthening Australia as a top draw international tourism destination
• Access to leisure and recreation, including holidaying, is an important part of living an ordinary life and helps realise the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with a Disability and the Australian National Disability Strategy.
• Accessible tourism will help build a more welcoming and inclusive society, where individuals and families with a disability have choices and no longer feel shut out
• Accessible tourism makes good business sense and is also consistent with rights, access and corporate social responsibility.

The Dialogue welcomed the Government’s commitment in the area of travel and tourism through the National Disability Strategy as well as work on Access to Premises and Transport Standards, access to airlines and cinema access.   It pointed out that more could be done including an inclusive/accessible tourism category within a mainstream tourism award; a marketing strategy; a practical information guide; a national forum with tourism operators and further work to refresh and promote the business case for inclusive and accessible tourism, especially with industry.  The communiqué was issued by Australia For All Alliance Inc, Greatvenue,  Disabled Motorists Association, Disability Information and Resource Centre, NICAN, IDEAS, Travability, and Leadership Plus.

The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is a specialized agency of the United ‎Nations and the leading international organization in the field of tourism.   Its membership includes 154 countries, 7 territories and over 400 Affiliate ‎Members representing the private sector, educational institutions, tourism associations ‎and local tourism authorities.‎  It ‎includes tourism and travel by people with disabilities as a vital element of any responsible and sustainable tourism development policy.  In 2005, the Organization’s General Assembly adopted “Accessible Tourism for All”, which features a series of recommendations to the sector, highlights the need to provide clear information on the accessibility of tourism facilities, the availability of support services in destinations for persons with disabilities, and the training of employees on the needs of people with disabilities.  The document was prepared with the help of experts from the ONCE Foundation (a Spanish disabilities organization).    In October 2009, UNWTO again underscored the importance of accessibility with the “Declaration on the Facilitation of Tourist Travel”, approved by its General Assembly.  The declaration calls upon states to ensure the accessibility of tourism establishments and endorses the general principles enshrined in Article 3 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.  In 2011, UNWTO plans to work with ONCE and the European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT) to develop guidelines, indicators, benchmarking and training in Accessible Tourism.  It will also work on policy-making, awareness-raising, and capacity building projects, especially via the UNWTO Themis Foundation, which is responsible for implementing the UNWTO work programme on education and training.

The John F. Kennedy for the Performing Arts and partners are holding a conference on Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability (LEAD) in August.  LEAD has been engaging cultural administrators from around the world in a conversation on accessibility, disability and inclusion for more than 10 years. Two days of conference are preceded by three days of relevant pre-conference workshops. The conference is aimed at cultural organizations such as museums, galleries, and theatres, and at state and local governments, universities and colleges and anyone involved in the arts with an interest in access for people with disabilities. It will consider a broad range of access topics, such as web accessibility, social media, captioning in theatres, the Americans with Disabilities Act, access evaluations, staff and volunteer training, effective access planning, effective communication for people who are blind/low vision, and/or deaf/hard of hearing, audio description, funding, grants, and much more.  LEAD is a professional network focused on expanding the breadth and scope of accessibility services and programming across the USA and around the world. The network:

• explores practical methods for implementing accessibility in cultural environments;
• communicates information about arts and accessibility, and;
• shares resources and knowledge among professionals in the field of accessibility.

 A variety of helpful tip sheets can be found here.

 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.