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

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.

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.”

AccessibilityOnline represents a collaborative training program between the ADA National Network and the US Access Board. The program includes a series of free webinars and audio conferences on different topics of accessibility. Sessions are held on a monthly basis and cover a variety of topics concerning accessibility to the built environment, information and communication technologies, and transportation. The training is being coordinated and hosted by the Great Lakes ADA Center to provide accurate and quality training on the Architectural Barriers Act and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA/ABA) Accessibility Guidelines and on electronic and information technology accessibility standards (Section 508).  The next section is on accessible marinas and boating facilities and is being held on November 3rd.  You can submit questions for the webinar here.

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.

Scandic – which has 160 hotels in the Nordic region and Northern Europe - is intensifying its successful focus on improved accessibility for visitors with disabilities and others who want improved access. This year, over 100 new accessible rooms will be added to the portfolio and 2012 there will be even more to meet the large and growing demand. Scandic says that more and more companies and organisations seek rooms and conference facilities that are accessible to all.  At the same time the numbers of older, active private travellers who are  attracted by improved accessibility are increasing. Improving accessibility has proven to be a commercial success for Scandic.

Design for All is a key concept in Scandic’s accessibility work. The aim is for the accessible rooms to  be just as well designed as any other room, with practical solutions that go  almost unnoticed, except by those who really need them. Hooks, mirrors and keyholes at two heights are appreciated by children, short adults and those who use a wheelchair. Height-adjustable beds and extra spacious bathrooms are  popular with all guests. Scandic’s comprehensive 110-point accessibility  programme covers everything from team member training to adapted rooms and extensive, detailed accessibility information on every hotel’s website.

“When we take over a hotel, we implement our accessibility programme within three months and, after just one year, we tend to notice more bookings from private guests and from companies and organisations, thanks to our accessibility work. This gives us a clear competitive advantage and, as well as showing our commitment to social responsibility, we see major commercial benefits in being accessible to all,” says  Magnus Berglund, Disability Ambassador at Scandic.

New hotels require smart new solutions

A lowered reception desk for wheelchair users, a guest computer in the lobby at a comfortable height for a wheelchair and an ordinary chair, a hearing loop in conference facilities and reception, and vibrating alarm clocks that also hear the fire alarms are just some examples of smart solutions that ensure a high level of accessibility.   Scandic’s accessibility work remains a core focus in  its new and refurbished hotels, with numerous examples of best practice. To read about these, continue here:

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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.

Safe and reliable mobility is one of the primary challenges facing cities today. In industrialized countries, ageing societies mean that growing numbers of people are finding it more difficult to move around because of physical barriers, inadequate signposting and a general lack of attention to accessibility in planning and design. The obstacles once experienced by “disabled” people are now recognized as problems that will affect almost everyone at some point in their lifetime. So says the Schindler Group in announcing the fifth Schindler Award.  The Schindler Award is an architecture competition that challenges young architects to place “Access for All” at the centre of their design philosophy. Open to students and schools of architecture in Europe, the Award recognizes urban designs that are characterized by inclusiveness and barrier-free mobility for people of all ages and capabilities. The Award challenges young architects to think beyond form, light and materials and to focus on the needs of the people who will eventually inhabit the structures and spaces that they design.  “Access for All” is a design philosophy that envisions a built environment designed with the specific and changing needs of all its inhabitants in mind, irrespective of their age, status and physical capabilities. It goes far beyond “bolt-on” measures such improvised ramps and parking spaces reserved for disabled  drivers, and instead recognizes the urban landscape as a diverse environment where everyone – children, young people, parents, workers, the elderly and people with disabilities  – is able to move around freely and to share and enjoy public spaces. 

The Award grew out of the Schindler Group’s involvement in the European year of Disabled People in 2003. When Schindler supported a project aimed at raising awareness of the obstacles faced by disabled people.  Registrations open in September, 2011.

American Baby boomers and seniors age 50+ are increasingly likely to have a cell phone, a laptop, or a game console, representing the fastest growing age segment to adopt social networking technology (Rhodda).   The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) sees this as an opportunity to provide a connected lifestyle that blurs boundaries across home, work, leisure, and retirement, smoothly connecting online and offline lives.  Twitter use by 55-64 year old Americans doubled between November 2010 and May 2011, and also increased in 45-54 and those 65 or older (Pew International).  In Canada, those aged 55 or older are the largest drivers of social networking growth.  Canadians age 55 or older experienced 36% growth in unique social networking visitors and 48% growth in total social networking visits. Canadians 55 and up represent a combined 18% share of total social networkers. In contrast, social networking actually declined among Canada’s youngest consumers in the same time period. Canadians age 2-17 reported 9% fewer unique visitors and an 18% reduction in total visits (European Travel Commission).  Increasing tech use by older people will be important to tourism too.  A PhoCusWright report notes that by the end of next year, travellers will book one third of the world’s travel sales online.

In spite of these increases, the tech-enabled lifestyle is not yet widespread among older age ranges, and this is caused by  technology choices that are complex and devices and software that are difficult to use, even as their use becomes a necessity.  What is true for all technology is that there is good design, for example, new tablet computers, and there is bad design, for example TV remotes (AARP). Good design is intuitive and easy to use at any age.   To enable a connected living and social aging experience, vendors need to step up and begin to design for all, enabling user experiences that can appeal to all age groups (AARP).

The ageing market is a big market.  This year (2011), the leading edge of the nearly 80 million Baby Boomers in the United States will turn 65 and become “officially” senior citizens. But the Boomer generation isn’t just big — it’s made up of people who think and act differently than previous generations. As Boomers confront “old age,” they will certainly defy what we think it means to “get old.” It will “challenge us to rethink how we use the web and how we engage older people with newer technologies” (Jamie Carracher).  With the ageing of the population, “accessibility has to be built into the planning processes for new projects from the beginning, including consideration of design, text size and physical usability.”

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

A new UK website that has articles on accessibility to gardens has been launched .   Accessible Gardens has a Directory of gardens in England and Wales written by disabled people for disabled people.  The reviews are also helpful for others who need access information, for example, parents with pushchairs and seniors.   Reviews can be submitted to the website by garden visitors thus giving realistic evaluations by users.  Created by Bella D’Arcy, a community garden designer and writer who uses a stick and sometimes a wheelchair or mobility scooter, the website so far has reviews of gardens in 18 counties.  Its ambition is to cover the whole of the UK with independent reports of the accessibility of gardens written by people with disabilities, to assist gardens with their accessibility and with the information they put on their website, and to cover other areas of access and gardens.

Serbia’s third conference on opportunities and challenges in accessible tourism for people with disabilities will be held in Belgrade, June 6-7, 2011.  The conference is being organised by the Tourist Club of the Association of Paraplegic and Quadriplegic “Dunav” Belgrade in cooperation with the Ministry of Economic and Regional Development.  It will focus on serving visitors with disabilities, especially in rural areas, and on improving profitability and sustainability in Access Tourism.  It will also focus on legislation and the development of accessible tourism in Serbia and throughout the European Union, information technology and universal design in accessible tourism, and accessible tourism in relation to mountain tourism, sport, health, spa, and wellness tourism.   Attendees are expected to include people from government, tourism associations and agencies, the transport sector,  academics, and the disabilities sector.

For more information visit Dunav or email tkdunav@gmail.com

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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The government of Singapore is creating an inter-agency office that will develop a more accessible urban environment for the country’s older citizens and wants to be a world leader in this field (ChannelNewsAsia.com). Called the “City for All Ages Project Office”, it will look at improving physical infrastructure to make it more senior-friendly, while supporting services that cater to this growing group.  The first of the Baby Boomers reached 65 this year, and the population of people over the age of 65 will continue to rise over the next 20 years.  Singapore is one of the fastest ageing societies in the world, with one million citizens born between 1947 and 1965.  The goal of the office is to make a city that is both affordable and liveable to Boomers and seniors.  This is a smart move by Singapore because not only will it make the city more accessible for residents, but it will also be more accessible for visitors, who are also ageing.  The agencies involved are: the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS), Ministry of National Development (MND), Housing & Development Board (HDB), Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), Centre for Livable Cities (CLC), Economic Development Board (EDB) and SPRING Singapore.  The office will report to the Minister in charge of ageing issues Lim Boon Heng.   “Let me explain what we mean by ‘liveability’. It goes beyond being barrier free. It goes beyond universal design,” said Heng. “Liveability takes into account the socio-psychological needs of older people, including the need for familiarity, sense of place and sense of safety and convenience.”  The agency plans to accomplish these objectives by coordinating research efforts, and  encouraging the design of new products and services for Boomers.

The Pacific Rim International Conference on Disabilities (Pac Rim) will this year include a number of themes in the realm of tourism.  These are:

• Best practice for inclusive and accessible tourism which includes destination, products, and services
• Accessible tourism best practices, information, guidelines, audits for tourism products
• Universal design (i.e., design which includes all people) for tourism, sport, and recreation, international accessibility standards, and technologies
• Community tourism as a means to reduce poverty and prevent disability or provide accessibility or services

The Pac Rim conference takes place April 18 and 19^th in Honolulu.   Pac Rim – run by the Centre on Disability Studies, University of Hawaii – has been widely recognized over the past 25 years as one of the most “diverse gatherings” in the world.   Each year the conference hews to its traditional areas which have bred much of the interdisciplinary research and educational advances of the last three decades. But each year new topics are introduced to foment discussion and change. The intent is to harness the tremendous synergy as generated by the intermingling of these diverse perspectives.  The event encourages and respects voices from “diverse” perspective across numerous areas, including: voices from persons representing all disability areas; experiences of family members and supporters across all disability areas; responsiveness to diverse cultural and language differences; evidence of researchers and academics studying disability; stories of persons providing powerful lessons; examples of program providers, natural supports and allies of persons with disabilities and; action plans to meet human and social needs in a globalized world.

Guest post by Linda Crabtree.  Linda, who is editor of Accessible Niagara, has been disabled with a neuromuscular disorder all her life. She has used braces, canes, a walker, wheelchair and then a scooter for the last 20 years. She is also a student of universal design and visitability.

Water, water everywhere and plenty to have fun in and on. That’s the Niagara Peninsula in Ontario, Canada and, in particular, Niagara Falls.  Surrounded by water on three sides: Lake Ontario, Lake Erie and the Niagara River, you can’t get too far away from the water when you’re visiting Niagara. Most come to see Niagara Falls, and no wonder… it’s spectacular, and people with mobility impairment can get so close it truly frightening. Let’s face it, you ARE going to get wet at some time during your visit.

A trip on the Maid of the Mist will take you into the bottom of the cascades. The water coming over the falls vibrates the boat, the roar simply goes right through you.  It’s truly awesome in the true meaning of the word. When you board the “Maid” asking for an extra plastic raincoat to cover your knees and/or your scooter basket will see you stay as dry as possible.    The Journey Behind the Falls gives you a look at what it’s like to be tucked in behind the roar. The spray here is something else and there is usually a double rainbow as you take photos right down the stretch of the three falls: The Canadian or Horseshoe Falls; the delicate, lacy Bridal Veil Falls and the American Falls.  The White Water Walk takes you downstream towards Lake Ontario. The rapids here are green and strong. The gorge the water runs in has been carved out over millions of years and you can see how the eons have been laid down.

There are beautiful gardens run by the Niagara Parks Commission throughout the 3274 acres that makes up the Niagara Parkway system and that includes 35 miles of recreational trail and scenic Niagara Parkway. The Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens is gorgeous and there are flowers, planters and rose gardens everywhere.  The Niagara Parks Butterfly Conservatory is located in the garden and is a year-round tropical paradise.  The Niagara Skywheel, a huge ferris wheel, will give you an unparalleled view of the falls and there is also the Horseshoe Landing  patio in front of the Canadian Falls that lets you take photos unfettered by the decorative, low wrought-iron fence surrounding the falls that can partially block your view if you are sitting.  There are also several other terrific vantage points that will give you breathtaking views and places for picture taking.

Not too far from the falls is Niagara-on-the-Lake, an historic old town with some fascinating architecture. The old town isn’t always accessible but it’s worth a roll around just to absorb the ambience.  Inland, in the orchards and vineyards, you’ll find fresh fruit stands (Niagara is the fruit basket of Ontario), and more than 80 wineries ranging from mom and pop ventures to elegant villas that also serve up some pretty fantastic meals.  A little further afield and you’ll find yourself in Port Dalhousie with double piers jutting out into Lake Ontario. The sunsets are magnificent from the end of a pier. Two lighthouses and an historic Looff carousel (not yet accessible) for the kiddies add to the friendliness of this area that was once part of the first Welland canal system that sees ships climb the Niagara escarpment to Lake Erie. Rarely can you get this close to ocean-going ships and long, sleek Lakers as they work their way through the current canal system. When you drive from Niagara-on-the-Lake to Port Dalhousie, which is part of St. Catharines, you will cross the bridge at Lock One. Ships going through Lock One make for good viewing or you can drive a couple of miles south to lock three where there is the St. Catharines Historical Museum, a Lacrosse Hall of Fame and a raised viewing platform to watch the huge ships rise or lower depending on which way they are headed.  There is excellent shopping at Pen Centre in St. Catharines featuring more than 180 shops and then it’s on to Jordan Village where an old winery has been converted into more shopping. 

For more on Niagara, please go to Accessible Niagara, a website featuring more than 270 pages of information for people with disabilities and, particularly, mobility impairment.  Everything on the site is audited and it is full of photos taken by Linda. She is also available via e-mail (linda (at) lindacrabtree.com) to answer questions you may have and to help you plan your trip to Niagara, Ontario, Canada. 

The  Tourism Institute of Spain (Turespaña) and the Spanish Committee of Representatives of Persons with Disabilities (CERMI)  have signed an agreement to implement inititiatives making Spain a destination accesible to all.   Turespana is that administrative unit of the Central Government in charge of promoting Spain abroad as a tourism destination, and is therefore similar to Tourism New Zealand.   The aim is to improve products and services offered by the sector, and better satisfy all customers thereby increased profitability for companies. CERMI advises about the accessibility needs of people with disabilities, while Turespaña, which is already taking action in the arena of access in tourism, will intensify this work.  The agreement includes initiatives in tourism sector  training on issues of accessibility, design-for-all in tourism marketing and meetings organization, and in tourism inspection.  The agreement also covers  increased and improved reliable information about accessibility in the Spanish tourism sector, and the promotion of Access Tourism in Europe.

Sandra Rhodda of Access Tourism New Zealand gave an invited presentation at the Third International Congress of Accessible Tourism for All in Valladolid Spain in November.  She spoke about people with disabilities, access tourism, and arts and culture in New Zealand.   The congress – held over three days – was attended by more than 300 people from Europe, the U.K., Asia, and the Americas, and comprised a number of presentations and concurrent workshops on progress and business initiatives in developing Access Tourism, professional training, employment, and research in Access Tourism, presentations on access, culture, and the environment, disabled students as access tourists, Access Tourism and technology, and Access Tourism rating, standardization, and labeling systems.  The Congress was backed by Fundacion ONCE, the largest disabilities NGO in Spain, and the European Network for Accessible Tourism.

 The main theme of the congress was cultural tourism and was therefore aimed at professionals in the cultural sector wishing to enhance their participation in the tourism sector.  It had as a main goal that of establishing Universal Accessibility and Design for All, with which to promote inclusion of people with disabilities.  One of the main goals of Fundación ONCE is to ensure the full inclusion of disabled people in all areas of society. Making access to cultural tourism easier for disabled people helps them get to know the culture of the place they are visiting. On the other hand, incorporating Design for All into the new cultural tourism offerings makes more people aware of the importance of Design for All and Universal Accessibility.

A timely presentation was that given by Juan Aljama from the Accessibility Commission of Spain, who spoke about the work of the Group of World Heritage Cities of Spain (Accessible Heritage and Tourism section).  The Group was created to preserve and promote thirteen historic cities in Spain, and the access section is involved with assessing and improving access for locals and visitors with disabilities.  One of the thirteen cities – Avila – this week won the first-ever European Commission award for improving access for the disabled (The Access City Award 2011)

In a first for New Zealand, The New Zealand Tourism Research Institute at Auckland University of Technology has created a Research Programme Area in Access Tourism headed by Sandra Rhodda. 

 NZTRI’s Access Tourism programme aims to research and develop Access Tourism in NZ.  Access Tourism is tourism, travel, and hospitality for people with permanent or temporary disabilities, seniors, parents with strollers, and any person with a need for improved access.  This is an interdisciplinary research area that addresses the challenges and opportunities presented by Access Tourism.

The Access Tourist already represents a sizeable proportion of our tourism markets.  Between 17 and 20% of the population in our main markets already report a disability, and this percentage is bound to grow because the large Baby Boomer cohort is ageing and disability increases with age.  Those aged 45 or older already comprise almost half of our domestic and international visitors (and over 70% of our cruise ship visitors).

Areas of interest include:

• Research and policy development
• Understanding the Access Tourism market
• Awareness promotion and education of government and industry to the potential of Access Tourism
• Access Tourism product development and marketing in NZ
• Promotion of cooperation in a developing Access Tourism sector, including in the public and private sector
• Access Tourist satisfaction and motivation
• Economic and social benefits of Access Tourism
• Access Tourism as an important factor in tourism sustainability
• Relationship of Access tourism to Health, Wellness, and Medical Tourism
• Opportunities for Access Tourism legacy development around major events such as RWC2011

From Scott Rains, Rolling Rains Report

Svayam, an initiative of S.J.Charitable Trust, India is proud to announce that TRANSED 2012, the 13th International Conference on Mobility and Transport for Elderly and Disabled Persons will take place in India from September 17-21, 2012 on the theme “Seamless Access for All: Universal design for transport systems and infrastructure as a key element in the creation of livable cities“.  The TRANSED series of conferences have, since 1978, provided the premier international forum to exchange ideas on what works and why, and to share innovations, good practices,  and research on accessible transportation, mobility, and travel.   TRANSED 2012 will showcase international innovation and technological solutions for accessible transportation and travel through papers and posters as well as through live exhibitions of products, services, and best practices. It will have an exhibition running for all the days of conference, Opening Reception, Conference Opening, Plenary session, Parallel Technical Sessions, Conference Dinner and a grand closing ceremony.  Visit http://www.transed2012.in/conference_schedule.html for details regarding conference programme.

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