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

UK.  The South West Tourism Excellence Awards 2011/12 have praised Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Roman Baths for the improved accessibility it offers all visitors.  The Romans Baths received a “Highly Commended” in the Access for All award section in recognition of recent development work carried out by the Council to improve access in a wide range of ways and make the experience more inclusive for people with a wide range of different needs.  Councillor Cherry Beath (Lib-Dem,  Combe Down), Cabinet Member for Sustainable Development, said: “Physical
accessibility at the Roman Baths has improved enormously with the installation of two new lifts and a complete change in the way visitors can move around the site. Understanding of the ancient monument has also become easier for our visitors with new displays and improved interpretation throughout, and there is a wide range of visual prompts that everyone can recognise.

“We have new interpretation for blind and visually impaired visitors with many tactile exhibits. There is a dedicated British Sign Language audio guide, an inclusive personal audio guide in eight languages, and tours for English and French speaking children. The judges even took into account the inclusive way that we cater for people with particular dietary needs in the Pump Room restaurant.”

Pieter Ghijsels of the Accessibility Policy Group at the Tourism Administration Flanders-Brussels writes that the accessibility of tourism services in Flanders is a key part of the Flemish policy on tourism.  In “Accessible tourism in Flanders: policy support and incentive” (Chapter 3, Best Practices in Accessible Tourism, 2012), he notes that people with disabilities are an important target group for the tourism industry in Flanders.  Tourism Flanders put in place a tourism accessibility action plan in 2001 to improve accessibility, offer training, and gather reliable information about access in Flanders tourism.  The Accessible Travel Action Plan developed a number of subsidies for renovation and new constructions in the Flanders tourism industry.  Subsidies include those to the private sector (e.g., to hotels, campsites, tourism information offices) and to local authorities (for example, to improve beach access, public toilets etc).   In this way, Tourism Flanders invests between 3-3.5 million Euros per year.  The Accessible Travel Info Point (Infopunt Toegankelijk Reizen) provides reliable access information in four languages  for travellers in or to Belgium.  This is backed up by an extensive print travel library in Brussels. The Info Point also offers tourism operators tips on how to make their businesses more accessible.

The Flemish Minister of Tourism annually gives the Gulliver Awards for innovative access initiatives in tourism.  Accessible Flanders (Toegankelijk Vlaanderen) is an accessibility databank listing local government offices, sports facilities, swimming pools, cultural centres and museums, hotels, campsites, hostels and so on that have been professionally assessed for all types of access needs.  Tourism operations can have the assessment done free of charge.  In 2008, recognizing that the indiscriminate use of the universal symbol of access (the white wheelchair on a blue background) by business owners meant that the symbol had little meaning, Tourism Flanders introduced a new, 3-level label for accessible tourism.

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.

Karola Woods is the writer and co-creator of the iPhone App London Thru Cafes (see ATNZ guest post ), which covers 90 great cafes in the capital and hundreds of places to visit nearby with regular updates, access details, off-line maps, London travel information, photos, a feedback facility, an area write-up and a London  survival guide. Here’s her experience of taking her Mum, who is a wheelchair user, around the capital.

Karola's mum at The Ritz, London

I’m quite a strong, determined person, and just as well! My Mum and I have grappled with all kinds of kerbs and steps in her wheelchair and that’s in her home town. ‘How would we cope in London?’ I wondered, when she came to stay. Everyone’s dashing around like a mad March hare, parking spaces are like gold dust and it’s all just well – so big.  Thankfully, I’m a natural planner and I know London very well which helps – and these were the days before I wrote my App! We were staying in my flat near Hammersmith. It had a flight of stairs, which made things interesting. I’d clued up on disabled parking bays through the Blue Badge Scheme. The rules differ in London from the rest of the UK, but thankfully I was in a borough without too many restrictions – plus it was Christmas and London was quiet in many ways. I know that non UK and non EU visitors won’t have Blue Badges, but there are lots of meters and hidden-away car parks you can pre-book such as BCP Park, NCP and Q-Park

We visited a Middle Eastern cafe-restaurant called Delaziz which I knew was accessible from previous visits, although I did phone to check a detail about seating arrangements and that was fine. We also went to the Polish Social and Cultural Association (accessible) as my Mum is Polish and we also wanted to zip along the north side of the river near Hammersmith Bridge – in my Mum’s wheelchair that is, not the car! We stopped off at Riverside Studios on the way back for a drink. We didn’t pay congestion charge because it was a weekend and also, it was between
Christmas Day and New Year’s Day when there is no charge. The congestion charge is another thing to consider if you’re driving around. It’s also why London’s accessible buses and black cabs are particularly good alternatives. Some 62 tube stations are step-free now too.

Perhaps the highlight of the stay was a Boxing Day Champagne Lunch at the Ritz Hotel. My Mum loved every minute. Someone else in a wheelchair was going in before us and this greatly comforted her as she thought she might be ‘a problem’ for them. No such thing. The doorman was excellent and we didn’t even need to ask for help – he just wheeled my Mum up a little ramp and took care of everything.

You can hire adapted vehicles if you need a car using companies such as Allied Mobility. My golden rule is do your research before you travel, even if you simply make a call. Also, the London Transport site also lets you plan a tube or bus journey showing you the bus numbers and changes involved. My Mum still talks about her trip to London, for all the right reasons. To me, that hopefully says it all.

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.

Fiona Jeffery OBE, chairperson of the World Travel Market, told the Travel Weekly website that customers with mobility problems or disabilities are a rapidly growing consumer market, however their needs and interests are largely ignored by the industry as a whole.  Ms Jeffery said: “I want to address the issues of mobility and disability; we have an ageing population with a high disposable income and desire to travel but travel companies are not geared up to help them.”  She then went on to state that this “needs to change”.

The site found that specialist businesses working in the travel sector agreed with her sentiment, arguing that widespread problems such as lack of communication and understanding are limiting the numbers of disabled people choosing to go on holiday. Other operators such as Enable Holidays commented that disabled people seek a far greater level of detail when it comes to booking a holiday than most operators would currently be able to provide.

Ali Parker, general manager of Accessible Travel, which carries around 3,000 disabled holidaymakers and their companions, added: “Even as a specialist operator we often struggle to get the information and even when hoteliers tell us they are accessible, we find they are not when we look at them.”

The World Travel Market this year (5-8 Nov) is expected to focus more on accessible holiday opportunities, with Ms Jeffery looking to raise awareness of the barriers to customers.

Source, Leicestershire Centre for Integrated Living 13 January 2012

Travel professionals – including independent and hosted agents – should stop viewing the special needs sector – including those travellers who have a disability – as a niche market and instead see it as a mainstream service option, says Andrew J. Garnett, president and CEO of theFlorida-based Special Needs Group/Special Needs at Sea (SNG).   Garnett says agents will see more requests to support special needs travelers and should be prepared.  This will be partly due to the growth in the number of people with disabilities with the growth in the percentage of Baby Boomers who are ageing (disability increases with age).   American Baby Boomers and mature adults took 340 million domestic vacations in 2006 and 110 million international trips from 2004-2006. The mature market alone spent $192 billion in travel expenditures. These markets contain many “slow walkers” individuals who do not consider  themselves disabled, but who could benefit from special needs products and services, Garnett says.

Garnett notes that some 63 million Americans (20%) have a disability and roughly 10 million aged 15 and older use a walking aid such as a cane or walker. An estimated 3.3 million use a wheelchair, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.  The data is dated but Americans with disabilities spent $13.6 billion on travel in 2002 (the latest data available) and that spending is likely to have kept pace with the aging of the U.S. population and growing numbers of disabled. Studies show that 24 million disabled Americans would travel/travel more frequently if their special needs were met.

SNG has a professional education program (SNG Certified Accessible Travel Advocate) that can act as credits toward Cruise Line International Association (CLIA) certification. The one-hour, three-module program focuses on understanding accessible travel, building expertise in accessible travel and demonstrating accessible travel advocacy skills. “This initiative represents the first time travel professionals can become conversant with this market segment through online study and testing,” Garnett says. The program is presented in a non-commercial format with the focus purely on content.  It now has nearly 400 agent participants suggesting solid interest in serving the special needs market.  “Access to reliable disabled services – a wheelchair or scooter, for example – may be the difference between going or not going on the trip. Access to resources can be a key to families traveling together or for small groups.”

Garnett credits many suppliers – airlines, cruise lines, tour operators, hoteliers and destinations with opening opportunities for disabled travelers. “Access to special needs equipment and expertise has helped expand demand.”

Karola Woods is a writer and her husband Chris is an iPhone App developer. Although a lot of people could say they have a passion for coffee, cafes and cake, Karola and her husband have taken their obsession one step further. Together they’ve built and launched an iPhone App called London Thru Cafes, which covers 90 great cafes in the capital and hundreds of places to visit nearby. They also include all kinds of access information. Here’s Karola’s viewpoint on building an App that hopes to go that one step further.

We knew we were taking on extra work when we decided to include access details for the cafes and places of interest in our App. We thought, ‘Well, if we’re including things like opening hours, WiFi and gluten free details, surely we should include if someone in a wheelchair can enter a cafe or not – or if a gallery does tours for the blind?’   For our featured cafes, we include access details – whether there are steps, if it’s spacious and if it has an adapted toilet. There’s also a telephone number and website address if further information’s needed.  For venues such as museums, cinemas, galleries, theatres and attractions, we include wheelchair access details plus information relevant to that venue or experience. If it’s a play, we include if there are sign language performances or details of audio description.

My elderly mother uses a wheelchair and is partially sighted, so from experience I’ve included details on parking (e.g. finding out about disabled bays in central London car parks and information on Blue Badge bays for UK and EU visitors).  There’s information on how to book assisted travel on trains and planes, details of adapted vehicle hire companies and which tube stations are step-free. Also, there are little snippets of information that not all visitors might know – such as buses and black cabs being wheelchair accessible. In writing this App, I’ve learned quite a lot!

Our App has been live for six months now and we will update access details as much as admission fee or opening hour changes. Giving access details means looking at a place holistically, from all senses and viewpoints, and while we hope we’ve done this, we always welcome feedback. Why wouldn’t we want to give anyone the means of experiencing London at its best? That’s what it’s all about.”

Useful numbers and links:

London Transport 0843 222 1234 (24 hour) (Textphone 020 7918 3015)

National Rail Train Enquires  08457 48 49 60 (24 hour) (Textphone 0845 60 50 600) From outside the UK, call 00 44 20 7278 5240. National Rail can put you through to the relevant train line where you can buy your tickets and arrange assistance at the same time.

To pre-book a day or more at a central London car-park, airport or port, visit ParkBCP. Tel 0800 316 0169. From outside the UK, call 00 44 1303 815 346. NCP and Q-Parks car parks allow pre-booking for shorter visits.

For Tube access and tube station toilet access, click here.

Telephone directories once you are in the UK are 118 118 or 118 500. International Directories are 118 505.

Police/fire/ambulance is 999 (Textphone 18000)

And for a 24 hour health phone line while in the UK call NHS Direct on 0845 46 47 (Textphone 0845 606 46 47).

Mondo Travel, a New Zealand owned and operated company  is opening its own pop-up restaurant headed up by MasterChef ’s Brett McGregor to give Kiwis a taste of cuisine from some of the world’s most popular destinations.  The Tasting Lounge will be at the Marvel Grill at North Wharf in Auckland’s trendy Wynyard Quarter the last Monday of every month between Feb and June, 2012. Each month will celebrate the best cuisine from a different destination or travel experience, with matched wines from exclusive Marlborough label Whitehaven.  Each event will be MC’d by Kiwi performer Jackie Clarke and funds raised from the popup restaurant will go to the Mobility Assistance Dogs Trust, which trains mobility dogs to assist those with physical disabilities.

Assistance dogs have been helping people with physical disabilities for over 30 years internationally. The Mobility Assistance Dogs Trust (Mobility Dogs) is a registered charitable trust, established in 2003, with an appointed Board of Trustees. The MISSION of the Trust is to enhance the lives of people living with physical disabilities increasing independence, confidence, self-esteem and participation in New Zealand communities.  Mobility Dogs are trained to aid and assist a human partner 24 hours a day, seven days a week, inside the home and out in the community. Recipients of Mobility Dogs enjoy increased access to education, places of work and recreational opportunities.

Puppies enter the programme primarily from breeders. Because of the nature of assistance dog tasks, medium to large breeds like Labrador and Golden Retrievers are favoured. The puppies are placed with puppy-raisers to grow and mature. These may be puppy-raisers in the community or prisoners involved in the Puppies in Prison programme. The puppies are exposed to a wide variety of situations and environments in preparation for their future as Mobility Dogs. Puppy-raisers are guided by dog trainers and handlers in working on obedience and basic assistance dog tasks.

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.

M Shed – which is part of Bristol Museums, Galleries & Archives’ – has recently received a Jodi Mattes Trust Award for Digital Access onsite. Their PenFriend Audio Access project was announced as the winner at a recent presentation held at Swansea’s National Waterfront Museum.   The awards relate to the use of existing technology to widen access to information and collections for disabled people more effectively and creatively. They were first given in the UK in 2003, European Year of Disabled People, and celebrate practice that inspires locally, nationally or  internationally.  The  PenFriends are audio devices that allow visitors to M Shed to listen to stories in the galleries. This is a free service provided to visually impaired visitors and to those who have difficulty reading print.

The M Shed also has induction loops, many of the films and video clips have subtitles, and transcripts of oral histories are available.  There are tactile maps of Bristol and other exhibits that can be handled in many of the galleries.

M Shed, as part of Bristol City Council, is committed to providing a website that’s accessible to the widest possible audience, regardless of technology or ability.  They endeavour to conform to level Double-A of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 by building their site using code compliant with the W3C standard. The technical wording for this is “valid HTML 4.01 Strict for structure and CSS for presentation”.  The site displays correctly in current browsers – though there may be visual differences. Using HTML/CSS standards means any future browsers will also display content correctly.   Whenever possible, links are written to make sense out of context.   The text size on the site is specified in a way that makes it resizable in any browser, should it be too small to read comfortably.  M Shed is keen to hear from people if anything needs changing to make their site more  accessible.

M Shed is fully accessible to wheelchair users, and wheelchairs can be borrowed. There is level access throughout and lifts to all floors. These lifts are designated fire evacuation lifts and have tactile buttons and spoken floor announcements.   There are accessible parking spaces and a drop-off/ pick up point for taxis, accessible toilets, changing facilities, and café.  Visitor Services staff have been trained to meet the needs of all visitors. For further information about accessible facilities contact the museum on 0117 35 26600 or emailinformation@mshed.org

The Independence Visitor Center in Philadelphia has added to its existing access features. Located on Independence Mall (access information here) in Independence National Historical Park, the Visitor Center is already totally accessible to wheelchair users, and wheelchairs are available for rental all year-round upon request. In addition, open captions have always been part of the two films shown in the Visitor Center’s theaters. “As the first stop for many visitors during their stay, the Independence Visitor Center plays a significant role in shaping first impressions of the Philadelphia region,” said James J. Cuorato, President & CEO of the Independence Visitor Center Corporation.

Now there are two new additions designed to provide a positive experience for visitors with hearing loss. They are a portable loop system and a mobile application which will be available for download in American Sign Language. The loop system (available at the Concierge Desk) is compatible with telecoil-equipped hearing aids, cochlear implants and induction loop receivers. Visitors who do not have a compatible hearing aid device may benefit from an individual receiver with headphones.

The Visitor Center is also launching Philadelphia History This Way, a mobile application that will guide visitors along Philadelphia’s historic square mile. This interactive tour will feature 24 sites and will be available in six languages, including American Sign Language.

These recent additions are a direct result of an ongoing partnership with Art-Reach, a local non-profit that advocates increased accessibility at cultural venues. Art-Reach advises the Independence Visitor Center on programs and equipment that will further enhance the accessibility of its facility. “The Independence Visitor Center is one of the most important gateways to our region’s rich array of cultural assets and they have demonstrated a real commitment to being welcoming to all guests,” stated Art-Reach Executive Director Michael Norris. “We are thrilled to be advising them on their accessibility enhancements.”

Art-Reach enriches lives by connecting underserved audiences to cultural experiences so that they may enjoy and benefit from the transformative powers of the arts. Each year, Art-Reach enables more than 15,000 people of all ages, economic backgrounds and abilities to experience the richness of the arts. Art-Reach is dedicated to creating proactive relationships with organizations in Philadelphia to ensure opportunities are readily available for those who may be at a disadvantage.

(from PRNewswire)

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.”

Montreal Gazette: Kéroul of Quebec, Canada is an organization which works to ensure that the approximately 900,000 Quebecers who have mobility restrictions can enjoy the best of the province – without travel restrictions. Kéroul is short for “Québec roule” (Quebec moves on wheels).  Based in Montreal and sponsored by the Quebec government, Kéroul rates and certifies the province’s cultural and tourism sites and its lodging establishments according to their accessibility. Kéroul’s produces a travel guide, the Accessible Road. The Accessible Road lays out interesting tourist venues with compelling photos and helpful lists of where to go and what to do when you get there. A leader in travel for the physically challenged, the Accessible Road was honoured in 2011 with the Ulysses Award for Innovation by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

The map of the Accessible Road encompasses Montreal, Quebec City and the countryside. It has dozens of hotels, inns, campsites, cycling trails, parks and wilderness experiences, museums and cultural venues, all with adapted facilities, and all recommended by Kéroul. “These are our ‘coups de coeur,’ these places are as good as it gets,” said Monique Bouchard, project director of Kéroul’s Accessible Route.  “They have features that make them accessible and their staff members are trained to welcome people with physical restrictions.”

Kéroul’s map also explores outdoor adventure. The rugged region of Mauricie, a land of forests, mountains and lakes, is a new-for-2011 addition to the Accessible Road. The Parc National de la Mauricie attracts nature lovers for wildlife observation, picnics and trails – endorsed for their manageable terrain, which is suitable for wheelchairs. Bicycle paths are prized by Kéroul because they are easy to navigate for someone cruising in a motorized wheelchair.

The Prince Edward Island (Canada) government is encouraging tourism operators in the province to verify whether their properties are fully accessible for people with disabilities. The program is being launched to ensure when people with disabilities go to businesses and accommodations, they get what they’re expecting. The province has signed on with Quality Tourism Services (QTS) which will independently verify the accessibility of a property. QTS already evaluates hotels and B&Bs on the Island for a number of factors, and will now inspect properties and give them a designation, either limited or full mobile accessible, and sight or hearing accessible. “We’re hoping over time that is going to give a level of comfort to the consumers that are going into that business,” said Roxanne Carmody of QTS, “that if they’re looking for a symbol, they’re looking for the Access Advisor symbol, because they know it has been verified and they know what they’re getting.”

Any operator who wants to have an accessibility symbol in the Tourism Guide will have to go through QTS and get evaluated. For the 2012 guide, while the inspections are being done, all operations that now say they are accessible will get a partial accessibility symbol. In 2013, only ones that have gone through the Access Advisor program will be able to have those symbols in the guide. Tourism PEI said it’s important for people to get what they are expecting. QTS has already evaluated more than 100 Island properties.

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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Tokyo’s Haneda Airport (Tokyo Internatinal Airport) has a new runway and new international terminal that “makes life easy for international travellers”.   So writes Harriet Baskas  in USA Today.   “And in a country well-known for its high-tech toilets, the airport restrooms are a delight. “Ordinary toilets” have wider-than-normal doorways to accommodate both manual wheelchair users and travelers with suitcases. Folding doors on the cubicles include a sign indicating whether or not there’s a baby seat and a fold-down changing table inside. And inside each women’s restroom area there’s a urinal for use by small boys.

“Multipurpose toilets” are exactly that. To accommodate wheelchair users, passengers traveling with babies or toddlers, elderly people and anyone with a special need, there are restrooms equipped with just about every facility imaginable. In addition to diaper changing tables, beds and changing platforms, these restrooms have ostomate showers and sinks, layouts that allow for right or left hand transfers to the toilet seat from a wheelchair and an emergency button linked directly to the airport’s Disaster Control Center.

And, in what is certainly an airport first, there’s even a restroom designed specifically for use by service dogs.”

Amongst the improvements making this airport highly accessible to all, including people with disabilities, is excellent information on the airport website about access.

Unless travellers with disabilities have good information, they never know what they are up a against until they arrive. And relying on business owners and service providers to tell you about accessibility at their restaurant, motel, or office can be fraught as they often do not know what true access is.  Now an app has been developed to find an accessible local business or service worldwide.  Developed by Raul Krauthausen of Germany, a wheelchair user himself, the free iPhone is called Wheelmap, and shows wheelchair access places around the world and rates them on their accessibility.  A red tag shows  there is no wheelchair access, yellow has partial wheelchair access and green is totally accessible for wheelchair use. Gray locations mean that place has yet to be rated.  And users can have input to the app.  Travekkers can rate locations on their accessibility and even share tips. At the moment, most of the cities are in Germany, but any place can be rated.   You can rate locations without registering, but must log in to add specific comments and share tips, and help the site grow.  The project uses the Openstreetmap API to retrieve (and in the future also save) accessibility data.  The website has been developed using Ruby on Rails.  Currently the source code isn’t open source, but they are thinking about doing that in the future.  Wheelmap is an initiative of “Sozialhelden e.V.“, a German non-profit
association.  To learn more go here.

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.

For more, continue reading…………………….

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Knoxville, Tennessee is looking to improve information about access to restaurants in the area.  The Access Knoxville Project is a partnership between the University of Tennessee and the disAbility Resource Center, and trained volunteers to survey local restaurants using a survey form as a guide.  They looked to see how “friendly” restaurants are  to people with all types of disabilities, said Nathan Hulling, a disability advocate for DRC. The Access Knoxville survey has a standard rating system of Limited, Good, and Wow access, and so far, results are in for thirteen restaurants.   Restaurants get a letter from Hulling explaining their rating and sometimes uggesting changes.  Those with a Wow access rating receive an Accessibility Certificate, which they can display.

The Knoxville project is modelled after a similar program in Nashville, whose key  partners included Tennessee Disability Pathfinder, a project of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities which donated staff
time and office supplies. The Nashville Conventions and Visitors Bureau agreed
to post restaurant accessibility ratings on their website – so far there are 24 such
ratings. Since 2010, the project has xpanded its website to include accessibility-friendly information about hotels, transportation services, and entertainment attractions, in addition to restaurants.