Another thing were shower rooms. The did not have fancy power showers in bathrooms with lips and sills around the shower unit - just a shower head in the middle of the room over a small drain with the floors sloping imperceptibly to the drain. So showers were accessible where they rarely are in Europe or North America.
Question: Accurate destination information that details features of interest and necessity to travellers with disabilities is a need that is often difficult, sometimes impossible, to fulfil. In a review of "Best Birdwatching Sites in Norfolk" by Neil Glenn you commented:
This book sets the standard and all other writers and publishers should follow it - there are no excuses now as the book does it and tells you how... The author not only includes notes on disability access for each site and uses an appropriate symbol for quick reference, he also has a couple of pages listing sites that are fully accessible and those that have some disability access.
Have you run across other books, web sites, or other resources that set a high standard worthy of imitation? How about travel agents, tour operators, or managers of birding sites that provide exemplary service?
Answer: One of our oldest Observatories, at Sandwich Bay, has really tried hard to make provision for disabled people. As the best birding site can never be made accessible because the land is privately owned where access trails run.
The "Obs" has created a new "scrape" (definition below*) put in a disabled accessible hide, and a special car park. What is more, the accommodation block for volunteers is fully accessible and they continue to look for ways to improve. The dba has run several overseas trips and some of these were organized by Sarus Bird Tours www.sarusbirdtours.com which has accumulated access knowledge and always given their help at cost.
Question: Birding is a set of skills that requires knowledge, persistence, and patience to acquire. Some describe birding as a lifestyle; a discipline. It occurs to me that the same can be said about learning how to provide quality service to those with abilities that differ from one's own. Each type of disability is different. What advice do you have for those working in the fields that make birding possible - designing or managing parks, hotels, restaurants, transportation systems, or birding products? Regulating natural resources or access to them? Working in travel agencies or as tour guides?
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